December 2012
100 posts
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Inaugural Caribbean Dialogue on Rule of Law and...
About the Author: Anita Botti serves as Chief of Staff and Principal Deputy in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues.
On the heels of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), which ran from November 25 through December 10, the United States engaged with regional partners to spur action against GBV within our own hemisphere. Gender-based violence is a...
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Marshall Islands Students Honor the Victims of...
About the Author: Doug Carey serves as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy Majuro.
Majuro Cooperative School in the Republic of the Marshall Islands put away their traditional red school uniforms and instead wore green and white - the school colors of Sandy Hook - to honor the children and teachers who lost their lives in Newtown. In a condolence card delivered to Ambassador Thomas...
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Naval Academy Football Player Honors American...
About the Author: Mike Hammer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.
Following Navy’s 17-13 win over Army earlier this month, you may have seen theWashington Post’s ”Sports Section” on December 9 that carried a photograph of Navy safety Kwazel Bertrand reacting to a fumble by Army late in the game. Bertrand — appropriately wearing number 17...
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Empowering Women – Engaging Girls
About the Author: Tara D. Sonenshine serves as Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. Rose Gottemoeller serves as Acting Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security.
Think about it. Breaking the glass ceiling and advancing science go hand-in-hand. If we can get more women and girls - maybe half the world’s population - studying science, technology,...
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Folk Music Group Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer With...
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 27, 2012
The American Music Abroad program, a partnership with American Voices, sends American musical groups overseas to engage with audiences and communities, especially underserved youth. This season’s 12 participating American Music Abroad groups were selected from a pool of nearly 300 applicants to travel to more than 40...
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Social Media for Good: Civil Society IVLP...
About the Author: Augusta Babson serves as a Program Officer in the Office of International Visitors in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Mayke Randa was sitting in a conference room in San Francisco earlier this month when her hand shot into the air. She was eager to talk to the representative from Medic Mobile, a tech company in San Francisco that uses mobile technology to...
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In Bhutan, Conserving the Natural Environment and...
About the Author: Timothy Neely serves as Environment, Science, Technology and Health Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India.
Do you know which country’s constitution promises that a minimum of 60 percent its land area will be maintained as forest for all time? Which country’s government pledges to protect, conserve, and improve the pristine environment and safeguard the...
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Referendum on the Egyptian Constitution
Press Statement Patrick Ventrell Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 25, 2012
This past weekend, the draft Egyptian constitution passed a public referendum. We have stood with Egyptians as they have engaged in the difficult work of democratic transition. We have consistently supported the principle that democracy requires much more than simple...
Twelve Stories You May Have Missed in 2012
About the Author: Mike Hammer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.
Here are just a few stories that you may have missed from the Department of State in 2012: 1. The U.S. Department of State designated January 2012 as 21st Century Statecraft Month, which kicked-off a year-long commitment to digital engagement, including our first nine-language Twitter Q&A and first...
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Christmas in Kabul
About the Author: Janet Heg serves as a Cultural Affairs Assistant at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan.
As Christmas approaches, my husband and I are almost halfway through our year-long assignment to Kabul. Serving at an unaccompanied post was not something we had to do, but something we chose to do. We expected the work to be interesting and rewarding, but we had no idea how many...
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Along the New Silk Road
About the Author: Siriana Nair serves as Senior Economic Officer in the Office of Regional Affairs in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
My journey on the road to Samarkand brings me to the Navoi International Airport and cargo facility, where I am met by airport executives who brief me and my colleagues on the joint venture cargo operation between Uzbekistan Airways and Korean Air....
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UNSC Adoption of Resolution on Mali
Press Statement Patrick Ventrell Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 21, 2012
The United States welcomes adoption by the UN Security Council of a resolution on the situation in Mali. The resolution, cosponsored by the U.S., supports a comprehensive approach to addressing the overlapping governance, security, and humanitarian crises affecting Mali,...
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Celebrating Partnerships Around the World
About the Author: Kris M. Balderston serves as the Special Representative for Global Partnerships within the Office of the Secretary of State.
