Tag Archives: education

START Treaty Ratified / The Smart Grid / Gifts That Give Back

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The Senate ratifies the U.S.-Russia START strategic nuclear arms pact. The U.N. General Assembly adopts an amendment supporting gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. The United States is working with Pakistan to help it recover from devastating floods, working with Russia on smart grid technology, and working with some of Côte d’Ivoire’s neighbors to investigate how to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country during the ongoing political crisis. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants are spending a year in America. And finally, this holiday season, give a gift that gives back.


START Ratified by U.S. Senate
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The U.S. Senate ratified the New START arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia that will reduce each nation’s nuclear arsenals to their lowest levels in more than a half century. The Senate gave its approval by a vote of 71 to 26 on December 22. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty was signed by President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on April 8 in Prague. 

U.N. Includes LGBT Rights
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The Obama administration welcomed the U.N. General Assembly’s adoption of a U.S.-sponsored amendment that restores gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in its broad condemnation of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. “Killing people because they are gay is not culturally defensible – it is criminal,” says White House press secretary Robert Gibbs.

A U.S.-Pakistan Partnership
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The United States and Pakistan are working together on several new projects to help rebuild and improve agriculture, health, transportation and other services in Pakistan as that country continues to recover from devastating floods.

U.S. and Russia Talk Smart Grid
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Making energy use more efficient, reliable, affordable, secure, and more consumer-driven through smart grid technology was the topic of a series of recent meetings between Russian and American energy experts in Washington, D.C. and in Texas, made possible by the Energy Working Group of the U.S.–Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission.

U.N. Force in Côte d’Ivoire
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The United States is in discussions with some of Côte d’Ivoire’s neighbors to investigate how to reinforce the U.N. peacekeeping force in the country and ensure that it is capable of maintaining peace and security as its political crisis continues. Along with refusing to hand over power after his election defeat, Laurent Gbagbo has demanded that the 9,000-member U.N. peacekeeping force withdraw. The U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to extend the force’s mandate until June 30, 2011.

Fulbright Language Teachers
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More than 400 Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants from 49 countries are spending a year in the United States, to not only hone their knowledge of the English language and American life, but also to encourage American students to study foreign languages and culture.

Photo Gallery: Gifts that Give Back
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During the holiday season, many people want to give gifts that have a greater meaning. It’s easier than ever to make a purchase that can help provide income to artisans in developing countries, support donations of food or medicine to the needy, aid victims of war or abuse, or support environmental efforts. Explore this photo gallery of “gifts that give back.” At right, a “Path to Peace” basket created by Rwandan women.

Obama Visits, Praises High-Tech Community College

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Yesterday President Obama visited Forsyth Technical Community College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  He was there to meet with students, professors, college administrators, and to speak about the role of community colleges in helping move the U.S. economy forward.

The president praised Forsyth for educating Americans in 21st Century technologies.  He also reiterated his desire to see America export more goods as a way to boost the economy and create jobs.  Speaking to a crowd at the college he said:

“If the recession has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot go back to an economy that’s driven by too much spending, too much borrowing, running up credit cards, taking out a lot of home equity loans, paper profits that are built on financial speculation.  We’ve got to rebuild on a new and stronger foundation for economic growth.

We need to do what America has always been known for:  building, innovating, educating, making things.  We don’t want to be a nation that simply buys and consumes products from other countries.  We want to create and sell products all over the world that are stamped with three simple words:  “Made In America.”  That’s our goal.”

In general, community colleges are public institutions (often supported by local tax revenue) that provide certificates, diplomas, and two-year associates degrees.  The cost of attending community colleges tends to be low compared to other institutions.  Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, teaches at a community college, and the Obama administration has been promoting community colleges as valuable resources for Americans looking to gain new skills, retrain so they can work in different industries, or prepare for further studies at four-year universities.

Protecting Americans Overseas / New Afghan Power Transfer Plan / An Interfaith Thanksgiving

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important to protect Americans traveling overseas. A top U.S. terrorism official says cooperation among nation’s has been successful in fighting terrorism. At the upcoming NATO summit, a new Afghan power transfer plan will be announced. Through two different State Department programs, a group of Gaza entrepreneurs and a group of 100 young foreign legislators visit the U.S. Also, thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the U.S. attend an education fair in Tripoli. 19 artifacts illegally taken from King Tut’s tomb are returning to Egypt. And finally, a minister, a rabbi and an iman come together to celebrate an interfaith Thanksgiving.

Protecting Americans Overseas
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it is important for the State Department and the American private sector to cooperate on protecting Americans who travel overseas. Speaking to security professionals in Washington, Clinton, right, says the Obama administration knows “how important it is not to withdraw from the world,” despite the risks that many private Americans must take when traveling.



