![People watch fireworks to welcome the New Year in Manila, Philippines, Jan. 1, 2011. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1231_newyears_m.jpg)
All of us at DipNote -- Daniel Schaub, Anne McCarthy, Eric Jones, Tamika Johnson, Jeff Jackson, Sarah Goldfarb, Luke Forgerson, Andrea Curran, Aaron Bruce, Ruth Bennett and all the DipNote Bloggers -- wish you a healthy and joyous 2011! more »
Posted under: Behind the Scenes
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About the Author: Aaron Snipe is the Deputy Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
At U.S. embassies around the world, State Department Public Diplomacy Officers are constantly asking themselves, "How can we find new ways to communicate with foreign audiences?" Social media has opened new doors of dialogue for American diplomats seeking to engage foreign audiences. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have become new tools in the diplomatic toolbox of the modern Foreign Service Officer. Here in Iraq the U.S. Embassy is dedicating greater resources and personnel to using social media to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives. At a time when explaining our new relationship with the government and people of Iraq is of critical importance, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has launched… more »
Posted under: Near East and Asia
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![People walk next to Christmas lights in Mexico, 2007. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1230_monterrey_m.jpg)
About the Author: Tim Piergalski serves as Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate in Monterrey, Mexico.
The holiday season in Monterrey is a bit strange for a diplomat from Chicago. Sure, there are the gaudy Christmas trees on the medians of the major thoroughfares, the Christmas advertising jingles on the radio, and the commercial binge that we're used to, but sweating while eating outside on Thanksgiving and barbecuing on Christmas aren't things that are usually in my holiday repertoire. Where was all the snow?
I suppose snow isn't something one should expect to find in this region during any season, even though Monterrey often seems very American. But for someone who had never experienced a warm Christmas, I found the pre-Christmas buildup to… more »
Posted under: Western Hemisphere
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![A woman walks by the harbor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dec. 4, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1230_haiti_m.jpg)
In a statement issued today, Secretary Clinton said:
"When Haiti cast off the bonds of slavery and declared its freedom from France in 1804, it made history, setting a precedent for independence in Latin America and creating the first post-colonial black-led nation in the world. Today, we see the courage of that struggle -- from the leadership of Jean Jacques Dessalines and Toussaint L'Ouverture to the strength and unity of the Haitian people -- reflected in Haiti's response to the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. In the wake of a disaster that took the lives of more than 200,000 people, Haitians and volunteers from more than 140 nations came together overnight to pull survivors from the rubble and administer critical care and assistance. I witnessed this testament to our common humanity first hand in the days immediately following the earthquake, and I have… more »
Posted under: Western Hemisphere
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![An Arhuaco child plays a game to avoid risks related to anti-personal landmines, Colombia, 2006.[AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1228_central_america_landmine_m.jpg)
About the Author: Kelly McCaleb is a Foreign Service Officer currently serving in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
In 2010, Central America became the first region in the world to rid itself completely of the negative impact of anti-personnel landmines left behind from past conflicts. I recently attended an event to celebrate this achievement at the Organization of American States (OAS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. As both an OAS member and the world's leading provider of humanitarian demining assistance, the United States is proud to have played a part in this success story, which is a powerful example of how challenges to development and security from landmines can be solved.
Among the many distinguished attendees were Infanta Cristina of Spain, U.S.… more »
Posted under: Western Hemisphere
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![Sec Clinton greets Brazil's President- Elect Rousseff & Pres Lula da Silva, Brasilia, 2010. [AP]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1228_s_brazil_m.jpg)
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Brazil to attend the inauguration of President-elect Dilma Rousseff on January 1, 2011.
Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said, "Brazil is an essential partner in the hemisphere and the world, and the United States is committed to deepening our relationship on a wide range of bilateral, regional, and global issues with Brazil's government and people. The United States looks forward to working with President-elect Rousseff and her administration to advance these and other shared goals."
You can read Assistant Secretary Crowley's complete statement here. more »
Posted under: Travel Diary
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![Handwritten notes by Benjamin Franklin, displayed Feb. 22, 2006 in Philadelphia. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1229_frus_m.jpg)
About the Author: William B. McAllister serves as Director of the Special Projects Division in the Office of the Historian.
The WikiLeaks controversy highlights a whole set of important questions about how the United States, or any government, conducts its affairs in the international arena. Similarly, the ongoing challenges of the day attest to the sweep of issues that must be negotiated among states. What, exactly, do diplomats do? How, precisely, is diplomacy conducted? How are particularly thorny diplomatic issues negotiated? How much information should be kept secret, and how much should be shared? What is the goal of foreign policy? What does “national security” mean, and who defines it?
All these questions have been present since modern diplomatic practices… more »
Posted under: Behind the Scenes
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About the Author: David C. Huebner is the U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand.
As my first full calendar year as Ambassador draws to a close, I marvel at the degree to which 2010 has been a year of accelerating momentum, constant motion, and great contrasts. I feel blessed to have been given the extraordinary opportunity both to serve my country as President Obama's personal representative and to immerse myself in societies as vibrant and rich as New Zealand and Samoa.
Geographically, I had the great fortune to travel from lush, tropical Samoa to the desolate, frigid beauty of the South Pole. In between I visited -- in some cases many times -- Waitangi, Whangerei, Auckland,… more »
Posted under: East Asia and the Pacific
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![A man enters the U.S. at the El Paso, Texas border crossing, June 1, 2009. [AP File]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1228_elpaso_m.jpg)
About the Author: Jacqueline Harley-Bell serves in the Bureau of Consular Affairs' Office of Passport Services as the Regional Director of South Central Operations.
Currently, U.S. travelers with passport emergencies driving into Mexico or taking flights from El Paso International Airport need to go to the Western Passport Agency in Tucson, Arizona -- several hours away -- for assistance. In 2011, that will change with the opening of the El Paso Passport Agency.
Passport Services and the General Services Administration led staffers of U.S. Representative Silvestre Reyes… more »
Posted under: Travel
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![Dancers from New York perform in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 17, 2010. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_1227_dance_m.jpg)
About the Author: Suzanne Hall serves as Innovation Advisor for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Join Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock via live webcast during the annual conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) on Friday, January 7, 2011 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST.
During the Culture in Diplomacy: A New Era for Arts & Cultural Relations plenary session, Assistant Secretary Stock will outline the Obama Administration's efforts to use cultural diplomacy as an important foreign policy tool. She will… more »
Posted under: Behind the Scenes
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