About the Author: Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.
On Tuesday, February 14, the Council on Foreign Relations is holding a meeting on the "The U.S. Aging Population as an Economic Growth Driver for Global Competitiveness." The event is timely. Standard & Poor's reports that "No other force is likely to shape the future of national economic health, public finances and policy-making as the irreversible rate at which the world"s population is aging."
Hence, it's vital that we create opportunities to enable older persons to contribute to their economies and communities in increasingly effective and productive ways. This will require new policies and innovations that promote healthy aging, including advances in medicine, continued learning, and cultural norms regarding aging. As population aging is elevated to the global agenda, the countries that capitalize on the increasing percentage of older adults, and are able to increasingly… more »
About the Author: Marjorie Ames serves as the Division Chief of the Cultural Programs Office in the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The American Film Showcase, a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, uses film as a public diplomacy tool to bring people together and foster greater understanding across cultures. An arts-based exchange, the Showcase is a dynamic way to share the vision, artistry and diverse viewpoints of American filmmakers. USC convened a committee of 23 notable filmmakers, academics and film experts that recommended a slate of films for their cinematic mastery and without regard to specific policies or practices depicted in the film. The program, like so many of the Department's public diplomacy initiatives, demonstrates the diversity of thought and style in the United States.
About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as the United States Global AIDS Coordinator.
Today, the Obama Administration issued the President's budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2013. It demonstrates that the United States remains fully committed to the fight against global AIDS, and will meet the President's ambitious targets for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention announced on World AIDS Day 2011. I am so proud that, even in a challenging budget environment with strict budget caps, the Administration has continued to make this work a priority.
This budget will enable PEPFAR to achieve the President's stated goals for the program, including on prevention and supporting 6 million people on treatment by the end of 2013. As we move towards creating an AIDS-free generation,… more »
Today, Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah discussed the FY 2013 State Department and USAID budget. Deputy Secretary Nides said, "State and USAID account for just one percent of the federal budget. ... Today, I want to explain how we use that one percent to make the outsized contribution to America's prosperity, security, and leadership."
Deputy Secretary Nides continued, "This budget follows a… more »
About the Author: Robert S. Ford serves as U.S. Ambassador to Syria.
Editor's Note: This entry appeared first on the U.S. Embassy Syria Facebook page. You can find additional satellite imagery of Syrian military movements here.
The violence is not equal.
Yesterday I put out a note about the situation in Syria as I've witnessed it from the ground and since leaving the country. A terrible and tragic development in Syria is the use of heavy weaponry by the Assad regime against residential neighborhoods.… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Across the eastern Horn of Africa, more than 11 million people -- a number greater than the populations of Houston and New York City combined -- are now in need of emergency assistance to survive. Learn more about the current crisis, including how you can help.
Secretary Clinton (Feb. 13): "It's important for us to be focused on what we can do to help the emerging democracies such as Tunisia, such as Egypt, such as Libya and others, and also to stay focused on the great needs of Syria." more »
Deputy Secretary Nides (Feb. 13): "State and USAID account for just 1 percent of the federal budget. ... Today, I want to explain how we use that 1 percent to make the outsized contribution to America's prosperity, security, and leadership." More on more »
![Old and young audience members listen as President Barack Obama speaks at the Town Hall Education Arts and Recreation Campus (THEARC) theater in Washington, June 21, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0213_aging_population_m.jpg)
![A worker prepares a movie reel to be displayed in San Sebastian, Spain, Sept. 20, 2008. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0213_film_reel_m.jpg)
![PEPFAR-funded AIDS care unit, White River Junction, South Africa, Dec. 15, 2008. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0219_pepfar_clinic_m.jpg)
![Satellite imagery of Syrian military movements, February 10, 2012. [Copyright Digital Globe]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0211_syria_m.jpg)
