About the Author: Lee Satterfield serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Professional and Cultural Exchanges in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Yesterday, the 2012 class of TechWomen arrived in San Francisco to participate in an international exchange that leverages technology as a means to empower women and girls from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Yemen. Forty-one female emerging leaders in the technology field from the Middle East and North Africa will be paired with American counterparts for a five-week mentoring program. Click here to learn more.

Launched by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2011, TechWomen builds on her vision of “smart power.” It embraces the full range of diplomatic tools, in this case technology, to bring people together for greater understanding and to empower women and… more »

“I would like to congratulate the people of Algeria on this week’s elections. The Government of Algeria invited international and non-governmental organizations to send observation missions and conducted elections that provided the Algerian people with the opportunity to express their will. These elections — and the high number of women elected — are a welcome step in Algeria’s progress toward democratic reform. The United States looks forward to working together with the newly elected National Popular Assembly and to continuing to strengthen our ties with the government and the people of Algeria.”

About the Author: Suzanne Philion serves as Senior Advisor for Innovation in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

It’s not every day that the State Department gets to go back to school.

Last week, we partnered with Chicago Public Schools to link Lincoln Park High School students with secondary school students in Ghana, Zimbabwe, Algeria, and Peru via video conferencing technology. Students engaged in a range of human rights-related topics in anticipation of the 12th World Summit of Nobel Laureates, taking place in Chicago from April 23-25, 2012. Juniors and seniors from Lincoln Park High School connected with English-speaking youth brought together by our U.S. Embassies in Accra, Harare, Algiers, and Lima.

These incredible students from three continents discussed a wide range of issues candidly and respectfully. They touched on serious political issues, including women’s rights, education, the Arab Spring, human rights, and access to medicine. Students also connected… more »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks with Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., January 12, 2012.