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 am thrilled to be welcoming the first-ever class of TechGirls to the United States next week! TechGirls connects and supports the next generation of women in technology sectors by providing them the access and opportunity needed to pursue higher education and eventually careers in technology. We've got an exciting program in the works and are grateful for the support from the technology community.
Building on the State Department's landmark TechWomen program, TechGirls brings teenage girls ages 15-17 from the Middle East and North Africa to the United States for a three-week exchange. The girls will travel to Washington, D.C. and New York City for workshops and visits with a broad range of American innovators,… more »
During my tenure in Syria, my main focus was strengthening the relationship between the American and Syrian people. During this difficult, violent, and dangerous time in Syria's history, the American people are proud to support your transition to democracy, an ongoing process which we began a mere 236 years ago.
Through the U.S. government, they have also provided over $52 million to humanitarian assistance efforts for Syrian people suffering from the ongoing violence inside Syria and for those who have fled the violence and are now in neighboring countries. I know that this assistance does not meet all the needs for those who are suffering, but we will continue to provide assistance throughout this difficult period to as many Syrians in need as possible.
Next week I am going to a meeting in Switzerland for SESAME, which I happen to think is the most exciting and revolutionary scientific undertaking that practically nobody outside of the scientific community has ever heard of.
What is it and why do I think it is so radical and so important?
The first question is easy.
SESAME actually stands for 'Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East' and will be the region's first major multi-country scientific research center. It's being developed under the auspices of UNESCO and is scheduled to open fully in Jordan in 2015. When it is completed, SESAME will be the Middle East's only source of so-called "high intensity synchrotron X-rays," key building blocks for research into biology,… more »
A few weeks ago, Fulbright Program administrators from across the Middle East and North Africa convened in Jordan with their U.S.-based colleagues for a dynamic three-day workshop. The Binational Fulbright Commission in Jordan, led by Executive Director Alain McNamara and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, hosted us.
Together with representatives from regional Fulbright Commissions, U.S. embassies and non-governmental partners, we reviewed academic exchange priorities, shared information and best practices, and addressed issues and challenges faced by the Fulbright Program… more »
In the midst of the political and economic revolutions and evolutions of the Arab Spring, there is a theme emerging. It isn't as popular to talk about as the power of social media for mobilization, and it hasn't received the same media coverage as the crowds in city squares across the Middle East and North Africa, but it's a vital part of what is happening in our world.
As venture capitalist Craig Hanson so aptly stated in the San Jose Mercury News, "Entrepreneurship is the next phase of the Arab Spring."
We talked about Craig's message a great deal yesterday when we hosted the 25 entrepreneurs from Jordan who accompanied His Majesty King Abdullah II on his visit to meet with President Obama this week. At a luncheon here at the State Department, we connected these… more »
With an estimated 40 million displaced people worldwide, up to 12 million who do not have citizenship to any country, and some 10.5 million refugees around the globe, the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) assists persecuted and uprooted people through our support to international organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and by advocating for their protection through humanitarian diplomacy. From the Arab Awakening to the crisis in the Horn of Africa, global political upheaval and conflict have presented many humanitarian challenges, and as 2012 begins, I'd like to take a moment to share a few examples of the work we did last year.
Refugee Admissions: The United States welcomed more than 56,000 refugees… more »
In 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton continued to champion cross-sectoral partnerships as a cornerstone of her 21st Century Statecraft. In support of her priorities, the Global Partnership Initiative (GPI) focused on four flagship initiatives last year:
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
Over the past year, our work on clean cookstoves has continued to thrive. In 2011, we built the Alliance infrastructure and strategic base, launched major communications initiatives, and began a wide range of operational priorities, much of which was either led by the U.S. government or made possible because of our strong commitment.
Thank you, Jonathan, for this insightful post on World Food Day and the importance of strengthening our efforts as an international community to end world hunger…
more »
U.S. Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall will lead the Department of State's latest Experience America trip to Arkansas with members of the Diplomatic Corps and their spouses during October 21 â 23, 2012. more »
Oct. 18: The Department's Rewards for Justice program is offering rewards for information on two key Iran-based facilitators and financiers of the al-Qaida terrorist organization. more »
![Sanae Baatti, a Moroccan mentee, and Taghrid Samak, an American mentor, participate in TechWomen 2012, an international exchange that leverages technology as a means to empower women and girls, in San Francisco, California, September 5, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0906_tech_women_sf_m.jpg)
![In this picture taken during a UN observer-organized tour, a Syrian man rides his bicycle as he passes destroyed buildings in the Baba Amr neighborhood during the UN observers' visit to Homs city, central Syria, on May 3, 2012. [AP File Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0612_syria_homs_m.jpg)
![Screenshot of the Fulbright Program in Jordan website, as seen on May 7, 2012. [Image Courtesy of the Fulbright Program, 2008]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0507_jordan_fulbright_m.jpg)
![Attendees of the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship listen as President Barack Obama speaks, April 26, 2010, in Washington. [AP File Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0118_young_entrepeneurs_m.jpg)
![Water center in Dolo Kobe, Ethiopia, 2011 [State Department photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0102_prm_water_center_m.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Chef José Andrés, Culinary Ambassador for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on September 13, 2011. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121019033804im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0913_clinton_chef_andres_m.jpg)