Nations Team Up Against Terror
Cooperation among nations fighting the global war on terror has been remarkable in the nine years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, says Ambassador Daniel Benjamin, the State Department’s top counterterrorism official.

New Afghan Power Transfer Plan
The United States and its NATO partners are preparing to announce plans to transfer security control of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces to the Afghans by the end of 2014. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Ivo Daalder says that in addition to Afghanistan, another key issue of the upcoming summit will be the adoption of a new 21st-century Strategic Concept.

Gaza Entrepreneurs Visit U.S.
Ten Gaza entrepreneurs recently made a three-week tour of America through a program sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, an International Visitor Leadership Program entitled “Entrepreneurship and Business Management.”

Future Foreign Leaders Visit
More than 100 young legislators and activists from 17 countries came to the United States this fall to learn about U.S. government, to see the U.S. midterm election, and to engage in learning sessions hosted by U.S. law makers.

In Libya, a U.S. Education Fair
Thousands of Libyans hoping to study in the United States attended the “2010 Study in the USA Education Fair” November 6–7 at Al-Fateh University in Tripoli.

Artifacts Go Back to Egypt
Artifacts illegally taken from the Egyptian boy-king Tutankhamun’s tomb are going home, as the Metropolitan Museum of Art will formally return 19 artifacts to Egypt. Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities of Egypt, hailed the return as “a wonderful gesture.”

An Interfaith Thanksgiving
Learning more about other religious faiths helps strengthen one’s own, say a minister, a rabbi and an imam. The three came together recently — as they have each year for the last five years — to celebrate a joint interfaith service of thanksgiving with at least 200 people from the three congregations. At right, Imam Abu Nahidian, Rabbi Sunny Schnitzer and Reverend David Gray.

A New India-U.S. Partnership / Government Corruption Examined / Learning in the USA

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India and the United States are forging a new global partnership. We’ve got a pair of reports from an international conference on corruption going on in Bangkok. Through different State Department programs, journalists from Africa and around the world witness America’s free press and learn how public service groups operate, and foreign teachers learn about American educational practices. And finally, international students are attending U.S. colleges and universities at a rate never seen before.

A New India-U.S. Partnership
President Obama’s visit to India highlighted a new global strategic partnership between the two countries, U.S. officials say. “This is now a partnership with two countries standing together as peers capable of addressing the challenges that the world faces these days,” says U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah, right.

 

 
How Corruption Furthers Slavery
Continued progress toward ending trafficking of people for sex and labor could hinge on breaking the crime’s connection with government corruption, say experts at an international conference in Bangkok. The experts also called for cross-border legal cooperation and for engaging citizens, businesses and nongovernmental organizations in the fight against human trafficking.

Assessing Government Corruption
A landmark international convention to stop government corruption faces challenges as governments and activists test-run its monitoring mechanism. The convention, established by the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, requires countries to self-assess their compliance and submit their assessments for review by other countries.

The Legacy of Edward R. Murrow
More than 30 African journalists joined colleagues from around the world as participants in the recent Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists, during which they traveled the United States and witnessed the role a free and independent press plays in a democratic society.

A Journalist’s Tour of America
Rachida Bami, a journalist who covers regional issues for Morocco’s leading French daily Le Matin, spent three weeks in the United States learning how public service groups operate in America. Bami was one of 150 emerging leaders in journalism from around the world who participated in the State Department’s Edward R. Murrow Program for Journalists.

Arab Educators Visit
Twenty-six science teachers from around the world traveled to the United States through a U.S. State Department program. The visit was entitled “A New Beginning: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education.”

Educating the World
The number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities reached an all-time high of nearly 691,000 during the past school year, the Institute of International Education says. While Asian countries continued to send the highest numbers of students to the United States, the sharpest growth in enrollment came from the Middle East. At right, Sameer Mohd, from New Delhi, India, is one of 3,017 international students at Iowa State University.

President Obama Renews White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

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Yesterday President Obama signed an Executive Order that renews and enhances the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. President George H.W. Bush signed the original Initiative in 1990.

Speaking to a group at the White House the president said, “The question then back in 1990 is the same question we face now: How do we best improve educational opportunities and outcomes for our Hispanic students?”

The Executive Order calls for, among other things,

- Increasing general understanding of the causes of the educational challenges faced by Hispanic students;

- increasing the percentage of Hispanic children who enter kindergarten ready for success by improving access by Hispanics to high-quality programs and services that encourage the early learning and development of children from birth through age 5;

- Reducing the dropout rate of Hispanic students and helping Hispanic students graduate from high school prepared for college and a career;

- Developing a national network of individuals, organizations, and communities to share and implement best practices related to the education of Hispanics.

