Author Archives: Scott Orr

U.S. Responds to Japan Quake / Obama Welcomes Arab League Action / From Burkina Faso to the U.S.

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The United States plans assistance for Japan in the wake of a devastating earthquake.  President Obama welcomes Arab League backing for Libyan no-fly zone. President Obama plans a major speech on Latin America during his upcoming visit to the region. Arab-Americans see themselves as a “bridge” to their homelands and want to help ease unrest and build democracy. Ceramic water filters are saving lives. The Yemen American Benevolent Association offers support for Yemeni Americans. Two sixth-grade students from Burkina Faso visit the U.S.

U.S. Mobilizes Japan Aid
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The United States is mobilizing military and civilian assistance for relief efforts throughout Japan, U.S. Ambassador to Japan John Roos says. “The Japan Self-Defense Forces are among the most prepared and capable in the world in dealing with a disaster-response situation, and the U.S. military is prepared to augment their efforts with all available assets and equipment upon request,” Roos says.

Obama Cheers Arab League Action
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The Obama administration welcomes a decision by the 22-member Arab League to support a no-fly zone over Libya because the move strengthens international pressure on Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi, White House press secretary Jay Carney says.

Chile to Host Obama Latin America Speech
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President Obama will deliver a major address while in Santiago, Chile, to explain the importance of Latin America to the United States. The address coincides with the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s 1961 announcement of the Alliance for Progress that established economic cooperation between the United States and Latin America nations.

The Arab-American View
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Arab-American civic activists say they are excited to see political protest across the Arab world and are ready to help build democracy in their homelands — if asked. “I think that we can play a very important bridge role when it is needed,” says Maya Berry, executive director of the Arab American Institute, which is dedicated to the political and civic empowerment of Americans of Arab heritage.

A Low-Tech Clean Water Solution
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Low-tech ceramic water filters have been saving lives and making people healthier in Ghana and Cambodia. According to the World Health Organization, diseases associated with unsafe water claim the lives of about 2 million people worldwide every year, most of them children under the age of 5.

Support for Yemeni Americans
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The Yemen American Benevolent Association, founded by a few Yemeni immigrants in 1969, has become a well-organized, vital resource for thousands in the larger Arab-American community and other residents of Dearborn, Michigan.

Burkina Faso Students in U.S.
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The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) welcomes two sixth-grade students from Burkina Faso to celebrate International Women’s Day in Washington and have a chance to see the inner workings of the United States government.  At left, First Lady Michelle Obama thanks Aissatou Diallo for her introduction at the White House’s International Women’s Day reception.

U.S.-Brazil Cooperation / A Regional Response in Libya / Blending Indian Dance Styles

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President Obama heads to Latin America as the United States and Brazil are partnering on regional and global issues.  The Obama administration wants a regional response to the violence in Libya. Vice President Biden meets with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Meet Coca-Cola’s global clean water advocate. The United States, Canada, Norway and others join a health care initiative for poor mothers and their children. And, finally, two of India’s most respected dancers blend traditionally styles.

For U.S. and Brazil, a Partnership of Global Significance
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President Obama’s visit to Latin America comes as Brazil and the United States are cooperating closely on regional issues and global challenges that run the gamut from security and economic prosperity to food security, clean energy and global inequality. “Brazil and the United States seek to promote open and accountable government, civil rights, a vibrant civil society and social inclusion,” says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A Regional Response to Libya Violence
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The Obama administration wants regional participation in any potential military response to the political violence in Libya, and also says it has been in direct contact with a variety of opposition groups that have de facto control over much of the eastern part of the country. National Security Advisor Tom Donilon says any military action by NATO, such as the enforcement of a no-fly zone, “would need to respond to a demonstrable need and have a sound legal basis.”

Biden, Putin see Improved U.S.-Russian Relations
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Vice President Biden and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin welcome the improved relationship between Russia and the United States following the 2009 “reset” in relations. Speaking with Putin in Moscow, Biden says he and President Obama “agree 100 percent on the need to continue to establish a closer and closer relationship.”

