Tag Archives: APEC

Nuclear Crisis in Japan Grows / A Recipe for Peace in Sri Lanka / Air Force One

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In Japan, the nuclear crisis grows. The U.S. and Brazil partner to boost the farm sector in Mozambique, while a U.S. groups partners with Ethiopia on a clean water initiative. After decades of conflict, Sri Lanka is showing great economic and developmental promise. An ambitious agenda was set out during preliminary meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. And finally, for globetrotting presidents, Air Force One is the perfect ride.

Responding to Japan's Nuclear Crisis

In Japan, Nuclear Crisis Grows
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The Japanese government is telling citizens within 30 kilometers (48 miles) of a damaged nuclear power plant to stay indoors to protect themselves. The March 15 advisory said people near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant should attempt to prevent exposure to the colorless, odorless radiation which escaped from reactors.

U.S., Brazil Partner on Farming
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An agricultural collaboration among the United States Agency for International Development, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency and the government of Mozambique is set to bolster the latter’s farm sector. Mozambique imports most of its food, much of it from its neighbor South Africa, but many Mozambicans cannot afford the imported food.

In Ethiopia, a Clean Water Push
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Lori Pappas is the founder of the Global Team for Local Initiatives, which seeks to increase access to drinking water for the people of Ethiopia.

A Recipe for Peace in Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka’s government needs to hold those who committed injustices and abuses during the country’s civil war accountable and work to create a political climate that will facilitate healing and durable peace, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake says. After decades of conflict between the government and Tamil rebels, Sri Lanka is showing great economic and developmental promise that can benefit its whole population, says Blake.

APEC 2011 Concludes
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Preliminary meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC), the premier economic organization in the Asia-Pacific region, concluded March 12, setting an ambitious agenda for enhanced partnership in 2011. APEC fosters growth and prosperity by facilitating economic cooperation and expanding trade and investment throughout the region.

President Obama exits Air Force OneAir Force One
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It is unquestionably the most exclusive ride in the world: the gleaming, blue-and-white jumbo jet that answers to the call signal Air Force One.
It’s an American icon, as recognizable as the Statue of Liberty or the Grand Canyon — the airplane that will take President Obama on his second journey to Latin America March 19. At right, Obama arrives at Benito Juárez International Airport in Mexico City, April 16, 2009.

Clinton Condemns Libyan Violence / Growing U.S. Farm Exports / Hoops Diplomacy

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The chorus of condemnation of the Libyan government continues with remarks from the U.S. representative to the U.N. and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. The U.S. is promoting its agricultural products worldwide. As they prepare to host the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, U.S. officials believe governments must foster innnovation. Armenian, Turkish and U.S. athletes meet on the basketball court.

The World Speaks “With One Voice”
The world has spoken “with one voice” and “with an unusual and important sense of urgency” in condemning the Libyan government’s violence against its people, says Susan Rice, the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations. Rice speaks at the White House following President Obama’s meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Clinton on Libyan Violence
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for Libya’s leader, Muammar Qadhafi, to be held accountable for violent acts “which violate international legal obligations and common decency.” “These violations of universal rights are unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Clinton, right, tells the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Growing U.S. Farm Exports
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U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says that the United States will continue to aggressively promote its agricultural products around the world. “We are very focused on exports, and we are doing it in a very strategic way,” Vilsack said during the 2011 Agricultural Outlook Forum.

Fostering Innovation
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Fostering and supporting innovation is a key message the United States government wants to convey as it prepares to host the annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in November. Speaking at a recent meeting in Washington, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs Robert D. Hormats says “government policies can help create an environment conducive of innovation.”

Muresan with Turkish and Armenian playersHoops Diplomacy
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Two dozen Armenian and Turkish basketball players came to the U.S. for a second round of hoops diplomacy January 29-February 12. The teams, who first met in August 2010 at a U.S.-hosted basketball program in Turkey, aimed to learn about scholastic sports and leadership, and trained with former professional star Gheorghe Mureşan, at right, in Izmir and in Washington, D.C.

Two Reports on Haiti / The U.S. Hopes for COP16 Progress / A Burmese Opposition Leader is Freed

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From Haiti, we’ve got reports on the cholera outbreak and an effort to restore the island’s devastated libraries. The United State hopes for progress during an upcoming international conference on climate change. Take a look at the U.S. election, from a different angle. Governments need help in fighting corruption. At the APEC forum in Japan, free trade is on the table. See how translating American plays into Russian is a form of cultural diplomacy. And, after years of house arrest, a Burmese pro-democracy activist is released to applause from the United States.

Cholera Mortality Rate Declines in Haiti
As the number of Haitians infected with cholera continues to climb, the overall mortality rate from the disease is decreasing, the State Department’s Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs Philip J. Crowley says. Crowley says the shrinking mortality rate results from efforts to control the disease by the Haitian government, the U.S. and other international partners. At right, women cover their mouths and noses at a Haitian hospital.

