Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 5, 2012

From December 11-13, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Marrakech, Morocco to participate in a meeting of the Friends of the Syrian People. This latest meeting provides an opportunity to consult with like-minded governments in the region and around the world on how best to continue support for the Syrian opposition and on efforts to end the bloodshed. While in Morocco, she will also meet with King Mohammed VI, as well as senior Moroccan government officials, to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

She will then travel to Tunis, Tunisia to co-host the 9th Forum for the Future Ministerial with the Government of Tunisia on December 13. This year’s Forum welcomes increased levels of civil society, private sector, and government participation and focuses on the key themes of women’s empowerment, freedom of expression and association, and economic governance and entrepreneurship. Secretary Clinton will also meet with senior Tunisian government officials to discuss progress in the country’s transition to democracy as well as bilateral and regional issues.

Secretary Clinton will conclude her trip in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and participate in the 3rd ministerial meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) on December 14. The centerpiece of the meeting will be the announcement by Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed of the opening of the first-ever International Center of Excellence on Countering Violent Extremism, which the GCTF set in motion at its September 2011 launch. The Center will provide a venue for training, dialogue, collaboration, and research to counter violent extremism in all of its forms and manifestations by bringing together the experts, expertise, and experience that exist in countries around the globe. The Secretary will also meet with senior Emirati government officials to discuss regional and bilateral issues.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki in New York, New York on September 26, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton addresses the United Nations Security Council session on peace and security in the Middle East, New York, NY, September 26, 2012.  You can read the Secretary’s full remarks here.

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 »

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 24, 2012

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs welcomes 21 youth and three educators from Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia to the United States on August 24, to participate in a three-week Youth Leadership Program focused on the theme of Media Literacy. The participants will learn about leadership development, civic education and community service through engagement with students in local high schools, encounters with civic, youth, and governmental organizations, and participation in community service activities and leadership workshops. The program is implemented by nonprofit organization World Learning.

The exchange program begins with a leadership and team building camp at World Learning’s School for International Training Graduate Institute campus in Brattleboro, Vermont. After the camp, the students will break into groups and travel to either Louisville, Kentucky or San Diego, California. In each of the cities the students will meet with local organizations to learn about civic engagement and media education initiatives. They will also live with local host families, perform community service, and attend cultural events.

The group will reunite in Washington, D.C. on September 12, to learn how the State Department interacts with media at home and abroad, and to draft plans for service projects they will implement in their home communities.

For more information, please visit http://exchanges.state.gov/youth/programs/ylp.html and or contact: Anna Griffin at ECA-Press@state.gov.

About the Author: Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment.

On the Fourth of July, I wrote an entry celebrating the “American Brand.” I feel even more strongly about the importance and value of the “American Brand” after a recent trip to South East Asia and the Middle East.

I traveled throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma with businessmen and women from over 50 of America’s best companies seeking opportunities to increase trade and investment in the region. The delegations — which were organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council — met with Secretary Clinton and senior foreign business leaders and government officials, including several heads of state.

Our delegations were enthusiastically greeted in every country we visited. Business and government leaders there recognized… more »

About the Author: Kelli Davis is a program officer in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) SportsUnited Office.

Imagine visiting the United States for the first time and having the extraordinary opportunity to watch some of the world’s top American swimmers compete for a spot in the 2012 London Olympics. While many people had to gather around television sets to watch the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska, a special group of swimmers from Tunisia had the chance to watch it live! Partnering with USA Swimming, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)’s SportsUnited division brought 13 athletes — 12 youths and 1 coach — to the United States for a sports exchange program from June 26 to July 9.

Today marks the start of the swimming events for the 2012 London Olympics, and U.S.A. Swimming National… more »

Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 26, 2012

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs’ (ECA) announces a sports exchange program that will bring 13 athletes—12 youth and one coach—to the United States from June 26 to July 9. This program marks the fourth sports exchange with Tunisia, following up on basketball Sports Visitor and Sports Envoys programs in 2008, 2010, and 2012.

During the first half of their visit, participants will have an opportunity to attend the 2012 USA Olympics Swimming Trials in Omaha, NE. The delegation will also participate in a Special Olympics session and interact and train with their American counterparts. The final part of the program will take place in Fort Lauderdale, FL where the delegation will take part in a series of intensive swimming clinics, strength and conditioning trainings, and educational summer camp programs alongside American youth. Throughout the two-week program, the group will participate in swimming clinics and related activities with their American peers as well as engage in educational sessions on nutrition, conflict resolution, and disability sports. MORE.

About the Author: Dr. Esther Brimmer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs.

Freedom of expression is a cornerstone to any thriving democracy.

This idea came to life while I spent three days at UNESCO’s World Press Freedom Day in Tunisia, where I had the opportunity to listen to and engage with journalists, bloggers, and citizen activists from across the Middle East and North Africa and beyond.

I arrived May 3 in Tunis to deliver remarks at Tunisia’s Presidential Palace to a crowd of more than 400 in attendance, and thousands more watching virtually. The audience welcomed video… more »