On Water and Sugar Mills
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Joe Rozza travels the world on behalf of Coca-Cola Company to oversee water and wastewater management projects initiated by the Water and Development Alliance, a partnership between his employer and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Saving Mothers and Babies
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The United States, Canada, Norway and other partners join in a development initiative – Saving Lives at Birth — to commit science and technology to saving more lives in rural, under-developed villages around the world. “It is simply unacceptable that millions and millions of people, women and children, die from conditions that we know how to prevent,” says Secretary Clinton.

A Blend of Indian Dance Styles
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The appearance by two of India’s most respected dancers and teachers — Alarmel Valli and Madhavi Mudgal — highlights a 20-day festival of Indian dance, music, theater, film, arts and crafts at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At right, Valli, left, and Mudgal, right, in a production called Samanvaya: A Coming Together.

Locke Named U.S. Ambassador to China / Biden on Russia WTO Bid / Women of Courage

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Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is tapped to be the next U.S. ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. The United States supports Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton discusses the common interests of APEC nations. A top U.S. national security advisor offers praise for American muslims. The United States honors 10 women of courage.

Locke Named Ambassador to China
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President Obama announces the appointment of Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to become the next U.S. ambassador to the People’s Republic of China and, if approved by the Senate, he would become the first Chinese-American to hold the post in U.S. history. Locke would succeed Ambassador Jon Huntsman, the former Republican governor of Utah who recently asked to step down.

U.S. Supports Russia’s WTO Bid
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Vice President Biden says the United States is a strong supporter of Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Obama administration also wants to end Soviet-era restrictions on bilateral trade. “The primary purpose of my visit is to explore how we can resolve the remaining challenges in our economic relationship,” Biden says.

APEC Economies’ Common Interests
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the 21 economies in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) share a common interest in increasing business opportunities across the region, and urged members to embrace long-term strategies that will benefit everyone. Speaking in Washington March 9, Clinton says the United States and its partners in APEC are all looking for more opportunities to do business with each other. “We are well positioned to rise together, to achieve greater prosperity in partnership, to offer all of our people a chance at a better future,” she says.

Praise for American Muslims
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Denis McDonough, the president’s deputy national security advisor, travels to one of the country’s largest mosques to talk about President Obama’s approach to combating terrorism and to praise American Muslims for their contributions to strengthening America. “The bottom line is this — when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem; you’re part of the solution,” he says.

Women of Courage
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Ten women have been honored by first lady Michelle Obama and Secretary Clinton for their exceptional courage in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk. At left, First lady Michelle Obama, Women of Courage winner Eva Abu Halaweh of Jordan and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

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Australian PM in the U.S. / Progress in Afghanistan / A Report on Hunger

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While in the U.S., Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard met with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and will address a joint session of the U.S. Congress. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sees progress in Afghanistan, but challenges remain.  Leaen how female farmers in the developing world could help feed up to 150 million more hungry people.  Clinton discusses International Women’s Day in an op-ed.

Australia’s Prime Minister Visits the U.S.
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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s meetings with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton focus upon shared efforts to transition the security control of Afghanistan to Afghan forces as well as expanding trade in the Pacific region. Gillard will also be addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress March 9, which Obama says is “a high honor that is reserved for only our closest friends.”

Gates Sees Progress in Afghanistan
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that security gains achieved by Afghan and coalition forces across Afghanistan are significant, but the momentum must be maintained to begin a formal security transition later this year. “The gains we are seeing across the country are significant,” he says at a joint press conference in Kabul with President Hamid Karzai.

Secretary Clinton’s Op-Ed on International Women’s Day
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You’ve heard about the opportunities opening up in countries like China, regions like Asia and industries like green technology. But one major emerging market hasn’t received the attention it deserves: women. Today, there are more than 200 million women entrepreneurs worldwide. Women earn more than $10 trillion every year, which is expected to grow by $5 trillion over the next several years. In many developing countries, women’s incomes are growing faster than men’s.

