Olive Tree Initiative 2013 Student Diplomat Application

Thank you very much for your interest in participating as a Student Diplomat in the Olive Tree Initiative (OTI) 2013 Summer Trip! Introduction & Instructions TRIP INFORMATION: Dates: Sunday, August 11 - Saturday, August 31 (tentative); in addition, participants must be available for boot camp training week, Monday, August 5 - Friday, August 9 at UCI. Destinations: Washington DC, Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan Cost per participant: $4,000 covering the cost of all airfare, taxi, bus, food, speakers, hotel, insurances, tips, security logistics, and special access logistics for a nearly three-week-long trip to the Middle East. After being selected, OTI student delegates at UCI and UCLA will receive a $2000 stipend towards the trip cost. Participants are thus expected to work together to creatively fundraise the remaining $2000 per participant. Whatever the group cannot fundraise together, students must have the ability to cover themselves. There is a $200 non-refundable cash down-payment required from chosen participants as a demonstration of their commitment to participating in the program, as airfare and other logistical costs must be booked far in advance. The OTI trip itinerary consists of an intense schedule characterized by early morning start times and late evening end times with very few breaks (if any). There will be numerous high-level meetings with officials, and OTI expects its participants to conduct themselves in a professional and diplomatic manner during the scheduled programming and throughout the trip in general. Though taxing, the trip will be very rewarding for those selected. The OTI trip application process is very competitive, and the most qualified students will be selected. The selection committee will look to choose a group of politically, religiously and ethnically diverse students as well as those representing a diversity of campus affiliations who distinctly demonstrate critical thinking ability, clearly value education, and enthusiastically seek to challenge themselves in these areas. We encourage all students to apply. If you are not selected for this summers trip, you may have priority for selection on the next one. In addition to this application form, please submit the following: 2 letters of recommendation: 1 academic recommendation, e.g., from a professor or TA (excluding core OTI faculty); and 1 personal recommendation, e.g., from an employer, internship mentor, non-family member adult). If you have no current personal connections with TAs or professors, a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher may be submitted. Recommenders should submit letters directly to the

designated recipient on your campus (see next section), either electronically via email, or a hard copy in a sealed, signed envelope. One passport-style head-shot photo of you, preferably via email with the application.

Address all submissions applications and letters of recommendation to one of the following, no later than Friday, March 1, 2013: UCLA: Rena Orenstein, Assistant Director, Bruin Resource Center: rorenstein@saonet.ucla.edu UCI: Susan Seely, OTI Executive Administrator: sseely@uci.edu Please direct all questions to Susan Seely at sseely@uci.edu You will be contacted by email within two weeks of the date your application is mailed. Note: interviews will be held by the selection committee on a rolling schedule for all prospective participants, (tentatively) between Monday, February 25 and Wednesday, March 13. Application information is confidential and will only be seen by the selection committee of administrators and faculty from the UC system. Those selected for the trip will be asked to submit additional documents, including (but not limited to) a Health Clearance form and an electronic copy of the inside page of your passport. Thank you for your interest! We look forward to receiving your application. Sincerely, The OTI Team

Applicant Information FULL NAME (exactly as it appears on file at your campus) First name: Middle name/initial: Surname: PRESENT MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE Street address: City: Mobile phone: Suffix (e.g., Jr.):

State:

Postal code:

Other number/s (e.g., home or work land line):

PERMANENT MAILING ADDRESS & PHONE: Street address: City: Mobile phone:

State:

Postal code:

Other number/s (e.g., home or work land line/s):

E MAIL ADDRESS (important trip information will be sent via email; please make sure this is a reliable email address and one that you check often): IN CASE OF A TIMELY NEED TO REACH YOU, WHAT IS THE PREFERRED METHOD? GENDER: CITZENSHIP: Non U.S. citizens: are you a permanent resident? Yes___ No___ If you are a citizen of or have a passport or identity card/number from any of the following, please check all that apply: Israel___ Jordan___ West Bank___ Gaza___ NOTE: OTI participants who have (or whose parents have) Israeli passports/citizenship must travel with their Israeli passports in addition to their U.S. passports, AND completed, official paperwork proving military service exemption/ military service completion. OTI participants who have (or whose parents/grandparents have) passports/ identity cards/numbers from the West Bank or Gaza will likely need travel permits from the Israeli consulate in advance, in addition to their U.S. passports. For more information, see U.S. Department of State- Bureau of Consular Affairs website: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html (scroll to IsraeliAmericans and Palestinian-Americans). UNITED STATES PASSPORT NUMBER: If you do not have a U.S. passport yet, write pending and send us the number as soon as your passport is issued. If you will use a non-U.S. passport on OTI, please indicate the following: NON U.S. PASSPORT NUMBER and COUNTRY OF ISSUE:

If any passport you will use on OTI contains stamps/visas from Middle Eastern countries, please indicate the countries: NOTE: your passport must be valid until at least June 2014. FULL NAME (exactly as it appears in your passport) First name: Middle name/initial: Surname: PLACE OF BIRTH: DATE OF BIRTH: Academic/Campus Information UC CAMPUS AFFILIATION: MAJOR/MINOR: CLASS STANDING/YEAR IN SCHOOL: ESTIMATED DATE OF GRADUATION: HAVE YOU APPLIED TO PREVIOUS OTI TRIP? Yes__ No __ CAMPUS STUDENT ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS: COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS (e.g., cultural/religious/service youth organizations): CURRENT GPA:

