January 13, 2016, US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Powers visited the Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations. She arrived the morning after President Obama’s last State of the Union and discussed the US’s current and future roles in foreign policy. A graduate of Yale and Harvard University, Samantha Powers is a human rights expert and former White House adviser. She has worked alongside President Obama in multiple human rights campaigns and in 2014 ranked 63rd most powerful woman in the world by Forbes.
In her talk, Powers addressed America’s global influence, global challenges that need rallying by other nations, the path of personal engagement of other regimes, and the US’s greatest strength; its values. Throughout Power’s talk, she highlighted the accomplishments in the Syrian refugee crisis and highlighted the benefit pluralism has in our country. Citing examples of the abolition of the Cuban embargo, the continued fight against ISIL, and the success of refugee in the US, Power reaffirms the fact that US is still a leader in the international spectrum and has been making a difference in global crises despite criticisms coming from the opposing side.
Power then answered multiple questions regard current events in foreign policy. Seton Hall University thanks Ambassador Power for her time and visit to the university.