A Report on Feeding the Hungry
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 With a little bit of help, female farmers in the developing world could help feed up to 150 million more hungry people in the world, according to a report issued by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Farming women in the rural areas of the world have lesser productivity than men currently, the report finds, but if they were given improved access to land, fuel, fertilizer, and seeds, they would have greater yields.

A Libyan Refugee Crisis / Libya Ousted From Human Rights Council / Green Dentists

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A refugee crisis is boiling over at Libya’s border. The United Nations votes Libya out of the the U.N. Human Rights Council. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Congress to approve the administration’s budget for the State Department. The U.S. and China must cooperate on a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. Some U.S. dentists are going green. And, finally, International Women’s Day is March 8.

Refugee Crisis at Libya Borders
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The situation in Libya has become not just a political crisis, but a potential humanitarian crisis as well, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees says. Foreign workers and frightened Libyans are pouring to the borders to escape the turmoil, and international aid agencies are gearing up resources to cope with needs for food, shelter and clothing.

UNGA Suspends Libya
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All 192 member nations of the United Nations General Assembly have voted to suspend Libya from the U.N. Human Rights Council due to its government’s violent attacks on protesters opposed to Muammar Qadhafi’s rule. U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Susan Rice describes the vote as “unprecedented” and “a harsh rebuke – but one that Libya’s leaders have brought down upon themselves.”

Pass Obama Budget, Clinton Says
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges Congress to approve President Obama’s budget request for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and warned that cutting funding could harm key investments in countries across the Middle East. “The entire region is changing, and a strong and strategic American response is essential,” Clinton says in testimony to the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

North Korea’s Nuclear Activities
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Senior State Department officials say China and the United States share the goal of eliminating nuclear weapons programs from the Korean Peninsula and that both countries will need to work together to resolve North Korea’s status as a nuclear weapons state. North Korean nuclear activity “is an issue which is at the very center of the U.S.-China relationship,” says Special Representative for North Korea Policy Stephen Bosworth.

When Your Dentist Turns Green
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A movement is building to “green” America’s 125,000-plus dental offices. Since Ina and Fred Pockrass founded the Eco-Dentistry Association in 2008, dental offices in 45 states and 13 other countries have pledged to reduce their impact on the environment.

Shirley Chisolm “Broad Shouldered” Women
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of the first , which recognizes women’s past struggles and accomplishments and focuses on what needs to be done to provide greater opportunities for women today. At right, Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 became the first African-American woman elected to the U.S. Congress.

New U.S. Pressure on Libya / The Kiwi Quake / A Boost in Biotech Crops

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President Obama says it is time for Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi to go. Rescuers continue to search for survivors of the New Zealand earthquake, though hope is dimming. An American blogger digitally speaks with students in Palestine’s West Bank about social media as a means for social change. February is Black History Month in the United States. And studies show large gains in the production of biotech crops.

Obama Backs Qadhafi Ouster
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President Obama calls on Libya’s leader, Muammar Qadhafi, to leave power now, saying that he and his government must be held accountable for violating the human rights and brutalization of the Libyan people. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton further amplifies the president’s position, saying that it is clear the Libyan people want Qadhafi out of power.

Kiwi Quake’s Deadly Toll
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A U.S. Search and Recovery team is on the scene in Christchurch, New Zealand hoping more survivors can be pulled from the city’s rubble. New Zealand Police put the death toll at 113 late February 25, while 70 survivors have been found alive in the days since the 6.3 magnitude quake. More than 200 people are still thought to be missing.

Social Media, Social Change
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Blogger Zerlina Maxwell spoke with 25 students in the Palestinian Territories’ West Bank via digital video conference for a State Department dialogue on “Promoting Social Media as a Means for Change.” Speaking about Hosni Mubarak’s resignation as president of Egypt, Maxwell said, “I think that social media allowed me, someone who is sitting in New Jersey with a computer, to experience that moment as if I were there.”

