http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2012-02-11T15:54:03+00:00
I half-heartedly offered to get out and help push the car, but our clever driver managed to liberate our vehicle before I could pull off my armored vest and declare a premature defeat. As it turns out, I'm glad he did. Because I will never forget my walk through that field, where I watched unbelievably brave young women and men undertake some of the most dangerous work in the world -- with tools as small as a toothbrush and as simple as a pick -- in an effort to make the land safe for their neighbors and families. To date, the approximately 1,000 Sri Lankan employees of The HALO Trust have cleared 108,000 anti-personnel mines by hand. In 2011 alone, The HALO Trust's survey teams responded to 915 reports from local communities of unexploded ordnance, recovering over 6,000 items such as grenades, mortars and rockets.

Another amazing demining fact? It turns out there aren't any fancy scanners or high-tech mine removal gadgets that can compete with old-fashioned sweat, discipline, and patience when it comes to picking mines out of the ground. Our HALO hosts showed us how each employee is assigned his or her own lane, about a meter wide and cordoned off with string. I watched as young war widow (one of nearly 250 women employed at HALO) ran a simple metal detector over a thin strip of land. We didn't have to wait long before we heard the high-pitched whir indicating a metal object was in the ground just inches away from her plastic face guard. She carefully put down the detector, picked up a small hoe, and began digging fearlessly toward the offending area.

Katy Bondy, my guide, leaned over and whispered through her plastic mask: "Very exciting!"

"Yes," I whispered, as I slowly inched behind her. As luck would have it, our deminer unearthed a bottle cap.

I continued gingerly across the field to the remnants of a destroyed home. Several meters away, tattered yellow skull-and-crossbones warning tape divided HALO's field from a tarp home on the other side. The ruined home before me belonged to the family living under that tarp. It was clearly once a sturdy stone structure with steps leading to a raised floor and a hand-built well nearby. The house, yard and well were dotted with red stakes indicating where HALO had located and removed mines -- just below the last step leading down from the house, for example, or under the patch of ground where a child would stand to draw water from the well.

Looking across the field of red stakes, it was hard not to wonder what was left underground -- not just in this field, but across all of Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka. Landmines, of course, do so much more than kill and maim people. They cast a chilling shadow upon agricultural efforts, emotional and psychological healing, economic development and community cohesion. Their removal is essential to all other efforts that NGOs or the Sri Lankan government undertake in the area. It was humbling to spend an hour experiencing the kind of fear that Sri Lankans in Kilinochchi live with every day: the fear of uncertain ground.

The State Department is a proud funder of The HALO Trust in Sri Lanka. If you would like to learn more, please visit HALO's website.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/halo_trust_demining_site/ 2012-01-30T00:53:46+00:00
Across India messages travelled the TV and radio airways. Celebrities and sports legends lent their support. Rotarians urged everyone to participate, provided much needed financing, and rolled up their sleeves to help out during the campaigns. CORE and UNICEF Mobilizers spent countless hours answering mothers' questions, and in some places visited every pregnant woman to sensitize her in advance of the need for immunization. When the baby was born, the mother would then receive a "congratulations" card, an immunization card and education on how to protect the child from a range of diseases. These extraordinary efforts make a difference far beyond polio eradication.

The last polio case in India was in Howarah District of West Bengal. It was not in the "Hot 4." It was in a child who was never vaccinated against polio in the routine system. It was in an unexpected area, demonstrating the importance of a robust surveillance system. The rapid outbreak response by the West Bengal government has been exceptional. The health team in the area knows how fragile the situation is. Still, far too many families refuse vaccination, there are periodic shortages of the trivalent vaccine used in the routine system, there are vacant medical officer posts, and routine immunization sessions happen once a month rather than the needed once a week in many rural areas.

In a meeting with mobilizers and vaccinators on the day of the one year anniversary of the last case, January 13, I was asked "What are the strategies that work? What are the tricks to success?" There are no special tricks I said, it takes a candid acknowledgement of what the problems are, no matter how difficult or embarrassing that may be. It takes hard work. People here say they've worked harder for polio than anything else in their lives. It takes reaching every child, every round. It takes excellent surveillance and "whole of community" involvement.

India has made historic progress. Now everything possible must be done to sustain population immunity, assure all newborns coming into the world are vaccinated and don't lead to a large number of susceptible children, and that active searching for cases continues. India is still at risk of importations from countries that have not yet stopped polio transmission. Silent transmission and the potential for vaccine derived virus if routine immunization levels drop too low is still possible. Guarded optimism prevails.

India has a great opportunity to voice its concerns to other countries that are lagging behind. Urging other countries to take the necessary steps to fix the gaps they are facing is good for India and children everywhere. It has been a great privilege to work with so many dedicated individuals and a true demonstration that big dreams can be achieved if we all work together with good tools, strategies, commitment and willingness to identify and overcome often difficult obstacles. Just two years ago India had 741 cases. India has proved that it is possible to have rapid progress. If polio can be eradicated in India, it can be eradicated anywhere.

