‘Teen Teach’ Documentary Inspires Hope

Posted by Anna P. Mussman / April 12, 2012

About the Author: Anna Mussman serves as U.S. Public Diplomacy Advisor in Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

Harnessing the energy and talents of youth, "Teen Teach" is a unique public diplomacy program run by our embassy in Kabul that trains Afghan teenagers to teach English. It began last summer and reached more than a thousand young learners in Afghanistan during that time period.

"'Teen Teach' gives these bright, enthusiastic teenagers the opportunity to pass along their knowledge of English to younger children," Ambassador David Pearce says in a documentary that U.S. Embassy Kabul put together to spotlight the program. "The program not only provides these children with an education that stresses the rich cultural heritage of Afghanistan, but it also helps to open their eyes to the wider world, and -- in so doing… more »

Supporting Justice and the Rule of Law in Liberia

Posted by Victoria Holt and Annie Pforzheimer / April 11, 2012

About the Authors: Victoria Holt serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, and Annie Pforzheimer serves as Director for UN Peacekeeping in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

In countries recovering from war, it is normal to see UN blue helmeted military units -- they're big, obvious, and a reassuring presence.

But in Liberia, where President Johnson-Sirleaf was re-elected to a second term, that reassuring presence should be the uniform of a Liberian police officer -- with a blue helmet backing them up.

A long-term peace, I was reminded during my visit to Liberia in mid-March, doesn't come from soldiers, but… more »

U.S.-Brazil: A Growing Partnership for the 21st Century

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / April 10, 2012

On April 9, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to Washington, D.C. Presidents Obama and Rousseff discussed a broad range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral issues, including global economic growth, the situation in the Middle East, and progress the two countries have made as co-chairs of the Open Government Partnership. The Presidents reviewed the progress made under the three presidential dialogues launched during President Obama's March 2011 visit to Brazil -- the Economic and Financial Dialogue, the Strategic Energy Dialogue, and the Global Partnership Dialogue. The Leaders also announced a new presidential-level Defense Cooperation Dialogue, as well as met with the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum to continue efforts to… more »

An Update From the Global Fund Board Meeting in Geneva

Posted by Eric Goosby / April 09, 2012

About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.

Recently, I met with my fellow Global Fund Board members in Geneva and I am buoyed by the reform that is happening at the Fund under the leadership of new General Manager Gabriel Jaramillo. As everyone knows, the United States has been pushing aggressively for reform, linking our historic pledge of $4 billion from FY 2011 -- 2013 to it. I am pleased to report that while we have been encouraged by the significant reforms the Fund has been pursuing over the past year, the pace of reform has now quickened -- meaning that the Fund will be able to save even more lives.

The Fund remains absolutely committed to ensuring the disbursement of approximately $10 billion in its current funding period, 2011-2013 -- $2 billion more than it disbursed between 2008 and 2010. This includes money for new,… more »

Jazz and the State Department: A Night on the Rhythm Road

Posted by Robert Keith and Thomas Donahue / April 07, 2012

About the Authors: Robert Keith serves as a program officer, and Thomas Donahue serve as a cultural affairs intern in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Each April, the State Department, in concert with music lovers around the world, celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month. In honor of this uniquely American art form, musicians, museums, schools, embassies, and others in the United States and around the globe host jazz-themed events to highlight jazz's contributions to our country and to the world.

Jazz Appreciation Month started a few days early for the State Department this year. On March 26, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) hosted an amazing jam session to celebrate the joint… more »