 

Rebuilding Haiti’s Libraries
The American Library Association so far has collected $25,000 in donations for Haiti’s libraries from individuals, civic and youth groups, businesses and local libraries.

U.S. Seeks COP16 Progress
The United States expects progress toward a legally binding, global accord on climate change during the international COP16 meeting later this month in Cancún, Mexico. “It is profoundly in our own economic, environmental, and national security interests to act,” says Jeffrey Miotke, climate change coordinator for the U.S. special envoy for climate change.

A Discussion of the Midterms
As Americans headed to the polls November 2, international relations students at the University of Jordan spoke with political scientist Michael Cornfield via a digital video conference to learn more about the American electoral process. High on their list of questions: How would the results of the midterm elections affect the peace process?

Citizens’ Anti-Corruption Role
Civil society — including nonprofit organizations and citizen-activists — must demand accountability from governments for the fight against corruption to be effective, according to the hosts of an international conference meeting in Bangkok.

Talking Free Trade in Asia-Pacific
President Obama and other Asia-Pacific leaders pledge to work toward greater economic integration and creation of an Asia-Pacific free trade area. The 21-economies that make up the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issue a joint statement after their meeting in Japan that praises APEC as “an engine for progress in the world’s most economically dynamic region.”

“The New American Plays for Russia”
Through “The New American Plays for Russia” project, American theater organizations and Russian theater professionals are working together to bring contemporary American drama to Russian audiences.

U.S. Welcomes Burma’s Release of Suu Kyi
President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton welcome the release of Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest. Obama said Suu Kyi, right, “is a hero of mine and a source of inspiration for all who work to advance basic human rights in Burma and around the world.”

Justice in Cambodia / A Storm Watch in Haiti / The Shahnameh

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During a visit to Cambodia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton calls for justice. Preparing for his own trip to Asia, President Obama will focus on the economy at the upcoming G20 Summit and APEC Forum. In Haiti, aid workers prepare for a tropical storm. Find out what Islam teaches about protecting the planet. And finally, a 1,000-year-old book commissioned by Iranian kings is now on display at the Smithsonian.

Seeking Justice in Cambodia
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Cambodian leaders to confront their country’s troubled past by bringing to justice Khmer Rouge leaders for crimes against humanity in the 1970s. Clinton’s visit to Cambodia is part of her 13-day trip to meet with leaders of at least eight East Asian and Pacific nations. At right, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong greets Secretary Clinton at the Phnom Penh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.


Economy the Issue at APEC, G20
Fostering global economic growth through the Group of 20 (G20) advanced economies is fundamental to a lasting recovery at home, says a senior Obama administration official. The economy figures strongly into President Obama’s four-nation Asian trip that includes stops in India and Indonesia before the G20 in South Korea and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Japan.

Haiti’s Tropical Storm Watch
The U.S. Agency for International Development has 20 members of its Disaster Assistance Response Team in Haiti to help prepare the country for Tropical Storm Tomas, which could hit the island this week.

Islam and the Environment
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin was recently in Washington to talk about his upcoming book, Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet. Abdul-Matin says his book is written not only with the Muslim reader in mind, but for anyone interested in learning more about Islam’s connection to the environment.

Photo Gallery: The Art of the Shahnameh
The Poet Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh combines myth and history in the epic tale of a nation. The Smithsonian Institution’s Sackler Gallery in Washington, D.C. is celebrating the book’s 1,000th anniversary by showing illustrations from grand editions commissioned by kings of Iran. At left, after a journey to the end of the world, Alexander (an important figure in the Shahnameh, known to others as Alexander the Great), encounters a talking tree that foretells his death. Explore this photo gallery featuring other such images from the Shahnameh.

“Sustaining an Open Dialogue”

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Obama at Shanghai town hall

The U.S.-China relationship “has not been without disagreement and difficulty,” President Obama acknowledged during a town hall in Shanghai November 15. The key to a strong relationship based on mutual interests is “sustaining an open dialogue,” Obama told the student participants.

The president’s comments on Internet access in China received a lot of attention in U.S. media today. “In the United States, the fact that we have free Internet, or unrestricted Internet access, is a source of strength, and I think should be encouraged,” Obama said.

“I’m a big supporter of not restricting Internet use, Internet access, other information technologies like Twitter,” Obama said. “The more open we are, the more we can communicate. And it also helps to draw the world together.”

Obama’s China visit comes in the midst of a multi-country Asia tour. In Japan, he met with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and discussed the need to strengthen the nations’ already strong alliance. In Singapore, he gathered with numerous Asian leaders for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit which focused on sustainable growth strategies.