I wanted to share with you an excerpt from Secretary Rice's interview yesterday with the Washington Times. I believe it is instructive to consider her responses to questions about race in America in the context of our administration's commitment to promote democracy around the globe. While I read some commentary questioning our commitment to democracy and human rights promotion, I also hear plenty of criticism on the other hand that we come across too often as wagging our fingers at countries struggling with democratic reform. So while we push, prod, cajole, criticize and praise others, we should…

In recent years, the United States has launched the largest international development effort since the Marshall Plan. Since 2001, the U.S. has doubled its assistance to Latin America, quadrupled it for Africa and nearly tripled it worldwide. The U.S. is the world’s largest donor of bilateral and multilateral foreign aid. In 2006, the U.S. gave $23.5 billion in official development assistance. This represents less than 1% of its GDP.

Does the U.S. spend too much or too little on foreign aid?

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On the Ground in Iraq: What Works
Posted by John Smith on Mar 27, 2008 - 04:59 PM

John Smith serves as a Provincial Reconstruction Team Leader in Iraq.

March 14, 2008

Hello, all. I’m a ePRT team leader in southern Baghdad. An ePRT means that you’re embedded with a military unit and collectively you address issues of governance. In my particular area, people have just gained their freedoms. However, with cooperative effort, we’ve been able to make some very good inroads.

It began with -- of course, like anything that we do in life, relationships. And the Iraqi people believe in relationships. So the time spent with tribal leaders, people in the community, and governance officials is important. They want to get to know you just as you need to get to know them. And then the relationship builds and there’s a trust and that trust is based on…

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Public Diplomacy in Budapest
Posted by Colleen Graffy on Mar 25, 2008 - 01:38 PM

Colleen Graffy serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs.

"Hmm... Now what exactly is public diplomacy"? That is the question I am often asked.

I describe public diplomacy as the art of communicating a country's policies, values and culture to other peoples. It is an attempt to explain why we have decided on certain measures, and beyond that, to explain who we are.

My recent trip to Hungary might offer some insights into what public diplomacy is all about.

Before the trip I met with the Hungarian Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Dr. Ferenc Somogyi. We discussed how we might increase student exchanges--we…

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