One of the most exciting moments in my recent media tour of U.S. and UN food security projects in Honduras came in the middle of a lush vegetable field in the township of Las Pavas. Surrounded by lettuce, broccoli, carrots and radishes, Nora Diaz told me that thanks to their home garden, her family -- unlike many in Honduras -- was able to stay together.
As part of the USAID ACCESSO initiative that targets 18,000 poor rural households in Honduras, the Diaz family was given assistance in the form of training, fertilizer, seed, and irrigation that allowed them to grow better and more nutritious food for their family. It also allowed them to produce a surplus that can be sold to generate income. Thanks to this, Mr. Diaz did not need to leave his family in search of work in the city, or abroad.
Mario Corea Pineda has gone a step further. He is a small farmer… more »
About the Author: Hannah Johnson serves as DipNote's Assistant Editor.
Each week, we will be highlighting a U.S. government photograph from around the world as part of our "Photo of the Week" segment. This week's photograph comes to us from the Office of Art in Embassies. Taken by retired U.S. Army Lieutentant Colonel Richard A. Fisher, the photograph captures the descent of the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and U.S. Embassy Bern staff members from the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland. Lt. Colonel Fisher submitted the photograph for consideration in the "Serving Abroad...Through Their Eyes" exhibition.
The "Serving Abroad...Through Their Eyes" photography exhibition is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Defense and the… more »
When I joined the State Department three short months ago, I was so pleased to be joining an institution that has been at the forefront of digital diplomacy; reinforcing our diplomatic leadership by using digital networks and technologies in service of U.S. foreign policy goals. Secretary Clinton has called this "21st Century Statecraft" -- complementing traditional foreign policy tools with the networks and technologies of our interconnected world.
Underscoring our commitment to these efforts, January is the Department's 21st Century Statecraft month and we'll be taking advantage of the truly participatory nature of social media to bring people virtually into the State Department briefing room to ask their foreign policy questions. State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland will… more »
In her keynote remarks at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in early November, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton paused to reflect on the last 12 months: "What a year 2011 has been for freedom in the Middle East and North Africa."
For people in that region and around the world, this past year brought exceptional progress and challenges. Some dictators fell, while others tyrants teetered, and in Syria, yet another clung to power by inflicting terrible suffering on his own people. Demands for free and fair elections and for governance that can provide both human rights and fundamental economic needs spread from country to country and across the globe. TIME Magazine named "The Protester" as its Person of the Year. Whenever I traveled -- from Sudan to Russia… more »
Keeping America safe from terrorism begins abroad. In the race to protect the United States and stay "one step ahead," we must develop innovative strategies, creative diplomacy, and even stronger partnerships. How do we do it all? Here are ten things you should know about the new Bureau of Counterterrorism.
1. We build foreign counterterrorism capacity. We build international partner counterterrorism capacity in the civilian sector and contribute to efforts in the military and defense sectors. We develop and support implementation of antiterrorism assistance in the law enforcement, rule-of-law and counterterrorism finance sectors, on topics ranging from cyber-security to money laundering prevention to crisis response to prison de-radicalization.
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.
I am a proud citizen and i respect the people's sense of moral responsibility on this matter. but i fear it is way to ethnocentric for direct backing from…
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Spokesperson Nuland (Feb. 14): "We remain deeply concerned about multiple allegations of human rights abuses by security forces, including illegal and arbitrary detentions throughout the electoral process." more »
![Small commercial vegetable farm where, through the USAID ACCESSO program, women are establishing and managing home gardens to produce vegetables for family consumption and to generate additional household income in La Paz, Honduras. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0106_honduras_farm_m.jpg)
![U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and staff members descend the Matterhorn in Switzerland, August 2011. [Photo by Richard A. Fisher/ U.S. Army]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0107_potw_switzerland_m.jpg)
![Image of m.state.gov on mobile device, June 9, 2010. [State Depart. Image]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2010_0609_state_mobile_m.jpg)
