Dipnote - Entries By Category http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2009-11-20T23:01:01+00:00 World Summit on Food Security World Summit on Food Security | Summit Declaration

From November 16 to 18, more than 150 nations came together in Rome, where delegations endorsed a declaration that serves as a dramatic shift in the way in which we, as a global community, address the challenge of ensuring food security. The nations that signed the declaration pledged to put developing countries in the lead in terms of planning and implementing national food security strategies, with donors playing a supporting and complementary role.

The U.S. delegation, led by Alonzo Fulgham, Acting Administrator for the US Agency for International Development and Vice-Chair of the Summit, advocated vigorously for a Summit declaration that not only acknowledged the critical problem of hunger and food insecurity, but also articulated solutions rooted in a focus on country-led programs and strategies. We underscored the need for a significant change in approach to the challenge of food security and were pleased when this was embraced by our colleagues from around the world.
]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/world_summit_on_food_security/ 2009-11-20T23:01:01+00:00 Combined Federal Campaign Makes a Difference in People’s Lives Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), Secretary Clinton invites you to participate in this year’s annual giving drive. Making a one-time donation or setting up a payroll deduction is quick and easy – just contact your local CFC campaign. Together, we can provide critical funds to a variety of worthy charities, and make a real difference across the country and around the world.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/cfc_difference/ 2009-11-20T20:38:11+00:00 Second Annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest: “Change Your Climate, Change Our World” About the Author: Michele Peters serves as Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today launched the Department of State’s second annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest, “Change Your Climate, Change Our World,” with a video message on the ExchangesConnect social network.

The ExchangesConnect Video Contest is a call to action for global citizens around the world to engage in cross-cultural community building and mutual understanding. ExchangesConnect invites people all over the world, ages 14 and older, to enter their 2-minute videos for a chance to win an all-expense-paid two-week international exchange program. The contest runs from November 17, 2009 through January 12, 2010.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State launched the ExchangesConnect social network in October 2008 to promote mutual international understanding by highlighting cultures, commonalities, and exchange program experiences through user-generated content like forums, blogs, photos, and videos. Over 14,200 members are currently part of this thriving global community.

The ExchangesConnect community and an expert panel of judges will select the top 40 videos based on originality, creativity, effectiveness, and production quality. The expert panel of contest judges, all alumni of ECA exchange programs, includes:

• Jay Craven, United States, Independent Filmmaker, U.S. Cultural Envoy, and AFI 20/20 Global Cultural Exchange Program alumnus

• Vassilios Karamitsanis, Greece, President of Platforma International Film Festival and Urban Cultural Company, and International Visitor Leadership Program alumnus

• Josef Frank Madisia, Namibia, Director of the National Art Gallery of Namibia, and International Visitor Leadership Program alumnus

• Rodolfo Molina, El Savador, Coordinator of El Salvador’s Biennials of Visual Arts events and Fulbright Student Program alumnus

• Hind Shoufani, Lebanon, Writer, Filmmaker, and Fulbright alumna.

Winners from last year’s ExchangesConnect Video Contest, "My Culture + Your Culture = ?", are serving as mentors to help educate new contestants about techniques and to give advice. Last year’s winners were:

• Jose Vincius Reis Gouveia of Recife, Brazil

• Bijoy Thangaraj of Bangalore, India

• Grant Jirka of Nebraska, United States

• Tim Peters of Illinois, United States

The winning videos speak to the power of community members to share their exchange experiences, wisdom and tips with other members, and spark meaningful and interesting conversations.

Visit ECA’s official website for more information about this year's contest. We look forward to watching your videos!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/exchangesconnect_video_contest/ 2009-11-17T20:36:17+00:00 Celebrate the 10th Annual International Education Week: November 16-20, 2009 About the Author: Alina L. Romanowski serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Academic Programs in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

International Education Week (IEW) is a global celebration of international educational exchange and its positive impact on the world. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education allows us to showcase the benefits of studying abroad for Americans and to attract international students to study in the United States and gain a better understanding of American society and values. International exchange programs build bridges of knowledge and understanding that connect people and inspire solutions to global challenges. I invite you to join in marking the tenth annual IEW by planning activities in your community that highlight the importance of international education and exchange.

On June 4, 2009, President Obama spoke to the world from one of the oldest institutions of higher education and learning in the world, Al-Azhar University in Cairo, where he addressed the importance of educational exchanges as a means to promote mutual understanding and respect. International Education Week is an opportunity to answer the President’s call to demonstrate the benefits of exchanges. Americans and global citizens alike can celebrate the powerful role of education and mutual understanding in gaining a more peaceful and prosperous world. Education is the path to empowerment and employment, especially for women and minorities, whose future contributions will improve conditions around the globe.

Join us in celebrating IEW in your community! Information, promotional materials, and events can be found at iew.state.gov. Also, look for additional blogs throughout the week announcing IEW highlights from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/international_education_week/ 2009-11-16T17:52:48+00:00 A Salute to Marine Security Guards About the Author: Michael Coady serves as Marine Security Guard (MSG) Branch Chief in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

This Veterans Day, as the nation honors the men and women who have served so selflessly in our armed forces, I urge my Department of State colleagues to pay special tribute to the members — past and present — of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group.

Referred to informally as Marine Security Guards (MSGs), today more than 1,300 of these dedicated, specially trained Marines are deployed worldwide to help protect U.S. embassies and consulates around the globe.

Since 1949, Marine Security Guard detachments at U.S. diplomatic posts abroad have worked closely with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security to protect and safeguard American diplomacy.

They perform their mission in a number of ways and often under a variety of challenging, and sometimes dangerous, circumstances.

Marine Security Guards stand duty 24 hours each day, seven days a week, at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. They staff the all-important Post One communications operation at our embassies, thereby ensuring vital emergency communications are properly routed during times of emergency or heightened alert. As such, they perform an essential role in protecting and ensuring the operation of U.S. diplomacy abroad.

MSGs protect classified information and equipment from unauthorized disclosure, and provide internal security protection for U.S. citizens and U.S. Government property under a range of circumstances, up to and including hostile assaults.

They respond immediately to crises large and small, including street demonstrations, bomb threats, fires, nuclear/biological/chemical threats, and intrusion attempts.

Marine Security Guards have helped protect State Department facilities against anti-American riots, helped evacuate U.S. diplomats and their families during times of crisis, extinguished fires in U.S. embassies, and saved countless lives abroad from civil unrest, earthquakes and floods.

The courage and support of the MSGs has been constant in every situation.

MSGs stood side-by-side with their State Department colleagues during the horrific 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. They responded immediately to the 2004 terrorist attack on the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they helped prevent the attackers from entering the consulate building. And they were with us in Belgrade in 2008, when thousands of angry rioters sought to burn down the U.S. Embassy.

Time after time, the MSGs have shown themselves to be a solid line of defense for American diplomacy. Without them, we in the Foreign Service could not conduct American diplomacy abroad.

So on this Veterans Day, I ask that all Americans remember and honor the contribution of the dedicated and courageous professionals of the Marine Security Guard program who have fulfilled their duty by ensuring that the United States can conduct diplomacy safely and securely around the world.

Marine Security Guards, we thank you for your service and sacrifice, and we salute you!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/salute_marine_security_guards/ 2009-11-11T05:02:07+00:00 Building a World That “Gives Life to the Promise of Our Founding Documents” Today, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded President Obama the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. President Obama said:

"I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel Committee. Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that this prize reflects the kind of world that those men and women, and all Americans, want to build -- a world that gives life to the promise of our founding documents. And I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century."

Read the President's full remarks on the White House Blog.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/building_a_world/ 2009-10-09T18:09:53+00:00 Gearing Up the Civilian Response Corps About the Authors: Elizabeth Minor works for the Coordinator for Reconstruction & Stabilization at the Department of State and Matt Shugert works in the Office of Civilian Response at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Civilian Response Corps is gearing up – literally. With over 500 Standby members recruited and 50 new Active members hired (with 200 more on the way), the initiative is moving full steam ahead. However, recruiting, hiring, and training these rapid responders is only half of the story. The men and women of the Civilian Response Corps will be deployed to some of the most isolated and restricted overseas locations and will need specialized equipment to support them in the field.

The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development are purchasing a variety of individual and team equipment to facilitate rapid deployment of Corps members. There is enough individual equipment to support the deployment of 250 Civilian Response Corps members, from both the Active and Standby components. This equipment includes:

• Team medical kits, solar powered equipment rechargers, and office start-up kits. These items will allow Corps members to remain as resource-neutral as possible and avoid placing a burden on the receiving embassy.

• Protective gear. Items such as ballistic protective vests, helmets, and fire retardant gloves will help protect Corps members from many of the dangers of serving in non-permissive environments.

• Fully armored vehicles. Corps members will be able to maintain freedom of movement in semi and non-permissive environments through use of the twenty-eight fully armoured vehicles that are scheduled for delivery in 2010. The vehicles will also be available for use by other U.S. Government employees supporting reconstruction and stabilization missions abroad.

• Mobile communications equipment. The Corps deploys a variety of completely self-contained, solar-powered packages available to keep Corps members in constant contact with Washington and others in the field when they are working away from post.

Corps members will be trained on the use of this equipment in the newly designed Security for Non-Traditional Operating Environments (SNOE), a course that emphasizes hands-on application of skills and aims to replicate the stresses and conditions that Corps members might experience in the field. (Read Civilian Response Corps member Eythan Sontag’s DipNote entry about the course here.)

From the Darfur in Sudan’s isolated west, to Colombia, members of the Civilian Response Corps have been, and will continue to be, at the forefront of challenging reconstruction and stabilization missions; and their equipment needs to be just as versatile and expeditionary as they are.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/gearing_up_civilian_response_corps/ 2009-10-06T20:50:59+00:00 “Bold, Persistent Experimentation”: An Update on the Secretary’s Global Partnership Initiative About the Author: Rob Lalka is Global Partnerships Liaison in the Office of the Secretary’s Global Partnership Initiative.

At her swearing-in ceremony as the first Special Representative for Global Partnerships, Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley said, “The time has come to take a bold and imaginative look, not just at the substance of our foreign policy, but at how we conduct our foreign policy.” She went further in a DipNote blog entry several weeks ago, where she discussed the reasons to pursue partnerships with the private sector and civil society.

Since coming on board, Ambassador Bagley has been working hard to spread the message to groups like the Global Business Coalition and the Business Civic Leadership Center. She outlined a new approach to partnering with faith-based groups at a conference on faith and malaria hosted by Tony Blair. She has been building coalitions to work on the U.S. National Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and the Abruzzo, Italy, earthquake response efforts. And, from HIV/AIDS to blood testing to food security, the U.S. government has been tackling problems through partnerships.

This is our version of what FDR called “bold, persistent experimentation.”

As part of this initiative, we are partnering with individuals as well. We have hosted a series of discussions at the State Department with groups of remarkable young innovators and activists: the Synergos Arab World Social Innovators, the Yale World Fellows, and the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders. I don’t use “remarkable” lightly. Their projects are creative, and they are making a real difference. This has gotten me thinking: how we can stimulate more bottom-up innovation?

In a recent post on the White House Blog, I quoted President Obama’s address to the Clinton Global Initiative. During that speech, he talked about how individuals are often the ones who get the job done, saying, “real progress does not just come from the top down, not just from government, it comes from the bottom up -- from people. If you want to bring about change in the world, you can't just be an advocate of somebody else doing it. You can't just preach lofty goals and wait for somebody else to act. You have to step up.”

It’s kind of like apps for my iPhone. Apple created the platform, but it takes individual users to identify needs and write the apps to meet them.

I have a feeling that partnerships are going to work that way for us too. At the State Department’s Global Partnership Initiative, we are working hard to develop the tools, techniques, and incentives for global partnership building. But we need your ideas. And now, we are making it easy for you to send them to us online.

So we are asking you to respond to the President’s challenge. Pick a problem you know something about. Send us your ideas about how we can solve it together. And let’s work on a partnership so that one day we can say, “Yeah. There’s an app for that.”]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/bold_persistent_experimentation/ 2009-10-06T15:03:17+00:00 Secretary Clinton on Oprah.com Secretary Clinton appeared on Oprah.com today. The Secretary said:

"Hello to everyone at Oprah.com. I am so excited that Oprah and all of those who watch her and love her are going to be firmly behind the idea that our country can do more to help those women and girls who hold up half the sky. There are so many ways that you can be involved. There are resources right here at Oprah.com that can give you the tools you need to help a child go to school, to help a young woman get the healthcare she needs.

I am inspired every day by the women I meet around the world who are part of a change that must happen, so that girls and women have the rights and the voice that they deserve to have. So thank you. Thank you for being part of this effort. And I look forward to working with you in the months and years to come."

Read Secretary Clinton's interview with Lisa Ling of The Oprah Winfrey Show.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/secretary_clinton_on_oprah.com/ 2009-10-01T21:46:33+00:00 Talking the Walk Once Again: Sharing Diplomacy With My Hometown About the Author: Aaron Snipe is a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State. He recently participated in the Hometown Diplomat Program.

Explaining our foreign policy to audiences abroad is one of the many tasks faced by U.S. diplomats serving overseas. During my previous assignment on a Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Iraq, my colleagues and I often explained to the good people of Muthanna Province how the State Department partners with Iraqis to build greater stability and prosperity.

Now that I am home from Iraq, I recently had an opportunity to participate in one of the State Department's lesser known but important public outreach initiatives: the Hometown Diplomat Program. Each year, the program asks recently returned Foreign Service Officers to volunteer their time to explain the work of diplomacy abroad with hometown audiences. While an understanding of the Department’s work abroad is ubiquitous in places like Washington, this is not necessarily the case across America. Members of the State Department's diplomatic corps hail from every corner of the U.S. (all fifty states, in fact), and through the years, diplomats from across America have returned home to talk to universities, high schools, and civic organizations about the work of the State Department. For me, combining a little of mom's home cooking (nothing in the base chow-hall in Iraq compares to my mother's famous spaghetti sauce) with a dash of diplomacy was the perfect recipe for some old fashioned outreach in Red Sox country.

Last week, I had the honor of returning to Arlington High School - my alma mater - in Arlington, Massachusetts, to spend the day with some of the school's best and brightest students. The kids were engaging, knowledgeable, and eager to learn more about the work of diplomats abroad. Strolling down the very same halls I walked almost 20 years ago, I was cornered by a student who heard a diplomat was coming to speak.

A bit hesitant at first, he said, "I'm Frank. You're from the State Department, right?"

"Yes," I responded.

He then told me that he was really interested in a career with the Foreign Service. A high school kid? Interested in becoming a diplomat someday? Wow. At his age, I think my greatest interests were being on time for Mr. Obelsky’s history class and never missing lunch. Frank's curiosity really inspired me. It made me proud that the kids from my alma mater were already thinking globally. While it might be too early to call it, I think I met a few future diplomats at Arlington High last week. World peace, here they come!

But, I suppose we should let them finish their book reports due next week first.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/hometown_diplomat_snipe/ 2009-09-29T22:23:20+00:00 DipNote Turns Two Today About the Author: Luke Forgerson serves as DipNote’s Managing Editor.

In the midst of the Pittsburgh Summit and the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week, I almost forgot: DipNote turns two today. It seems appropriate that two days before DipNote’s second anniversary, we passed eight million page views. So, this occasion is as much about you, our readers, as it is about DipNote.

As I reflect on the last two years, one of the things that I am most pleased about is the dedicated community that is developing around the blog. I am encouraged when I see readers contribute regularly to the dialogue and am impressed by their level of engagement in foreign affairs.

The DipNote community also helps us apply lessons learned when branching out to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and other platforms. I invite DipNote readers to join these communities, and check out DipNote for the iPhone and Blackberry.

I’m also proud of the stories of American diplomats, such as Aaron Snipe in Iraq and Thomas Weinz in the Pacific, that we’ve been able to share. And it is an honor to help our colleagues communicate about the critical issues on which they are working, whether advancing global food security or combating trafficking in persons.

Secretary Clinton stated, “Today’s 21st century statecraft is bringing together technology and the talents of our citizens to influence events in ways that previous generations could never have imagined.” I’m glad DipNote is playing an important role in these efforts.

All of us at DipNote – Jeff Jackson, Tamika Johnson, Eric Jones and Daniel Schaub – would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our readers and contributors. We look forward to continuing the conversation in the years ahead.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/dipnote_turns_two_today/ 2009-09-26T02:38:26+00:00 Leaders’ Statement: The Pittsburgh Summit Read the Leaders' Statement from the Pittsburgh Summit.

