Posted by DipNote Bloggers on Oct 02, 2009 - 05:06 PM
![Virunga forest in Rutshuru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dec. 3, 2004. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_1001_congo_forest_m.jpg)
Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero led a roundtable discussion this week on the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP), which featured Heads of State from Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe, and the Republic of Congo, as well as the chair of the Central African Forest Commission. Assistant Secretary Dr. Kerri-Ann Jones for the Bureau of Oceans, International Environmental and Scientific Affairs also briefed Congress at a bicameral caucus hearing on the Partnership to highlight the U.S. government’s contributions to conserving…
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Posted by Robert J. Tate on Sep 19, 2009 - 10:01 AM
![U.S. Ambassador Allen delivers remarks, Niamey, Niger, Sept. 11, 2009. [Embassy Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0919_service_day_m.jpg)
In commemoration of the anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, U.S. Embassy Niamey partnered with GAVHLN, an association of disabled artisans, to hold the “United We Serve” Day of Community Service and Remembrance at College Mariama in Niamey on September 11, 2009.
The event honored those who work with people of other faiths, cultures, and backgrounds to help improve their communities and build a world in which innocent people will never again suffer from injustice and intolerance. GAVHLN, as a recipient of assistance from both Islamic and Christian charities…
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Posted by Donna Hopkins on Sep 17, 2009 - 11:51 AM
![Pirates leave merchant vessel MV Faina for Somalia's shore, Oct. 8, 2008. [AP Photo/ U.S. Navy]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0917_somalia_coast_m.jpg)
Japan hosted the fourth plenary meeting of the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) at the United Nations on September 10. I attended the meeting as a member of the U.S. delegation, which also included representatives from seven bureaus in State, as well as officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration, among others.
The CGPCS – not to be confused with the International Contact Group for Somalia (ICG-Somalia) – is focused like a laser on combating piracy around the Horn of Africa. The…
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Posted by Anne J. Johnson on Aug 04, 2009 - 12:17 PM
![Students talk with astronaut Daniel Tani via webchat, Mamelodi, July 29, 2009. [State Dept. Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0804_astronaut_chat_m.jpg)
Fifty Mamelodi high school students talked with American astronaut Daniel Tani via web chat on July 29 at the Mae Jemison U.S. Science Reading Room, a partnership between the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria and the University of Pretoria. The room is named after the first African-American woman astronaut, Dr. Mae Jemison, whose historic flight on the Space Shuttle Endeavor took place in September 1992.
Tani was at his home in Houston when he responded to students’ questions about his experiences as a NASA astronaut. Tani has served…
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Posted by DipNote Bloggers on Jul 24, 2009 - 09:55 AM
Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa. Over 53,000 refugees from the Democratic Republic Congo compete with native Rwandans for scarce resources, including timber for cooking fires. This competition has led to deforestation of a beautiful, green landscape and to friction between refugees and the host population. The Rwandan government has restricted wood-cutting in order to preserve the environment, but as a result refugees sometimes struggle to find enough firewood to cook with.
The State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration sought to mitigate the problem by giving money to the American…
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