Innovate or die. It's an oft-repeated phrase about the adoption of technology and innovation that evokes Darwinian images of people running scared, trying to stay ahead of the curve just enough not to get trampled by the pack. From the perspective of the State Department, we see a different image -- that of a blank canvas that is being painted a bit every day. We see how harnessing technology and digital networks is making our public diplomacy more strategic and how it is strengthening and amplifying the bonds between individuals and institutions like the State Department.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has made 21st Century Statecraft, or using digital networks to advance America's interests around the world, a key part of our foreign policy approach.
About the Author: Mike Hammer serves as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.
Public outreach and engagement with the American people and media to present and explain U.S. foreign policy is one of the key missions of the Bureau of Public Affairs. Last week, I had the opportunity to spend two days in Miami, Florida, where I visited our Media Hub of the Americas -- one of six State Department media hubs worldwide (Dubai, London, Brussels, Tokyo, Pretoria, and Miami). The hubs are strategically located throughout the world to serve as satellite offices of the Bureau of Public Affairs. The Media Hub of the Americas is the only one located stateside with a two-track goal of communicating America's foreign policy to Spanish-speaking media within the United States and throughout the Americas.
I had a packed schedule principally focused on outlining U.S.… more »
Building on his efforts to engage youth, U.S. Global Cultural Ambassador Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went "wheels up" from the heart of Afro-Brazil in Salvador to Rio de Janeiro.
"So far, I've really enjoyed Rio. I think it's a great city," Abdul-Jabbar said.
In Rio, Abdul-Jabbar started the day meeting with young people at the Rio em Forma Olimpico Project. While there, Abdul-Jabbar shared how education and English-language learning can propel young people to success.
"I had a wonderful time here today. I met a lot of really nice kids. They're very warm and open. I left them with a message and that is that education opens the door for opportunity," Abdul-Jabbar said.
From the Rio em Forma Olimpico Project, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar met with young people in the community of Alemao. With leaders from the NGO "CUFA" -- who work within the favelas… more »
About the Author: Hannah Johnson serves as DipNote's Assistant Editor.
This week's "Photo of the Week" was taken by U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs' employee Beth Payne for the "Serving Abroad…Through Their Eyes" exhibition. The photograph shows a group of children playing soccer in the shadow of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India. The U.S. Department of State has a strong commitment to engaging young people worldwide and to using people-to-people diplomacy as a means to create opportunities for greater understanding, including using sports as a means of empowerment.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently named NBA Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the State Department's Cultural Ambassador. This week, Abdul-Jabbar kicked off his service in Salvador, Brazil,… more »
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed 45 Brazilian Youth Ambassadors and two educators during their visit to the U.S. Department of State on January 25, 2012. The event marked the 10th Anniversary of the Youth Ambassadors Program with Brazil. Since 2002, students chosen from Brazil's public schools for their leadership and community service have visited the United States for a three-week exchange program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil. During their meeting, Secretary Clinton recognized the role of youth in serving their communities. She also highlighted the United States'… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Across the eastern Horn of Africa, more than 11 million people -- a number greater than the populations of Houston and New York City combined -- are now in need of emergency assistance to survive. Learn more about the current crisis, including how you can help.
Jan. 27: The second United States-Philippines Bilateral Strategic Dialogue took place in Washington, DC on January 26 and 27. Fact Sheet Joint Statement more »
![Radio host Sabina Covo interviews Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Mike Hammer in Miami, Florida, January 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0127_hammer_radio_interview_m.jpg)
![Children play soccer in the shadow of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata, India. [Photo by Beth Payne/U.S. Department of State]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0125_potw_west_bengal_edit_m.jpg)