Today, the G-20 leaders assessed the progress made addressing the global economic crisis and agreed to maintain steps to support economic activity until recovery is assured. They further committed to additional steps to ensure strong, sustainable, and balanced growth, to build a stronger international financial system, to reduce development imbalances, and to modernize our architecture for international economic cooperation.

They designated the G-20 as the premier forum for our international economic cooperation and agreed to have a G-20 Summit in Canada in June 2010, and in Korea in November 2010, with the expectation of meeting annually thereafter. The G-20 leaders agreed to meet in France in 2011.

Read the Leaders' Statement and find out more about what happened at the Pittsburgh Summit.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/leaders_statement_pittsburgh_summit/ 2009-09-25T22:28:26+00:00 President’s G-20 Press Conference Live at 4:40 p.m. Watch and discuss President Obama's concluding press conference in Pittsburgh on WhiteHouse.gov and Facebook at 4:40 p.m. (Eastern Time).]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/g-20_press_conference_live/ 2009-09-25T20:30:26+00:00 G-20 Pittsburgh Summit Launches New Blog The G-20 Pittsburgh Summit launches a new blog.

This week, leaders of the G-20 will gather in Pittsburgh to discuss key issues in the global economy. President Obama called the gathering an important opportunity to continue the work of confronting the global economic crisis.

Colleagues from the White House, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of the Treasury have already been blogging about the Pittsburgh Summit.

Brad Setser tells us that the G-20 countries will take stock of their efforts so far to address the crisis, where we are on the road to recovery, and review their efforts to deliver on the promises made at the London Summit in April.

Danny Stoian gives a behind the scenes look at the logistics of the summit, and Tiffany Smith provides a perspective on the many individuals coming together to make the summit happen. Elliot Repko tells us about what it is like to support a delegation at the summit.

Gordon Duguid updates us from the summit’s media center, and Jeffrey Jamison gives us a glossary of terms we might hear used during the summit’s proceedings.

Mark Sobel reminds us that the G-20 has made a lot of progress, but there is still much to do. With recovery in sight, the world community needs to begin laying a foundation for the 21st century global economy.

We encourage DipNote’s readers to take a look at these entries, join the conversation on the Pittsburgh Summit Blog and follow all the latest on Twitter.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/pittsburgh_summit_blog/ 2009-09-23T18:30:19+00:00 Virtual Student Foreign Service Learn about the Virtual Student Foreign Service, an initiative launched by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to allow a rising generation of citizen diplomats to conduct digital diplomacy.

The Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS), announced by Secretary Clinton at the 2009 New York University commencement speech, is part of a growing effort by the State Department to harness technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement.

Over the summer, the U.S. Department of State partnered 37 U.S. diplomatic missions and associated projects with 44 current or former interns who are now students attending universities throughout the United States. The VSFS projects these diplomatic missions and students will be working on in 2009-2010 include assisting in the development of the Iraq National Museum website; helping to teach the English language and American culture through social media outreach; environmental and conservation curriculum planning; and researching and promoting gender equality.

Students who are interested in following or contributing to these and other projects can join the Virtual Student Foreign Service Facebook community.

By combining the talents of young people across America and the right technology, we can forge the solutions that our century demands.

]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/virtual_student_foreign_service1/ 2009-09-21T19:29:19+00:00 Secretary Clinton’s Eid-ul-Fitr Message Today, Secretary Clinton delivered a message for Eid-ul-Fitr. The Secretary said:

"Hello, and Eid Mubarak. I’m delighted to celebrate the end of Ramadan by wishing all of you a happy Eid. In 1996, my husband and I were privileged to host the first ever White House Eid celebration, which has now become a tradition. And this year, I hosted an Iftar at the State Department, with Muslims and non-Muslims attending. We hope that reinforces every year that all faiths have a home here in the United States.

For Muslims all over the world, Eid ul-Fitr marks the end of a holy month of fasting and prayer. This time of self-reflection reminds us that the values of Islam – charity, community, cooperation, compassion – are values which we hold dear as Americans and which have contributed so much to American culture. As President Obama said in Cairo, the United States seeks a new beginning with Muslims around the world, one based on mutual interest and mutual respect. We know there is more that unites peoples of faith than divides us. So as Ramadan draws to a close, let us hold on to that spirit of community throughout the year to achieve our common goals of peace, prosperity, and stability. And I wish all of you a very happy year as well. Thank you."

Read this message in the following languages:

Arabic ׀ Indonesia ׀ Chinese ׀ Dari ׀ French ׀ German ׀ Hebrew ׀ Hindi ׀ Malay ׀ Pashto ׀ Persian ׀ Punjabi ׀ Russian ׀ Spanish ׀ Turkish ׀ Urdu
]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_eid/ 2009-09-19T16:16:19+00:00 Annual State Department Iftar Dinner Remarks at the Annual State Department Iftar Dinner ׀ Swearing-In Ceremony for Farah Pandith Special Representative to Muslim Communities

About the Author: Farah Pandith serves as the Secretary's Special Representative to Muslim Communities.

September 15, 2009

5:00 a.m. It is a funny thing to wake up with a smile on your face. But I did today – because in a few hours I will be sworn-in by Secretary Clinton as our nation’s first Special Representative to Muslim Communities. I am really looking forward to today and more than anything else, so grateful for this opportunity.

8:04 a.m. My blackberry is going insane. Lots of excitement in the air, as friends and family are pinging me with best wishes. Many have flown to D.C. to share this moment with me. Later this evening, I will have the honor of giving remarks at the annual State Department Iftar, hosted by Secretary Clinton in the regal Ben Franklin Room. For those of you who are not familiar with the term, an “Iftar” is the breaking of the fast. And for Muslims observing Ramadan, you do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset each day for 30 days.

9:35 a.m. My family is with me waiting for the protocol team to take us upstairs for my swearing-in ceremony. We will have a few minutes with Secretary Clinton before the ceremony to talk and take pictures.

11:28 a.m. The swearing-in ceremony was an extraordinary experience. Having the a chance to look across a room filled with people from every part of my life, to be able to express my gratitude to those who have helped me along the way, and to stand with my family next to the Secretary of State with my left hand on my mother’s Holy Qu’ran and right hand in the air while executing the oath to serve my nation as Special Representative to Muslim Communities will stay with me forever.

1:14 p.m. Back to reality! We are crashing on final details for the Secretary’s Iftar, and I am fielding question about this morning’s swearing-in as well as today's main event: Secretary Clinton’s Iftar dinner for 200 tonight!

2:34 p.m. I just returned from meeting on the Iftar, and we are all set for tonight. The room is going to be packed. My office is receivinng lots of about the guest list, what the Secretary will be saying, and the menu for the dinner. As the expression goes: ”curiosity killed the cat.” I have told people they need to wait and see. They won’t be disappointed.

5:25 p.m. Huma Abedin (a close advisor to Secretary Clinton who has been with her since 1996 and has celebrated 13 Iftar’s with her) and I walk through the dining room. The room is gorgeous and elegant: light green silk table cloths with embroidered flowers in cream, tan and acru fall to the floor, exquisite centerpieces in autumn tones with fruits and flowers anchor the table, and golden wrapping paper covers small boxes of chocolates with ribbon securing a card that reads “Ramadan Mubarak” (written by hand in calligraphy and an ivory ribbon bow and chocolate medallion with the State Department seal and the Secretary’s signature) appear on each table setting for the guests. (I like this special touch.) Candles on the table and elegant calligraphy on the name cards and individual menus make the tables among the prettiest I have ever seen for an Iftar. The room is sparkling.

6:35 p.m. I am heading back upstairs to the Iftar. Guests have started to arrive and the front lobby is buzzing. We don’t break the fast until 7:17 p.m., so guests will have some time to mix and mingle before the call to prayer. There is a lovely poster near the elevators on the first floor of then-First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton when she held the nation’s first Eid Celebration at the White House in 1996 . When the guests arrive on the State Department's 8th floor, there will be another poster of President Obama and Secretary Clinton touring the Sultan Hassan mosque in Istanbul this last June.

9:56 p.m. What a great evening! Secretary Clinton hosts a great dinner! The energy in the room was palpable and the warmth, laughter, conversation, attentiveness to her remarks about the importance of Ramadan, and her personal history in establishing for our nation a significant milestone in bringing awareness of Ramadan to our nation’s capital was clear. But I am getting ahead of the evening….

Right before sunset, many guests were busy in conversation. Though the Washington sky was not as clear as I had hoped, guests were enjoying the view from the balcony, and also enjoying walking around the historic rooms where antique furniture, oil paintings, and historic items from our rich past decorate the Diplomatic Reception Rooms.

There was a diversity of guests invited to take part – Americans from all parts of our country as well as a special group of international visitors, women leaders from Africa. There were dozens of members of the ambassadorial corps – from Europe, Asia and Africa. People who were making a difference in a wide variety of ways were also invited: scholars and activists, musicians and nonprofit leaders, businesspeople and policymakers. It was quite a crowd!

When Imam Talal Eid called the prayer, waiters appeared with dates, and dried fruits, fruit juices and water. Some guests enjoyed and others left to pray in the room that had been specially prepared. Soon afterwards we were called into the Benjamin Franklin Room for the formal dinner.

The evening was very special for me because Secretary Clinton asked me to welcome the guests and make remarks. Just officially sworn-in hours before, it was my first official role as the new Special Representative to Muslim Communities. I really enjoyed having a chance to talk about Islam in America, a historic mosque in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the legacy of freedom of religion, pluralism and respect.

Secretary Clinton’s remarks were of course the highlight of the evening. The 200 guests clapped loudly as she came to the podium, and then there was pin-drop silence. She talked personally about the commonality of the human spirit and the need for us all to work together for the common good. She spoke with sincerity and care about respect for all faiths, and a country that values and celebrates its diversity. She talked about the Holy Month of Ramadan and what it teaches. Her remarks were meaningful.

After her remarks, we all began a delicious meal: from Tandoori halal chicken with raita to grilled halal lamb tenderloin and guava barbequed sea bass, to basmati rice with sun dried blueberries, herbs and blackberry sauce, to herb roasted plum tomatoes stuff with sautéed baby spinach and toasted pine nuts, to cardamom pear galette on puff pastry to cinnamon apricot iced tea. It was amazing.

Our table was having a great time – one of the co-authors of the American Muslim Teenager’s Handbook, Imran Hafiz, was there along with the Moroccan Ambassador Aziz Mehouar, Zeenat Rahman from Interfaith Youth Corps, Rami Nashashibi from IMAN and Naeem Muhammed, a member of the rap group Native Dean. We actually talked a lot about culture and music at our table. The Ambassador told us about a special concert that takes place every year in Fez. I was wondering if Naeem and other members of his group might do a little rap for us, but perhaps all the formalities presented a challenge.

11:27 p.m. Home now. I'm in a state of exhausted happiness from the day’s events. As I reflect on this day, I think how remarkable it is that a little girl born in Srinagar could come to Massachusetts and grow up to stand next to the Secretary of State, with one hand on the Holy Qu’ran, taking the oath to serve her nation. I have been so privileged to have been taught and influenced by so many, and raised in a place where I could embrace my faith, my heritage, and my new country all at the same time. I feel blessed.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/iftar_dinner/ 2009-09-19T15:21:19+00:00 Warm Wishes for Rosh Hashanah President Obama extends warm wishes for Rosh Hashanah.

Rosh Hashanah marks the start of a new year – a time of humble prayer and joyful celebration. As members of the Jewish faith here in America and around the world gather to celebrate, President Obama extends his warmest wishes. The President said:

"[T]his sacred time provides not just an opportunity for individual renewal and reconciliation, but for families, communities and even nations to heal old divisions, seek new understandings, and come together to build a better world for our children and grandchildren.

"At the dawn of this New Year, let us rededicate ourselves to that work. Let us reject the impulse to harden ourselves to others’ suffering, and instead make a habit of empathy – of recognizing ourselves in each other and extending our compassion to those in need.

"Let us resist prejudice, intolerance, and indifference in whatever forms they may take – let us stand up strongly to the scourge of anti-Semitism, which is still prevalent in far too many corners of our world.

"Let us work to extend the rights and freedoms so many of us enjoy to all the world’s citizens – to speak and worship freely; to live free from violence and oppression; to make of our lives what we will."

Read translations of the President's remarks here. Languages include Arabic, French, Hebrew, Persian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish. ]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/rosh_hashanah/ 2009-09-18T19:22:19+00:00 From Silicon Valley to Foggy Bottom About the Author: Lorraine Hariton serves as the Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

This week, I joined the State Department as the Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs where I hope to work closely with the business community and U.S. embassies to open markets for U.S. goods and ensure a level playing field for American companies.

The high-tech mecca of Silicon Valley is a long way from the foreign policy hallways of Foggy Bottom. I spent more than 25 years in the information technology sector working with emerging technologies from mainframes to thin-client technology, internet audio solutions, speech applications and Smart Grid initiatives. I am convinced that the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley that fueled such tremendous economic growth in the United States can also be a vehicle for nation building around the world. I hope to bring that start-up mentality to new initiatives to the State Department.

Entrepreneurship that enables leverage business creation has been proven to be an effective tool to re-invigorate the global economy, expand job opportunity and alleviate poverty. Countries which foster a healthy entrepreneurial environment, ensure transparency, promote competitiveness and establish rule of law will benefit.

I also have been an advocate throughout my career for women’s equal participation in business. I plan to continue to foster the role of women in leadership positions in business around the world. Women’s participation in the business sector enables stronger, less corrupt economies.

In the weeks ahead I will be reaching out to the private sector and trade associations to ask them to help me identify where our commercial diplomacy efforts can further economic security and prosperity at home and abroad. I look forward to forging a partnership with the business community to help achieve our foreign policy objectives.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/silicon_valley_foggy_bottom/ 2009-09-17T20:18:19+00:00 Democracy Video Challenge: Your Voice, Your Video About the Author: Ben Harper serves as a Multimedia Specialist at the U.S. Department of State.

We’re back! And we’re very excited to launch the second annual Democracy Video Challenge competition. After a successful first year with more than 900 submissions from around the world, we can’t wait to see what kinds of video entries we get this year.

We’re calling for anyone from international filmmakers to people who’ve never picked up a camera before to create short videos that complete the phrase, “Democracy is…” From the videos that were submitted last year, we know how many different ideas about democracy everyone has—and we know how important it is to share those ideas with the rest of the world.

Last year’s entries were everything from animations and cartoons to webcam videos to High Definition movies. But it doesn’t matter what you submit, because just like last year, six regional winners will be selected by an online vote in the spring of 2010. (That’s right, even the competition is democratic.) Those winners get an all-expense paid trip to the United States to meet with film directors and democracy advocates and to tour film and television sets. For rules and more details, check out youtube.com/democracychallenge.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/your_voice_your_video/ 2009-09-15T21:01:19+00:00 Secretary Clinton Honors National Day of Service and Remembrance Secretary Clinton spoke at the commemoration of the first annual September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Tonight, Secretary Clinton delivered the keynote address at MyGoodDeed and ServiceNation’s commemoration of the first annual National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. The September 11th and service communities worked for years to achieve this annual observance, formalized in federal legislation enacted in April 2009. The law, formally named the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, received strong bipartisan support from Congress. Tonight's event, attended by thousands of members of the September 11 and civilian and military service communities, took place at the Beacon Theatre in New York City.

In her remarks, Secretary Clinton said, "Today, we know that the threat of violent extremism still remains. And our nation has to be vigilant. We have to be strong in the face of those who would seek to do harm to our people, our nation, and our values. By coming together to honor those who lost and who gave their lives eight years ago, we renew our strength to move forward in the face of both old and new challenges, and we come together to invigorate the values that have defined our country and our people for more than 200 years."

The Secretary continued, "The response of New Yorkers and Americans to the 9/11 attacks were not scripted. They weren’t orchestrated. They were the acts of people who instinctively – reflexively – summoned the best within themselves to help others in harm’s way. And while these were individual acts, they represented a collective and uniquely American characteristic: a willingness and a pride in serving others....This country was built and has endured on a tradition of service. It’s a common thread that binds Americans of all generations together."

Read the Secretary's full remarks here or learn how you can find ways to serve in your community.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_honors_service_remembrance/ 2009-09-12T01:14:55+00:00 A National Day of Service and Remembrance About the Author: Donna M. Butler serves in the Executive Division of the Bureaus of Near Eastern and South & Central Asian Affairs. She is also the Coordinator of the U.S. State Department-Miner Elementary School Tutoring/Mentoring Partnership Program.

This year we commemorate the first September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, inspired Americans to come together in a spirit of unity. Today, President Obama, the Corporation for National and Community Service, MyGoodDeed and the 9/11 families ask all Americans to remember that Tuesday eight years ago and recommit to service in their communities. Tens of thousands of volunteers in all 50 states are expected to answer their call.

