The Foreign Service Journal, April 2016

14 APRIL 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A tlas Obscura aims to be “the definitive guide to the world’s wondrous and curious places.” But as a living guide, it is more than just definitive: the site gives the lie to the old adage of the world-weary that “there’s nothing new under the sun.” In the words of Atlas Obscura : “In an age where everything seems to have been explored and there is nothing new to be found, we cel- ebrate a different way of looking at the world.” Founded in 2009 by Joshua Foer and Dylan Thuras, and with journal- ist David Plotz as current CEO, Atlas Obscura is a collaborative website. The site’s production team curates pictures and stories of curious places around the world submitted by users—a growing “community of explorers.” It’s easy to add your own “undis- covered” locations, whether it’s a new find in your own hometown or an exotic spot abroad. The collection includes natural wonders, unique col- lections, libraries, museums, places associated with historical characters, crypts, cemeteries, labs, research facilities, abandoned places, ruins, castles, art, architecture and more, along with their fascinating back stories. You can also submit ideas for Atlas Obscura events or excur- sions to interesting places, which are advertised on the website and led by Atlas Obscura “field agents” and members of the Atlas Obscura societies in various cities. Some currently featured discov- eries include a fascinating line of 60 18th-century mills preserved in the mountains of Spain; the “Yard of Lost Toys,” an informal museum of forgotten playthings in Lviv, Ukraine; the Othello Tunnels, a collection of railroad tunnels that have been converted into hiking paths in Hope, Canada; and Tonto Natural Bridge, the largest natural travertine bridge in the world, which just happens to be in Pine, Arizona. Besides being a fun place to spend an hour, Atlas Obscura is a great resource to consult before your next vacation or to get to know your own city better. Dubbed the new National Geographic by some, the website endeavors to prove that exploration and discovery are still possible, even in your own backyard. —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Assistant SITE OF THE MONTH: Atlas Obscura: http://www.atlasobscura.com/ “When we’re confronting an issue like countering extremist ideologies and messaging, we know that we need to work with partners,” Ryan states. “These stu- dents know how to do that better than I do, and better than many of us in the State Department may be able to.” This is only the second year of the P2P contest, but similar initiatives have been launched in the recent past. In 2011, Barack Obama announced the “Think Again, Turn Away” initiative through the newly created Center for Strategic Coun- terterrorism Communications. That online campaign, which released confrontational videos and tweets poking fun at the so-called Islamic State group in an attempt to discredit it, proved inef- fective. The State Department hopes to increase the amount of discussion around alternatives to extremism by getting young people who are not affiliated with the government involved in creating online campaigns tailored for youth at risk of radicalization. —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Assistant Play Sheds Light on Gender-Based Violence F or anyone with an interest in combat- ting gender-based violence, promoting human rights and providing humanitarian assistance, there is a must-see play making the rounds in international policy and academic circles: “Neda Wants to Die.” Since its debut in 2014, this poignant production—commissioned by the World Bank—has been raising awareness on the epidemic of gender-based violence in conflict settings. The entire play is set in a remote field office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and features the testimo- nies of three people who are trapped in the middle of a violent civil war: a lone UNHCR case officer, a female victim and a male perpetrator. Their stories are gripping, shedding light on the secondary trauma experi- enced by humanitarian response workers and on the incredibly fine and often blurred lines between fault, emotional dependency, desperation and survival. “I was blindfolded. They tied my hands