Journey to TechCamp Lima
Posted by Sean Boda / May 18, 2012
![Technologists and representatives of NGOs pose for a group photo at the end of the second day of TechCamp Lima. [U.S. Embassy Lima/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0518_techcamp_lima_m.jpg)
I stepped onto South American soil for the first time to participate in TechCamp Lima, the tenth such TechCamp. TechCamps are the pillar of Secretary Clinton's Civil Society 2.0 initiative and organized and run by the Secretary's Innovation team and the Office of eDiplomacy in close collaboration with local embassies.
Perched cliff-side, bustling Lima crouches over the Pacific teeming with a third of Peru's population. An incredibly diverse country, Peruvians point out its three major regions: coast, sierra, and jungle, each with starkly contrasting histories and culture. The NGOs participating in TechCamp Lima work in many sectors. However, they share the broader goal of bridging Peru's differences… more »
Global Recovery: A View From the Americas
Posted by Roberta Jacobson / May 09, 2012
![Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson delivers remarks at the 42nd Conference on the Americas at the Department of State in Washington, D.C., May 8, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0508_jacobson_ascoa_m.jpg)
Economic recovery, at home, in Europe, across the globe, seems to be on everyone's minds these days. In the United States, the engine to power our economic recovery is fueled by human and physical resources right here in our own hemisphere. No one knows this better than the Council of the Americas. Since its founding in 1965, the Council's approximately 200 members account for a large percentage of U.S. investment in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their investment is linked by a shared belief that free markets and private enterprise, coupled with strong democratic governance, offer the most effective means to achieve regional economic growth and prosperity.
Yesterday, when we addressed the Council at their annual conference,… more »
Recognizing a Bahamian Exchange Alumna for Society-Strengthening Contributions
Posted by Erica N. Thibault / April 19, 2012
![Christine Campbell delivers remarks at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau, The Bahamas, April 18, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0419_campbell_bahamas_m.jpg)
Each month, the U.S. Department of State honors an alumnus from one of our academic, cultural, sports, and professional exchanges in more than 160 countries. All of us at the U.S. Embassy in Nassau are so pleased that the Department of State selected Ms. Christine Campbell as April's State Alumni Member of the Month in recognition of her leadership and commitment to public service. Last night, we had an opportunity to applaud Ms. Campbell at a reception hosted by U.S. Charge d'Affaires John Dinkelman for all State exchange program alumni in The Bahamas.
Throughout her career, Ms. Campbell has been a central force in the prevention of drug abuse,… more »
Study Abroad Can Change Your Life—And Your Country
Posted by Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli / March 28, 2012
![Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Fabiola Rodriguez-Ciampoli holds a roundtable discussion on educational exchanges in the Americas at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., March 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0328_wha_study_abroad_m.jpg)
I am living proof of how study abroad can change your life. I came from Mexico to the United States as a Fulbright graduate student. That led to -- in addition to a master's degree -- falling in love, getting married, becoming a U.S. citizen, campaigning in the 2008 presidential election, and ultimately being chosen to lead public diplomacy for the Western Hemisphere at the U.S. Department of State.
Although most people realize that study abroad can change an individual's life, they often don't recognize how important international exchanges can be as a contribution to relations between our countries. Study abroad enhances our understanding of other cultures, provides an enlightening perspective on our home country, and builds partnerships that foster progress toward greater prosperity, economic equality, and sustainability. Recognizing the importance of international… more »
Deepening U.S.-Bolivia Bilateral Cooperation
Posted by Kevin Whitaker / March 14, 2012
![Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kevin Whitaker interacts with participants in a USAID Alternative Development program at Carmen Pampa University in Bolivia. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0314_bolivia_bananas_m.jpg)
The United States and Bolivia are entering a new chapter in our bilateral relationship. I just returned from Bolivia, where I led the U.S. delegation to the first meeting of the U.S.-Bolivia High Level Joint Commission, a product of the Framework Agreement we signed last November. The Framework Agreement was designed to help us move beyond the significant difficulties in the relationship experienced over the last three years. Based on the Joint Commission meeting, we have made substantial progress. During the Joint Commission, we tackled a range of issues -- from development to trade to counternarcotics -- in the spirit of shared interests and mutual respect. We discussed… more »
Pursuing the “Americas Dream”
Posted by Carmen Lomellin / March 12, 2012
![Sixth Summit of the Americas Graphic. [Courtesy of Organization of American States]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0312_summit_americas_6_m.jpg)
The Sixth Summit of the Americas is about achieving a dream for the Americas. Through successful partnerships, we will address key challenges facing the people of the Americas -- from energy and citizen security to more inclusive economic growth -- while also advancing core U.S. interests, both in the region and beyond.