As a young person, I was blessed in my life to have individuals who encouraged me to give back through my church and school. They demonstrated to me that volunteerism is important to building and maintaining our communities.

In that spirit, I am truly privileged to coordinate the U.S. Department of State’s partnership with Miner Elementary School. For 12 years, the State Department has sought to provide at least 100 volunteers a year to tutor at least one hour per week at Miner Elementary School, one of the Washington, D.C. public elementary schools whose students have been identified as most in need of help, in terms of reading skills, by D.C. school officials and other government agencies.

Before coordinating this program, I participated in it as a volunteer. My colleague John Arbogast, an attorney here at the State Department, founded the program with former Miner Elementary School principal Angela Tilghman. Their leadership and efforts to sustain the program inspired my participation. My continued involvement has been motivated by the stories of the students. Many have endured very difficult and tragic situations, even at their young and tender ages.

Miner Elementary School’s dedicated teachers and staff have remained creative and committed partners. I would like to recognize some of our current trailblazers: Principal LaVonne Taliferro-Bunch, faculty member Donita Holt, my faithful and dedicated assistant Lily Savic, and the many, many other volunteers from the past and present. Their spirit of giving is immeasurable, and my humble gratitude goes out to them.

Together, the teachers and volunteers have accomplished a lot, in the one-on-one tutoring and other ways. In past years, State volunteers, among other undertakings, started a newspaper at the school, taught civics and music classes, and assisted in the production of the school play. State volunteers have also helped with several school visits to the State Department, including the “Groundhog Job Shadow Day.” These activities have also encouraged similar partnerships on the part of other government agencies.

As the President and First Lady said, “No force for change is more powerful than that of Americans who are making a difference in their communities. This September 11, and in the days, weeks, and months that follow, let us recommit ourselves to service, renew America’s promise, and work together as one people and one Nation.”

September 11 continues to evoke strong emotions and commemorate sacrifice. It is also a call to action. There are many ways you can become involved. Serve.gov is an online resource where you can find volunteer opportunities in your community. Be inspired by stories of service from around the United States and create your own.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/service_and_remembrance/ 2009-09-11T19:59:55+00:00 Remembering September 11 In honor of those lost on September 11th President Obama spoke at the Pentagon Memorial. The First Lady and Dr. Biden marked this National Day of Service and Remembrance by encouraging all of us to lend a helping hand to military families.

President Obama said, "Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen and members of the Armed Forces, fellow Americans, family and friends of those that we lost this day -- Michelle and I are deeply humbled to be with you.

Eight Septembers have come and gone. Nearly 3,000 days have passed -- almost one for each of those taken from us. But no turning of the seasons can diminish the pain and the loss of that day. No passage of time and no dark skies can ever dull the meaning of this moment.

So on this solemn day, at this sacred hour, once more we pause. Once more we pray -- as a nation and as a people; in city streets where our two towers were turned to ashes and dust; in a quiet field where a plane fell from the sky; and here, where a single stone of this building is still blackened by the fires.

We remember with reverence the lives we lost. We read their names. We press their photos to our hearts. And on this day that marks their death, we recall the beauty and meaning of their lives; men and women and children of every color and every creed, from across our nation and from more than 100 others. They were innocent. Harming no one, they went about their daily lives. Gone in a horrible instant, they now 'dwell in the House of the Lord forever.'

We honor all those who gave their lives so that others might live, and all the survivors who battled burns and wounds and helped each other rebuild their lives; men and women who gave life to that most simple of rules: I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

We pay tribute to the service of a new generation -- young Americans raised in a time of peace and plenty who saw their nation in its hour of need and said, 'I choose to serve'; 'I will do my part.' And once more we grieve. For you and your families, no words can ease the ache of your heart. No deeds can fill the empty places in your homes. But on this day and all that follow, you may find solace in the memory of those you loved, and know that you have the unending support of the American people.

Scripture teaches us a hard truth. The mountains may fall and the earth may give way; the flesh and the heart may fail. But after all our suffering, God and grace will 'restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.' So it is -- so it has been for these families. So it must be for our nation.

Let us renew our resolve against those who perpetrated this barbaric act and who plot against us still. In defense of our nation we will never waver; in pursuit of al Qaeda and its extremist allies, we will never falter.

Let us renew our commitment to all those who serve in our defense -- our courageous men and women in uniform and their families and all those who protect us here at home. Mindful that the work of protecting America is never finished, we will do everything in our power to keep America safe.

Let us renew the true spirit of that day. Not the human capacity for evil, but the human capacity for good. Not the desire to destroy, but the impulse to save, and to serve, and to build. On this first National Day of Service and Remembrance, we can summon once more that ordinary goodness of America -- to serve our communities, to strengthen our country, and to better our world.

Most of all, on a day when others sought to sap our confidence, let us renew our common purpose. Let us remember how we came together as one nation, as one people, as Americans, united not only in our grief, but in our resolve to stand with one another, to stand up for the country we all love.

This may be the greatest lesson of this day, the strongest rebuke to those who attacked us, the highest tribute to those taken from us -- that such sense of purpose need not be a fleeting moment. It can be a lasting virtue.

For through their own lives –- and through you, the loved ones that they left behind –- the men and women who lost their lives eight years ago today leave a legacy that still shines brightly in the darkness, and that calls on all of us to be strong and firm and united. That is our calling today and in all the Septembers still to come.

May God bless you and comfort you. And may God bless the United States of America."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/remembering_september_11/ 2009-09-11T15:43:55+00:00 Georgian Student Wins ExchangesConnect Challenge About the Author: Michelle E. Neyland services as ExchangesConnect Network Administrator.

Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) 2008-2009 alumnus Giorgi Maghlakelidze, from the Republic of Georgia, was recently announced as the winner of the Mascot Challenge on the ExchangesConnect website. ExchangesConnect, an international social networking site managed by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State, recently challenged its members to design a mascot that represents its mission of cross-cultural dialogue and international exchange. Designs were submitted from all over the world.

Maghlakelidze designed iDrop with the idea that it represents each one of us. Just as drops of water collect to form streams, waterfalls, and large oceans, Maghlakelidze used the image of a drop to symbolize how we, as people, can increase our own strength by connecting with others across the globe.

“Even though we might be from different parts of the world, we are the same,” Maghlakelidze said, “We have immense, world-changing power within us, but especially when we unite.”

Maghlakelidze participated in a FLEX program in California. FLEX students spend a year in the United States living with a host family and attending an American high school. Maghlakelidze described the FLEX program as “nothing else I've experienced my entire life. It was a magical, mind-changing, best-friend-making, life-teaching, extremely-interesting, rich-experience-giving year. Never before have I experienced such magnificent adventures, learned so much about other country and people, and myself. My life has changed, and so have I.”

Related Entry: ExchangesConnect Reaches 10,000 Members]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/exchangesconnect_challenge/ 2009-09-10T17:43:55+00:00 Diplomats in Residence Serve as Career Resources Barbara Cummings serves as the U.S. Department of State Diplomat in Residence at Howard University.

My name is Barbara Cummings and I’m the Diplomat in Residence for the Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia areas based at Howard University. We have 16 senior Foreign Service Officers who are assigned to different universities throughout the U.S.

We have summer, spring and fall internships. They are 10 weeks, full-time. They’re great opportunities and you can be an intern either in Washington or at one of our 200-and-some embassies and consulates abroad. I had several interns in Peru, and because they had very good Spanish, we were able to send them out as election observers, or on an anti-fraud visit to a village to investigate a visa case.

There are a couple of Department fellowships that I think are fabulous opportunities. One is called the Pickering program and it’s administered out of Princeton University. And it basically will pay for your graduate studies in international affairs, and you get a follow-on commitment to come into the Foreign Service.

There’s also the Charles Rangel program that’s administered here at Howard University, and it’s, again, another competitive program that will pay for graduate studies. Theirs is even a little broader. They will pay for almost any area of studies other than law school.

I’ve noticed when I go out and talk to large numbers of students, that there’s an amazing amount of commitment to do public service, you know, which is a very, sort of, warming feeling.

I also talk one-on-one with a lot of students. I’ll meet them to have coffee if they’re further along in the process of applying for the Foreign Service. I talk about my career. I’m pretty much open to everybody.

I always tell students or anyone interested in the Foreign Service to read a lot, just basically be interested in the world around them.

There are all these opportunities now that I don’t think we had 30 years ago. And so I’m glad to see that the students are really taking advantage of them.

For more information, contact a Diplomat in Residence in your region.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/diplomats_in_residence/ 2009-09-09T20:58:55+00:00 Ambassador Rice Speaks With Students During “My Education, My Future” Event About the Author: Kurtis Cooper serves as a Press and Public Diplomacy Officer for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

Yesterday was a big day for many students across the country — the first day back to school from summer vacation. To mark the occasion, President Obama spoke to students on the importance of taking responsibility for their education.

The remarks were carried live on C-SPAN and whitehouse.gov, and Susan Rice, our Ambassador to the United Nations, watched the speech with students of E.L. Haynes Charter School in her hometown of Washington, DC as part of the “My Education, My Future” events.

After watching the President’s remarks, Ambassador Rice gave some of her own, encouraging the students to work hard and pursue their dreams, saying, “If you work hard and do your best, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. You can be anything you want to be.”

Ambassador Rice closed the event with words reminding the students that while an education can help them achieve their own dreams, it is also about something much bigger. She asked the students to work hard so that they could go on to be the next teachers and principals, the next doctors and lawyers, the next ambassadors and even the next Presidents, so that they could help solve the future problems of their communities, their country and their world.

Watch the video above to see Ambassador Rice speak to the students of E.L. Haynes Charter School. Text follows:

“One of the important messages the President had is: If you don’t do your best, if you quit on yourself, if you quit on school, you’re not just quitting on yourself or your school, you are quitting on your country.

And that’s because we live in a world where we have so many different challenges we need every talented young person that we have to make a contribution, and to add to the greatness of our country. That’s how we went to the moon. That’s how we won World War II. That’s how we have extended opportunity to every single American. And we need each of you to carry on and do it for us when we get old.”

Read President Obama's remarks or Secretary Clinton's remarks as part of "My Education, My Future" events.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ambassador_rice_education_event/ 2009-09-09T15:49:55+00:00 Week One: U.S. Presidency of the UN Security Council About the Author: Patrick Ventrell serves as Information Officer and Deputy Spokesman at the U.S. Mission to the UN in New York. He is a member of the Mission’s Security Council team.

On Tuesday, the United States assumed the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of September. The Council Presidency rotates among all 15 members in alphabetical order. This year the U.S. leads the Security Council during the same busy time when nearly every world leader visits the UN for the annual General Assembly.

As Ambassador Rice said recently in a speech at NYU, we are steering a new course at the UN, putting into practice President Obama’s vision of a new era of engagement that advances America’s national security interests. September will be a critical month for this new approach, as the world’s attention zeroes in on the UN.

To give you a short recap of our first week with the Presidency of the Council: On Tuesday Ambassador Rice held comprehensive bilateral consultations with all of the other 14 members of the Council. Then on Wednesday, she chaired a meeting of the Council to adopt September’s program of work in closed consultations (the Security Council has a small consultations room located off of a hallway just outside the famous Council Chamber). Then Ambassador Rice held a lengthy press conference in the UN Press Briefing Room, where, among other things, she announced some new information about U.S. plans for the upcoming General Assembly session.

Some of the highlights from the press conference: On September 24, President Obama will become the first U.S. President to chair a Security Council Summit when he leads a session on nuclear non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament. On September 30, Secretary Clinton will chair a meeting on Women, and Peace and Security, to focus attention on the critical issue of violence against women in zones of conflict, and to consider adoption of a resolution as a follow-on to the landmark efforts put forth in Resolution 1820. And, also of note, on September 9, former President Bill Clinton will attend an open debate on the UN Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in his role as the Secretary General’s special envoy.

Watch the video above to see Ambassador Rice talking in more depth about the President’s schedule, as well as answering questions on a number of key foreign policy challenges including North Korea, Sudan and Afghanistan, among others.

Finally, to wrap up the week, on Thursday and Friday the Council held meetings of the troop contributing countries for the UN Peacekeeping Missions in Liberia and Haiti, giving these contributing countries time to voice their positions before the Council formally discusses the status of those missions next week.

Stay tuned here, or at www.usun.state.gov, throughout September for more blogging, pictures and behind the scenes peeks at all of the action happening at UN Headquarters in New York.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/presidency_un_security_council/ 2009-09-04T17:46:55+00:00 Summertime SNOE: Fieldcraft Training for the Civilian Response Corps About the Author: Eythan Sontag is a member of the Department of State’s Civilian Response Corps-Active component.

The crack of bullets and explosions pierce the air. Tires squeal and skid as vehicles corner tightly at high speed around curves and dirt roads. Global Positioning System (GPS) units beep and handheld radios crackle as field missions are planned and carried out.

These are just a few of the sounds that characterize the experience for students participating in one of the Department of State’s most atypical training curriculums: Security for Non-Traditional Operating Environments (SNOE). The course is designed specifically for the growing cadre of U.S. Government civilians – members of the Civilian Response Corps – who are prepared to deploy on a moment’s notice to conflict-affected countries throughout the world. Students gain critical knowledge and field skills that will help them more effectively and safely function in unconventional and austere environments, often beyond the reach of U.S. civilian or military support structures.

SNOE, developed jointly between the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS), is entirely unlike the average training most Foreign or Civil Service officers receive. The focus is on “hard skills” that can be utilized in high-threat and remote circumstances – ranging from the jungles of Africa to the mountains of Afghanistan. Topics include everything needed for a hostile or semi-permissive environment including, surveillance detection, trauma first-aid, hostage survival, personal safety practices, weapons familiarization, improvised explosive device awareness, mission planning, land navigation and high-threat on- and off-road driving techniques. The course adopts an “experiential” approach that emphasizes hands-on application of the skills. While some of the training is conducted in classrooms, the majority of it is in the great outdoors – aimed at replicating to the maximum degree possible the stresses and conditions that corps members might experience in the field.

At the outset of the course, students are issued a range of field equipment, from first-aid kits, to body armor to personal survival packs to GPS units. SNOE instructors cover the use and maintenance of this gear, and students have ample opportunity to put the items into practice. Few, if any, of the State Department’s training classes actually encourage participants to start fires (with a flint and knife), build improvised shelters (using trash bags, survival gear or material from the local environment) or to signal for helicopter evacuation (employing signaling panels or mirrors). The kit, while often essential in carrying out typical Civilian Response Corps missions, is only as helpful as the ability to utilize it correctly; the SNOE course ensures that its students gain a basic familiarity and proficiency with the equipment so that it can be effectively used when the time and circumstances require it.

The first iteration of SNOE ran from mid-June to early July 2009, and was held at various training venues in Virginia and West Virginia. Instructors included a mix of contractors with extensive military, law enforcement or other specialized experience; highly trained medical personnel; and Diplomatic Security driving, weapons, security and explosives experts. The Civilian Response Corps students represented not only S/CRS, but also other components of the Department of State and other agencies, including the Department of Justice’s Marshal Service and the Department of Health and Human Services. Participants’ diverse reconstruction and stabilization backgrounds – in such places as Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, the Balkans, Asia and Latin America – added practical perspectives and context to the course.

SNOE culminates in a field training exercise that synthesizes many of the topics covered in the previous three weeks of training. Throughout the course, instructors feed students information about a notional conflict-impacted country where they will eventually “deploy.” The vast range space of U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico serves as the venue for this notional country, and role players – acting as displaced persons, tribal leaders, militants and other characters – set the stage for SNOE participants to practice mission planning, navigation, surveillance detection, driving and a host of other hard skills.

Participants in the pilot course departed Quantico physically and mentally fatigued, but also fulfilled by the new competencies they had gained and the knowledge that they will be better equipped for future missions.

Additional information about the course is available in the training section of the S/CRS website. Note that this course is an expanded version of OT-610 Foreign Affairs Counter Threat (FACT) and also fulfills all FACT course requirements.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/fieldcraft_training_civilian_response_corps/ 2009-09-01T02:02:55+00:00 Attention Media: Pittsburgh Summit Press Credentialing Deadline This Saturday, August 15 About the Author: Gordon Duguid serves as Director of the Foreign Press Center in Washington, DC.

On September 24-25, 2009, President Obama will chair the Pittsburgh Summit, a meeting of leaders from countries around the world who will review the progress made since the Washington and London G-20 Summits. In Pittsburgh, leaders will discuss further actions to assure a sound and sustainable recovery from the global financial and economic crisis. The Summit will give participating nations and international organizations the opportunity to take stock of the progress made and discuss further actions to assure a sound recovery from the current international crisis.