We can achieve more together than we can alone. That simple statement underscored the premise of the first Global Partnerships Week, which we marked December 9-15, 2012. I saw the power of partnerships firsthand in Dubai, where I participated in the...
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On the Road to Samarkand
About the Author: Siriana Nair serves as Senior Economic Officer in the Office of Regional Affairs in the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs.
Samarkand, Bukhara, Kabul, Aktau, Dushanbe, Kashgar…the road signs we pass just before leaving the tree-lined streets of Tashkent, Uzbekistan’s capital city, remind us that we’re following the well-worn trails of the ancient Silk Road....
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TechCamp Empowers Young People in the Pacific...
About the Author: Frankie A. Reed serves as the U.S. Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu.
“Youth what? Why would you sponsor a TechCamp in the Pacific region, where Internet connectivity is not widespread?” That’s the question many of my colleagues asked me when I told them the State Department, in collaboration with PasifikaNEXUS and BrightPath, was going to...
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Afghan Girls Lead Peer Education
About the Author: Dawn L. McCall serves as Coordinator of the Bureau of International Information Programs.
The Internet may be important, but it’s not everything. In rural Afghanistan, courageous and talented young women who have never heard of the Internet are using skills today often associated with social media users — initiative, resourcefulness, and social connections —...
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International Migrants Day: Finding Solutions for...
About the Author: Catherine Wiesner serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration.
On the occasion of International Migrants Day, I wanted to share my experience from the sixth Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) in Port Louis, Mauritius. I led the U.S. delegation of representatives from the Department of State, the Department of Homeland...
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International Migrants Day, 2012
Press Statement Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson Washington, DC December 18, 2012
On this 12th International Migrants Day, the United States recognizes the more than 214 million migrants in the world today, who constitute more than three percent of the world’s population. The United States’ overarching migration mission is to protect and assist asylum-seekers and other vulnerable...
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Syrian Refugees: Trying to Make It in Lebanon and...
About the Author: Anne C. Richard serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration.
The recent visits of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and actress/director and Special Envoy for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Angelina Jolie to the Za’atri camp for Syrian refugees in Jordan drew attention to the plight of the refugees, and will...
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Death of Senator Daniel K. Inouye
Press Statement Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State Washington, DC December 17, 2012
I was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my friend, Danny Inouye. From his earliest days in public service to his last, he inspired others to reach for the American dream – because that’s exactly what he did.
No matter what barrier was in his way, Danny shattered it. He was the highest-ranking...
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Entrepreneurs from Around the World Engage in GIST...
About the Author: Jonathan Margolis serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Science, Space, and Health in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
Why would 30 young entrepreneurs from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East travel to Dubai for the second annual Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Initiative Technology Idea...
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Meeting of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership...
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 17, 2012
The U.S. Department of State will hold meetings of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Commission working groups for Economic, Energy, and Trade on December 17 and People-to-People Cultural Exchanges on December 18.
The Economic, Energy, and Trade Working Group will be led by the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs...
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Building ‘Green’ in the Middle East
About the Author: Patrick Meyer is the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Adviser in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Energy Resources.
Globally, more than half of the world’s population now lives in urban settlements, and over the next 30 years virtually all of the world’s population growth is expected to be concentrated in urban areas in the developing world. Energy...
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Photo of the Week: Celebrating Hanukkah Around the...
About the Author: Sarah Goldfarb serves as DipNote’s Associate Editor.
Our “Photo of the Week” comes to us from Matty Stern, the photographer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, and shows U.S. Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro lighting the menorah on the fifth night of Hanukkah in Dizengoff Square on December 12, 2012. In Washington, President Obama and the First Lady...
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Consular Officers Share Holiday Travel Tips
About the Author: Paula Williams serves in the Bureau of Consular Affairs.
Are you traveling abroad this holiday season? Make sure you’re prepared for your holiday travel by checking out travel.state.gov before you go. Travel.state.gov is the State Department’s primary location for information about travel to other countries. There is information about every country in the world on...
