For decades, the Department of State has recognized the importance of cultural institutions and the arts to connect individuals, build community, and showcase world cultures. At the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, we believe that arts and culture have the ability to go beyond language barriers to open new channels of communication and bridge differences.
A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to travel to our country's largest yearly conference for museum professionals. Organized by the American Association of Museums (AAM), this year's theme was "Creative Community." The conference focused on ways for museums to not only reach out to their local community, but to explore… more »
About the Authors: Robert Keith serves as a program officer, and Thomas Donahue serve as a cultural affairs intern in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Each April, the State Department, in concert with music lovers around the world, celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month. In honor of this uniquely American art form, musicians, museums, schools, embassies, and others in the United States and around the globe host jazz-themed events to highlight jazz's contributions to our country and to the world.
Jazz Appreciation Month started a few days early for the State Department this year. On March 26, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) hosted an amazing jam session to celebrate the joint… more »
In a SportsUnited Soccer Envoy Program in Malaysia, on February 20 through 24, Cheryl Bailey, Tony Sanneh, and Danielle Slaton shared their world-class skill, coaching and management expertise to promote mutual understanding through sports with Malaysian youth, coaches, and managers.
Danielle and Tony conducted a total of nine soccer clinics and Cheryl spoke at seven management seminars. The major impact of Cheryl's classes was in conveying the message to those in administrative positions in Malaysian soccer that there needs to be more opportunity and support for girls and women in the sport. In an interview with the New Straits Times, one of Malaysia's largest English-language newspapers, Cheryl said, "There is no reason why Malaysia cannot be a formidable force in women's… more »
During my year in Iraq at the U.S. Embassy and in my current position in Washington, I have experienced firsthand the powerful positive impact of educational and cultural exchange programs on both Iraqis and Americans. People from both countries -- particularly youth -- have so much to learn from one another. An important shared goal of the U.S. and Iraqi governments is to find more ways to bring our citizens together.
The U.S. and Iraq discussed these exchanges at a recent meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Joint Coordinating Committee for Cultural and Educational Cooperation in Washington, co-chaired by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Ann Stock and Iraqi Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Ali Al-Adeeb. American and Iraqi officials spent a productive morning reviewing our exchanges in the areas of higher education, primary… more »
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.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcomed 45 Brazilian Youth Ambassadors and two educators during their visit to the U.S. Department of State on January 25, 2012. The event marked the 10th Anniversary of the Youth Ambassadors Program with Brazil. Since 2002, students chosen from Brazil's public schools for their leadership and community service have visited the United States for a three-week exchange program sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Brazil. During their meeting, Secretary Clinton recognized the role of youth in serving their communities. She also highlighted the United States'… more »
Today, Hall-of-Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar kicked off his service as a Global Cultural Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State in Salvador, Brazil.
"I didn't expect to see such a big city here in this part of Brazil. I heard about Rio de Janeiro and I've been to Sao Paulo on my first trip to Brazil. But I didn't know they had big cities out here on the coast. It's quite a place," said Abdul-Jabbar.
Meeting in a community center in the recently pacified favela, Nordeste de Amaralina, Abdul-Jabbar stressed the importance of education as a means of empowerment both within Brazil and beyond.
"It was very rewarding for me today to talk to the young people about their education because a lot of them didn't understand how important it is. So I was happy to remind them that their education will supplement everything that they try to… more »
May 23: The State Department, through its office of the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), is pleased to announce $1.5 million in funding to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to support open governance and political participation in the Middle East and North Africa. more »
May 23: Today, Russia was invited to join the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) at a ceremony hosted by its parent body, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris. ã more »
![Children participating in Museums Connect help design and construct a mosaic for their school. [State Department photo by Michele Peregrin/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0517_museums_connect_m.jpg)
![Wynton Marsalis plays at the CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival on Aug. 8, 2010, in Newport, R.I. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0407_w_marsalis_m.jpg)
![Former Women’s World Cup player Danielle Slaton shares both skill and enthusiasm with youth at Sports Envoy soccer clinics in Malaysia. [Courtesy of Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur/Department of State]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0313_malaysia_soccer_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)