The press credentialing deadline is approaching quickly; it is this Saturday, August 15, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. (EDT). Applications for press credentials can be found here.

In November 2008, as a response to the global economic crisis, the United States invited international leaders to the Washington Summit on Financial Markets and the Global Economy. The Heads of State and Government were joined by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the World Bank, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and the Chairperson of the Financial Stability Forum (reconstituted at the London Summit as the Financial Stability Board).

Check out more information about the Summit and Pittsburgh’s resources or sign up to receive e-mail updates as the Summit approaches.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/pittsburgh_summit_press_credentialing/ 2009-08-12T21:05:58+00:00 Global Hip-Hop Hits Kennedy Center About the Author: Heather Fluit is a summer intern serving as Editorial Assistant for DipNote in the Bureau of Public Affairs.

Being an intern in Washington, DC can be a great experience when you make the most of the opportunities in the city — especially when you’re coming all the way from South Dakota. And while I expected my internship with the State Department to be engaging and informative, I’ve certainly come to appreciate the diversity of the work that occurs here. This week after work, I went to a hip-hop dance show at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Millennium Stage. The Millennium Stage hosts 365 performances per year for free; and “free” is an intern’s best friend. Normally that wouldn’t seem unusual for me to attend a free event (or, the jackpot — free food), but this performance happened to be part of a cultural exchange sponsored by the State Department’s own Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA).

What I found at the show was a group of incredibly talented young performers from Argentina, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The dancers had been training with and learning from American professionals in New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC for the last several weeks. They clearly had natural talent to showcase at the performance, and the audience soaked up the question and answer session they had on-stage before the show’s finale. Via interpreters, the dancers answered questions about their impressions of the United States and their overwhelmingly positive experiences in the ECA Cultural Visitors Program. They were well-spoken and humble (if I could dance like them, I’m not sure I could maintain modesty). They were true cultural ambassadors and I was proud to see, in action, that the State Department dedicates the resources to facilitate these exchanges. An exchange is an investment, and has a great impact far beyond the weeks or months of the trip.

By the end of the show, I knew it was something I would have gladly paid for. And, I hope I can speak for most loan-burdened interns when I say that’s a great compliment. I encourage the DipNote community to check out ECA’s many other cultural exchange programs or learn more about the event.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/global_hip-hop/ 2009-07-31T21:53:24+00:00 Misjudging Your Risk Overseas About the Author: Kathe Conrad serves as the Security Overseas Seminar Coordinator at the Foreign Service Institute.

People often misjudge the risks they face overseas. A case in point is a U.S. Government health care employee who attended two days of security briefings about overseas threats. She came up to me afterwards and told me she was worried about taking her family to her central Asian assignment. What she feared most was that either her husband or daughters would be kidnapped and become hostages. Two months after she arrived at post though, she died in a car accident. Tragically, she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

Getting people to think about risks they might face overseas isn’t difficult. There are always a slew of scary stories about carjacking, hostage taking, and sexual assaults that grab everyone’s attention. We all tend to be more concerned about the kind of high profile threats often seen on the front page of the Washington Post than we are about the more likely injury or death from a car crash. The truth is: driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do either in the U.S. or overseas which is why road safety will be highlighted in the upcoming Private Sector Security Overseas Seminar (PSOS) on September 21 – 22 at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, VA.

The Foreign Service Institute hosts the Private Sector Security Overseas Seminar in conjunction with the Overseas Security Advisory Council twice a year. Information and resources similar to those mandated for Department of State employees on overseas security risks are shared with American businesses, non-governmental agencies, faith-based organizations, and academic institutions. Gregory Wolfe, an Industrial Hygienist with Safety Health & Environmental Management, will talk to the group about driving overseas.

To register for the two-day PSOS, organizations must first be members of the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). There is no fee for becoming a constituent, but tuition is charged for the seminar. Information on becoming an OSAC constituent along with the registration form and information can be found on OSAC's website. For further information about PSOS, please contact me at conradkd@state.gov or (703) 302-7271.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/risk_overseas/ 2009-07-31T20:09:24+00:00 Secretary Clinton Recaps Her Travel to India, Thailand About the Author: Hillary Rodham Clinton serves as the U.S. Secretary of State.

Early last Friday morning, I returned from a whirlwind trip through India and Thailand.

I went to India with the goal of strengthening the ties between our two governments, but I also hoped to deepen the connections between the American people and the people of India. As I wrote in an op-ed for the Times of India, “Our people share common interests, common values, and a common stake in the 21st century.”

Despite arriving in the middle of monsoon season in Mumbai, I was warmly welcomed by Indian Ambassador-designate Tim Roemer, Chargé Peter Burleigh, and Consul General Paul Folmsbee. In Mumbai we chose to stay at the Taj Mahal Hotel in order to send a clear message that we stand in solidarity with the people of Mumbai and all those who were affected by the tragic 26/11 terrorist attacks. The Taj today represents a rebuke to those who failed to destroy the spirit and the resilience of the people of India. On the first morning of our stay I had the honor to commemorate those who died in the attacks and meet with some of the victims' families and survivors, as well as those who bravely assisted in the rescue efforts.

Later, I sat down with Indian business leaders to discuss a number of topics, including how Indian and American businesses can use innovation and entrepreneurship to spread prosperity more broadly across our two countries.

That afternoon, I toured the Hansiba retail shop, which sells goods through the Self Employed Women's Association (SEWA), a micro-finance organization that gives women in rural businesses loans to make crafts. I first visited SEWA in 1995 in Gujarat and could not be more pleased that more than a dozen years later it is now considered a true world leader in the empowerment of women.

The first day ended with an education and service-oriented town hall with Bollywood star Aamir Khan where we had a chance to discuss the education systems of our two countries and the extraordinary value of programs like Teach for America and Teach India.

The next morning I flew to New Delhi where I was greeted by the Indian Ambassador to the United States Meira Shankar and Gaitri Kumar, the Joint Secretary for the Americas. Following our arrival, Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern and I toured one of the only two buildings in India to be honored for meeting the U.S. Business Council's highest standards of environmentally conscious building design and operation. In a conversation with the Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, we shared our different perspectives but also our firm common commitment to work to a successful outcome later this year at the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

I then toured the National Agricultural Research Institute's Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia, a joint venture between the U.S. and Indian governments, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other public and private sector entities, where some of India's top scientists are working to solve one of the most difficult challenges we face as a global community: the problem of chronic hunger and malnutrition, which affect nearly a billion people in the world.

The next morning, I delivered remarks at a town hall we held at Delhi University, describing how India is emerging as a global leader for the 21st century. The energy, dynamism and vitality of India was palpable throughout my visit -- it’s in the faces of those who get up every day and work hard for a better future, and in the hope that they carry inside their hearts for their children.

Following "DU," I joined Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for lunch. On President Obama's behalf, I invited the Prime Minister to Washington for the Administration’s first State Visit, and he warmly accepted. Later in the afternoon, I also met with Opposition Leader LK Advani; Chairwoman of the Congress Party Sonia Ghandi and MP Rahul Ghandi; and in the evening, with External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.

External Affairs Minister Krishna and I announced the Strategic Dialogue, an agreement between India and the U.S. that will focus on five primary pillars: strategic cooperation; energy and climate change; education and development; economics, trade, and agriculture; science and technology; and health and innovation.

We then headed to Bangkok, Thailand. It gave me great joy to return to Thailand as I have very fond memories of my previous visits. I met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and then with Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu. I reiterated that President Obama and I are committed to a broader, stronger, and deeper relationship with Thailand. We are historic treaty allies, fellow democracies, strategic partners, and above all, we are friends. Our friendship has stood the test of time (more than 175 years) and I’m confident that it will stand the tests of the 21st century.

Wednesday, I sat down with The Nation’s Suttichai Yoon and Veenarat Laohapakakul for an interview before a live studio audience of about 250 students, young leaders, bloggers, and celebrities. We discussed a range of issues including North Korea, Burma, Iran, India, and human trafficking.

The last stop on the tour was the ASEAN Regional Forum in Phuket, Thailand where I hope my message was clear: The United States is back in Southeast Asia. President Obama and I believe that this region is vital to global progress, peace, and prosperity, and we are fully engaged with our ASEAN partners on the wide range of challenges confronting us, from regional and global security to the economic crisis to human rights and climate change.

I also took the opportunity at ASEAN to talk with a number of foreign ministers about our concerns regarding North Korea, including Russian FM Lavrov, Japanese FM Nakasone, South Korean FM Yu, and Chinese FM Yang. Complete and irreversible denuclearization is the only viable path for North Korea. We do not intend to reward North Korea just for returning to the table, nor do we intend to reward them for actions they have already committed to taking and then reneged on. The path is open to them, and it is up to them to follow it. Unless and until they do, they will face international isolation and the unrelenting pressure of global sanctions. Also while at ASEAN, I had the chance to sit down with my Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss the situation in the region.

On August 4, it’s off to Africa and I’ll be sure to send you more updates along the way.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_recaps_india_thailand/ 2009-07-28T20:33:47+00:00 Secretary Clinton Appears on NBC’s “Meet the Press” On July 26, Secretary Clinton appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."

On July 26, Secretary Clinton appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" with David Gregory. During the interview, the Secretary discussed a broad range of topics, including North Korea, Iran, Russia and Afghanistan. On North Korea, Secretary Clinton said:

"I think what’s important here is the clear message that we’re sending to North Korea, and it’s one that is now unanimous. The Security Council Resolution 1874 made official that North Korea must change their behavior, and we have to get back to moving toward verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.

Now, as you know and as you’ve reported, they’ve engaged in a lot of provocative actions in the last months. But what we, China, Russia, South Korea, Japan, and literally the unanimous international community have said is it’s not going to work this time. We’re imposing the most stringent sanctions we ever have. We have great cooperation from the world community. China and we are working closely together to enforce these sanctions. We still want North Korea to come back to the negotiating table, to be part of an international effort that will lead to denuclearization. But we’re not going to reward them for doing what they said they would do in 2005 and ‘6. We’re not going to reward them for half measures. They now know what we and the world community expect."

On Iran, Secretary Clinton said:

"Our hope is – that’s why we’re engaged in the President’s policy of engagement toward Iran – is that Iran will understand why it is in their interest to go along with the consensus of the international community, which very clearly says you have rights and responsibilities; you have a right to pursue the peaceful use of civil nuclear power, you do not have a right to obtain a nuclear weapon, you do not have the right to have the full enrichment and reprocessing cycle under your control. But there’s a lot that we can do with Iran if Iran accepts what is the international consensus."

On Russia, Secretary Clinton said:

"We want a strong, peaceful, and prosperous Russia. Now, there is an enormous amount of work to be done between the United States and Russia. We’re working on reducing our nuclear arsenal. We’re going to work on reducing fissile material to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. We’re working to combat the threat of violent extremism. Russia has been very helpful in our United Nations efforts vis-à-vis North Korea. The Russians joined the G-8 statement in Italy talking about the need for Iran to come to the table either in a multilateral forum like the P-5+1 that we’re a part of or bilaterally with us. And so there is an enormous amount of hard work being done, and we view Russia as a great power.

Now, every country faces challenges. We have our challenges. Russia has their challenges. And there are certain issues that Russia has to deal with on its own. And we want to make clear that as we reset our relationship, we are very clearly not saying that Russia can have a 21st century sphere of influence in Eastern Europe. That is an attitude and a policy we reject. We also are making it very clear that any nation in Eastern Europe that used to be part of the Soviet Union has a right now as a free, sovereign, and independent nation to choose whatever alliance they wish to join. So if Ukraine and Georgia someday are eligible for and desire to join NATO, that should be up to them.

So I think that what we’re seeing here is the beginning of the resetting of that relationship, which I have been deeply involved in. I will be co-chairing a presidential commission along with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. We’ll be following up on what our two presidents said in Moscow. And the Russians know that we have continuing questions about some of their policies, and they have continuing questions about some of ours."

On Afghanistan, Secretary Clinton said:

"[W]e had an intensive strategic review upon taking office, and we not only brought the entire United States Government together, but we reached out to friends and allies, people with stakes in Afghanistan and Pakistan. And as you know, the result of that strategic review was to conclude that al-Qaida is supported by and uses its extremist allies, like elements within the Taliban and other violent extremist groups in the region as well as worldwide, to extend its reach, to be proxies for a lot of its attacks on Jakarta, Indonesia and elsewhere. So that in order to really go after al-Qaida, to uproot it and destroy it, we had to take on those who are giving the al-Qaida leadership safe haven.

Now, as you know, the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is permeable. There are movements back and forth across it. I think our new strategy, which has been endorsed by a very large number of nations, some of whom don’t agree with us on a lot of other things, is aimed at achieving our primary goal.

And we also learned from Iraq, which were hard lessons, that in order to have our military intervention be effective when they go in and try to clear areas of the extremists, we have to follow in to build up the capacity of the local community to defend itself and to be able to realize the benefits of those changes.

This is a new strategy. It’s just beginning. I think the President believed that it was not only the right strategy, but facing what he faced, to withdraw our presence or to keep it on the low-level, limited effectiveness that had been demonstrated, would have sent a message to al-Qaida and their allies that the United States was willing to leave the field to them.

And in addition, importantly, we’ve seen the Pakistani Government and military really step up, which had not happened to the extent it has now. So the Taliban, which is, as I believe strongly, part of a kind of terrorist syndicate with al-Qaida at the center, is now under tremendous pressure. And I think that’s in America’s national interest."

Read the transcript of the Secretary's interview or watch it on msnbc.com. ]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_meet_the_press/ 2009-07-28T19:48:47+00:00 The Journey After “One Giant Leap for Mankind” About the Author: Priscilla Linn is the Senior Curator at the U.S. Diplomacy Center.

Forty years ago, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spent approximately three hours on the moon. Little did the first men to walk on Earth’s only satellite — and their fellow astronaut Mike Collins piloting the waiting space craft — know that perhaps the most exhausting part of their historic journey lay ahead.

They were to embark on the GIANTSTEP-APOLLO 11 Presidential Goodwill Tour, visiting 24 countries over 45 days from September 29 – November 5, 1969. Instead of looking down on the earth from outer space, they were jetting across it, trading their bulky suits and lunar module for business attire and diplomatic vehicles. President Richard M. Nixon promoted the tour, with the official purpose to “share information gained from the flight with other nations and to share plans for future space exploration,” according to Geneva B. Barnes, a NASA Public Affairs officer who accompanied the astronauts. She also said that the State Department chose the nations to visit.

The Commander in Chief authorized the Boeing presidential aircraft for their use, and after a massive ticker tape parade in New York City, the astronaut soon began their journey from Mexico to Tokyo. “As the first men ever to land on the moon you have demonstrated that you are the best possible ambassadors for peace here on earth,” President Nixon told them in a homecoming speech. Neil Armstrong confirmed the president’s statement, reporting that people received the astronauts “not just as individuals, but as representatives of the United States . . . a symbol of a nation firm in its will to share for the benefit of all mankind.”

Certainly the newspapers of the day reported cheering crowds in cities such as Mexico City, Kinshasa, Belgrade, Sydney and Tokyo. The president called their travels, “The most successful goodwill trip in the history of the United States.” According to the November 6, 1969, New York Times article by Nan Robertson, the astronauts gave 22 news conferences, met with 20 heads of state and received numerous decorations including, among others, the French Legion of Honor, the Congo’s Order of the Leopard and the Order of Culture in Japan.

At each stop the diplomatic corps, along with a host of others, choreographed the astronauts’ visit from the moment the airplane touched down until the heroes and their spouses reboarded, off to the next stop. Foreign Service Officer (Ret.) Hans N. “Tom” Tuch, former Public Affairs Officer in West Berlin, kindly donated to the U.S. Diplomacy Center the framed photograph and briefing log of the stop in West Berlin, October 13-14, 1969. In the briefing log, compiled well before the use of graphics programs and computers, the meticulous diagrams indicate the careful logistics to maximize security and strategic routing of the astronaut party in the city. Despite the thorough preparation, according to Geneva Barnes there was a short, unexpected delay in Berlin, when the astronauts stepped off the plane and heard “The Star Spangled Banner.” Placing their hands over their hearts, they waited until the last note sounded before proceeding as directed.

In thanks for his professional assistance, the astronauts presented Mr. Tuch with a photo of the sign the astronauts left on the moon. It reads, “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." The photo bears the signatures of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins, which are also on the moon landing sign, along with that of President Nixon.

