Student wins $1,000 for essay on international diplomacy

Jake O’ Farrell has already made his mark on international politics. The Douglas High senior won $1,000 for his essay on resource diplomacy in the 21st century.

In December, O’Farrell entered a writing contest sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace. Essays could be no longer than 1,500 words. O’Farrell won for the entire state of Nevada.

“I basically examined a few examples where two powers clashed over resources, but a peaceful solution was found,” he said.

O’Farrell examined how a United Nations resolution helped limit Japanese drift-net fishing in U.S. waters. He looked at the diamond trade in Sierra Leone, and how the Lome Peace Agreement of 1999 helped direct profits of the diamond trade back into government programs, diminishing the effects of the black market.

“I examined how diplomatic alternatives can solve resource problems without resulting in violent conflict,” he said.

O’Farrell moved to Carson Valley from North Carolina when he was 10.

He said his interest in international politics stemmed from his parents, Mark and Christine O’Farrell who both served in the Peace Corp in Papa New Guinea, and from his grandfather who worked for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations in Africa and Egypt.

“I’ve always wanted to travel,” he said.

O’Farrell plans on going to University of Nevada, Reno and majoring in international affairs. He would like to work for the U.S. Foreign Service.

“I’m interested in Latin America,” he said. “There’s not enough attention paid to South America.”

O’Farrell is a staunch supporter of Barack Obama.

“U.S. foreign policy in general could use more alternatives than war in dealing with problems,” he said. “Our biggest problem is our dependency on oil.”

Along with the $1,000 he’ll use for college, O’Farrell will receive a five-day, all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., this June, where he will participate in a diplomacy and international affairs seminar and also have a chance to compete for the national title and win $25,000.

O’Farrell thanked his English teacher Phyllis Bateman for helping him with the contest.