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Presidential Proclamation -- Honoring the Victims...
The White House Office of the Press Secretary December 14, 2012 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby...
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Strengthening Global Health By Elevating Diplomacy
About the Author: Ambassador Eric Goosby serves as U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. Ambassador Goosby also leads the new Office of Global Health Diplomacy at the U.S. Department of State.
I was honored to be asked by Secretary Clinton to lead the new Office of Global Health Diplomacy. I am proud to serve my country in this capacity while also remaining the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator. I am...
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Cooking Shouldn’t Kill
About the Authors: Kris Balderston serves as Special Representative for the Secretary of State’s Global Partnerships Initiative, and Jacob Moss serves as U.S. Coordinator for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. On Wednesday, the world’s leading general medical journal The Lancet released a major new report which estimates that household air pollution attributed to cooking over...
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Young Middle East and North African Entrepreneurs...
About the Author: Andy Rabens is the Special Advisor for Youth Engagement in the Bureau of Near East Affairs, Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.
What is the common thread between a young man that launched an online hotel booking portal for tourists to the West Bank; a young woman who founded a Muscat-based Belgian-style chocolate company selling sweets made with local Omani sourced...
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Arms Control Essay Contest Seeks Your Innovative...
About the Author: Grant Schneider serves in the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC).
The State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC) is in the final stages of its Innovation in Arms Control Challenge, and we hope to announce the results soon. In the meantime, we aren’t slowing down. AVC has a new competition ready to go, and...
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24 Hours Left to Vote for the Name of the State...
You still have 24 hours to vote for the name of the State Department’s blog. Public voting ends at 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, December 14, 2012. Don’t miss your chance to make your voice heard! Go to https://www.research.net/s/stateblog to vote!
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Increasing Sanctions Against Iranian Nuclear...
Press Statement Victoria Nuland Department Spokesperson Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 13, 2012
Today the Secretaries of State and Treasury have imposed sanctions on seven Iranian private sector companies and five individuals for proliferating weapons of mass destruction pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382. These entities and individuals were designated because they...
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‘English Can Open Doors for Me’
About the Author: Kay Webb Mayfield is the Director of the Office of Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs.
As the school year draws to a close in South America, hundreds of students are celebrating completion of their two-year English Access program, and recognizing how much Access has done for them beyond developing proficiency in a new language....
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U.S. Provides Additional Humanitarian Assistance...
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 12, 2012
Today, Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns announced the United States is providing nearly $14 million in additional humanitarian aid that will provide nutrition support for children, as well as additional emergency medical and winterization supplies to families in need inside Syria. With this new assistance, the...
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Statement from NSC Spokesman Tommy Vietor on North...
The White House Office of the Press Secretary December 11, 2012
North Korea’s launch today—using ballistic missile technology despite express prohibitions by United Nations Security Council resolutions—is a highly provocative act that threatens regional security, directly violates United Nations Security Council resolutions 1718 and 1874, contravenes North Korea’s international obligations, and...
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Cooperatively Observing Ghana Decide
About the Author: Gene A. Cretz serves as U.S. Ambassador to Ghana.
While many Americans experienced long lines when voting in our 2012 elections, by and large, they faced these inconveniences with patience and determination. Ghanaians displayed the same kind of determination, patience, and pride this past weekend when exercising their right to vote in their sixth presidential and parliamentary...
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Advancing Entrepreneurship Through Diplomacy
About the Author: Thomas R. Nides serves as Deputy Secretary of State.
This week, I’m honored to be leading the U.S. delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Dubai to connect with inspiring entrepreneurs from around the world. From our earliest days, entrepreneurs have kept America vital and resilient. They are part of our national story and one of our great national strengths....
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Ambassador Princeton Lyman travels to Juba, South...
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC December 11, 2012
Ambassador Princeton Lyman, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan, travels to Juba, South Sudan today for a series of high-level meetings with government officials, members of civil society, and representatives of international organizations working in South Sudan.
Ambassador Lyman’s visit comes at a critical time in...