Age has slightly faded the artifacts, yet they speak to the achievement of our nation and the work of dedicated Foreign Service Officers like Mr. Tuch, who during their careers make it possible for other nations to discover, and hopefully appreciate, more about the U.S. in its many complex aspects. Thus, the seemingly mundane paper artifacts link us to a core purpose of American diplomacy.

No doubt many diplomats serving in the 24 countries of the GIANTLEAP tour have memories of the visit. The staff of the U.S. Diplomacy Center would very much like to hear about any memorabilia related to this or other international visits of U.S. astronauts as goodwill ambassadors abroad. Please feel free to contact us.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/remembering_one_giant_leap/ 2009-07-20T17:14:47+00:00 Secretary Clinton Departs for India, Thailand Interactive Travel Map | Text the Secretary

About the Author: Ian Kelly serves as Department Spokesman.

We’re aboard the Secretary’s plane on the long flight to India. Many on the flight are already asleep, taking the opportunity to get some shuteye before the busy schedule in the days to come. Following her visit to India, Secretary Clinton will travel to Thailand to lead the U.S. delegation to the Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Conference and the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference.

While in India, Secretary Clinton will meet with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and with External Affairs Minister Krishna. The Secretary and Minister Krishna will discuss the structure of an enhanced U.S.-India strategic partnership . We hope this partnership will enable us to advance solutions to the defining challenges of our time, and to enhance global prosperity and stability in the 21st century. This will be a major step forward in advancing the partnership between the largest and oldest democracies to date.

Secretary Clinton will also meet with a broad cross - section of Indian society in Mumbai and will remember the victims of the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks. She will then travel to New Delhi where she will have a full schedule of meetings with government officials, the leader of the opposition, entrepreneurs, scientists, and youth.

On Tuesday, July 21 Secretary Clinton will then travel to Thailand to meet with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Foreign Minsiter Kasit Piromyato to underscore the importance of our alliance and our bilateral relationship and to share perspectives on common interests in the region.

Along the way, you will be hearing from State Department employees who have worked on various aspects of the Secretary’s trip. You may also follow her travels via the Secretary’s interactive travel map on state.gov featuring her latest video, photos, and remarks. As you follow along, feel free to text the Secretary questions about her travel. We look forward to hearing from you and stay tuned to DipNote for more information.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_india_thailand/ 2009-07-17T01:28:47+00:00 President Obama Meets With Secretary Clinton Today, President Obama met with Secretary Clinton at the White House.

Today, President Barack Obama met with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Oval Office. Earlier today, at the Council on Foreign Relations, Secretary Clinton spoke about the Administration's approach to foreign policy priorities.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/obama_meets_with_clinton/ 2009-07-15T23:52:47+00:00 Fulbright-mtvU Fellows Promote “Power of Music” About the Authors: Heidi Manley and James Lawrence serve in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, announced on July 8 the four 2009 winners of the Fulbright–mtvU Fellowships, established in 2007 to promote “the power of music” as a global force for mutual understanding. We awarded fellowships to Andrew Magill of the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, Michael Silvers of the University of California—Los Angeles, Rod Solaimani of Georgetown University and Tina Wadhwa of Columbia University. These four outstanding students will conduct research abroad in Malawi, Brazil, Morocco, and India, respectively, for one academic year on projects of their own design, around an aspect of international musical culture.

Andrew will travel to Malawi to work with the UNC Malawi Project and AIDS organizations to video-record narratives of Malawian families and communities affected by HIV/AIDS. Andrew will collaborate with Peter Mawanga, a well-known musician and social activist, to develop a concept album whose sales will benefit AIDS social service networks.

Working with Vila Estúdio, a recording studio in Fortaleza, Ceará, Michael will study the relationship between the culture of forró, a kind of popular dance music, and the climate of northeastern Brazil.

Rod will travel to Morocco to study and participate in the Afro-Arab-Gnawa-Western musical exchange. A skilled percussionist, he will research the impact of U.S.-Moroccan musical partnerships in three cities, use his findings in local high school music curricula, and promote cross-cultural collaboration with a student concert.

Tina will travel to India to create a documentary exploring the impact and influence of Bollywood music on underprivileged youth in Mumbai. She will also develop the music and drama center of the Akanksha Foundation.

Andrew, Michael, Rod and Tina will share their experiences during their Fulbright year via video reports, blogs and podcasts that will be showcased on mtvU and mtvU.com, and on Fulbright.mtvU.com. This will help to project their research and findings to mtvU’s following of more than 9 million college students on 750 campuses. The Fulbright-mtvU Fellows will not only be able to engage with the communities they are living in, but also with Americans and the international community at-large.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, is the U.S. government’s flagship international exchange program and is supported by the people of the United States and partner countries around the world. Since 1946, it has provided more than 294,000 grants to participants from over 155 countries. The more than 1,500 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants offered annually provide an opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solution to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program and mtvU also announced the launch of our search for the next Fulbright-mtvU Fellows. Applications for the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships, and all other Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants, including traditional research grants and English Teaching Assistantships, will be accepted through October 19, 2009.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/fulbright-mtvu_fellows/ 2009-07-09T20:37:23+00:00 Nations Work in Partnership To Prevent Nuclear Terrorism About the Author: Graham Lampa is a Presidential Management Fellow currently on rotation with International Security and Nonproliferation, Office of WMD Terrorism.

In his Prague speech calling for renewed international action to rid the world of nuclear weapons, President Obama singled out nuclear terrorism as “the most immediate and extreme threat to global security.” To address the threat of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons, the President called for nations to come together to turn the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism into a “durable international institution.” At this year’s plenary meeting in The Hague, Netherlands held June 16-17, the partner nations of the Global Initiative came together to move toward that goal.

At the plenary meeting, the U.S. and Russian Co-Chairs announced new participants in the Global Initiative: INTERPOL as an observer organization and Belarus as the 76th partner nation.

The Global Initiative 2009 Plenary’s Dutch hosts introduced a new element that promises to improve the organization and build on its focus on capacity-building. After the first day of high-level diplomatic discussions in the large plenary room at the World Forum, subject matter experts from the partner nations rolled up their sleeves and joined together in working groups to share their experiences and develop best practices in the areas of equipment and technology, exercises, public-private partnerships, and Web-based collaboration.

The United States sent 27 delegates to the plenary meeting; in addition to representatives from the Department of State, experts from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Justice as well as other agencies also participated. Acting Assistant Secretary for International Security and Nonproliferation Dr. Eliot Kang led the U.S. team as head of delegation.

Once ideological rivals who threatened mutually assured destruction, the United States and Russia now work together as co-chairs of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism. Begun in 2006, the Global Initiative is a partnership that is building capacity in each of its partner nations to better equip national, regional, and local officials with the knowledge and expertise needed to prevent nuclear weapons and related technologies from falling into the hands of terrorists and to lock down sensitive nuclear materials inside their borders.

The Global Initiative is neither a treaty nor a traditional international organization. Rather, it is a global partnership based on a Statement of Principles endorsed by each partner nation and observer organization.

As the Global Initiative continues to develop into the “durable international institution” called for by President Obama, its co-chairs and partner nations will retain their focus on the mission that brought them all together: to prevent the possibility of an act of nuclear terrorism.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/nuclear_terrorism/ 2009-07-01T20:05:23+00:00 United We Serve: Answering the Call About the Author: L.J. Krizner serves as an Education Program Specialist at the U.S. Diplomacy Center.

Have you ever cracked 50 dozen eggs at once – and then scrambled them? The State Department Young Professionals have!

Motivated State Department employees from State’s Young Professionals Group (YPro) generously offer their time, energy and cooking skills to Miriam's Kitchen, one of the soup kitchens in the District of Columbia.

Each month, YPro volunteers rise extra early to arrive at Miriam’s by 6:00 a.m. in time to crack eggs, make biscuits, fill the coffee pots and cereal bowls, and serve up to 250 guests. A dedicated group, YPro volunteers also participate in other service opportunities with Miriam’s Kitchen. YPro members collect cereal, clothes and books when needed. This year, YPro also gathered a team to "Walk for the Homeless" and volunteered at Miriam's annual gala event. The State Department's YPro has been privileged to maintain a relationship with Miriam’s Kitchen for five years.

Miriam’s Kitchen is centered on a breakfast program that provides delicious food and meets the nutritional needs of homeless individuals, particularly those who are the lowest functioning among the homeless population. Food is donated from local groceries, farmers’ markets and individuals, and is prepared each morning by volunteers. By providing food and relief from the elements, Miriam’s is able to attract a large number of guests. Because Miriam’s staff also includes skilled social workers, case managers, and volunteers, Miriam’s is able to develop individual relationships with its guest, so longer-term needs can be addressed.

This summer, President Obama is calling on all of us to serve in our communities, and there are many ways to get involved. Serve.gov is your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/united_we_serve_soup_kitchen/ 2009-06-25T21:54:23+00:00 International Students Learn About Marine Conservation About the Author: Erin Hatch serves in the State Department's Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science.

On Wednesday, June 17, the State Department’s Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science (OES) met with twenty undergraduate students from Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji, and Papua New Guinea who were competitively selected to participate in a “Study of the United States Institute on the Environment” (USIE) program, coordinated by the East-West Center and funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program provides a platform for international undergraduate students to meet with leading scientists, community leaders, business owners, state and federal government agencies, and NGO groups in the United States to discuss key environmental challenges with a focus on viable solutions. At the end of the program, each student is required to investigate a research question pertinent to environmental challenges facing his or her country of origin. During the six-week program, participants visited the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Oahu, the San Francisco and Monterey Bay area, and the District of Columbia.

Christine Dawson of OES's Biodiversity Team and Todd Capson in OES's Office of Marine Conservation provided an overview of the bureaus’ programs on biodiversity conservation for flora and fauna as well as sustainable fisheries management in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. NGO representatives from The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund spoke about recent successes with the Coral Triangle Initiative, a regional marine conservation program which aptly demonstrates multilateral partnering in achieving sustainable marine conservation and development.

An education and research organization, the East-West Center was established by the U.S. Congress in 1960 to strengthen relations and understanding among the peoples and nations of Asia, the Pacific, and the United States. The Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs sponsors worldwide programs of international exchange, including the Study of the United States Institute on the Environment, to increase mutual understanding and empower the next generation of leaders with transformative experiences. OES looks forward to continuing its relationship with the East-West Center and was thrilled to host the promising scholars from ECA’s and East-West Center’s 2009 summer programming.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/marine_conservation/ 2009-06-23T18:55:23+00:00 A Note From the Spokesman Status Update: June 19, 2009

About the Author: Ian Kelly serves as the State Department Spokesman.

Thank you all for your get-well wishes to Secretary Clinton. The Secretary is currently working from home and resting comfortably. Please see the statement below from Cheryl D. Mills, the State Department’s Counselor and Chief of Staff that we released last night. As the statement notes, the Secretary will have surgery in the coming days. Again, we thank you for your concern, and we’ll keep you updated.

Statement of Cheryl D. Mills, Counselor and Chief of Staff, State Department

On the way to the White House late this afternoon, Secretary Clinton fell and suffered a right elbow fracture. She was treated at The George Washington University Hospital before heading home. She will undergo surgery to repair her elbow in the upcoming week. Secretary Clinton appreciates the professionalism and kindness she received from the medical team who treated her this evening and looks forward to resuming her full schedule soon.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/note_from_spokesman/ 2009-06-18T21:17:20+00:00 A Tribute to the Strength and Resourcefulness of the World’s Refugees About the Author: Todd Pierce serves as Public Affairs Advisor in the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

The Secretary of State was unable to make it due to injury, and CNN anchorman Anderson Cooper was stymied when the bad weather cancelled his flight. But this year’s World Refugee Day event was a hit nonetheless, with moving speeches by Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie and by three refugees who resettled in the United States.

Today's event, one of several worldwide sponsored by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), commemorates the resilience of displaced people around the world and raises awareness of their needs. Drawing on the theme “Real People – Real Needs,” this year’s 90-minute ceremony focused the audience’s attention on the human stories behind the sometimes numbing figures we hear about in the stories of displaced people. Ann Curry, host of the popular American morning news show “Today,” served as MC.

Representing the U.S. government, Acting Assistant Secretary Sam Witten thanked UNHCR and other organizations that help refugees, and said supporting them is “in the best part of the U.S. tradition.” UN High Commissioner Antonio Gutteres remembered the two UNHCR staff who died in the line of duty in Pakistan this year, victims of terrorist attacks on humanitarian workers, and thanked the U.S. for its support of UNHCR.

The tech triumph of the event was a live satellite link with the students at the “Obama School” at a refugee camp for Darfuris in eastern Chad. The Washington audience and the students waved at each other, and the young spokesman for the students told us they wished that the school had more teachers. Most of all, he said, he and his classmates wanted to go home.

Angelina Jolie, who has done almost 40 field visits for UNHCR since becoming a Goodwill Ambassador, singled out the resilience of the refugees she had met. She told moving stories of hospitality she received from refugees who were destitute. Later in the day the foundation she created with her partner, actor Brad Pitt, announced a gift of $1 million to UNHCR to help newly displaced people in Pakistan.

Perhaps the most moving moments of the day came from former refugees themselves. The Baral family spoke about being forced out of Bhutan and living in refugee camps in neighboring Nepal. They qualified for resettlement in the United States and moved to Phoenix. They expressed their gratitude to the U.S. government, to UNHCR and all the other groups that have helped them in all phases of their journey. They were realistic about how difficult it can be for refugees who come to the U.S., between culture shock and the recession, but optimistic that life would be better in the United States. Rose Mapendo, a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo, gave a harrowing account of her time in a Congolese prison . As the mother of 10 children, she was forced to deliver twins by herself, in her cell, with no doctor present. She thanked those who had helped her escape and qualify for resettlement in the U.S. Since her arrival she has founded a non-profit group to draw attention to the plight of refugees and to help recently arrived refugees adapt to life in the United States.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/tribute_to_worlds_refugees/ 2009-06-18T20:30:20+00:00 Democracy Video Challenge Winners Announced The U.S. Department of State and its partners announced the results of the Democracy Video Challenge, a worldwide online competition.

The Democracy Video Challenge asked young video makers to complete the phrase, “Democracy is…” through three-minute videos posted on the competition’s YouTube site. More than 900 people from 95 countries answered the challenge. An independent jury co-chaired by Hernando de Soto (President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy) and Michael Apted (President of the Directors Guild of America) selected the 18 finalists, and the online voting public chose the six winners, one from each region of the world.

The winners are:

· Chansa Tembo from Zambia (Sub-Saharan Africa)
· Aissa Peñafiel from the Philippines (East Asia and Pacific)
· Lukasz Szozda from Poland (Europe)
· Rodin Hamidi from the United Arab Emirates (Near East and North Africa)
· Tsering Choden from Nepal (South and Central Asia)
· Anna Christa dos Santos from Brazil (Western Hemisphere)

The winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York, Washington, and Los Angeles in September, where they will meet with democracy groups, film and television companies, the media, and government organizations. Screenings of their films are planned in all three cities.

The Challenge Partners include: the Center for International Private Enterprise, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the International Youth Foundation, TakingITGlobal, the Directors Guild of America, Motion Picture Association of America, NBC Universal, New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and the U.S. Department of State. YouTube is providing the video platform, and William Morris Endeavor Entertainment is providing part of the prize package.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/democracy_video_challenge_votes/ 2009-06-17T14:51:20+00:00 Website Challenge Opens Doors to Diplomacy About the Author: Janice Clark serves as Deputy Director of Electronic Information in the Bureau of Public Affairs.

What if you could entice high school students to form teams, learn about a foreign policy topic, engage their classmates and community, and then build a website to show what they learned?  What if you then made the websites available for all the world to see, teaching millions of others around the globe about these issues?  What if you could sweeten the pot with special certificates of achievement and scholarship prizes? 

We’ve done it — it’s called Doors to Diplomacy. “Doors” is an online challenge that the Bureau of Public Affairs developed in partnership with Global SchoolNet.  Since the contest’s inception in 2003, thousands of Doors to Diplomacy websites have been built by teams of exceptional students who find foreign policy topics interesting and view the challenge as a medium through which to speak out and change the world.

I’ve been involved in the contest since the beginning. Each year, I’m amazed by the efforts these kids expend. Many participants are already among the high achievers — involved in challenging coursework, on extracurricular teams and clubs, working in their communities. But they find the time to do this, too.

While the original goal of the contest was to gin up interest in foreign policy among tomorrow’s leaders, it also provides a forum for showcasing student talents.  One year, after the winners were chosen and scholarship money was awarded, we learned that one student, an incredibly talented high school senior of modest means, assumed he would immediately go to work after graduation.  The scholarship prize was just the ticket to set him on course toward an advanced degree.  He was able to pursue a profession he loved and for which he had natural ability.

