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 »
About the Author: Jose Fernandez serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs.
Just as my Department of State colleagues witnessed the entrepreneurial spirit of the Arab Spring with Jordanian entrepreneurs in Washington, D.C., I experienced that same spirit energizing the halls of the Ryad Mogador Agdal in Marrakech, Morocco.
I recently participated in the second U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference, initially launched one year ago in Algiers just weeks before the uprisings in Tunisia that sparked the Arab Spring. The conference was the annual partnership meeting of the 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.
Mr. Ford, I do not find your arguments persuasive. The putative rebel forces are reported to have armored personnel carriers and the Israeli DEBKAfile…
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Well, perhaps one can appreciate why we Americans reject federal militarization of our local police and joint task forces involving federal troops, Fusion…
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Feb. 13, 2012: Senior officials delivered remarks on the FY 2013 Department of State - USAID budget request. Watch for a replay at video.state.gov. More on Budget more »
Spokesperson Nuland (Feb. 10): "We will have more of this declassified U.S. national imagery available both on site in coming days but also on our new site www.stateondemand.com, where news organizations can find all of our content to pull down around the world. more »
![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)
