DAART Program Launched in Dakar:  Embassy Dakar, together with the Boston-based West African Research Association and the West African Research Center of Dakar, launched the Dakar-American Applied Research and Training (DAART) program, created to build capacity in project management for young West Africans. The eleven young people representing West African countries who were selectively chosen for the program will receive management, information technology, and English training, along with the opportunity to receive financing for individual projects.  DAART advances U.S. goals to support economic growth by equipping young people with advanced technical skills needed for development. Complementing the mission's priority to protect minority groups, one of the three Senegalese recipients will focus his project on preventing marginalization of albinos.  RTS television coverage of the DAART inauguration highlighted this initiative's impact on young Senegalese leaders. 

 

Embassy Zambia Staff Empower 10^th Grade Girls:  Embassy Zambia's U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Director Susan K. Brems and a contingent of Embassy staff welcomed 18 students from the local Kabulonga Girls School on June 21 for a discussion on topics including reproductive health, gender based violence, and self-esteem.  The event empowered the girls by showing them what is possible if they can overcome challenges and obstacles.  The highlight of the program was a round robin in which ten women from the Embassy's local staff - with jobs ranging from electrician, to cashier, to engineer, to protocol officer, to librarian - talked with the girls in small groups rotating every three minutes so the students were exposed to the diversity of opportunities available to them in the future if they continue to pursue their education and make good choices.

 

Investigating Corruption in Cameroon:  Embassy Yaounde and Branch Office Douala hosted a joint two-hour digital video conference (DVC) with Newsweek and Foreign Policy contributor Eric Pape for 50 business and economics reporters. Pape focused on the role of journalists as the watchdogs of society and the importance of investigative journalism to the fight against corruption and to improve governance. Returned International Visitor Leadership Program participant Christophe Bobiokono and seasoned investigative journalist and 2010 Woman of Courage Award recipient Henriette Ekwe acted as panelists in Cameroon.  A delicate political climate and lack of resources result in an often challenging media environment.  Participants highlighted difficulties in investigating widespread corruption and gained knowledge on techniques for ferreting out reliable information in a place where few officials are forthcoming - even off-the-record. The DVC supported post's objectives of fostering the Rule of Law and promoting economic opportunity and good governance through an improved business climate, reduced corruption, and a robust civil society - including the media.

 

U.S. Consulate Shenyang Brings the WNBA to the Streets:

WNBA (Women's National Basketball Association) stars Tamika Raymond and Keisha Brown conducted clinics for young women and girls, many from underserved areas of Shenyang, to empower them through basketball. The Regional English Language Office in Beijing also developed an innovative English learning station to include in the clinic, a first for a basketball envoy program.   

Secretary Clinton Highlights Korean Exchange Program:

First-Ever Visit by U.S. Ambassador to China's Inner Mongolia Province:  During the first-ever visit of a U.S. Ambassador to China's Inner Mongolia Provice, Ambassador Gary Locke met with provincial officials, spoke to a group of students at Inner Mongolia University about diversity in the United States, met with a group of U.S. Government program alumni, toured the Inner Mongolia Provincial Museum, and visited with monks at the Da Zhao Temple. 

 

 

Celebrating Fulbright at 65 - A Gift to the World:  The J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FSB) unveiled its 2010-2011 Annual Report on June 12 to a live audience of 120 and 900 online at a quarterly public board meeting in New York City.  Daniel Libeskind, architect for the World Trade Center complex and Senior Fulbright Professor of architecture in Helsinki 1984-85, gave a compelling talk and joined the FSB in a tour of the National September 11 Memorial Museum.

  

 

 

 

 

 (From left to right) Joseph Daniels of the 9/11 Memorial Foundation, Daniel Libeskind, Assistant Secretary Ann Stock, and FSB Chair Tom Healy pause for a moment of reflection after placing a wreath at the Survivor Tree.

Secretary Announces Global Sports Mentoring Program and Partnership with espnW & Names Council to Empower Women and Girls Through Sports:  Secretary Clinton and ESPN President John Skipper on June 21 announced the U.S. Department of State and espnW Global Sports Mentoring Program.  The Secretary also announced a council of leading American athletes  who will elevate the global conversation on empowering women and girls.  SportsUnited's Caribbean Track & Field women's sports visitors, while on a program of team building, conflict resolution and disability sports, attended the ceremonies and met the Secretary.