What is the Summit of the Americas? The Summit of the Americas is a forum that brings together all 34 democratically elected heads of state in the Western Hemisphere to reinforce bonds of collaboration and to discuss coordinated multilateral responses. President Clinton launched the Summit of the Americas in Miami in 1994. The Sixth Summit… more »
U.S.-Peru Partnership: Working To Reduce Illegal Coca Cultivation
Posted by Rose M. Likins / March 06, 2012
![U.S. Ambassador to Peru Rose M. Likins flies over patches of illegal coca crops neatly intermingled among the lush mountain growth in Peru. March 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0306_peru_m.jpg)
Among the diverse portfolio of U.S.-Peru bilateral cooperation, a leading priority is combating drug trafficking and helping low-income Peruvian farmers find alternative legal crops to support their families and communities. The problem is urgent: Peru is one of the top cocaine producing countries in the world. Reducing illegal coca cultivation in Peru and replacing it with alternatives such as coffee and cacao is a key element of the Government of Peru's anti-narcotics plan. Coca eradication and alternative development are important components of the United States' ongoing commitment to support Peru in its anti-narcotics goals. This strategic bilateral partnership has had a significant impact on the ground through an eradication program supported by the Embassy Narcotics Affairs Section (NAS) and alternative development programs by the U.S. Agency for International Development… more »
Women Executives and Entrepreneurs Take Center Stage in Brazil
Posted by J.R. Littlejohn / March 01, 2012
![Women executives pose for a photo following a business breakfast hosted by the U.S. Consulate General in Sao Paulo on March 1, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0301_women_executives_brazil_m.jpg)
It is impossible to overlook Brazil's emergence on the world stage, or the steady domestic economic growth that pushed Brazil to become the sixth largest economy in the world in 2011. In the last decade, this growth has brought 40 million Brazilians into the consumer middle class, reduced income disparities, and increased socio-economic inclusion. Equally historic, women are increasingly taking leadership roles in Brazil's booming economy.
Meanwhile, in the political arena, Brazilians have elected their first woman president, Dilma Rousseff, who in turn populated almost a third of her cabinet with women. In February 2012, she appointed a woman to serve as CEO of the country's largest company, the energy conglomerate Petrobras.
In the private sector, women are similarly taking on key positions, including GE Brazil's new president, Adriana Machado, and Standard… more »
Celebrating 200 Years of U.S.-Chilean Friendship
Posted by Alejandro Wolff / February 24, 2012
Today marks the 200th anniversary of U.S.-Chilean friendship! On this day in 1812, Joel Robert Poinsett of Charleston, South Carolina, met with the president of the First Chilean Governing Council as not only the first U.S. diplomat to Chile, but the first accredited member of any foreign government to reach the newly independent nation. Poinsett was received as U.S. Consul General to Chile by Jose Miguel Carrera during a time of revolution in Latin America. The United States, having recently achieved its own independence and engaged at the time in a second war with England, was supportive of Chile's struggle for freedom. Poinsett fought alongside Chilean patriots and participated in the group that drafted Chile's first constitution. He returned to the United States in 1814, having laid a foundation of diplomacy… more »
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