http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2012-05-16T18:44:45+00:00 German-American Fulbright Program -- one of the largest Fulbright Programs in the world. From March 18-21, the German-American Fulbright Commission held its annual Berlin Seminar and celebrated the program's success alongside the government of Germany and the U.S. Embassy in Berlin. Organizers and attendees recognized the Fulbright Program's decades of achievements and its growing network of 40,000 alumni.

The 2012 Berlin Seminar brought together 250 American Fulbright grantees based in Germany and 85 participants from 22 other European countries. At the opening dinner, participants traded stories and tips for making the most of the Fulbright experience with 140 German Fulbrighters headed to the United States this fall. As Ralphael Wüstner, a native Berliner who will study at the New School in New York City, noted, "I'm making connections, especially with people who have spent time in New York. You can read so much online but it can't replace the advice from people who have lived there."

On the second day, representatives from both countries commemorated the strong relationship between the United States and Germany. The conversation was anchored in the strength and maintenance of the extensive Fulbright Program network. At at the opening ceremony in Berlin's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dignitaries included Germany's Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Cornelia Pieper, Fulbright Scholarship Board Vice Chair Susan Ness and U.S. Embassy Berlin's Charge d'Affaires Greg Delawie. Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission in Germany, emphasized how the program invests in people. Thomas Sattelberger, from Deutsche Telekom, noted Senator J. William Fulbright's recognition of how people-to-people connections could break up "closed systems."

The following morning, members from the Berlin Senate Chancellery welcomed Fulbrighters to the Berlin City Hall. Events included a panel featuring German and American Fulbright alumni. They spoke of their experiences and the impact of the fellowship on their lives. Björn Böhning, the Head of Senate Chancellery, also held a Q&A session. Fulbrighters later enjoyed a concert at the University of the Arts put on by their musically-inclined peers, a 30-year-old tradition at the Berlin Seminar.

The Berlin Seminar ended with presentations from current Fulbrighters, whose projects ranged from Dutch water management to the social implications of consumerism. The presenters fielded questions from the audience, responded with clarity and, in one case, operatic performance. Afterwards, the crowd split -- Fulbright English Teaching Assistants learned new skills for the classroom, while other Fulbright students and scholars were briefed on the academic and cultural experiences of fellow Fulbrighters. The week wrapped up with a panel on the future of European economic integration. Closing lecturers included Carsten Dose of the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, who spoke about European educational integration, and Thomas König of Mannheim University, who discussed bringing Europe into closer union. After unwinding at the Kulturbrauerei in Prenzlauer Berg, Fulbrighters headed home, buoyed by promises of future visits and connections with new friends across the continent.

Happy 60th birthday To the German-American Fulbright Program!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/german_fulbright_60/ 2012-04-30T16:54:27+00:00 Olá from Washington, D.C.! We're home again after a busy and exciting trip to Brasilia and São Paulo.

Tuesday was the first-annual meeting of the Open Government Partnership, whose member countries contain a quarter of the world's population. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Rousseff of Brazil, President Kikwete of Tanzania, and Prime Minister Gilauri of Georgia all spoke on the impact that government transparency and openness can make on the global community. More than 800 representatives from over 60 countries and more than 200 civil society organizations were in attendance.

Later, I met with members of the Brazilian university community who visited the United States in March. They included the Director of the University of Brasilia's International Relations Office Luc François, Brazilian professors, an English Language Fellow, and two American Masters students. A major theme of our conversation was incentivizing Portuguese language learning in the United States and promoting English3, the U.S. Embassy Brasilia's innovative immersion program.

Afterwards, Brazil's federal government education team discussed ways to enhance our current cooperation. We focused on secondary school teacher training, English and Portuguese language programs, distance learning, and sending U.S. students, researchers, and faculty to Brazil to support 100,000 Strong in the Americas.

I also spoke about educational opportunities for youth to 90 students from various ECA programs, including Youth Ambassadors, Student Leaders, prospective Youth Council members, English3 applicants, Binational Center representatives, Science Without Borders scholarship recipients, and potential exchange and language students. Students, in turn, shared their experiences and reiterated their continued interest in U.S.-based internships and other programs. We thanked the students and then headed to the airport to catch our flight to São Paulo.