 

Trafficking-in-Persons (TIP) Heroes Participate in IVLP:  Nine of the ten 2012 TIP Heroes honored on June 19 by Secretary Clinton and Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Luis CdeBaca are participants in the International Visitor Leadership Prorgram (IVLP).  This IVLP was timed to connect with the launch of State's annual TIP report.  The IVLP participants also met with special invited guests Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. 

 

First Regional LGBT Conference in Albania Promotes Human Rights:  U.S. Embassy Tirana's LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) workshop attracted over 100 participants from 17 different European countries.  The U.S. Ambassador, Alexander Arvizu, and the Mayor of Tirana gave opening remarks.  The panel discussions provided the first opportunity for many Albanians to engage in public discourse about being LGBT.  Local activists, in collaboration with U.S. Embassy Albania, are forming a support group for family members of LGBT individuals. 

 

Exchanges Improve the Fight against Human Trafficking in Greece:  To better coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking, Thessaloniki Consul Marsha Lance participated in a roundtable organized by the international non-governmental organization (NGO) "The A-21 Campaign" for police, prosecutors, lawyers, psychologists and NGO activists.  The border officials outlined the challenges they face in recognizing victims, particularly among illegal immigrants.  They committed to better advertising of the trafficking in persons hotline at detention centers, and NGOs offered training programs for law enforcement.  

 

U.S. Photographers Share Skills and Vision with Georgians: 

Four leading U.S. photographers (Gordon Smith, William Messer, Richard Bram, and Pok Chi Lau) engaged their Georgian counterparts and the public at the "Kolga Tbilisi Photo 2012" - a major contemporary photography event.  Photography has long been a powerful medium in Georgia, and the Arts Envoys drew large audiences for workshops, lectures, and portfolio reviews, focusing on visual storytelling and the power of photojournalism in cross-cultural communication.  

 

International Organizations (IO) 

 

UNESCO hosts inaugural World Open Education Resources Congress, with U.S. Support:  On June 20-22, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) hosted the first-ever World Open Education Resources (OER) Congress at its Headquarters in Paris.  The Congress brought together OER experts and educational officials to showcase best practices and discuss how OER might be used to address some of the world's most pressing educational challenges. It was organized with generous support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and featured prominent Americans such as Larry Lessig (co-founder of Creative Commons) and Anant Agarwal (director of the new Harvard/MIT edX initiative).  Their participation underscored the crucial role the United States has played in the OER movement, which is set to transform learning worldwide by dramatically increasing both accessibility and flexibility of educational materials.  The U.S. Mission to UNESCO supported the Congress by bringing Hal Plotkin, a Senior Advisor and OER expert at the Department of Education, to participate.  Also present was Meghann Curtis, the State Department's Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs.  On June 22, Congress Participants adopted the Paris Declaration, aimed at educating governments about the advantages of OER and encouraging them to implement or support OER initiatives.  Such support is sorely needed, since, as U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion pointed out at the reception he hosted for the occasion, "not enough existing schools and universities are taking full advantage of open learning resources, which can enhance the quality of teaching and learning while also driving down costs."

  

"Women, Water, and Wells" Exhibit at United Nations in Geneva:  On June 19, the U.S. Mission opened "Women, Water, and Wells" an exhibition of photographs by Gil Garcetti at the United Nations Offices in Geneva.  The exhibit is a collection of 62 black and white photographs taken by Garcetti who became committed to raising awareness and critical funds to support clean water in the region after his first trip to West Africa in 2001.  This collection reveals the challenges, hopes and successes experienced by women who are faced with the daily task of providing safe water for their families and communities.  At the opening of the exhibit, Ambassador Betty E. King reflected that this exhibit "highlights the benefits and joy that come from the introduction of clean water to a community, and how education and micro-business grow from this success. "Woman, Water and Wells" projects a message of hope for a brighter future." The exhibit will be on display in Geneva until July 4, at which point it will be moved to Vienna, Austria.  