Another year, one team had no internet access. Determined to see the project through to completion, the students used outdated computers to write and craft their pages, while their teacher walked to an internet café to send their materials to a U.S. team with whom they collaborated so their hard work could be posted to the Web.  Similar hardships challenge many teams, but they don’t let outdated hardware and limited internet access get in their way

Teams often start with modest goals, but then grow excited about the topic. Several teams have used “Doors” as a launchpad for raising money to fight hunger, homelessness, environmental degradation, and the like. While others are sleeping late and vacationing, “Doors” students use precious school breaks to build schools, plant trees, and raise international awareness.

Today, the 2009 Doors to Diplomacy contest winners were announced.  Take a few minutes to see what today’s youth are doing in their spare time. I think you’ll be impressed.

]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/doors_to_diplomacy/ 2009-06-04T22:06:20+00:00 Model United Nations Session Examines Children’s Rights About the Author: Mark Schlachter serves as Public Diplomacy Chief for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of serving as the Secretary-General of the fifth-grade Model United Nations of Cold Spring Elementary from Potomac, Maryland. Tuesday’s special session of the Model Security Council was based on the most recent meeting of the actual United Nations Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), in which they discussed the Secretary-General’s reports on CAAC.

The students had been studying the United Nations and issues surrounding children’s rights, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Their overall objective was to understand the many issues facing children around the world and how the UN works to protect their rights.

The roughly 50 students broke into groups representing each of the 15 Security Council members and developed speeches to deliver during our mock Security Council special session. There were many impassioned pleas for children’s rights. Speaking second, the esteemed Permanent Representative of the Model Delegation from Austria set the tone for the discussion, demanding, “We must keep children safe by building walls against these dangers.”

The Model Japanese delegation raised the issue of using children to clear minefields, while the American delegation discussed child access to health care. The Ugandan delegation recognized the continuing problem of the recruitment of child soldiers in their own country, and requested assistance in curbing it. Speaking last, the Model Ambassador from Turkey, who served as the rotating president of the Council, reminded everyone that we came here “to talk about the next generation—our children,” and implored all parties to do everything possible to curb the injustices perpetrated against our most vulnerable population in areas of conflict.

It was an educating experience for everyone involved, including those of us who have worked with the real Security Council. Prior to the session, the din of discussions and negotiation of text sounded all too familiar, if, perhaps, a little higher pitched.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/model_un_childrens_rights/ 2009-06-03T16:21:20+00:00 ExchangesConnect Reaches 10,000 Members About the Author: Michele Peters serves as the Special Assistant in the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ groundbreaking ExchangesConnect global social network promotes mutual understanding among youth and adults of all ages by highlighting cultures, customs, and values through user-generated content and multimedia tools (forums, photos, video, podcasting, etc). We welcomed our 10,000th member this month, and this thriving community continues to grow!

Members from more than 180 countries are initiating and engaging in educational, entertaining, and thought-provoking conversations. Members share their personal experiences, views and cultures, sometimes centered on particular themes. They counter stereotypes and open minds.

And, where else can you gain a firsthand account of a young woman’s experience voting for the first time in local elections in Iraq, converse with a young Palestinian living in Gaza, or learn about all the great Global Youth Service Day projects classrooms in which Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan are engaged?

As an open, inclusive social networking site, Connect.state.gov gives people around the world a voice and a connection to the world around them. Rather than my singing the praises of this global online community, read what some of the members have to say:

“I would like to say hi and thank to ExchangesConnect that enables everyone from around the globe to have a space to exchange their culture, traditions and so forth. It is also fascinated to have a say with everyone from different cultures so that we can avoid culture misunderstanding. Hope all enjoy as I do.”

“ExchangesConnect is a great place to share your experiences that I had in U.S.A. being an exchange student. It's safe as it is administered by U.S. Department of State. It is also beneficial for students that are not on exchange programs but they can read the experiences of the exchange members and learn from it. I would say I am having a wonderful time so far with ExchangesConnect and I will keep in touch with it.”

“I am a middle school teacher in a small rural town in Oregon, U.S.A. ...We are in the beginning stages of exploring other cultures. I am interested in schools/individual students both in North America and throughout the world!”

“I thought I'd join this forum since my 17 y/o son has applied to NSLI-Y. I hope I might learn something more about the program from other parents and learners who have experienced the program.”

“My two top reasons for participating in ExchangesConnect are: (1) to share and to get information with others and from others about my own country that how I can reconstruct it. (2) To practice the English language and to interact with new people and create a sound friendship with them.”

“I am international student from Egypt. I have been in the United States of America for seven months. I am interested in exchange culture because I think that it is very important to know about the others and let the other to know about you. I have had a great time in the U.S.A. I like communicate with the other nationalities. I have loved the American culture. People attitudes, respect each other, the education system, and a lot of other points. I am so glad for Obama. My favorite times when I watch his speech. He is very nice and smart president.”

“I really want to have this experience ... and to feel what it's like to be an American teen-age .... I really want to learn about the new world culture ... and teach them mine, because just in this way we can make peace, by creating some kind of understanding.”

At this writing, 10,287 ExchangesConnect members from over 180 countries are sharing 5,168 photos, 378 blogs, 329 discussion forums, and learning more about the people from around the world.

ExchangesConnect is also on Twitter, which was launched January 15th with bloggers from around the world covering the U.S. Presidential Inauguration. We now have over 500 followers and counting. Twitter extends the ExchangesConnect mission by connecting with exchange participants and contributing to the general online conversation about international exchange.

Join ExchangesConnect and become part of a growing global community of people interested in cross-cultural dialogue and international exchange. Also, check out the “Mascot Challenge”...just announced!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/exchangesconnect_members/ 2009-05-22T23:43:42+00:00 Democracy Video Challenge: Cast Your Vote Now We asked people around the world to create short videos completing the phrase, "Democracy is..." Over 900 contestants from 95 countries answered the call! Now it's your turn to choose the winners.

The Department of State and its partners announced the eighteen finalists for the Democracy Video Challenge, an online video competition that asked participants to complete the phrase, “Democracy is...” Also today, public voting to select the six winners opened (www.youtube.com/democracychallenge) and will continue until midnight June 15th (EST).

The finalists, chosen from among a pool of more than 900 entries from 95 countries, represent Brazil (2), Cote d’Ivoire, Germany, India, Iran (2), Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, the United States, Uzbekistan, and Zambia. These videos provide an array of voices and visions about democracy from around the world. The finalists were selected by an independent jury, co-chaired by Michael Apted (President of the Directors Guild of America) and Hernando de Soto (President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy).

Six winners - one each from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia and East Asia/Pacific - will be announced mid-June 2009. The winners will receive an all-expense-paid trip in September to Washington, New York and Hollywood. The prize package includes time on television/film sets, meetings with film professionals, democracy advocates, the media, government officials, and special screenings of their videos.

The Democracy Video Challenge was launched online and at the United Nations on International Democracy Day (September 15, 2008). It was created through a unique partnership consisting of democracy and youth organizations, the film and entertainment industry, academia and the U.S. Government. Partners include the Center for International Private Enterprise, Directors Guild of America, International Republican Institute, International Youth Foundation, Motion Picture Association of America, NBC Universal, National Democratic Institute, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, TakingITGlobal, the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, and the U.S. Department of State. YouTube is providing the video platform, and the William Morris Agency is contributing part of the prize package.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/democracy_video_challenge/ 2009-05-16T14:12:42+00:00 Secretary Clinton Encourages University Graduates Not To Sit on the Sidelines About the Author: Nora Toiv serves in the Office of the Secretary of State.

Today, New York University (NYU) graduates filled the seats of Yankee fans and NYU’s faculty, trustees, and honored guests occupied the spots of Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, and Mark Teixeira.

As a Yankee fan and an NYU grad, I was ecstatic to sit in the dugout and listen to an inspiring, global call to action delivered by Secretary Clinton, NYU's commencement speaker this year.

Two years ago, I graduated from New York University in Washington Square Park. When I left NYU, I headed to Washington to work for then-Senator Clinton, and I was delighted to return to NYU with the country's newest Secretary of State.

The Secretary’s speech reminded me of why I’m working in public service and how important young people are to forming global policy. She encouraged the crowd to pursue global service and to use technology to become more involved in global politics. NYU’s dedication to study abroad programs and to attracting students from around the world made the NYU commencement ceremony the perfect venue for the Secretary’s pitch.

"We can sit on the sidelines,” she said. “We can wring our hands; we can retreat into cynicism, and we know what the results will be. We will cede the field to those whose ideologies are absolutely anathema to people of conscience and faith all over the world."

She also made the excellent point that the State Department is hiring, and I hope she inspired some of my fellow NYU grads to apply. For the members of the Class of 2009 who already have jobs, I hope they will consider becoming "citizen diplomats” and “citizen activists." The Secretary’s new Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS) internships sounded especially accessible and interesting for any young person considering the Foreign Service.

Next year NYU will hold commencement back in Washington Square Park and our Yankee Stadium days will be over. I’m grateful to have returned to NYU with the person who inspires me most, passing on her wisdom and congratulations to the class of 2009.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/university_graduates/ 2009-05-14T00:04:42+00:00 Secretary Clinton Launches Virtual Student Foreign Service Initiative Secretary Clinton launched a new initiative today to allow for a rising generation of citizen diplomats to conduct digital diplomacy.

The Virtual Student Foreign Service (VSFS), announced by Secretary Clinton at the 2009 New York University commencement speech, are part of a growing effort by the State Department to harness technology and a commitment to global service among young people to facilitate new forms of diplomatic engagement. The VSFS Internships will be developed over the next year and will seek to harness the energy of a rising generation of citizen diplomats.

Working from college and university campuses in the United States, American students will partner with our embassies abroad to conduct digital diplomacy that reflects the realities of our networked world. By combining the talents of young people across America and the right technology, we can forge the solutions that our century demands.

Sign up to receive more information and updates on Virtual Student Foreign Service Internships.

Join the Virtual Student Foreign Service Facebook community.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/virtual_student_foreign_service/ 2009-05-13T18:23:42+00:00 U.S. Department of State Becomes “Global Classroom” for Model UN Students About the Author: Mark Schlachter serves as Public Diplomacy Chief for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

The State Department’s Dean Acheson auditorium rarely hosts a more excited and dynamic audience than assembled there on May 11 for the 2009 Global Classrooms Model United Nations conference. The 650 middle and high school students from around the DC area buzzed with interest and curiosity as they prepared for a day of debate, negotiation, and consensus-building. Before they began, however, they received a very personal endorsement from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The Secretary recalled the participation of her daughter in just such an event and polled the students on international issues of greatest concern to them. Energized by the Secretary’s remarks, the students spent the rest of the day working on such thorny matters as climate change, nuclear terrorism, and migration. By the end of the day, the students were exhausted, the auditorium was empty, and the 2009 Model UN program was a smashing success.

This Model UN program is sponsored and coordinated by the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area as part of the Global Classrooms project. The U.S. Department of State hosted the daylong event.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/model_un_students/ 2009-05-12T15:42:42+00:00 My First Day at the Podium About the Author: Ian Kelly serves as the State Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of Public Affairs.

Today I stood at the podium of the State Department’s Carl T. Rowan Press Briefing Room for my first time as the Department Spokesman. After 24 years as a public diplomacy professional, I find it most exciting to be in a position in which I can help shape the message and communicate what the United States is seeking to achieve through diplomacy.

It is critical to help Americans understand the importance of diplomacy and foreign affairs. The State Department’s daily press briefings are an important part of that process. I look forward to working with the journalists who attend our daily press briefings and report on the State Department. Journalists have a very important job, and I will remain committed to the work they do.

As I stood at the podium today, I was immediately humbled by the task before me. It is a great honor to represent Secretary Clinton and my State Department colleagues and to communicate U.S. foreign policy to America and the world.

My second thought was that this job is tough, perhaps more so than I had realized. Robert Wood and Gordon Duguid who have served as Acting Spokesman and Acting Deputy Spokesman have made it look easy during this period of transition. I thank them for their work and will continue to rely upon their counsel.

My job, of course, is much easier when the Secretary has authorized me to speak on her behalf. I am grateful for the confidence Secretary Clinton has shown in me and was very appreciative that she took the time out of her schedule today to introduce me. I was particularly glad that Secretary Clinton mentioned in her introduction that I am a “long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan.” If nothing else, my years following the Cubs have taught me patience.

The Cubs won yesterday. I made it through my first press briefing. Not bad for the first week, so far.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/first_day/ 2009-05-11T22:56:42+00:00 Secretary Clinton’s First 100 Days Today marks Secretary Clinton’s 100th day serving as Secretary of State.

The DipNote team selected some of our favorite photos to highlight the last one hundred days. We hope you enjoy them.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/first_100_days/ 2009-05-01T23:03:23+00:00 DipNote Passes 5,000,000 Page Views About the Author: Luke Forgerson serves as DipNote's Managing Editor.

I'm proud to announce that today DipNote surpassed five million page views. When I shared the news with my colleagues, their faces brightened, and some even did a celebratory dance.

It feels appropriate to reach this milestone as we also mark the first one hundred days of the Obama Administration. During Secretary Clinton's first town hall meeting with State Department employees, she said, "There is no doubt in my mind that we have barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world, and in fact, to use them [new technologies] as tools...to further our own work and be smart about it."

Those words were particularly encouraging to me and my colleagues. The Secretary certainly meant what she said! Soon after taking office, Secretary Clinton posted a blog of her own. She has solicited questions from people around the world through "Text the Secretary." She has hosted webchats and webcast town halls and has focused on new media to amplify the Department's efforts around the globe.

State Department colleagues often informally share their thoughts with me about new media efforts, DipNote in particular. I prefer, of course, to hear when colleagues like something they see or read on the blog, but I also value their constructive comments. Their feedback demonstrates to me that State Department colleagues are taking a vested interest in DipNote. The blog enables more State Department employees to engage the five million viewers, like you, who rely on DipNote for updates on critical issues, such as climate change and food security, and share with you the work they are doing in countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.

Though DipNote's success rests much upon the contributions of State Department employees, it also relies heavily upon you, our readers. On behalf of everyone at DipNote – Caroline Adler, Jeff Jackson, Tamika Johnson, Eric Jones, and Daniel Schaub, a group whose creativity and vision are at the heart of the blog – thank you for helping us reach this point. Thank you for reading, and thank you for providing your informed and heartfelt comments. We're excited that DipNote reached this milestone, and look forward to millions more!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/dipnote_five_million/ 2009-04-30T00:36:42+00:00 Sojourner Truth’s Example, Legacy Echo Through History Secretary Clinton participated today in the unveiling of the Sojourner Truth bust at the U.S. Capitol. Secretary Clinton said:

"What a wonderful day it is to be here in Emancipation Hall for this great occasion when Sojourner Truth takes her rightful place alongside the heroes who have helped to shape our nation’s history.

This is an achievement that did not come easily or quickly. It took years of hard work and faith by many people to make this day possible. And what a great honor and pleasure it is to have with us for this extraordinary moment in our nation’s history our First Lady, Michelle Obama.

I want to thank the Speaker for her leadership and also Congressman Boehner and Leader Reid and Senator McConnell, because this was a bipartisan effort. But I especially want to thank my partner in this project from the very beginning when we first co-sponsored the legislation for this extraordinary memorial years ago, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee.

This dream began with C. DeLores Tucker. All of us who knew and admired and loved C. DeLores remember that when she had her mind made up, you could not change it. She saw this through almost to the very end, and I know she is smiling down on us today in celebration and pride. And it is such a great delight to have with us her husband, William “Bill” Tucker. Mr. Tucker, thank you.

All the members of the National Congress of Black Women deserve our thanks, because you raised the money for this memorial. You raised it one dollar and five dollars at a time. It was a true grassroots effort. And you have every reason to be so proud of what you have achieved here.

I also want to take a moment of personal privilege and recognize another one of my heroines, Dr. Dorothy Height, who is here with us. You know, leaders like Dr. Height and E. Faye Williams and Michelle Battle and so many others stand in the footsteps of Sojourner’s legacy. It is all around us today. You heard the bishop. We’re here because of barriers she challenged and fought to tear down and paths she helped to forge and trod alone. So we honor her memory and we pay tribute to her life’s work, and we recommit ourselves to fighting to end injustice and inequality wherever it remains.

One hundred and fifty-eight years ago, hundreds of women and men from across the country gathered in a church in Akron, Ohio to declare a simple but revolutionary idea, that the rights afforded to men, particularly the right to vote, belonged to women too.