Wednesday began with a meeting with the Secretary of Education of the State of São Paulo, Herman Voorwald. São Paulo has the largest state education system in Brazil. With 5,271 schools, 235,000 teachers and 4.3 million students, the state will be a key partner in reaching our education goals with Brazil. Under Secretary Voorwald's leadership, São Paulo's students are already seeing exciting changes, including new emphasis on strengthening teacher incentives, special needs programs, reading and writing instruction, technology, and more. I was excited to collaborate with this department -- everyone was so supportive of English language programs and exploring future partnerships.

Next, we visited Centro Paula Souza, a public education network of technical and vocational high schools and colleges for nearly 300,000 students across the state, and met with a group of students. The Center sponsors a one-month English and cultural immersion program in the United States for 500 students and 100 teachers.

Meeting local ECA alumni was a true highlight of the trip -- we had a chance to hear about how learning English had transformed their lives and enabled their experiences through the E-Teacher Scholarship, English Certificate for Brazilian Public School English Teachers, English Access Microscholarship Program, and the International Visitor Leadership Programs.

The day -- and the trip -- ended on a high note at the Shooting Stars Basketball Program. It's a program run by the Social Service of Commerce (SESC) in São Paulo, a cultural organization profiled by the New York Times that serves 41 million people on a $600 million annual budget. Shooting Stars is the SESC's exciting one-year pilot project that uses sports to promote English language and leadership training for at-risk public school students. During our visit, I even stepped up and took a shot from the foul line -- and scored!

It was the perfect ending to a great visit. Our two countries have all the foundations of a strong, lasting partnership -- and I cannot wait to see where that partnership will take us.

Editor's Note: Assistant Secretary Ann Stock was on travel this week in Brazil with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Follow @AnnAtState on Twitter for updates on her travel and more on U.S. educational partnerships with Brazil.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/english_language_exchanges_brazil/ 2012-04-21T19:31:38+00:00
Yesterday's Global Partnership Dialogue marked the culmination of a great deal of work by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), as well as many other parts of the State Department.

My day was centered on meetings of the Education Working Group, which I led alongside Minister George Torquato Firmeza, the Director of the Cultural Division at Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We were both excited to discuss new and developing avenues of cooperation and encouraged by the progress our delegations made.

People-to-people exchange programs dominated the Education Working Group conversation. President Obama and President Rousseff have made academic and research collaboration a priority between the United States and Brazil, and both are encouraging more study abroad with their complementary "100,000 Strong in the Americas" and "Science Without Borders" initiatives. Together, we're already making those goals a reality.

We also agreed to deepen our dialogue linking education, scientific research, and innovation through the Fulbright-Science Without Borders Scholar and Distinguished Chair Awards and expanding internship opportunities for Science Without Borders students in the United States. Our joint efforts build on years of cooperation, especially between our academic and scientific communities.

More to come tomorrow -- stay tuned!

Editor's Note: Assistant Secretary Ann Stock is on travel with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Brazil April 16-17. On April 17, she accompanies Secretary Clinton to the First Annual High-Level Meeting of the Open Government Partnership. Follow @AnnAtState on Twitter for updates on her travel and more on U.S. educational partnerships with Brazil.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/brazil_global_partnership_dialogue_education/ 2012-04-17T13:48:02+00:00 Fulbright Program is perhaps best-known for the one-of-a-kind international experience it offers participants. But for foreign students in the United States, the classroom is only one piece of the program. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs hosts an annual series of enrichment seminars for groups of first-year Fulbright foreign students.

This academic year's seminars on "U.S. Politics and Elections: Democracy in Action" have provided more than 1,200 Fulbrighters the opportunity to learn more about our country. The seminars have been, or will be, held in Atlanta, GA; Nashville, TN; Sacramento, CA; Baltimore, MD; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Washington, DC; St. Louis, MO; and Philadelphia, PA. As Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board Chair Tom Healy told participants at the seminar in Atlanta, "Fulbright is not about saving the world, but sharing the world." And, that starts at home.

Each seminar has tackled different pieces of American civil society. Topics have included the U.S. Constitution, our First Amendment rights, group and identity politics, enfranchisement issues, and diversity and minority influence. Each conference has brought together approximately 140 participants, representing over 70 countries and studying at colleges and universities across the United States, to examine the issues through panel discussions, local community engagement, and a mock campaign and election.

