February 6 marks the 27th National Day of Women and Girls in Sports.
Today in Esteli, Nicaragua, girls from under-served areas are on the softball diamond, fielding grounders, running out base hits, and learning how sports can improve their health and their performance in the classroom.
In Donetsk, Ukraine, girls were on the basketball court, looking for the outlet pass, grabbing rebounds, and working as a team.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Dakar, Senegal on August 1, 2012. The Secretary met with President Macky Sall and other national leaders, as well as delivered a speech applauding the resilience of Senegal’s democratic institutions and highlighting America’s approach to partnership.
During her remarks, Secretary Clinton said, “…Throughout my trip across Africa this week, I will be talking about… a model of sustainable partnership that adds value rather than extracts it. That’s America’s commitment to Africa. The Obama… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks on building sustainable partnerships in Africa in Dakar, Senegal on August 2, 2012. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Africa, July 31 through August 10, 2012. On her trip, she will make stops in Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. Throughout the trip, Secretary Clinton will emphasize U.S. policy commitments outlined in the Presidential Policy Directive — to strengthen democratic institutions, spur economic growth, advance peace and security, as well as promote opportunity and development for all citizens.
In Senegal, Secretary Clinton will meet President Sall and other national leaders, as well as deliver a speech applauding the resilience of Senegal’s democratic institutions and…more »
American Quartet Hits All the Right Notes at Historic St. Louis Jazz Festival in Senegal
There is something special about seeing American jazz played in Africa: The audience responds in a unique way — as do the musicians performing the music.
Such was the case at the recent St. Louis Jazz Festival: St. Louis, Senegal, that is. The former capital of French Africa and a UNESCO world heritage site, the city is known for its crumbling but still-captivating architecture on the mile-long island on the border of Mauritania. The festival, the most important of its kind in Africa, celebrated its 20th year last week. The brand-new Minister of Culture, Youssou Ndour, otherwise known as one of Africa’s leading artists, declared for the first time that the festival’s tickets would be free.
During the opening ceremony, Ndour handed the U.S. Embassy an award to show the appreciation of our contributions to jazz over the years. In years past, jazz greats,…more »
Doing Business Differently: Fighting Global Hunger Through a Whole-of-Government Approach
About the Author: Tjada McKenna serves as Deputy Coordinator for Development for Feed the Future, and Jonathan Shrier serves as Acting Special Representative for Global Food Security and Deputy Coordinator for Diplomacy for Feed the Future.
In Haiti, farmers are increasing their incomes and conserving the environment by improving their production of plantains.
As Senegal today celebrates the 52nd anniversary of its independence, I just returned from the inauguration of the country’s new president, Macky Sall. Last Thursday, I was honored to receive a call from the White House asking me, on behalf of President Obama, to lead the official U.S. delegation attending his inauguration. Ambassador Johnnie Carson, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and General Carter Ham, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, joined me on the delegation, which was rounded out on the ground by our U.S. Ambassador to Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, Lewis Lukens.
The delegation represented agencies which carry out the three… more »
An Important Step Forward for Democracy in Africa
About the Author: Lewis Lukens serves as U.S. Ambassador to Senegal.
When I arrived in Senegal last August, I knew that it would be an exciting year for this nation’s democracy, but I don’t think anybody could have predicted the path that Senegalese took to get to where they are today. Much of the population rose up in protest to attempted changes to the constitution last year on June 23 (a date now immortalized by a civil society movement called Movement 23, or M23).
Since last June, Senegal’s democracy has seemed more fragile than ever before during its 52-year history. Yet today, Senegal has a new President-elect, Macky Sall, after current President Abdoulaye Wade graciously conceded defeat last night. Senegal’s strong tradition of democracy and vibrant civil society shone through again.
On February 26, I had the honor and privilege of accompanying Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, as… more »
U. S. Embassy Dakar Celebrates 50 Years of Freedom Through Development
About the Author: Sara Devlin is the acting Public Affairs Officer at the U. S. Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
On July 4, 2011, the U. S. Embassy in Dakar celebrated our country’s independence by commemorating two very special 50th anniversaries, those of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Peace Corps. Ambassador Marcia Bernicat welcomed guests at the Meridien President Hotel in Dakar. As dusk drew near, hundreds of people gathered around the hotel’s swimming pool to listen to Ambassador Bernicat’s Independence Day message.
Ambassador Bernicat began her speech by recalling the bravery of our founding fathers 235 years ago. She reminded us how, “with the benefit of 235 years of freedom, most of us have forgotten just how radical… more »
Investing in the Future of Africa
About the Author: Andrew Cedar is Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. He has helped to coordinate the Department’s Youth Task Force and the development of new youth policies at the Department.
This week, I am traveling with Judith McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, to South Africa and Senegal. As the Under Secretary noted in her recent DipNote post, I will be blogging regularly to keep you updated on our travels. The trip is centered around highlighting the incredible role young people are playing in shaping the future of Africa. Last summer, President Obama hosted over 100 young African leaders in Washington, and we are here to keep up the momentum of our engagement with young Africans and strengthen our partnership with this generation.
We started our journey at the incredible African Leadership… more »
![Jessica Mendoza, U.S. Olympian and member of the State Department Council to Empower Women and Girls, leads clinics in Nicaragua as part of the State Department's global efforts to empower women and girls through sports, February 4, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0205_women_sports_m.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the University of Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar, Senegal, on August 1, 2012. [AP Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0802_clinton_dakar_speec1_m.jpg)
![Secretary Clinton boards plane in Beirut, Lebanon, April 26, 2009. [State Department Photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2009_0716_clinton_departs_m.jpg)
![Devin Phillips Quartet performs at the 20th St. Louis Jazz Festival in Senegal, May 25, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0530_stlouis_jazz_senegal_m.jpg)
![A Peace Corps Volunteer works with a hospital in Senegal to grow gardens in order to provide vitamins to patients who cannot afford pills. [Peace Corps photo]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0426_food_m.jpg)
![MCC CEO Daniel Yohannes, second from right, meets with members of Senegalese civil society, March 2012. [MCC photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0404_mcc_senegal_m.jpg)
![A woman votes at a polling station in Senegal, March 25, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130214225223im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0326_senegal_elections_m.jpg)