Suffix (e.g., Jr.):

PREREQUISITE/RELATED COURSE(S) WHICH YOU WILL HAVE COMPLETED BY THE OTI TRIP (please refer to the attached list; write the course number/s and full titles/s here; and any additional courses you believe to be strongly related):

WILL YOU RECEIVE COURSE CREDIT FOR THE ACTUAL TRIP? Yes __ No__ If yes, please indicate the course/campus through which you will earn credit: Students from UCI and UCLA may earn 4 units for the trip, credited in the 2013-2014 academic year, via UCI (intercampus credit). Indicate your interest in exploring this option: Yes __ No __ UCI ONLY: IF YOU PLAN TO WORK TOWARD THE "Certificate in Conflict Analysis and Resolution please indicate: Yes__ No__

By signing and dating this statement, I agree to this statement: BEFORE THE OTI TRIP, I WILL ATTEND, AT MINIMUM, 80% OF OTI MEETINGS AT MY CAMPUS. UPON MY RETURN, AS A STUDENT DIPLOMAT, I PLAN TO USE THE KNOWLEDGE IVE GAINED FROM THE EXPERIENCE AT MY CAMPUS, IN THE COMMUNITY, and/or INTERNATIONALLY, WHICH MAY INCLUDE BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO PARTICIPATING IN A CAMPUS-WIDE WELCOMEBACK EVENT, ATTENDANCE AT WEEKLY MEETINGS, BLOGGING, and REPRESENTING OTI AT CAMPUS EVENTS. IN ADDITION, I WILL PARTICIPATE IN AT LEAST 3 COMMUNITY PRESENTATION EVENTS. I WILL DEVOTE ______ HOURS WEEKLY THROUGHOUT THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR TO THESE ACTIVITIES.

Signature:

Date:

Essay Questions Please respond to the following questions, in no more than 2 pages each (double-spaced). Make sure to address all parts of each question in your response: 1. Why do you want to participate in the Olive Tree Initiative trip? 2. Students who participate in the OTI trip are referred to as Student Diplomats. What personal and professional attributes might characterize a Student Diplomat? What sort of behavior, in and outside of scheduled meetings, should be typical of a Student Diplomat? What characteristics make you a strong applicant in this regard (give specific examples of Student Diplomat characteristics you feel you have, and how they manifest in your behavior)? What Student Diplomat characteristics and behavior would you like to further develop in yourself? 3. How do you approach communication with people who hold different beliefs, forms of worship, cultural practices and identity affiliations within your own cultural group(s)? From other cultural groups? What are your intercultural communication strengths, as well as areas that might benefit from further growth and development? 4. During your OTI trip experience, what issue would you most like to explore or what question would you most like to have explained or answered? Describe your question/issue and why it is important to you. Furthermore, identify two people whose professional work has affected this topic, of whom you would like to ask that question or seek explanation, and describe the reasoning behind your choices.

UCLA-RELATED COURSEWORK Before participating in an OTI trip, it is essential that a prospective participant demonstrate academic interest and grasp of subject matter as well as potential contribution of knowledge to the group in related topic areas. On your application, please note in the appropriate section any/all courses you have taken for credit (or in which you are currently enrolled) that are related to the OTI trip. Below is a list of courses from different subject areas. If a course is not listed below that you feel applies, please list the class and title on your application, and reasons why you wish to include it.
ANTHRO 152 - Politics: Tribe, State, Nation ANTHRO 159 - Warfare and Conflict COMM M117 - Negotiation COMM 122 - Promoting Dialogue between Diverse Worlds COMM 130 - Cultural Factors in Interpersonal Communication CHS 60 - Intergroup Dialogue: Peer Dialogue CHS 160 - Intergroup Dialogue: Theory and Practice of Peer Facilitation ECON M136 - Economic Models of Political Conflict and Conflict Resolution (POLI SCI M106) GEOG 140 - Political Geography GLBL ST 1 - Introduction to Global Studies HIST 109B - Palestine, Zionism, and the Evolution of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict HNRS 42 - Negotiating Conflict in Diverse Cultures HNRS 125 - Communities and Nations in Conflict HNRS 157 - Intl. Relations in the Middle (POLI SCI 132B) JEWISH 142 - Modern Israel: Politics, Society, and Culture JEWISH 144 - Zionism: Ideology and Practice in Making of Jewish State LAW 163A - International Human Rights Colloquium LAW 187B - Politics and International Law Colloquium NR EAST 50C - Modern Middle Eastern Cultures POL SCI 132A - International Relations of the Middle East POL SCI 123A - International Law POL SCI 171D - Negotiation POLI SCI 172 - Strategy and Conflict PUB POL 103 - Ethics, Morality, and Public Life: Contemporary Controversies PUB POL CM117 - Crisis Decision Making in U.S. Foreign Policy REL 110 - Religion and Violence REL 120 - Abrahamic Religions: Traditions in Tension SOC 154 - Race and Ethnicity: International Perspectives SOC 160 - Intergroup Conflict and Prejudice