Secretary Clinton recently appeared before the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee in Washington, DC. During the testimony, the Secretary said:
"Our fiscal year 2011 request for the State Department and USAID totals $52.8 billion. That's a $4.9 billion increase over 2010. Of that increase, $3.6 billion will go to supporting efforts in the front-line states -- Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. Other funding will grow by $1.3 billion, which is a 2.7 percent increase that will help us address global challenges, strengthen partnerships, and ensure that the State Department and USAID are equipped with the right people and resources.more »
About the Author:Maria Oteroserves as U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.
I recently met with seven indigenous students from Bolivia; the real superstars and future leaders of the country. These students were selected through a very competitive process to participate in the Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders program sponsored by the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Interacting with these students from my native country of Bolivia reminded me of the dynamic… more »
About the Author: Victor Marsh serves as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State.
On Tuesday (2/23/2010), I had the pleasure of meeting with an exciting group of 140 young people and some parents at Youth Ville Detroit, a community center located in the heart of my home town: Detroit, Michigan.
When I first began my presentation, I promised the young people that I would stand there until the very last question was answered. They made me keep my promise! After my 20 minute presentation, featuring pictures and some stories about life in Hong Kong as a U.S. diplomat, the students shot their hands into the air, asking questions about the career and my experiences in a session that… more »
The Pathways to Prosperity in Americas brings real benefits to real people. What is Pathways to Prosperity? The Pathways to Prosperity is an initiative that promotes inclusive growth, prosperity, and social justice among the 14 Western Hemisphere countries that have existing free trade agreements. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau… more »
About the Author: Ellen Tauscher serves as the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.
In Prague last April, President Obama set forth a vision for how to meet the urgent threats posed by the spread of nuclear weapons. Under his leadership and with the hard work of the State Department, the United States is working to build a renewed international consensus on arms control and nonproliferation that is based on common concern and shared responsibility.
To implement the President's agenda, the State Department is undertaking a focused reorganization that will make arms control the centerpiece of a newly named Bureau… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently spoke at the NATO Strategic Concept Seminar in Washington, DC. Here is an excerpt from the Secretary's remarks:
"...Today we confront challenges that have parallels to the problems that faced the Alliance at its inception. Once again, we face a new strategic landscape. New technologies, new adversaries, and new ideologies threaten our security. And once again, there is little certainty about the future. But I believe that the original tenets of NATO's mission -- defending our nations, strengthening transatlantic ties, and fostering European integration -- still hold. So as we move forward with the process of drafting a new strategic concept, we should remember that the basic goals that defined this Alliance still bind us together today.
A team of U.S. civilian experts are preparing to travel to Papua New Guinea's Autonomous Region of Bougainville, where they will partner with local authorities to find and to safely clear unexploded ordnance left over from some of the fiercest fighting of the final years of the Second World War.
In a response to a request from the government of Papua New Guinea, I traveled with… more »
About the Author: Ambassador Carmen Lomellinserves as the Permanent U.S. Representative to the Organization of American States.
Last Friday, I visited my home town of Chicago to speak at the United States National Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLIL) national conference. Addressing the gathering -- composed of high school and college students from across the country, elected officials, and representatives from national organizations -- I highlighted the importance of public service and efforts to bolster recruitment of Hispanics for careers in government.
The nature of public service has evolved since President John F. Kennedy's historic challenge of "ask… more »
My first full day as an intern in the Office of Commercial and Business Affairs was a blur of new information, new people and a new language used here at the Department of State comprised solely of acronyms. By the end of the day I was feeling a bit overwhelmed about what I would be doing in days to come.
That evening as I sat at home, feeling a little uneasy about the internship and what my role would be in the department,… more »
About the Author: William Millman is a retired Foreign Service Officer providing public affairs assistance in Vancouver.
The atmosphere was electric on Sunday afternoon in Vancouver as spectators prepared for the unquestioned showcase event of this stage of the Games: U.S. -- Canada Men's Hockey. Oops, Canada-United States.
I know. In the U.S. ice hockey ranks somewhere between bowling and badminton in the pantheon of big time athletics. But here in Canada?
Hockey is king. Make that king, queen and jack, with jokers thrown in for good measure. As much as the Canucks love curling (you know, the game with the brooms…), it's hockey that captures the popular imagination. You could literally feel the excitement build here in the downtown area as tens of thousands prepared for 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 »
Chile Earthquake
For information or inquiries about U.S. citizens in Chile, please call 1-888-407-4747. You may email: ChileEarthquake@state.gov.
Anyone can see from the posts below that the what used to be Canaan but became Israel then became Palestine and is now Israel again "situation" is intractable…
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Assistant Secretary Crowley (Mar. 16): "Weâre going to show our commitment to the parties in the Middle East peace process. Thatâs what the American people expect us to do." Full Text» more »
Secretary Clinton (Mar 13): " is an example of what we call 21st century statecraft and an opportunity to extend our engagement ... directly to the people of the world." Media Note» more »
![Under Secretary Otero with Bolivian students in Washington, DC Feb. 25, 2010. [State Dept.]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0226_otero_m.JPG)
![FSO Victor Marsh visits community center in Detroit, Michigan Feb. 23, 2010. [State Dept.]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0226_hometown_m.jpg)
![Women converse at the Women Entrepreneurs Conf., Oct 7-9, 2009, Washington, D.C. [State Dept. Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0225_pathways_women_m.jpg)
![Destroyed Libyan Missles. [AP file photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0224_weapon_m.jpg)
![Marines march out of the jungles in Bougainville, Solomon Islands on Jan. 8, 1944. [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0223_Papua_New_Guinea_m.jpg)
![Hall of Heroes at the Organization of America States (OAS) in Washington, DC April 17, 2007. [OAS]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/oas_m.jpg)
![A container ship offloads at the Port of Long Beach, Calif., Aug. 12, 2009. [AP File Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0222_Export_Ship_m.jpg)
![USA's Jamie Langenbrunner (15) scores a goal at Vancouver 2010 Olympics, Feb. 21, 2010 [AP Photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0223_Hockey_US_Men_m.jpg)