We have been incredibly fortunate to have a great slate of speakers in every city. Civil rights icon Xernona Clayton challenged students in Atlanta not to be afraid to lead by example and confront the status quo. Founder of the First Amendment Center John Seigenthaler spoke to participants in Washington, D.C. and Nashville, TN about his experiences growing up in the segregated American South and emphasized how "the conscience of the country was pricked," thanks to the widespread press coverage of the Civil Rights movement. In Chicago, Deputy Mayor Mark Angelson praised Fulbrighters for their achievements and offered candid answers to questions about U.S. political system, the city of Chicago, and his own career. And U.S. Congressman Lacy Clay and Missouri Secretary of State Robin Carnahan kicked off the seminar in St. Louis.

Community service and local engagement have also been a key element of the seminars. The American culture of volunteerism is a new -- and often inspiring -- concept to many foreign students, and we are always proud to guide them through the community service experience. Across the country, Fulbrighters sorted donations at the Sacramento Food Bank, cleaned up litter with Greenways for Nashville, and met elementary school students through the Hands On Atlanta Discovery Program. They also enjoyed fun, informal dinners at the homes of local families -- giving them another chance to see American volunteerism in action.

Each of the seminars has culminated in a workshop simulating a U.S. presidential election, which has been the highlight of the week at all locations. During the workshops, participants joined various interest groups and political parties and applied the seminar's lessons for a U.S.-style election. "Nominees" ran opposing "campaigns" and participated in mock debates. After a hard-fought race, voters elected one of their own as "President."

In parts and as a whole, the series has been a great way for international students to discover what it means to be an American -- and how hard we continue to strive for a more perfect Union. As Nazaire Massamba, a Fulbrighter from the Republic of Congo, told an audience in Denver:

"America is giving us an opportunity and we just want to grab this opportunity... We'll go back to each one of our countries with the notion that America is preparing tomorrow's global leaders that will work towards achieving a better world and a better tomorrow where peace, freedom and prosperity is within everybody's reach."

Other students mentioned the seminar series made them feel as if they had been part of something bigger than an international scholarship program. The Fulbrighters left feeling inspired by the sense of community and purpose they found in the experience.

The last seminar in this series begins in Philadelphia on April 19. Follow the action on Twitter at @fulbrightprgrm or with the hashtag #fulbrightenrichment!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/fulbright_seminars_engage_students/ 2012-04-16T20:26:54+00:00 U.S. Embassy in Madrid has been an innovative public diplomacy presence abroad, and it was exciting to see the staff's fine work firsthand.

My first stop was Embassy Madrid's first-ever Service Innovation Summit. With help from the Rafael del Pino Foundation, the Meridian International Center and passionate leadership from Ambassador Solmont, the embassy gathered non-profit, business, and government leaders from across the United States and Europe to foster greater civil society in the 21st century.

At the Summit's opening ceremony, I had the honor of introducing Secretary Clinton, who appeared via video. She noted the importance of individual community service as well as global responsibility and thanked attendees for their dedication.

While in Madrid, I also met with Alberto Lopez, the new executive director of the U.S.-Spain Fulbright Commission and enjoyed presentations from several of our Spanish Fulbright alumni and U.S. Fulbrighters currently in Spain. The Fulbright students and scholars discussed areas of study ranging from cancer research to journalism and anthropology. The U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistants' stories from their classrooms where they are assisting in Spain were especially moving, and they inspired a lively discussion about student exchange with the local EducationUSA advisor.

All in all, it was a great week, filled with opportunities to highlight everything that ECA and the State Department do to support people-to-people engagement around the world.

 ¡Estoy deseando regresar a España en el futuro!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/promoting_service_and_strategic_priorities_in_madrid/ 2012-04-06T16:52:38+00:00 Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative.

Check out the video on how sports empower these young athletes and coaches.

While in the United States, the delegation from Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Thailand, Tunisia, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe are participating in a variety of activities including: basketball clinics with their American counterparts, teambuilding exercises, workshops on Title IX and nutrition, and community events associated with the NCAA Women's Final Four Championship.

