Tag Archives: Jordan

Obama Denounces Iran Attack / The Carbon Capture Challenge / Native American Art

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President Obama denounces a terrorist attack on a mosque in Iran. Reducing greenhouse gases is going to take more than cap-and-trade. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton hosts a town hall meeting to discuss the release of the first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Read our handbook on U.S. media law. The U.S. gives Jordan vehicles to help in its fight to protect intellectual property. Global citizens speak up about climate change. And finally, explore a photo gallery of Native American art.

Obama Denounces Iran Attack
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President Obama denounces a bombing attack targeting Iranian civilians in Chabahar as “disgraceful and cowardly” and says those who carried out the attack must be held accountable. “The murder of innocent civilians in their place of worship during Ashura is a despicable offense,” Obama says.

The Challenge of Carbon Capture
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Cap-and-trade and renewable energy alone likely won’t be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This reality has prompted governments and companies to increasingly look for new and unconventional solutions to the climate problem.

A Diplomacy, Development Review
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A newly released internal study of the U.S. State Department lays out a plan for better coordinating U.S. responses to crises, conflicts and natural disasters around the world. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, right, unveiled the State Department’s Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, which suggests changes in organization, coordination with other U.S. government agencies, and implementation of overseas programs.

Media Law Handbook
What are the privileges and responsibilities of a free press? In Media Law Handbook, Professor Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota, explores how free societies answer this question.

Protecting Intellectual Property in Jordan
The Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement donates ten vehicles to the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization headquarters to contribute to Jordan’s robust intellectual property rights enforcement regime.

Global Messages: Climate Change
America.gov asked people around the world to write a message to world leaders about climate change. We received responses from all corners of the globe. Read their messages.

Photo Gallery: Native American Art
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The artistic traditions of American Indians convey the resilience of the United States’ indigenous peoples. Thanks to the U.S. State Department’s Art in Embassies program, which installs art in U.S. diplomatic posts, global audiences can enjoy the talents of many American artists — tribal and otherwise. Explore the work in this photo gallery. At right, a portrait of the legendary Sioux chief Jack Red Cloud.

In Indonesia, @America / North Korea Talks / Journalism in the USA

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There’s a new place for cultural exchange in Indonesia. North Korea’s recent provocative action has jeopardized peace and stability in Asia, the U.S., Japan and South Korea say. In Haiti, the U.S. is working to end the cholera outbreak. A new trade agreement between the U.S. and South Korea will help both countries. Russian and U.S. authorities join forces in fighting drug trafficking. Jordanians get a lesson in conflict avoidance negotiations. We’ve got a climate control update from COP-16. And, finally, a report on the Edward R. Murrow program for international journalists.

In Indonesia, @america
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In Indonesia, Under Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Public Diplomacy Judith McHale, right, recently attended the opening of the new U.S. cultural center — @america. The center aims to expand engagement between young Indonesians and young Americans through interactive games and live events. McHale described @america as “what we hope will be the first of a new generation of American cultural centers.” 
 
 

New Condemnation for N. Korea
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Recent provocative action by North Korea has jeopardized peace and stability in Asia, foreign ministers from the United States, Japan and South Korea say. Above, left to right, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan jointly declared that Pyongyang’s “provocative and belligerent behavior … will be met with solidarity from all three countries.”

Fighting Cholera in Haiti
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U.S. officials are “working vigorously” with the Haitian government and international relief agencies in a joint effort to stop Haiti’s cholera outbreak from spreading and to treat the thousands of people already infected.

New U.S.-South Korea Trade Deal
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The proposed U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement helps the United States balance its economy with greater exports and also helps South Korea foster economic growth, President Obama says. At the White House, Obama says the deal will boost U.S. exports by $11 billion and support 70,000 jobs.

U.S., Russia Joint Drug Busts
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In the past year, some notable drug busts have grown out of bilateral cooperation through the Counternarcotics Working Group of the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission. An important component of resetting the relations between the U.S. and Russia has been in the area of drug trafficking, says Gil Kerlikowske, Director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Learning How to Negotiate
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William Ury, an experienced negotiation adviser and mediator, recently discussed conflict negotiation and mediation with Jordanians via digital video conference. One of the biggest challenges to negotiations, he says, is finding a way to say no that still achieves positive results.

The U.S. Climate Commitment
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Nearly a week into the COP-16 climate conference in Mexico, the U.S. delegation maintains that the United States stands by its commitments from last year’s Copenhagen Accord and remains prepared to move forward. Most important, they say, the United States is showing in real dollars and actions that it is addressing climate change at home and overseas.

International Journalists in the USA
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As part of the U.S. Department of State’s Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, 150 journalists from 100 nations spent three weeks in the United States. During their trip, the journalists, left, visited ABC News and had discussions with members of the network’s investigative reporting unit, its main nightly news program and its late-night newsmagazine.

 

Fighting Cholera in Haiti / Fresh Water Funds for Jordan / A Boost For African Farmers

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The U.S. is moving to speed aid to help Haiti fight a deadly cholera outbreak. Jordan is getting fresh water aid. In Africa, they’re turning to an age-old construction technique.  The U.S. enforces new fuel rules for trucks and buses. With just weeks remaining before its election, Sudan has its work cut out for it. And, finally, a photo gallery on a program to share agricultural techniques with African farmers.

U.S. Cholera Aid for Haiti
In response to the outbreak of cholera in Haiti, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a disaster declaration to speed U.S. funding and medical assistance to the country in recent days. Cholera has killed 259 people and infected more than 3,000 others in Haiti. At right, women cover their mouths and noses as they wait for their children to be treated for cholera symptoms.


A Grant for Jordan’s Water
The Obama administration is investing $275 million through the Millennium Challenge Corporation to help provide nearly two million Jordanians with reliable access to clean water and to address water scarcity.

Building Earthen Structures
Two American professors are sharing knowledge with Saudis on how to build, maintain and restore earthen structures, using natural resources such as soil, through a U.S. Embassy speakers program. Earthen construction may be more practical than modern construction techniques because of its durability and because it has a milder environmental impact.

Big Rigs Face New Fuel Rules
For the first time in U.S. history, the government is imposing fuel efficiency standards for trucks and buses, starting with vehicles that hit the market in 2013. The U.S. Department of Transportation says the new rules will save 500 million barrels of oil for vehicles of the model years 2014 through 2018, and 250 tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the life-time of the trucks.

In Sudan, the Vote Approaches
Authorities in Sudan face a tight deadline to complete preparations for a crucial set of votes in January that will decide on independence for Southern Sudan and Abyei, says General Scott Gration, the U.S. special envoy for Sudan. He called on the parties to come to a new round of talks in Ethiopia in late October “with an attitude of compromise.”

An African Delegation Learns about U.S. Agriculture
Recently, the U.S. welcomed African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) ministers and delegates to the Ninth AGOA Forum, in Kansas City Missouri, where the visitors got the chance to observe American agricultural practices first-hand. Find out more about their trip in this photo gallery. At left, delegates participate in a lively discussion with American farmer Tom Waters on chicken farming and feed strategy.