Vitamin f: your access to foreign policy

Careers and engagement in foreign policy depend far too often on having the right contacts – in German this is sometimes called Vitamin B, the vitamin of knowing the right people. foraus proposes instead Vitamin f. The “f” stands for foraus, foundations, and fostering of friendships. With Vitamin f we are creating opportunities where people aged 18 to 30 can build their network, strengthen their skills and bring their voice into foreign policy – no matter where they come from or who they know.

As the federal city, Bern is the centre of Swiss foreign policy – and Vitamin f opens the door to this ecosystem. Through activities open to everyone, not only in Bern but across Switzerland, you get to know institutions, actors and debates first-hand: at skills workshops, career events or “Newsletter Live” formats.

Who is it for?

Vitamin f is aimed at young people across Switzerland across all language regions – with every thread coming together in Bern.

• • Already engaged and interested: young people who are active in our regional groups or involved in foreign policy as Policy Fellows

• • Interested but without political access: young people who have so far had no access to networks or to the political sphere

• • The next generation: younger audiences such as school and upper-secondary students

Take part and shape it

If you take part in Vitamin f, you don’t just attend – you are involved. As a volunteer you help organise events, moderate discussions, publish your own texts, mentor younger participants, or bring in your own topics. Volunteers also come together for a shared retreat, with space for exchange, further training and community.

The three components of Vitamin f

1) Skills Building & Empowerment

At foraus you build skills and find a community: through community retreats, our internal Coaching-Programme for foraus-journeys as well as career advice and skills building workshops shaped by our community’s own interests. Foresight methods are part of this too: together we develop future scenarios, identify room for action and learn to deal with uncertain futures – so that positive visions emerge instead of anxiety about what lies ahead.

Careers in foreign policy: this is where we are deliberately expanding our offer. With career events across Switzerland we open doors and give insight into career paths in foreign policy: in public administration, NGOs, think tanks, diplomacy, academia, and the media. At the same time we bridge the gap between research and foreign policy discourse: anyone who has written a Matura, Bachelor’s or Master’s thesis on a foreign policy topic can make it visible through foraus. We provide contacts, editorial support, and, an easy entry point into publishing with our foraus Blog.

2) National cohesion

Vitamin f strengthens exchange between language regions, generations and communities: with columns such as “What’s happening in foreign policy in Ticino?” in the members’ newsletter, with the Espresso Diplomatique (and a live event series), and by expanding existing partnerships and connecting to formats such as the SRFglobal Lunchtalk – an online discussion where you can put your questions about the programme directly – or Politique en Scène, our pre-enactment of a future crisis.

3) Levelling the Playing Field

We open access to foreign policy for the next generation – exactly those who may not yet know that studying or working in international relations could be something for them. Our credo: into foreign policy with Vitamin f instead of Vitamin B. We achieve this by reaching out to schools directly, inviting classes to the foraus office, and organising visits to the Federal Palace; by making foreign policy accessible through pub quizzes, a foraus mentoring system connecting members back to their former schools; and, as an easy first step: free membership in the first year for under-18s. Existing offers such as coaching, the job portal, and networking also open doors to a wide range of career paths: the federal administration and the FDFA, yes – but also think tanks, foundations, and non-profits.

What we achieve with Vitamin f

• • A stronger, more diverse and better connected foraus community

• • Knowledge from schools and universities finds its way into public debate;

• • Orientation for those starting a career in foreign policy;

• • More – and younger – people gain access to foreign policy, and to Bern as its centre;

• • Foreign policy benefits from young, future-oriented ideas.

Who is behind Vitamin f

Vitamin f is run by foraus, a non-partisan, non-profit association headquartered in Bern and Geneva.

Vitamin f is part of the forHaus Policy Lab “Education & Inclusion”, where we bring together everything that opens up access to foreign policy for young people: from supporting our Policy Fellows to coaching and publications, over participatory formats and foresight workshops as well as events organized by our regional communities.

Vitamin f is the successor project to Unmute!

With the financial support of the Burgergemeinde Bern.