A partnership between the Department and the NCAA, USA Basketball, and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), this exchange is a key component of the Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative. Under this new initiative, the Department is mobilizing all of its international sports programming, from Sports Envoys traveling overseas to Sports Visitors traveling to the United States, to increase the number of women and girls worldwide who are involved in sports. A cornerstone of this initiative is the creation of a new sports mentorship program that will connect women and girls from across the globe with their American counterparts. Click here to learn more.

Stay tuned for updates via @AnnatState on Twitter or SportsUnited on Facebook.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/youth_basketball_exchange_women/ 2012-04-05T16:42:50+00:00 World Summit of Nobel Laureates. Chicago will host the Summit, featuring inspiring human rights defenders from around the world April 23 to 25, 2012.

As we approach this important event, I'm so honored to partner with my friend and colleague Kerry Kennedy, founder of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, for a Twitter Q&A on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT. The RFK Center is a World Summit of Nobel Laureates partner, and has as its mission to help give a voice to the voiceless around the world. We invite you to participate via Twitter using the hashtag #Nobel. Send in your questions, ideas, and personal stories. We'll respond to as many of your comments as possible.

Follow me on @AnnAtState, and we look forward to hearing from you on Twitter!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/twitter_qa_world_summit_of_nobel_laureates/ 2012-04-02T21:51:05+00:00 TechWomen," our cutting-edge mentoring program is now accepting applications from American women in the technology sector to serve as professional and cultural mentors. Beginning today, candidates may apply at www.techwomen.org/get-involved/.

TechWomen is an international exchange that fuses technology and mentoring as a means to empower women and girls worldwide. Launched last year by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, TechWomen builds on her vision of "smart power" diplomacy. It embraces the full range of diplomatic tools, in this case technology, to bring people together for greater understanding and empower women and girls worldwide.

In September 2012, these American "TechWomen" will mentor 42 women from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, and Yemen during a five-week program at U.S.-based technology companies in Silicon Valley and the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Click here to learn more about serving as a TechWomen mentor.

Following the U.S. portion of the exchange, U.S. mentors will travel to Jordan and Tunisia to conduct workshops and follow-on training for women in the technology sector and young girls who have expressed an interest in pursuing a tech-based career.

Stay tuned for updates via @TechWomen on Twitter.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/techwomen_mentor_applications/ 2012-03-01T23:06:12+00:00 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' strong commitment to engaging young people worldwide and to using people-to-people diplomacy as a means to create opportunities for youth. You can view photos of the meeting here.

As Secretary Clinton told the Youth Ambassadors, "And because we so greatly value the relationship between the Brazilian people and the American people, we are counting on you to continue to reach out and develop your own skills and your own ambitions to make a contribution to Brazil and also to further relations between our two countries."

The Youth Ambassadors Program underscores the Secretary's priorities of engaging international youth in meaningful dialogue, fostering relationships among youth from all backgrounds, and creating networks of youth leaders. It is also an important element in advancing the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs' social inclusion agenda.

After last week's arrival in the snow -- a first experience for many -- the participants went to work on a community service project. Enthusiastic Youth Ambassadors, local citizens, and staff from partner organization World Learning cleaned a local green space and planted trees in a neighborhood in Northeast Washington, D.C. In a few short hours, the group's effort transformed the community space into a place all could enjoy. The Youth Ambassadors will return to Brazil with new skills, perspectives, and energy to get involved in service projects in their home communities. The Youth Ambassadors also participated in site meetings, learning activities, leadership training, and home visits with local families across the United States.

This year's Ambassadors used social media to share their experiences in real time. Through videos and photos, the Ambassadors' families, friends, and others in Brazil had the opportunity to experience the United States virtually, gaining a better understanding of American culture and country through the eyes of the Youth Ambassadors.

Since its inception, the program has expanded to 25 countries across the Americas to bring together high school students, ages 15-18, and adult mentors to promote mutual understanding, increase leadership skills, and prepare youth to make a difference in their communities. Exchanges are primarily from Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States, but also include delegations from the United States to select countries.

For additional details on the Youth Ambassadors Program, please visit exchanges.state.gov.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_youth_ambassador_program/ 2012-01-26T21:40:00+00:00 New York Times' best-selling author, will serve as a Global Cultural Ambassador.

