A decade after his death, Ambassador Stevens’ legacy is more urgent than ever

J. Christopher Stevens was an idealistic young man who “had sand in his shoes,” his mother would say: he was always on the move, seeking out new adventures. 

Inspired by his time in Spain as a high school exchange student, he went on to teach English in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco as a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1980s. An international trade attorney, he joined the U.S. Foreign Service, learned Arabic, and spent most of his career in the Middle East and North Africa, a region he grew to love. He eventually served as U.S. ambassador to Libya where he devoted himself to building economic and interpersonal ties between the cultures in his unassuming, optimistic style.

But on Sept. 11, 2012, his story came to an abrupt halt. Ambassador Stevens was killed in Benghazi, Libya, while working to open an American cultural community center and meet with economic and community leaders.

The loss of such a charismatic, dedicated public servant was mourned by many, including Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns, who said at the time that Stevens was one of “the very finest officers of his generation in the Foreign Service…the kind of courage and talent and leadership that would inspire another generation of American diplomats.”

Ten years later, his inspiration indeed lives on, in the form of the Stevens Initiative — a virtual exchange champion for global learning, education and connection. With support from his family, the Stevens Initiative was launched in 2015 in cooperation with the U.S. Department of State and the Aspen Institute, the Bezos Family Foundation, and the governments of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

The Stevens Initiative supports the growing infrastructure of virtual exchange through convenings, advocacy, research, and grantmaking to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Through these efforts, innovative virtual exchange programs connect tens of thousands of young Americans with their peers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

During virtual exchange, young professionals and students in elementary school through university engage in face-to-face with peers in real time to do everything from discussing social and economic policy to developing engineering solutions and coding.

The Stevens Initiative will have reached 75,000 young people in 17 MENA countries and 49 U.S. states by summer 2023, with piloting in Mexico and further expansion to Latin America to come.

With each passing year, it becomes clearer that global competency is not just a nice-to have; it’s a must-have for a new generation of professionals starting their careers.

Through virtual exchange, young people are addressing issues their countries share — from refugee crises and water shortages to poverty and racial trauma. They are collaborating to create new businesses, understand biases, and develop negotiation skills for a world that is interdependent financially and environmentally.

Accessibility is key to the power of virtual exchange, leveling the playing field of career success for young people who lack the opportunity to travel. Despite technological limitations in some regions, the pandemic has demonstrated the efficacy of online learning to reach young people in remote parts of both the United States and MENA countries.
And virtual exchange delivers. According to a 2022 Stevens Initiative Report based on data gathered by RTI international, participants in virtual exchanges reported statistically significant positive changes in global competencies including perspective taking, empathy, and cross-cultural communication and collaboration.

On this 10th anniversary of Ambassador Stevens’ death, the expanding reach of virtual exchange offers a ray of hope at an otherwise somber milestone. But much work remains if virtual exchange is to reach its full potential. The Stevens Initiative is working with commissioners, superintendents of education, and other policymakers at the state level to incorporate virtual exchange into existing global education certificate programs that recognize the value of global competency skills. Such programs can be tailored to individual school districts or broadly defined by the state, but by combining global coursework with language instruction, service learning and participation in multicultural events, these educators are ensuring a better prepared workforce for the future. 

Our vision is that all young people have a meaningful exchange experience as part of their youth. This is the promise of Ambassador Stevens’ legacy, and the legacy must continue.

Christine Shiau is director of the Stevens Initiative.