U.S. Student Ambassadors Tour the Forbidden City
Posted by Lee Satterfield / May 14, 2012
![Deputy Assistant Secretary Lee Satterfield tours the Forbidden City with NSLI-Y students, their host families, and teachers from their host school, Beijing 80, May 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0514_china_students_m.jpg)
About the Author: Lee Satterfield serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Touring a city with a group of students, parents, siblings, and teachers could be conceived as a relatively ordinary experience, except that I was touring the Forbidden City with American high school students studying abroad in China on the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program. The parents and siblings were members of their Chinese host families and the teachers are from their international high school, Beijing 80, known for its excellent academics and offering a unique cultural experience for its 3,000 students. The American students, who represent all corners of the United States, are perfecting their Mandarin skills, taking advantage of after school activities, living with host families, and learning about China's… more »
Pacific Partnership 2012 Departs for Indonesia
Posted by Thomas E. Weinz / May 14, 2012
![USNS Mercy takes on supplies for Pacific Partnership 2012 in Pearl Harbor, HI on May 9, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0514_pacific_partnership_m.jpg)
About the Author: Tom Weinz serves as the dedicated Foreign Service Officer for Pacific Partnership 2012.
I awoke this morning, May 14, to the soft strains of the call to prayer emanating from the stately mosque near my hotel -- an encouraging start to my first day back in Indonesia to prepare for the arrival of Pacific Partnership 2012 (PP12). Only two days ago I was on the deck of the incomparable hospital ship USNS Mercy sailing into Pearl Harbor. The scene at Pearl Harbor reminded me of movie versions depicting dockside activities prior to a voyage: there were mobile cranes everywhere, several eighteen-wheelers disgorging supplies, sailors, volunteers, and family members loaded down with duffels, suitcases, boxes, and crates to be tucked into the ship's relatively confined berthing areas.
Pearl Harbor was the initial PP12 interim port; in addition to taking on supplies and personnel, commanding officers met with Pacific Fleet counterparts, held a briefing at… more »
Giving Mothers a Very Special Gift
Posted by Eric Goosby / May 13, 2012
![Woman enters mobile healthcare clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa, Nov. 29, 2010. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0218_health_clinic_m.jpg)
About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
What is the greatest gift we can give a mother this Mother's Day? There are many answers, but one is to help her live and help her children live a healthy life.
As we celebrate Mother's Day and think about mothers around the world, the American people are working through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to make every day Mother's Day. This program is quietly saving lives every day, restoring the health and hope of mothers and children.
Each year, nearly 400,000 children are born with HIV around the world, with sub-Saharan Africa being the most challenged region. In June of last year… more »
London 2012 Olympics Countdown Calls for Friendly Competition
Posted by Cindy Gire / May 13, 2012
![U.S. Department of State employees pose for a photograph after participating in Embassy Olympics at Reeves Field American University in Washington, D.C., on April 18, 2012, to mark 100 days until the start of the London Olympics. [Photography copyright Tony Powell/ British Embassy]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0513_team_usa_m.jpg)
About the Author: Cindy Gire serves as Division Chief of Sports United in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Today marks 75 days until the start of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. As London prepares to welcome the world for the Olympics, the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. organized a medley of sports activities, or "Embassy Olympics," in recognition last month of the "100 Days To Go" mark.
On April 18, international colleagues from the diplomatic community joined to compete in the "Embassy Olympics." SportsUnited representatives from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs along with their colleagues in the Bureau of International Information Programs and Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs were key "players" in the event.
Even the rainy weather -- true to form for a British activity -- did not dampen the spirits of the participants. Embassy teams enthusiastically represented countries that have previously… more »
Why We Should Open SESAME
Posted by David T. Killion / May 12, 2012
About the Author: Ambassador David T. Killion serves as U.S. Permanent Representative to UNESCO.
Next week I am going to a meeting in Switzerland for SESAME, which I happen to think is the most exciting and revolutionary scientific undertaking that practically nobody outside of the scientific community has ever heard of.
What is it and why do I think it is so radical and so important?
The first question is easy.
SESAME actually stands for 'Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East' and will be the region's first major multi-country scientific research center. It's being developed under the auspices of UNESCO and is scheduled to open fully in Jordan in 2015. When it is completed, SESAME will be the Middle East's only source of so-called "high intensity synchrotron X-rays," key building blocks for research into biology,… more »
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