Posted by Frederick Jones on Oct 23, 2007 - 03:14 PM
![The United Nations headquarters is seen in New York, Friday, July 27, 2007. [AP file photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2007_1023_un_bh_m.jpg)
Does the United Nations continue to effectively fulfill its mission?
Category: Question of the Week More entries by Frederick Jones | Comments (542)
Posted by Alison Blosser on Oct 22, 2007 - 06:32 PM
![Alison Blosser poses with community members in Afghanistan Oct. 22, 2007. [State Dept. photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/P9170127_m.jpg)
Flying in a Chinook helicopter up the Kunar river valley into mountainous Asadabad is a spectacular way to arrive at post. I have come to Afghanistan following a one-year tour as a Political Officer at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, ready to develop a truly cross-border perspective of tribalism, development, insurgency, and Pashtun hospitality.
My home/office has become a dorm room at the Provincial…
Category: South and Central Asia More entries by Alison Blosser | Comments (8)
Posted by Kate Frederich on Oct 20, 2007 - 08:50 PM
![The Dalai Lama addresses a crowd on the U.S. Capitol steps October 17, 2007. [AP photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2007_1020_lama_bh_m.jpg)
On October 17, the Office the Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues led by Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky, had the distinct pleasure of attending the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring the Dalai Lama. Deputy Secretary Negroponte was also in attendance along with many other Administration officials. This historic ceremony was the culmination of a years-long effort that garnered nearly unanimous bi-partisan support from Congress. The award was given to the Dalai Lama in recognition of his many enduring and outstanding contributions to peace, nonviolence, human rights and religious understanding. In the packed…
Category: East Asia and the Pacific More entries by Kate Frederich | Comments (3)
Posted by Tara Foley on Oct 19, 2007 - 07:48 PM
![Two Saudi women walk along a street in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 12, 2004. [AP file photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/AP04101209500_m.jpg)
Last week, I shared some of my personal experiences as an American woman in Riyadh. Today, I’ll discuss a related, but separate, issue: the women of Riyadh. The role of women in Saudi Arabia is changing. Too rapidly for some, too slowly for others; nonetheless, it is changing everyday. As in many cultures, the Saudi woman’s historical role has typically been in the home. Women and men are strictly segregated in public, and women must cover anytime they go outside the home. Restaurants and cafes have separate entrances for “singles” (men) and “families” (women and mixed groups of relatives). Individual tables even have curtains to screen women from prying eyes. A number of establishments are men-only; more than once, I was turned away…
Category: Behind the Scenes More entries by Tara Foley | Comments (8)
Posted by Masharika Prejean on Oct 18, 2007 - 07:40 PM
![Secretary Rice upon her arrival in Tel Aviv, Israel October 14, 2007. [State Department photo]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/UNGA/field/2007_1018_rice_plane4_bh_m.jpg)
For starters, we’ve got some die hard Red Sox baseball fans in the traveling party. I won’t say who these people are, but one devotee’s name rhymes with “dawn”…which is the time of day that this person had to wake up in Moscow to see his beloved team play in the playoff series. Never before have I seen such a crowd of people—ladies and gents—so mesmerized by a live TV stream on a laptop in the middle…
Category: Behind the Scenes More entries by Masharika Prejean | Comments (2)