As a Cultural Ambassador, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will work with young people worldwide and use people-to-people interactions as a means to create opportunities for greater understanding. He'll kick-off those efforts next week in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Click here to learn more.

"I am excited and honored to serve my country as a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State," said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has focused his efforts after his NBA career on engaging youth through socially-minded projects and education. "I look forward to meeting with young people all over the world and discussing ways in which we can strengthen our understanding of one another through education, through sports, and through greater cultural understanding."

While in Brazil, Mr. Abdul-Jabbar will lead conversations with young people on the importance of education, racial justice, cultural understanding, and using sports as a means of empowerment. In addition, he will participate in basketball clinics with young people in both cities.

In June 2011, Abdul-Jabbar was honored at the White House by President Barack Obama and received the Lincoln Medal from U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The medal honors Abdul-Jabbar's commitment to education and equality which reflects the legacy of President Abraham Lincoln.

Stay up-to-date on Kareem Abdul Jabbar's efforts as a Global Cultural Ambassador via @ConnectStateGov on Twitter, and check out additional video from yesterday's announcement here.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/taking_diplomacy_to_new_heights/ 2012-01-19T18:34:40+00:00
Many of our most exciting programs responded to the needs and opportunities generated by changes in the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. Throughout these regions, ECA bolstered English teaching and the Fulbright Program. We also added new International Visitor Leadership Programs to give rising leaders in countries like Tunisia and Libya a look at American entrepreneurship and democratic, transparent governance.

Our cultural and historical preservation work also helped raise the U.S. profile abroad. For instance we restored the historical citadel of Herat, our largest-ever Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project. ECA and Embassy Baghdad staff helped provide $650,000 in private funding for the Iraqi Institute for Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage. We also compiled a list of 242 critical heritage sites in Libya, which NATO safeguarded during its efforts there. And in Europe, Secretary Clinton signed an ECA-implemented bilateral agreement with Greece to protect its cultural heritage.

ECA also continued to advance its perennial mission of engaging with youth, women, and other underserved audiences. We were particularly excited by TechWomen, a new initiative that welcomed 37 women from the Middle East and North Africa to Silicon Valley technology companies for month-long mentorships with key women leaders. In partnership with the five leading U.S. women's colleges, we also launched the Women in Public Service Project, which aims to build a future where women are at least half of the world's political and civic leaders. ECA also celebrated the 100th university of International Women's Day in March with 100 women leaders from 92 countries, and we saw a second thrilling year begin with the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program.

On the youth outreach front, the State Department has welcomed high school and university students from all over the world, ranging from three dozen Brazilian Youth Ambassadors in January to almost 500 Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program participants at the end of their time in the U.S. this summer. We also introduced the new J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Program website and are reforming and better monitoring the programs that bring foreign students to the United States on J-1 visas.
To boost our internal efforts, ECA launched several new public-private partnerships that expand our outreach and technical capabilities. These included mEnglish, an English-teaching software program for cell phones in Tunisia that came about with the help of a local NGO and Tunisia's largest mobile service provider, reaching millions of subscribers.

Another exciting partnership is with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. We teamed up with the Met to spread the show of respect for -- and interest in -- all cultures and faiths found in the recently reopened Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia. 270 U.S. embassies -- including 25 in the Arab world -- will display exhibit highlights, and our English-teaching classrooms will use the museum's educational materials.

ECA also managed the higher education, study abroad, and other academic components of strategic bilateral dialogues with Brazil, India, Indonesia, Russia, and others. We held exciting and productive higher education summits with India and Indonesia in Washington, D.C. and launched new programs and engagement efforts in each of these countries.

All in all, 2011 was a successful year for ECA and public diplomacy. Together, our programs helped the State Department to shape the foreign policy narrative and to foster mutual understanding among Americans and the international community.

When formal relationships between governments are tense, public diplomacy can often forge a way forward. ECA programs continue to support U.S. policy in high-priority countries: our programs are key parts of every major bilateral Strategic Dialogue, and the people-to-people connections that are at the heart of our mission strengthen and expand our relationships with our allies.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/year_in_review_educational_and_cultural_affairs/ 2012-01-03T16:54:58+00:00