Black History Month
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Each February, Black History Month honors the struggles and triumphs of millions of American citizens and their contributions to the nation’s cultural and political life. February was chosen because it includes the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

Biotech Boosts Small Farm Yield
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Between 1996 and 2010, the production of crops genetically modified to increase yield rose 87-fold, surpassing 1 billion hectares, according to new statistics from the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. Of the 15.4 million farmers planting such biotech crops, 90 percent are small, resource-poor farmers in developing countries. Developing countries produce 48 percent of global biotech crops. Above, a farmer tends to genetically enhance papayas in Hawaii.

Obama Condemns Violence in Libya / Human Rights Abuses in Iran / Social Networks Help Missing Kids

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President Obama calls on the world to unite in condemnation of the Libyan government’s violent response to protests seeking new leadership. President Obama offers condolences to the people of New Zealand in the aftermath of a major earthquake. The U.S. has designated two Iranian officials for “serious human rights abuses in Iran.” And social networking is helping missing children.

Obama Condemns Violence in Libya
President Obama says it is imperative that the world speak “with one voice” to condemn the suppression of peaceful demonstrators in Libya and to support their universal rights, and adds that the administration is preparing “a full range of options” that the United States can take unilaterally and multilaterally in response to the ongoing violence.

Aftermath of Quake in New Zealand
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President Obama has conveyed the condolences of his family and the United States to the people of New Zealand affected by a second major earthquake in just six months. “As our New Zealand friends move forward,” Obama says, “may they find some comfort and strength in knowing that they will have the enduring friendship and support of many partners around the world, including the United States.”

Human Rights Abuses in Iran
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The U.S. Departments of State and Treasury have announced the designation of two Iranian officials for “serious human rights abuses in Iran.” “These designations underscore our enduring commitment to support Iranians seeking to exercise their universal rights and express our solidarity with victims of torture, persecution and arbitrary detention,” says Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner.

Finding Missing Kids Online
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Authorities in Canada, the United States and elsewhere are using social media as a tool to help find missing children. Police in Canada have established Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts to post descriptions of suspected child abductors and Facebook has partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the U.S. Department of Justice to expand a U.S. system that alerts the public when children go missing.

U.S. Urges Political Reform in ME / U.S. Sends Aid to New Zealand / Technology for the Poor

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The United States urges Middle Eastern countries to work toward political reform in response to protests across the region. The U.S. is also sending aid to New Zealand after it was struck by a powerful earthquake. Finances ministers met at the G20 summit in Paris to discuss ways to prevent another financial crisis. And we’ve got a pair of stories on how new inventions can help the world’s poor.

Political Reform in the Middle East
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The United States urges Middle Eastern countries to take concrete action and work toward political reform in response to protests across the region, says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton, right, welcomes the process for a new Tunisia and for a new Egypt, and says the United States “will continue to be a supportive partner to the peoples of both countries as they seek a better future.”

U.S. Rushing Aid to New Zealand
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A U.S. disaster assistance team and a specially trained urban search and rescue team are being sent to help New Zealand officials in the aftermath of a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck near Christchurch February 22. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she is “deeply saddened by the news that a second major earthquake in six months has struck Christchurch. On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I send our sincere condolences and sympathy to the people of New Zealand.”

A U.S.-Africa Partnership
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The commander of the U.S. Africa Command says an enhanced partnership between his command and 53 African nations is working to maintain regional stability. “What we do are things that our partners desire of us to do,” says Army General William “Kip” Ward.

Compromise at the G20 Summit
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Finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of 20 major economic powers met in Paris February 18–19 and worked on strategies to prevent another financial crisis.

Inventing to Help the Poor
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Many technology and entrepreneurship programs at U.S. universities are bringing together students and faculty from different departments to collaborate on designing low-cost, simple devices that address problems facing the world’s poor. At Right, the Q-drum for hauling water.

Spreading Low-Tech Solutions
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Low-tech breakthroughs have the potential to improve the lives of the world’s poor, but not without an efficient means of getting new products to people who need them. Government bureaucracy and other challenges have limited the impact of some low-tech devices.