The U.S. government has provided $2 billion of the $9 billion spent thus far on polio eradication. USAID works in partnership with the government of India, WHO, UNICEF, Rotary and the CORE group of NGOS.

Related Entry: Eradicating Polio from India

Editor's Note: This entry was originally posted on USAID's Impact Blog.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/coordination_india_polio/ 2012-01-24T23:14:20+00:00 L'invitation au voyage," sung by Kabul-born artist Mashal Arman -- one whispers to another, "You are in Kabul, not Paris. Kabul! Can you believe it?"

I can believe it, and not only because in Paris, such a talented crowd of musicians would not likely perform in this cramped room before tightly packed rows of folding chairs. Although decades of war and resurgent conservatism have left their mark on the cityscape (the Kabul River, which in old news reels flows magnificently between tree-lined banks, is now dry; the city is a maze of high blast walls and barriers; and women are still rarely visible in public life), there are signs of new life on the other side of these heavily guarded gates.

The existence of the Afghan National Institute of Music is both a symbolic and a real victory for the movement to revive Afghanistan's cultural heritage. The international donor community has supported restoration of historic monuments, such as the 15th-century citadel in Herat, and preservation of the significant Buddhist artifacts unearthed by archaeologists at Mes Aynak. Partners, such as the U.S. Embassy, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the Goethe Institute, and the cultural missions of several NATO countries, are also working to preserve and revive living arts: traditional music, dance, and craftsmanship. ANIM, which provides internationally accredited music education to its students, trains them in both western and Afghan traditions. Afghan master musicians of such complex instruments as the sitar, ghichak, and dhol teach alongside expats, who introduce students to the full range of piano, string, wind, and percussion instruments taught in the West.

The school provides these opportunities to Afghanistan's most disadvantaged students: orphans and street children who might otherwise have few vocational opportunities. They also learn the standard Afghan secondary curriculum, graduating with a high school certificate or, after two additional years of study, a diploma in music. Helping these promising students make connections with the global community of musicians, the U.S. Embassy funds English instruction for 143 students through the English Access Microscholarship Program.

Of course, not all the students limit their interest to the classical traditions of east and west. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul has twice hosted White Page, a rock band formed of ANIM students and recent graduates who play their own music alongside the covers of bands popular around the world. Their lead guitarist recently returned from a trip to New York City, funded by donors and sponsors who were impressed with his drive to take full advantage of the music and English education he received at ANIM.

Tonight, at the "Winter Music Academy," there will be no rock and roll, but there is innovation of a different kind. Master rubab player Homayoun Sakhi has composed an original piece for rubab, flute, viola, cello, and tabla called "Madawanti 2" that showcases the best of both traditions and infuses the room with energy. When Ms. Arman sings out in Persian to Afghan traditional tune "Dishab ke chunay," she is backed by a full orchestra of rubab, trumpet, viola, piano, cello, and tabla. It is the harmony of Western instruments backing up the joyful sound of Afghan culture renewed -- a metaphor for our overall mission in Afghanistan.

As we leave, the classroom-cum-concert hall's windows are opaque with condensation from the heavy breathing of the musicians and the heat of the crowded room. Music stubbornly flows through the glass and into the still night air. This is not Paris. In fact, this can only be Kabul.

For more information on the Afghan National Institute of Music, please visit www.afghanistannationalinstituteofmusic.org.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/afghan_music/ 2012-01-18T21:52:05+00:00 strategic dialogue and underscored the continued growth in the U.S.-India partnership. Similarly, her visit to Central Asia in October affirmed our strong commitment to seeing a more prosperous and secure region that helps to bolster the stability of Afghanistan. We witnessed the first ever peaceful democratic transition of power in Central Asia when President Otunbayeva -- a recipient of our Women of Courage award -- stepped down as leader of Kyrgyzstan and Almazbek Atambayev was elected President.

The Secretary's visit to India not only reflected on a decade of closer relations with India, but also the promise of a bright future and the limitless opportunities available for mutual prosperity. We are cooperating to an unprecedented degree on education, science and technology, economics and trade, health, agriculture, countering terrorism, and providing for regional and global security for the benefit of the citizens of both our countries and of the world. The visit included a major speech on our shared vision for the region. I would encourage you to read the speech here.

The U.S.-India Higher Education Summit followed the Secretary's visit and was a major outcome of our strategic dialogue. The event, held at Georgetown University in October, was jointly chaired by Secretary Clinton and Indian Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal and attended by more than 300 higher education, private sector, and government leaders from both countries. Reflecting on the strong history of exchanges between India and the United States, Secretary Clinton said, "Last year, we welcomed over 100,000 students from India to pursue college or graduate level study here. But we think the opportunities for collaboration are even greater. And particularly, we want to see more American students enrolling for academic credit at Indian institutions."

