NEW YORK, USA — Rappler senior reporter Bea Cupin is one of 14 participants in Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) New York’s 2026 Fall Academy.
The Fall Academy is FES New York’s flagship capacity-building program designed for “emerging political changemakers.” The week-long program saw participants in exchanges with United Nations diplomats, officials, advocates, and experts from think tanks and non-governmental organization.
This year’s edition ran from November 9 to 13, 2026.
Bea, who covers foreign affairs and defense, joined a diverse group of young professionals selected from FES’ global network. She is one of three participants from Asia in a cohort of 14.
The 2026 edition of the program is backdropped by challenges to and opportunities for the UN and multilateralism — increased great power competition, and middle powers’ try for a larger role in the international, and the deadline to elect a new Secretary-General. There are shifts, too, in the country that hosts the UN headquarters — just days prior to the start of the program, the United States saw a blue wave in its midterm elections.
It’s a UN that must find its role in a world in turmoil — the most wars and conflicts since World War II, the continuing threat of climate change, and calls for global governance on artificial intelligence, among others.