During his remarks the president also said, “So in the end, this is about building a brighter future where every child in this country – black, white, Latino, Asian, or Native American; regardless of color, class, creed – has a chance to rise above any barrier to fulfill their God-given potential.”

U.S.-Pakistan Talks || The Power of Small Reactors || Six Women Environmentalists Honored

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The U.S. and Pakistan are about to renew their strategic dialogue; read what’s on the agenda. The U.S. and EU need to re-engage on global challenges. On nuclear power, small reactors offer solutions. For teaching math, Russian schools in the U.S. find success. And finally, women environmentalists are honored for their local leadership.

Renewed U.S.-Pakistan Dialogue
The upcoming U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue will cover a wide variety of topics ranging from health and energy to defense cooperation, but focus heavily on Pakistan’s flooding disaster, according to a State Department official. The U.S. delegation, led by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the Pakistani delegation, led by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, previously met in Islamabad in July.

U.S., EU Seek Engagement Agenda
In advance of the United States attending three major summits with European allies, Assistant Secretary of State Philip Gordon says that when the U.S. joins forces with Europe on the challenges of the global agenda, both become “vastly stronger” in legitimacy, resources and ideas.

Thinking Small on Nuclear Power
Small, modular nuclear reactors, some the size of shipping containers, offer solutions to a wide range of power challenges worldwide. They can work as independent units in remote and off-grid locations; can replace coal-burning power plants; and can work in desert areas, as they do not require water for cooling. Plus, they are economical.

In U.S., Russian Math Schools
Some immigrant parents think that math, as taught in the United States, is too easy. Therefore, in 1997, a group of Boston-area Russian immigrants opened the Russian School of Mathematics, which places an emphasis on encouraging individual problem solving.

Honoring Women Environmentalists
Six women from around the world were honored by the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues and the U.S. State Department for taking initiative and in some cases assuming personal risks to repair environmental damage in their respective communities while inspiring others through their leadership. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero described the women, at left, as “true giants” for the positive impact they have had on their communities.

President Obama's Conversation with University Students

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On Monday President Obama held a conference call with student journalists from universities across the United States. He began the call by outlining initiatives he has put in place to help students, such as increased grants to make college more affordable and a law that allows young people to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until the age of 26. The President said, “We want to open the doors of our colleges and universities to more people so they can learn, they can graduate, and they can succeed in life.”

Then the students were given time to ask the President questions. One student asked Obama if he thought today’s university students were part of a “lost generation.” In other words, do young people today face a bleak future with few job opportunities and too much student loan debt? The President responded, “First of all, I think your generation is going to be just fine…if you’ve got skills in math and science or good, sound communication skills, there are still jobs out there even in a tough environment. And nine out of 10 people who are looking for work can still find work.”

He added:

“The key is for us to keep on improving the economy, and that’s going to be my number one priority over the next several years…So don’t let anybody tell you that somehow your dreams are going to be constrained going forward. You’re going through a slightly tougher period. But if you think about it, what we called “the greatest generation,” my grandparents’ generation, they had a situation where unemployment reached 30 percent and they ended up essentially building the entire American middle class to what it was and making this the most powerful economy in the world. So right now we’re going through a tough time but I have no doubt that you guys are going to be successful.”

Obama talks education in the Lone Star State

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President Obama visited Texas Monday to attend Democratic fundraising events and speak about higher education at the University of Texas at Austin.

Obama spoke to a crowd of 3,500 students, faculty and guests about the importance of education and his commitment to making college affordable. His strategy includes offering direct government loans, increasing the maximum amount of government grants and simplifying financial aid applications.

“I’m absolutely committed to making sure that here in America, nobody is denied a college education, nobody is denied a chance to pursue their dreams, nobody is denied a chance to make the most of their lives just because they can’t afford it,” he said. “We are a better country than that, and we need to act like we’re a better country than that.”

As a current university student, I’m invested in seeing how Obama’s efforts will affect my college experience. What do you think about his education policy?

The President’s Forum with Young African Leaders kicks off in Washington, DC

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On Tuesday I had the privilege of helping out at The President’s Forum with Young African Leaders, a meeting of 115 bright minds and future leaders of Africa hosted in Washington, DC. The conference, in part, acknowledges the 50 years of independence that 17 sub-Saharan African nations celebrate this year. The forum gives the African delegates and U.S. officials the opportunity to get together and discuss the future of the African continent, and how they can cooperate to make the hopes and ambitions of Young Africans for the future a reality.