Now, in a few minutes, we’re going to hear from one of our great actresses, Cicely Tyson, who will recount those words. But inside that crowded church when this former slave stood to speak, at first, people were not paying attention. Some were kind of rude, if you read the history. But she knew firsthand the cruelties of slavery and oppression and the burden of gender inequality, and she drew vital connections between the two.

On that day in Ohio, she told the crowd of suffragettes that if they cared about women’s rights, they had to fight for the rights of current and former slaves, and that slaves deserved their support, just as the larger society should support the rights of women that they were campaigning for.

She lived for nearly 90 years. She never stopped fighting to extend the rights and protections of our democracy. She preached against capital punishment and advocated for prison reform. She recruited African American troops for the Union Army. She helped to desegregate the streetcars that ran through Washington, and she worked diligently to improve living conditions for freed men and women.

She did not know how to read or write. Her life was from the most humble and improbable circumstances. But she ended up counting President Lincoln and President Grant among her acquaintances. She never, never, despite what she went through, stopped believing in the promise of liberty. She lived long enough to see the end of slavery, but not the establishment of voting rights for women. The 19th Amendment would not be passed until 37 years after her death. But today, she takes her place in this Capitol, and we are the better for it.

Was any person ever better named? Think about it. She is a sojourner of truth, by truth, and for truth. And her words, her example, and her legacy will never perish from this earth, so long as men and women stand up and say loudly and clearly: We hear you echoing down through the years of history, we believe that your journey is not yet over, and we will make the rest of that journey with you. God bless the memory of Sojourner Truth."]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/sojourner_truth_legacy/ 2009-04-28T22:07:42+00:00 Mentoring Partnership Prepares Next Generation of Women Leaders Yesterday Secretary Clinton hosted emerging women leaders participating in an innovative mentoring partnership.

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has joined Fortune's Most Powerful Women and Vital Voices Global Partnership to launch the fourth Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership, April 27-May 22. This innovative program connects America's top women executives with emerging women leaders from around the world. Emerging women leaders from Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Lebanon, Macedonia, Namibia, Nigeria, Russia, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda and Vietnam will be mentored by participants of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit.

Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Leaders share their time, talent and expertise in business with the next generation of international women leaders. This year’s mentors include Ann S. Moore, Chairman and CEO, Time Inc.; Andrea Jung, Chairman and CEO of Avon Products; Molly Ashby, CEO of Solera Capital; Kathleen Vaughan, Executive Vice President, Wholesale Lending at Wells Fargo; Linda L. Addison, Partner-in-Charge, New York at Fulbright & Jaworski LLP; Kathleen Murphy, President, Personal Investing, at Fidelity; Meredith Whitney of Meredith Whitney Advisory Group; Jean Case, CEO of the Case Foundation; Mary Wittenberg, President and CEO of New York Roadrunners; and Barbara Goodstein, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Innovation Officer, AXA Equitable. Women in senior leadership positions at Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart, KPMG, Accenture, Ernst & Young, DuPont, Goldman Sachs, and Skadden Arps are mentoring as well.

Read more about the Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/mentoring_partnership/ 2009-04-28T20:03:42+00:00 Watch Secretary Clinton Discuss Careers Representing America Visit careers.state.gov to watch Secretary Clinton discuss careers representing America.

Secretary Clinton announced today on careers.state.gov that Congress recently approved funding for the State Department that will allow us to hire over 1,000 new employees during the next few years. So now, we’re stepping up our recruitment efforts. We’re looking for smart people from diverse backgrounds who can help us perform our key mission here at the State Department—to strengthen our relationships with other nations and work toward peace and prosperity for all people, by using what we call “smart power,” the full range of diplomatic tools at our disposal.

Whether you are interested in serving as a diplomat or an engineer, a consular official overseas or a resource manager at home, you can be part of a team of dedicated employees whose diverse backgrounds, ideas, and experiences will help renew America’s global leadership and put us and our world on a path to peace and prosperity.

Our nation is facing many global challenges. To meet those challenges, the State Department must reflect the full strength of America’s talent. We will need dedicated, energetic, and skilled people to help us succeed. Explore careers.state.gov to learn more about opportunities in public service at the U.S. Department of State.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/careers_representing_america/ 2009-04-23T20:07:58+00:00 Cutting-Edge Green Diplomacy in Geneva About the Author: Belinda Yong serves as an intern at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

When I arrived in February for the first day of my internship at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, I was immediately struck by the fiery-indigo solar panels that encrust the otherwise gray building. Officers and employees at the Mission proudly told me about the building-integrated PhotoVoltaic (PV) solar cells that make the U.S. Mission–Geneva “green.” They explained that the Mission is a member of the League of Green Embassies, a cooperative of American embassies and consulates committed to reducing their carbon footprint. Beyond energy-efficient light fixtures, recycling plastic and glass, and decreasing waste, we have also installed the solar panels and a low-emission, high-efficiency heating boiler in recent years.

For Earth Day 2009, the Mission will bring on-line its Magnetic Levitation (MagLev™) Chiller, the first sustainable compressor design in the air-conditioning industry.  The design for this cutting edge system is based on magnetic levitation, the same principle that powers the innovative high-speed trains in Japan and other countries.  But the technological basis for the chiller is even more advanced—it runs on one of the world’s first virtually friction-free compressors.  The MagLev Chiller’s shaft and compressor turbine spins suspended and centered in an electromagnetic field. Hence, there is no friction, no wear on surfaces, and no oil contamination of the unit’s heat exchange surfaces. A conventional chiller compressor uses bearings that encapsulate the impeller shaft, which needs grease and oil to reduce the friction—this produces waste and unnecessary heat and is overall less efficient. The MagLev Chiller’s oil-free design eliminates oil maintenance, its costs, and environmental damage caused by oil use and disposal.

The MagLev Chiller, the solar panels, and other initiatives are in sync with President Obama’s agenda of reducing carbon emissions and to take full advantage of science and technology to do so. It is also very much in sync with its surroundings, the environmentally conscious host city of Geneva. In fact, the local energy company, Services Industriels de Genève (SIG), rewards the Mission for its green initiatives. For every centime of power produced by the PV panels, SIG pays the Mission a subsidy of 5½ centimes. The system reduces the frequency that SIG has to put its network on peak-load capacity—and that’s good for SIG, Switzerland, and the environment.

Today, on Earth Day, I’m proud of my post for being, arguably, the greenest diplomatic facility overseas of any country in the world and for leading the way toward making the Department of State and our embassies abroad more energy efficient and environmentally responsible.

]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/green_diplomacy_geneva/ 2009-04-22T16:58:58+00:00 Every Day Is Earth Day About the Author: Billie Gross serves as a Public Affairs Specialist in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science at the U.S. Department of State.

On April 22, people all over the world will celebrate Earth Day 2009 through various programs, activities and events. However, for the nearly 200 employees in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science (OES), every day is Earth Day as we work diligently to promote diplomacy through advancing environmental stewardship, encouraging economic growth, and promoting social development around the globe to foster a safer, more secure and hopeful world.
 
These lofty goals are carried out through programs and activities concerning infectious diseases, biodiversity, natural resource conservation, climate change, access to water, ocean and polar affairs, and science and technology cooperation.

The OES bureau leads U.S. participation in the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT), which focuses public and political attention and resources on ending the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products. The U.S. works with its CAWT partners to improve wildlife law enforcement by expanding enforcement training and information sharing and strengthening regional cooperative networks. It also focuses its efforts on reducing consumer demand for illegally traded wildlife by raising awareness of the impacts of illegal wildlife trade on biodiversity and the environment, livelihoods and human health; its links to organized crime; and the availability of sustainable alternatives. In addition, CAWT works to catalyze high-level political will to fight wildlife trafficking by broadening support at the highest political levels for actions to combat the illegal trade in wildlife.

The OES bureau also leads the Department of State’s active participation in international negotiations and initiatives related to sustainable tourism in order to maximize tourism’s social and economic benefits to local communities, while reducing negative impacts on the local cultural heritage and environment. For example, through the Congo Basin Forest Partnership, the U.S. supports ecotourism development in several regional parks in Africa. These efforts have resulted in transboundary cooperation and tourism revenue-sharing among parks in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda, home to the endangered mountain gorilla.

The U.S.‘s Initiative Against Illegal Logging is aimed at protecting forests and the livelihoods that depend on them. Illegal logging costs countries $10-15 billion each year in lost revenues. Illegal logging and the trade in illegally harvested forest products destroy valuable forest ecosystems and the wildlife that depend on them, undermine legitimate commerce, fuel conflict, and have serious economic and environmental consequences. The initiative aims to address the problem by working with producer and consumer partners to build capacity in developing countries to clarify and enforce forest-related laws, and to establish good governance at all levels. The partnership facilitates the engagement of forest-dependent communities in sustainably managing forests and promotes the use of technologies such as remote sensing to monitor changes in forest conditions and compliance with forest-related laws. In addition, the partnership promotes good business practices, transparent markets and legal trade.

Through its participation in and promotion of these activities and initiatives, the OES bureau demonstrates its commitment to policies that make concrete improvements in people’s lives and the individual desire of each employee to leave this world a better place than they found it, thus making every day Earth Day at the Department of State.

]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/earth_day/ 2009-04-22T04:22:58+00:00 International Organizations: The Collective Power of Multilateral Affairs Dr. Esther Brimmer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.

I’m delighted to return to the Department of State and to join the team working to advance American interests through the United Nations system, the Bureau of International Organization Affairs. This is my first week on the job, and I’ve been quite busy getting acquainted or reacquainted with the men and women of the Department. I’m looking forward to my new role helping this administration restore the position of the United States in world affairs and address the transnational challenges currently facing the world today. I’ve been interested in the UN since I was a student. In college, I led a delegation to the Model United Nations of the Far West. I learned much about the collective power of mutual respect, vision, humility and most of all, hard work, in multilateral affairs. Then, and now, these are the values I hope to bring to the bureau and the Department as I work in the administration over the next four years, toward addressing the world’s major challenges through the United Nations system. Thank you.

Read Assistant Secretary Brimmer's next entry.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/collective_power_multilateral_affairs/ 2009-04-13T20:56:54+00:00 World Water Forum Calls Participants to Action About the Author: Daniel Wilusz serves in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science Office of International Health and Biodefense.

The biggest-ever Fifth World Water Forum concluded on Sunday, and we the participants are scattering back to our four corners of the earth. The dust in Istanbul is still settling, but the message from Turkey at the closing ceremony was clear. "The forum was a success," declared a high-level government official.

In many respects, he’s right. Hosting an international conference for over twenty-five thousand people with a hundred plus heads of state and ministers is a challenge anywhere, but the “City on Seven Hills” made it look easy as Turkish pie. Most impressive to me was the friendly staff at every twist and turn of the forum – and even at the airport – always ready and eager to help.

The U.S. delegation talked to hundreds of people at our booths, convened a discussion about water with U.S.-based non-profits, offered new ideas at a ministerial conference on water and climate change, chaired a similar conference on water and finance, and on and on. In short we found every opportunity to share our experience and strengthen our partnerships.

Still I can’t help but reflect on a question asked in response to my previous DipNote entry about the World Water Forum, “…What has it all accomplished?" What will all of this dialogue and planning achieve for the billions of people without clean water or sanitation?

As the Acting Administrator of USAID Alonzo Fulgham suggested in his remarks at the closing ceremony, the impetus is now on us, the participants, to make sure it accomplishes a lot. To translate all of our talk to more action on the ground. The real success of the forum depends on it.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/water_forum_action/ 2009-03-23T20:08:40+00:00 Global Video Contest Winners Inspire Cross-Cultural Understanding About the Author: Michele L. Peters serves as the Special Assistant in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Video Text

What do a 14-year-old freshman in Columbus, Nebraska; a 23-year-old software engineer in Bangalore, India; a 16-year-old senior in Recife, Brazil; and a 22-year-old Fulbright scholarship recipient from Wheaton, Illinois have in common? They share a strong desire to create bridges across cultures and their unique action and vision has earned each a video contest Grand Prize: -a two-week international exchange program and a featured role as a citizen diplomat.

On March 16, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) announced the four winners of its online video contest, “My Culture + Your Culture=?” ECA launched the initiative on December 1, 2008, to encourage cross-cultural community building and mutual understanding, which is our core mission, via the Web and to attract new members to our social networking site, ExchangesConnect, launched in October 2008. ExchangesConnect has drawn more than 8,600 members from 170 countries and the community continues to grow.

The 8-week contest invited members of the general public worldwide to join the ExchangesConnect online community and to submit a 3-minute video addressing the contest theme. We received more than 170 video entries. The community’s top 40-rated videos, representing 15 countries, proceeded to a panel of expert judges — all distinguished alumni of ECA exchange programs — who ranked the videos. Based on the judges’ ratings, ECA selected two foreign and two American Grand Prize winners in two age categories: (1) 14-17 years, and (2) 18 years and over.

The judges panel included musician, performer, and author Toni Blackman; actress and Founder of the Cancer Schmancer Movement Fran Drescher; graphic artist Milton Glaser; President of the Egyptian Cultural Civic Education Organization Raafat Khalid; and Founder and former Co-Chairman of New Line Cinema and Principal Unique Features Bob Shaye.

The contest winners are: Jose Vinícius Reis Gouveia of Recife, Brazil, age 16, for “Human Colours”; Bijoy Thangaraj of Bangalore, India, age 23, for “My Culture + Your Culture = World of Wonder”; Grant Jirka of Columbus, Nebraska, age 14, for “Winning Team”; and Tim Peters of Wheaton, Illinois, age 22, for “A Friend in Nanjing”. The winners reflect the diversity and talent of those who participated, representing three continents and very different backgrounds. Their personal stories and motivations for submitting their videos are inspiring.

The winners will receive a two-week all-expenses-paid international exchange program, in addition to multi-media software provided by the Adobe Foundation, cosponsor of the contest.

With the contest, ECA set out to attract new members to our global online community, and to exemplify the focus of the ExchangesConnect community site -- to encourage the emergence of a social networking environment dedicated to building international understanding. The entrants’ motivations -- a desire to describe a month-long trip abroad, a passion to share musical talents, a fascination with different cultures, or a chance to be a star -- varied as much as their forms of artistic expression. One common motivation remained constant, that is, a desire to further appreciation and respect for differences and to build bridges among cultures.

One of the highlights of my job is to witness often how we can make a difference in individual lives, and open up opportunities for young people. For example, the two youth winners, Grant and Vinícius, may be from very different cultures, yet they have basic motivations in common, including active participation in their schools and communities, and a desire to travel to foreign countries and learn about different cultures. Tim begins his Fulbright program this week, and his openness to new experiences is a great model for young people around the globe. His story of an unexpected friendship around a Frisbee game was inspired. Bijoy’s creative lyrics and tune-stuck-in-my-head music are impressive, as is the way he captured the wonder and beauty of our complex world. Through storytelling, music, sports, and art each of the winners shared some of his culture, and in so doing, invited viewers to consider what it means to be a part of this global community.

By combining our tradition of educational and cultural exchanges with new technologies to gain support from diverse communities, areca is extending our mission to new audiences through viral campaigns across multiple social media platforms. Check out our site, connect.state.gov, where you can view and comment on the videos, learn more about the winners and the whole ExchangesConnect online community from 170 countries around the world. Also, watch for blogs from our contest winners!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/video_contest_winners/ 2009-03-20T22:06:40+00:00 Global Gathering Seeks Water Security for All About the Author: Daniel Wilusz serves in the Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science Office of International Health and Biodefense.

My colleagues and I on State’s “water team” have been preparing for months. Finally, on Monday, my colleagues and I joined over 20,000 water professionals, 100 government ministers, and 10 heads of state from around the world in Istanbul, Turkey, for the Fifth World Water Forum, the largest water meeting in the world.

The World Water Council hosts the forum every three years, and it’s an infamously overwhelming and chaotic event. The complete program of events was a mystery until late last week, and the paint on the main conference center is still drying.

Yet it continues to be the place to see-and-be-seen in the global water sector, and delegates from over ten U.S. agencies have come to participate in hundreds of events. And I’m happy to report at the halfway point: it’s been surprisingly smooth sailing.

The amazing thing about the forum is that it offers something for everyone. From VIP lunches to highly technical presentations. From exhibition booths selling detergent to wandering consultants selling "water solutions." From a roundtable on water financing for ministers to round tables with water-themed crafts for children.

The U.S. delegation has brought something for everyone, too. From a course on earth mapping from NASA scientists to a training on dams from the Army Corps of Engineers. From a popular booth on the U.S. Geological Service to fact sheets on USAID’s water programs. From a launch event for a new water initiative to a presentation on risk management for drinking water.

The event has not been without controversy. The opening ceremony was briefly interrupted by protesters who unfurled a banner on the balcony saying “no more big dams," and some 300 demonstrators gathered outside the forum.