Clinton on Bahrain / Hip-Hop in Tajikistan / Civil Society and Democracy

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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urges restraint in Bahrain. Egyptian Americans are hopeful about the future of their homeland. This March, the Kennedy Center will host Maximum India. The United States and China are growing relations through a new garden. American hip-hop dancers bring the beat to Tajikistan. And finally, what is civil society? This photo gallery has some answers.

U.S. Urges Restraint in Bahrain
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton telephoned Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa to express U.S. concerns over violence by Bahraini security forces against anti-government protesters. Clinton says she had telephoned the foreign minister earlier in the day and “emphasized how important it was” that the Friday prayers and the funerals of the victims that will be held February 18 “not be marred by violence.”

Egyptians Americans are Hopeful
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Egyptian Americans, proud of the victory of pro-democracy protesters in Egypt, are looking to the future of their homeland with a mix of optimism, hope and a dash of realism.

Maximum India
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This March, the Kennedy Center in Washington will host the Maximum India festival, which will include performances, events and exhibitions by 500 artists in cooperation with the Indian Council for Cultural Resources. Maximum India marks the culmination of the Kennedy Center’s five-year exploration of the arts and cultures of the peoples along the legendary Silk Road, including Japan, China and the Middle East.

U.S., China Grow as Partners
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The United States and China have committed to construction of a classical Chinese garden at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington. “Today’s signing ceremony illustrates the commitment our two countries have to horticulture, science and the arts,” says Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack during a ceremony with China’s ambassador to the United States, Zhang Yesui.

Hip-Hop in Tajikistan 
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In 2010, the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe and the private cultural-exchange group American Voices arranged a series of dance workshops in Tajikistan led by two U.S. hip-hop dancers. The workshops highlighted the upbeat hip-hop sound that has had unexpectedly universal appeal worldwide, with a fast-growing fan base in Tajikistan.

Lech WalesaPhoto Gallery: Civil Society
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Civil society “is the conscience of our communities,” President Obama has said. Human progress, he said, has been shaped by individuals who can freely join forces and by nongovernmental organizations. But what is civil society, exactly? Why is it important? And what does it need to flourish? Explore this photo gallery about civil society around the world. In Poland, Lech Walesa, right, a shipyard electrician, was able to establish Solidarity, the Soviet bloc’s first independent trade union. At its height, the union had some 10 million members and was instrumental in the downfall of communism in the country.

Obama on Mideast Unrest / Clinton on Internet Freedom / African American Visionaries

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President Obama urges Middle East governments to respect the aspirations of their people. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton returns to the subject of Internet freedom. The United States and Ukraine agree on human trafficking and other issues. Finally, explore a photo gallery of some African American “visionaries.”

Obama Urges Mideast Reform
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The political unrest that has spread from Tunisia to Egypt and elsewhere in the region comes as young people are seeking greater opportunities and ways of improving their lives, President Obama says. Obama urges governments in the region to “get out ahead of change,” and respond to their peoples’ aspirations in a manner that doesn’t lead to violence. “You can’t maintain power through coercion. At some level in any society, there has to be consent,” he says.

 
 
Secretary Clinton on Internet Freedom
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An open, secure Internet that is accessible to all is crucial to economic prosperity, says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in a speech at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. The struggle for Internet freedom is a struggle for human rights, human freedom and human dignity, says Clinton.

Wide Ranging U.S.-Ukraine Talks
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Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Gryshchenko sign a new cooperative plan to combat human trafficking in the Ukraine, and a plan to strengthen the East European nation’s energy security. Also discussed during their meeting: cooperation on nuclear proliferation, Ukraine’s efforts to strengthen its democracy, food security, HIV/AIDS, and ways for Ukraine to develop domestic energy resources and attract greater private investment.

Dorothy HeightVisionaries: African Americans Tell Their Stories
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For nearly a decade, the nonprofit National Visionary Leadership Project collected the oral histories of extraordinary African-Americans who helped shape America’s culture and history. This photo gallery takes a look at some of them. At left, the late civil rights activist Dorothy Height.