During the hours that I spent helping to guide the delegates to their meetings and discussions at the Department of State, I was struck by the enthusiasm, friendliness, and frankness with which they approached the event and interacted with each other. Despite traveling as long as 48 hours to the U.S., they seemed brimming with energy. The group included delegates from many different backgrounds and professions, all of whom shared a common passion for the future of Africa and their own countries.

It was also clear that they were excited to meet with President Barack Obama at a town hall meeting later that day: really excited.

During the meeting the delegates were able to ask the President questions face-to-face. The topics discussed included economy, corruption, fighting HIV/AIDS, and the role of the U.S. in supporting and encouraging African development.

The President addressed the issues raised and didn’t overlook some of the major difficulties facing many regions in Africa. “Across Africa today, there’s no denying the daily hardships that are faced by so many,” the President noted. “The struggle to feed their children, to find work, to survive another day. And too often, that’s the Africa that the world sees.”

However, the President stressed his optimism that Africa has the potential and the promise to emerge as a region of growth and innovation. “Today, you represent a different vision, a vision of Africa on the move…” the President said. “An Africa that’s ending old conflicts… an Africa that’s pursuing a broadband revolution that could transform the daily lives of future generations.”

The President, in his remarks before the question-and-answer session, specifically mentioned some of the delegates in the forum by name, and their accomplishments. He noted that young leaders like them would be the ones who lead Africa to further development, saying “yes, youth can!” A full transcript of Obama’s remarks and the question-and-answer discussion is available here, and a video is available here.

I really enjoyed getting to meet the delegates, and wish them all the best with their remaining time in Washington. Their enthusiasm gives me a lot of optimism for the future of Africa, and the administration’s engagement with them shows that the U.S. is a strong partner and friend.

Obama Greeting Delegates

Education Makes Peace More Likely

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Andeisha Farid is is one of many entrepreneurs in Washington recently for the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship. She is founder of Afghan Child Education and Care Organization, a nonprofit based in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Alyse Nelson is president and chief executive of Vital Voices Global Partnership, a nongovernmental organization that trains emerging women leaders and social entrepreneurs around the globe.

Andeisha Farid

Andeisha Farid

Andeisha Farid:
The war is all I have known: I was born in war, and I have lived my entire life in war. I want it to stop. Through education – at a fraction of the cost of war and rebuilding – we can eradicate the soil that feeds hatred and oppression in Afghanistan.

As a child in a refugee camp in Pakistan, I was inspired by fellow Afghans who believed in education as the path to peace, democracy and well-being of our devastated country. Soon I was teaching and caring for other refugee children in a place I would call (for lack of better words) an orphanage. It was more than that – a family, home, and meeting place where Hezara learned to love Pashtun, and Tajik learned to love Nuristani. Most children were orphans or lived in such such devastating conditions that we could call them orphans.

Since those days, I founded a formal organization in Afghanistan called Afghan Child Education and Care Organization. The organization has added other orphanages and requires each under its umbrella to harbor children from all corners of the country. Children’s families, or surviving custodial guardians, have to accept our basic mission of equality, tolerance, and a liberal arts education. Because ideology has brought misery to Afghanistan, we ban promotion of religious or political dogmas.

When I moved to Kabul with my family and we opened three orphanages in the city, we were noticed by international media. This led to support for the organization and recognition for myself. Coupled with forces for positive change within Afghanistan, international support has made it possible to bring the total number of orphanages to 10, including two in Pakistan.

But with 1.3 million orphans in the country, there remain tremendous needs and challenges. Most of our children are connected to their native villages, where people hope they will return one day as a midwife, engineer or teacher, and where we hope they will bring the values they live by. If other educators stick to these values, we can reach the point at which no violence or suppression will overpower the force of freedom.

Alyse Nelson

Alyse Nelson

Alyse Nelson:
Andeisha’s devotion to her cause really strikes you when you meet her in person. She tells you about life as a child in the refugee camps of Iran and Pakistan, where all she had to hold on to was a dream about one day returning home to Afghanistan. When she finally did return, the place from her dreams was nowhere to be found. For example, girls were restricted from going to school and were often abused or trafficked.

But conditions that would leave others to despair led Andeisha to a simple and powerful vision — education would transform Afghanistan.

Vital Voices recently recognized Andeisha for her commitment to build a more prosperous and tolerant Afghanistan by investing in the education of her country’s orphans. At a time when the challenges are perhaps greater than ever before, she has grown more determined to create a space for freedom and development, where girls and boys of every ethnic group learn tolerance and respect.

Andeisha knows that education has the power to release a child from oppression and inspire progress within entire communities. Like any force for change, education expands its reach when it’s shared. When we invest in the promise of one child, that child learns his or her worth and wants to give another the same chance to develop.