But by-in-large the forum seems to be meeting its goal to find solutions to achieve water security. Which is good news, especially for the more than two and a half billion people around the world still lacking access to drinking water or sanitation.

So let’s hope for three more successful days for the Fifth World Water Forum, and to quickly achieving a water secure world – one in which we won’t need more World Water Forums.

Editor's Note: Read Daniel's next entry from the World Water Forum.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/global_gathering_seeks_water_security/ 2009-03-19T03:16:40+00:00 Secretary Clinton Responds to Your Text Messages Secretary Clinton recently traveled to the Middle East and Europe. During her travels, she received questions via text message. In response to those questions, when asked how she would describe the trip, Secretary Clinton said:

"I thought this trip was a very good start for the new policies and the new approaches of the Obama Administration. I particularly appreciated all the work that went into the announcement that I made at Sharm el-Sheikh that the United States would commit more than $900 million to the cause of humanitarian relief for the Palestinians in Gaza and for the work that the Palestinian Authority is doing in the West Bank.

I also very much enjoyed visiting a program that is in a contest for State Department recognition, talking to women in Israel who are part of a micro-finance and entrepreneurial training program, and then going to Ramallah and the West Bank and visiting another State Department-supported program, the ACCESS program that teaches young Palestinians, as it does with young people in many countries, learning English and learning more about our culture. This is a program specifically aimed at young people who are not from well-to-do, affluent, already-educated families. I was just thrilled at their enthusiasm.

Those are the highlights of what was a very important trip and a good beginning for our efforts."

Secretary Clinton responded to the other frequently asked questions here.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/responds_text_messages/ 2009-03-12T20:12:45+00:00 Secretary’s 2009 International Women of Courage Awards Today, Secretary Clinton hosted the 3rd annual International Women of Courage Awards ceremony with guest speaker First Lady Michelle Obama in the Ben Franklin Room at the State Department. Secretary Clinton said:

"Our honorees and the hundreds of millions of women they represent not only deserve our respect, they deserve our full support. When we talk about human rights, what I think of are faces like these. What I am committed to is doing everything in my power as Secretary of State to further the work on the ground in countries like those represented here to make changes in peoples’ lives. That doesn’t happen always in the halls of government. It happens day to day in the towns and cities, the villages and countryside where the work of human rights goes on.

We simply cannot solve the global problems confronting us, from a worldwide financial crisis to the risks of climate change to chronic hunger, disease, and poverty that sap the energies and talents of hundreds of millions of people when half the world’s population is left behind. The rights of women – really, of all people – are at the core of these challenges, and human rights will always be central to our foreign policy."

You may read the Secretary's full remarks here.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/international_women_courage_awards_2009/ 2009-03-12T01:08:45+00:00 Secretary Clinton Departs for Middle East, Europe Interactive Travel Map | Text the Secretary

About the Author: Robert Wood serves as Acting Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

The Secretary’s plane is taxing down the runway en route to Egypt. My colleagues are reading briefing papers, listening to iPods and catching a few hours of sleep. Many of us haven’t fully unpacked from travel to Asia last week, but the purpose of this trip has kept the team’s energy levels high.

In Egypt, the Secretary will participate in the Gaza donor’s conference being held in Sharm el-Sheikh. Leaders from around the world will assemble at the conference to address the immediate humanitarian concerns in the Gaza Strip. Addressing the pressing needs in Gaza is important to the United States. We also want to move forward the comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace that President Obama spoke about when he and Secretary Clinton named Senator Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace. After visiting Egypt, Secretary Clinton will visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.

Later in the week, the Secretary will travel to Brussels, where she will meet with NATO and EU foreign ministers. She’ll then go to Ankara, where she’ll meet with senior Turkish officials. Along the way, you will be hearing from State Department employees who have worked on various aspects of the Secretary’s trip.

Many of you are accustomed to following the Secretary’s travels here on DipNote. This time, you may also follow her travels via a new interactive map on state.gov featuring the Secretary’s latest video, photos, and remarks. As you follow along, feel free to text the Secretary questions about her travel. We look forward to hearing from you.
]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_departs_for_middle_east_europe/ 2009-03-01T19:11:36+00:00 Sean McCormack Signs Off
There is a lot the digital media team accomplished in the years I headed the Bureau of Public Affairs, and there was more that we had planned but just could not get to either because of time or resource realities. The good news is that as I leave the State Department a great team of career professionals will be able to complete projects on the drawing board and will work on others none of us have yet imagined. That is as it should be and in keeping with the spirit of innovation and creativity by so many digital media efforts.

Secretary Clinton and her team are bringing new ideas and energy to State’s digital media efforts, and I expect you will see exciting new developments in the months and years ahead. Most important, though, I see a commitment to use digital media – DipNote, state.gov, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and other platforms – to expand and deepen the conversation between State and publics around the globe. That is good for the policymakers and for those affected by the decisions made in this building.

Today will be my last day at State after nearly fourteen years in the Foreign Service, and what I am most proud of in that time is what we accomplished in this space beyond the bricks and mortar of Foggy Bottom. Now I’ll transition from helping guide DipNote and our other digital media efforts (as well as on occasion providing content) to being a reader, user, and commenter.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/mccormack_signs_off/ 2009-02-26T23:45:36+00:00 Continuing the Conversation: Ask the Secretary Ask the Secretary" is a new online interactive forum that can allow you to connect with Secretary Clinton directly. While Secretary Clinton travels across the world, you can submit your questions for her using this form. Ask the Secretary your questions now about her travel to Asia. Secretary Clinton will select various questions to answer, and they will be posted to www.state.gov.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/ask_the_secretary/ 2009-02-17T22:34:36+00:00 Stronger Together: The United States and International Organizations About the Author: James Warlick serves as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.

It’s a particularly exciting time at the Department of State, with the wave of energy and initiative brought by a new Administration, a new Secretary of State, and a new Ambassador to the UN.

In the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, we’ve been working closely with Secretary Clinton and her new team, including Ambassador Susan Rice, to emphasize America’s commitment to multilateral diplomacy and revitalizing American leadership at the United Nations.

That’s one of the reasons why, on Friday, I took a quick trip to Paris to meet with my counterparts from the other two members of the so-called P3, France and the United Kingdom. Like the United States, France and the U.K. are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (thus the P in P3), and we share with them and the other Security Council members the weighty responsibility of addressing challenges of international peace and security.

While in Paris, I had productive discussions on a number of pressing concerns, including piracy and lawlessness in Somalia, violence in the Sudan and continuing concern about Iran’s nuclear enrichment activities. We also discussed ways that we could make more effective UN efforts regarding peacekeeping and human rights.

Our European allies, both those in the P3, as well as others, will be valuable partners as we work toward our shared goals of addressing global challenges. Secretary Clinton has already met with or spoken to many of her counterparts from Europe and around the world, including hosting both French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

There are many issues before us, but with the collective efforts of our many partners, the United States and the United Nations can help advance our shared goals of eliminating poverty, disease and hunger, protecting the environment, and furthering democracy and respect for human rights. In addition, we look forward to strengthening ties to regional groups, the Non-aligned Movement, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and others.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/stronger_together/ 2009-02-09T18:41:36+00:00 Secretary Clinton Holds Town Hall Meeting Yesterday, Secretary Clinton held a town hall meeting for State Department employees. She answered questions on a broad range of topics, including the Department’s use of new technologies. Secretary Clinton said:

"On the security issue and on outreach and public diplomacy, we must figure out a way consistent with security to use these new tools. There is no doubt in my mind that we have barely scratched the surface as to what we can use to communicate with people around the world, and in fact, to use them [new technologies] as tools ...to further our own work and to be smart about it. … If people have ideas about how better to use these tools, please let me know because we’re going to work very hard – we have some people already looking at this – to see what more we can do to stay in touch with the world, which is our job, after all, to try to do that."

Read the complete transcript of the town hall meeting here.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_town_hall/ 2009-02-05T15:41:01+00:00 Here’s a Look at Secretary Clinton’s Day said: “We are looking to work with all of the parties to try to help them make progress toward a negotiated agreement that would end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, create an independent and viable Palestinian state in both the West Bank and Gaza, and provide Israel with the peace and security that it has sought.”

Today, Secretary Clinton also met with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. She underscored the importance of the close relationships America shares with the United Kingdom and Germany. She also expressed gratitude to both ministers for their countries’ commitments and work in Afghanistan.

You may read the transcript or watch video of Secretary Clinton’s remarks with British Foreign Secretary Miliband. You may also read or watch her remarks with German Foreign Minister Steinmeier.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/secretary_clintons_day/ 2009-02-03T22:04:01+00:00 First Week Launches New ‘Smart Power’ About the Author: Robert Wood serves as Acting Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

This week was busy and exciting here at the State Department. Last Wednesday, Secretary Clinton was confirmed and sworn-in as the 67th U.S. Secretary of State. Last Thursday, she arrived at the State Department’s headquarters, the Harry S Truman Building. Later that same afternoon, President Obama and Vice President Biden visited the Department, and President Obama and Secretary Clinton named Senator George Mitchell as a Special Envoy to the Middle East. They also named Ambassador Richard Holbrooke a Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. As Secretary Clinton said, President Obama’s visit to the Department and the announcement of these high level diplomats sent a loud and clear signal, both in word and action, of the President’s commitment to diplomacy.

As the week has continued, I’ve had a chance to read through your comments on DipNote. It is a great pleasure to hear what the public is thinking on a given topic. Based on your responses to last week’s “Question of the Week,” you all have many suggestions as to what the Obama Administration should establish as its top foreign policy priorities. DipNote readers who mentioned promoting peace in the Middle East would likely be interested in knowing that Special Envoy Mitchell is currently in the region. While in Ramallah yesterday, Special Envoy Mitchell said: “President Obama has…underlined our commitment to a better future for all Palestinians whose legitimate aspirations for an independent and viable state should be met, lasting peace is our objective and the United States will sustain an active commitment to reaching the goal of two states living side by side in peace, stability and security.”

We also received great comments about the Hometown Diplomat program, featured in two blog entries last week. I found it heartening that people responded so positively to the program. We received e-mails from groups and individuals interested in having U.S. diplomats visit their organizations. Thanks to those who have already expressed interest in doing so.

Finally, I appreciate the warm and enthusiastic comments many of you submitted in support of Secretary Clinton. As the Secretary said, it is a tremendous honor to represent America to the world. The DipNote team and I want you to know that we are reading your comments, the blog’s authors are reading your comments, and we value your comments.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/first_week_launches_smart_power/ 2009-01-30T13:42:01+00:00 Sharing Experiences at Home Motivates Service Abroad About the Author: Preeti Shah serves as Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, Turkey.

“Um, so… can you tell us a little about your personal life? Like, do you date and stuff?” the 16-year-old with furry boots asked, as her classmates giggled in response.

“That’s a good question actually,” I responded, smiling. “Dating in this line of work can be tough, but it can also be pretty exciting,” I continued, sharing with the 25 high school juniors some of the pitfalls and bonuses that come with being a Foreign Service Officer.

The opportunity to serve as a Hometown Diplomat during my two week vacation at home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan was one that I had looked forward to for almost a year. A proud graduate of the local public school system, I was eager to share my experiences as a diplomat. More importantly, my goal was to raise awareness about the myriad career options about which I, at the same young age, was completely unaware.

Though it was immensely gratifying to hear from students, both after the presentations and via emails, that they were now seriously thinking about government service as a career option, I’m certain that I am the one who benefited the most from the experience. Not only was I asked questions about issues I hadn’t considered in a long time, such as how I reconcile my personal beliefs to that of official policy, but I was also reminded of what an adventurous career I have in the Foreign Service. The “war stories” I shared took on a new life as I saw them through the eyes of young adults who had never heard of this job and life.

My high school has always been very ethnically diverse, and was even more so when I returned as a Hometown Diplomat 10 years after graduating. I was careful to emphasize my school’s diversity by sharing with the students the times when I had negative experiences based on stereotypes about Americans. I told them that one of the best parts of my job is getting up in the morning and knowing that I, just by being me, represent one of the United States’ strongest assets. By encouraging these young students to consider themselves as examples of America’s opportunities, I renewed my own faith in the very same and returned to my job with newfound energy and enthusiasm for being one of the faces of American diplomacy.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/sharing_experiences_motivates_service/ 2009-01-26T16:04:01+00:00 Secretary Clinton Arrives at State Department This morning, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton arrived at the U.S. Department of State. In her remarks to Department employees, Secretary Clinton said:

"I am absolutely honored and thrilled beyond words to be here with you as our nation's 67th Secretary of State. And I believe, with all of my heart, that this is a new era for America.

President Obama set the tone with his inaugural address. And the work of the Obama-Biden Administration is committed to advancing America's national security, furthering America's interests, and respecting and exemplifying America's values around the world.

There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defense, diplomacy, and development. And we are responsible for two of the three legs. And we will make clear, as we go forward, that diplomacy and development are essential tools in achieving the long-term objectives of the United States. And I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America's future."

Read Secretary Clinton's full remarks here.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/secretary_clinton_arrives/ 2009-01-22T14:46:01+00:00 Clinton Confirmed, Sworn-In as U.S. Secretary of State testimony at her nomination hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/clinton_confirmed/ 2009-01-21T20:50:01+00:00 Hometown Diplomat Program Strengthens Community Ties About the Author: Schere Walker serves as the Department’s Hometown Diplomat Coordinator in the Bureau of Public Affairs.

America’s diplomatic corps is drawn from small towns and big cities across the United States. Union County, New Jersey. St. Louis, Missouri. San Rafael, California. Just a few of the communities that America’s diplomats call their hometowns.

Through the Hometown Diplomat Program, State Department employees volunteer their time on personally scheduled trips back to their communities to explain to the American people what the State Department does and why it matters. Employees speak to elementary and high schools and often return to their college alma maters. They talk to local organizations, such as Rotary Clubs or Chambers of Commerce. They meet with state and local officials and participate in media interviews.

As I make telephone calls to arrange these programs, I am regularly greeted by the voices of teachers and others who are proud to hear of the local boy or girl who has made good. They are eager to have their current students or organization’s members hear about the positive difference someone from their community is now making in the broader world. I’m often impressed, too, with the commitment of Department employees to the program. I’ll always remember the young diplomat who participated in the program the week she was home for her wedding!

America’s diplomats never forget that they represent you, the American people, to the world. The Hometown Diplomat Program helps them establish and maintain important relationships with individuals and local communities in the United States. If you are interested in finding out whether a Hometown Diplomat might be visiting your community, please contact us at paregionalprograms@state.gov]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/hometown_diplomat_program/ 2009-01-20T16:05:01+00:00 DipNote Looks Forward To Continuing the Conversation About the Author: Robert Wood serves as Acting Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Today the United States inaugurates its 44th President. This inauguration marks an exciting and historic moment, one that underscores the transformative nature of democracy. Democracy, by definition, is participatory. To participate effectively in a democracy, the public must have access to information. This is something I’m very mindful of while serving as a communicator for the State Department.

This inauguration also represents the peaceful transition of power from one U.S. Administration to the next. Each transition of power in the United States infuses the government with new energy and ideas. It serves as a time for career employees to evaluate what we’re doing and to explain it to our incoming colleagues.

As representatives of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs, we provide information during daily press briefings and communicate regularly with NGOs and civic groups. We also manage the Department’s online presence and produce the official history of U.S. foreign affairs. DipNote serves as an opportunity for direct public participation in the U.S. foreign policy discourse. I look forward to joining the DipNote dialogue and continuing its ongoing conversation.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/dipnote_continuing_conversation/ 2009-01-20T16:02:01+00:00 Welcome Back to DipNote About the Author: Robert Wood serves as Acting Department Spokesman and Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Welcome to DipNote, the State Department’s official blog. DipNote gives context, clarity and other behind the scenes insights on the foreign policy headlines in which you’re most interested. The information is provided to you by those actually doing the work.

The term “DipNote” refers to a diplomatic note, one of the many means by which governments formally communicate with one another. Aside from the title, we make every effort to minimize the use of jargon and acronyms. When they’re unavoidable, we explain them. We want this blog to be as accessible and user-friendly as possible. This blog represents your opportunity to engage State Department officials, to contribute to the discussion of U.S. foreign policy. We want you to be active participants in a community focused on some of the most important international issues of today.

We live in an age in which there is a greater need for you to be aware of what is happening around the world, and in a time when everyone should be able to contribute to the dialogue. You can join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and submit your video question on the State Department’s YouTube Channel. I encourage you to explore DipNote and these other resources and to provide us your thoughts and feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/welcome_to_dipnote/ 2009-01-20T16:00:32+00:00