Last year was also a year of positive progress throughout the rest of South Asia. In November, we welcomed the news that the Nepal peace process took a positive turn. Newly-elected Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai and other key political leaders agreed on a plan to bring the long-stalled peace process -- accords for which were signed in 2006 -- to a close. We are optimistic the parties will remain on track to ultimately reach consensus on the few remaining details. Our new Ambassador to Bangladesh, Dan Mozena, is continuing our ongoing work to foster a partnership based on mutual interest in a wide range of priorities including food security, climate change, global health, counterterrorism, and democracy promotion.

In August, I traveled to Sri Lanka and visited the northern city of Jaffna to see first-hand the former conflict zone and observe the country's progress as it transitions from civil war to peace and reconciliation. The United States has welcomed the release of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's report and we continue to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to work constructively with the international community as it seeks to implement the report's recommendations this year.

Afghanistan's neighbors have embraced the Secretary's call to strengthen regional economic and transit connections -- to build a "New Silk Road" and open up new sources of raw material, energy, and agricultural products for every nation in the region. New agreements on the Northern Distribution Network with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan helped to complete routes and further facilitate trade between Central Asia and Afghanistan. Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic welcomed Afghanistan into their Cross-Border Transport Accord, laying the foundation for increased trade and transit among them. An Indian consortium's successful bid on the Hajigak iron-ore deposit, and the deepening thaw in Indo-Pak economic relations were also significant steps towards realizing a new economic vision for the region.

As the Secretary has emphasized, investments in women and youth yield multiple dividends. Throughout the entire region, we made a concerted effort to reach out to these audiences through workshops, conferences, and social media. Together with President Otunbayeva, the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues and our embassies, we organized a Central Asia and Afghanistan Women's Economic Symposium held in Bishkek in July. The event brought nearly 200 policy makers, enterprise owners, educators, and civil society leaders together with corporate sponsors and donors to share strategies for economic success. The resulting network of women leaders in government, business, and civil society is now working within and across borders to strengthen women's entrepreneurship and trade.

During her trip to Central Asia, the Secretary gave a speech focused on women, youth, and civil society that highlighted both the progress made, as well as the challenges that remain. One example of the youth outreach in which we are engaged took place in Sri Lanka, where our embassy and a local NGO brought 80 youth leaders together from throughout South Asia to focus on civic responsibility, social media, environmental awareness, and community development. Group project presentations demonstrated participants' commitment to work together across borders to implement sustainable initiatives in these areas.

In 2011, we also saw strengthened efforts to combat trafficking in persons in the region. India achieved a landmark conviction of five years' imprisonment and a fine against three bonded labor perpetrators, Bangladesh promulgated a comprehensive anti-trafficking law, and Tajikistan made great strides in combating the use of forced labor in the cotton harvest.

We also began a series of cooperative environment, science and technology projects across the region. With USAID, we supported Central Asian, South Asian, and South American scientists in a joint expedition to the Himalayan glaciers in Nepal to better understand the dynamics of glacier melt and share best practices from their respective regions. In Maldives, we are supporting coral reef conservation efforts, and in Central Asia we launched an entrepreneurship innovation program which will bring eight winners to Silicon Valley.

As the year drew to a close, the United States was pleased to recognize Kyrgyzstan's peaceful democratic election and transfer of power, the first of its kind in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan's vibrant civil society actively participated, promoted transparency, and encouraged citizens to report on irregularities during the election.

I am excited to see what 2012 holds in store and look forward to keeping you informed about our diplomacy in South and Central Asia. You can follow our efforts in the South and Central Asia by signing up for email updates, following us on Facebook, Twitter, and of course our regular blog entries on DipNote. Thank you!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/year_in_review_south_and_central_asia/ 2012-01-15T16:32:10+00:00
Ms. Taylor traveled to four provinces in support of this program: Kabul; Kapisa in the north; Nangarhar in the east; and Kandahar in the south. Ms. Taylor's program underscores the State Department's objectives of expanding women's economic empowerment, particularly in South Central Asia, where Ambassador Melanne Verveer's Women's Economic Symposium (held this past summer in Bishkek), outlined goals and strategies for creating stronger networks of cooperation and engagement between women of those countries.

Developing outreach programs like Ms Taylor's means multiplying the travel and security logistics -- not to mention the adventure factor -- by 10. In addition to working with Kabul-based partner organizations and contacts to develop a program, it was also necessary to reach out to colleagues spread out throughout the five regional commands (Central, West, East, South and Southwest). And those officers have their own concerns that include coordinating travel to off-base venues in U.S. military-operated mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAP). Once a schedule is in place, there's another layer of logistics that requires tackling: transportation -- especially when a program involves travel to the provinces via fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter (as was the case during Ms. Taylor's program).

When all was said and done, the program traveled approximately 1484 km (922 miles) in Afghanistan, accomplishing the U.S. Mission's objectives of strengthening people-to-people ties. Though the primary theme of her program was entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, Ms. Taylor's experiences living as a Muslim in the United States was equally intriguing to her Afghan audiences. Our local partners and contacts were extremely pleased with the program. As for Ms. Taylor, she truly enjoyed what she characterized as a "wonderful experience and adventure." Emphasis on adventure!]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/afghan_women_economic_empowerment/ 2012-01-10T20:59:04+00:00