On a recent trip to Dhaka, Bangladesh, I visited Dhaka University to see a Banyan tree that Senator Edward Kennedy planted there in 1972 to commemorate Bangladesh's independence. At the time of Senator Kennedy's historic visit to Bangladesh, he was the most senior U.S. government official to ever visit the newly independent country. More than 10,000 students attended the tree planting ceremony. They, and many more people in Bangladesh and around the world, were inspired by Senator Kennedy, the democratic ideals he embodied, and his personal commitment to public service and volunteerism.
From this visit 40 years ago, a deep bond between Senator Kennedy and Bangladesh developed and endured. The American Center of U.S. Embassy Dhaka, in partnership with the Liberation War Museum, recently launched the Edward M. Kennedy Center for Public Service and the Arts (the EMK Center),… more »
Thousands of guests from around the globe gathered at Fort Ross, one of the oldest Russian settlements on U.S. soil, July 28-30 for theatrical and choral performances, traditional Russian craft and food displays, and panel discussions about U.S.-Russian cooperation. I was honored to participate in the celebration, which took place in the Russian River Valley in California and commemorated the bicentennial of the fort's settlement and 200 years of U.S.-Russian relations in the region.
I spoke on a panel with Mikhail Shvydkoy, President Putin's envoy for international cultural cooperation, on U.S-Russian relations… more »
June 14 is Flag Day, and Americans everywhere are proudly flying the red, white, and blue. Here at the State Department, and at U.S. embassies and consulates around the world, we are joining Secretary Clinton to gear up for Global Economic Statecraft Day . Today in Washington and nearly every other world capital, more than 350 events in 138 countries will let U.S. diplomats show what they do every day to help American businesses around the world. You can watch Secretary Clinton's remarks on Economic Statecraft right here on state.gov.
U.S. embassies are using this day to bring together local and American business to forge stronger economic ties, increase trade and commerce, promote tourism,… more »
Last night, Americans gathered around their television sets -- or computer monitors -- to watch President Barack Obama deliver the State of the Union Address. For the first time, international audiences were able to watch the State of the Union Address live on U.S. embassy and consulate websites. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) streamed the speech with a new video player, placed directly on almost 300 English-language embassy and consulate websites and Facebook pages worldwide.
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…
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Spokesperson Nuland (Oct. 17): "Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Michael Posner, led a 22-member interagency delegation from the U.S. to discuss the full range of human rights issues affecting the country." more »
Oct. 16: Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights, held a conversation with Ann Cody, Director of Policy and Global Outreach, BlazeSports; and Kirk Bauer, Executive Director of Disabled Sports USA. more »