Under Secretary Hughes: Travel to Algeria and Jordan

Under Secretary Hughes traveled to Algeria and Jordan, February 20-March 2, 2007.  In Algeria, Under Secretary Hughes attended the reopening of the American Corner at the National Library of Algeria, which will help Algerians gain a better understanding of the United States, its people, culture, history and via book collections, the Internet, and through a variety of events such as public readings, films, speaker programs, workshops, meetings, and exhibits.

While in Jordan, Under Secretary Hughes visited Petra School in Amman to launch the "My Arabic Library" program with Jordanian Minister of Education Khalid Toukan.  She spent time in classrooms where she heard children read their favorite stories from My Arabic Library, a program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative that provides materials for classroom libraries to accelerate the development of children’s independent reading, critical thinking, and analytical skills.

Also while in Jordan, Under Secretary Hughes co-chaired the Women Business Leaders Summit (February 27-28). The Summit, a public-private sector outreach program, was designed to facilitate links between American, Jordanian, and the broader Middle Eastern business communities. Participants in the Summit shared their experiences and exchanged best practices in a variety of panel discussions.