  

Embassy Beirut Promotes Economic Statecraft:  Charg� d'Affaires Rick Mills hosted a series of events which brought together key Lebanese and American business leaders to highlight Global Economic Statecraft Day.  Business leaders from the franchising, petroleum, healthcare, information/communications technology, automotive, and food sectors gathered to discuss prospects for strengthening bilateral economic ties.  Attendees highlighted trade and investment relations and the strategic means to improve them.  Public Affairs Section Lebanon promoted Global Economic Statecraft Day via social media, with multiple Facebook posts from IIP Digital that highlighted economic affairs and tourism in the United States.

 

U.S. Consulate in Alexandria Showcases American Support for Industry and Trade:  On the eve of Global Economic Statecraft day, U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Anne W. Patterson engaged with an Egyptian audience at the American Center in Alexandria and emphasized the U.S. commitment to supporting a stable, democratic and prosperous Egypt.  Alongside U.S. Congressman David Dreier and Alexandria Governor Dr. Osama Al Fouly, the Ambassador outlined several projects that the U.S. is supporting in Alexandria, including training youth in the garment and food export industries, developing a one-stop business license facility at the Chamber of Commerce, and partnering with the Alexandria Businessmen's Association on a micro-enterprise lending project which give entrepreneurs the boost they need to create jobs.  

 

Economic Statecraft in Bahrain:  Embassy Manama hosted the first-ever America Week Bahrain festival, June 20-26.  With more than a dozen American companies based in Bahrain taking part in the event, the week-long celebration highlighted the economic and cultural ties that have linked the United States and Bahrain for over a century. The Embassy successfully planned and executed 23 separate America Week events that reached a diverse group of more than 6,000 Bahraini citizens and residents of all backgrounds and sects, a remarkable achievement given the civil and political unrest that Bahrain has experienced recently following the Arab Spring.

 

  

World Refugee Day:  On June 20, PA's Office of Digital Engagement hosted an hour-long Twitter Q&A with Assistant Secretary for Populations, Refugees, and Migration Anne Richard commemorating World Refugee Day.  Assistant Secretary Richard took questions from around the globe on a range of issues, including: how the U.S. is addressing Pakistanis displaced by armed conflicts; U.S. programs to aid in education of refugee children; and our ongoing relief efforts in African countries including the Sudan.

 

To further support World Refugee Day, the Foreign Press Center hosted a tour for foreign journalists to a local refugee resettlement center.  The tour participants met with board members who
explained the organization's mission to help refugees from their arrival at the airport to their first job interview, with the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency.  Journalists also observed a cultural orientation class for two newly arrived refugee families from Iraq.   Ten journalists participated from Bulgaria, China, Italy, Japan, Korea, and United Arab Emirates.  

Twitter Briefing with Toria Nuland: Spokesperson Toria Nuland participated in a Twitter briefing on June 20.  Participants asked questions about sustainable development initiatives, Syria, the Haqqani Network, Libya's future and U.S. peace efforts in the Middle East.  Questions were posted in English and Arabic.  The answers were posted in English along with Arabic subtitles.

 

Release of the Annual Trafficking in Persons Report:  On June 19, the Secretary rolled out the Department's Annual Trafficking in Persons Report (J/TIP).  Working with the Bureau of Democracy and Global Affairs, the PA team arranged interviews with the TIP "heroes" and international news outlets including the Israeli "TIP Hero" with the Jerusalem Post; the Congolese and Mauritanian heores with Radio France International and Voice of American (VOA) French service; the Argentine hero with Agencia Nacional de Noticias de la Rep�blica Argentina and VOA Spanish service; and the Cambodian hero with VOA Khmer service.   

 

India and Sri Lanka: LGBT Issues to the Fore: Consulate Kolkata conveyed President Obama's and Secretary Clinton's messages on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) rights and emphasized the importance of creating space for all citizens in a press conference for LGBT activists.  Participants briefed the media on the struggles experienced within the LGBT population. The panel unfurled a rainbow flag designed and crafted by an non-governmental organization (NGO) focused on women's empowerment - a moment widely covered in the local media.  The event concluded with the first of four LGBT-themed films to be screened each Friday in June as part of a film festival at the American Center. The American Center New Delhi kicked off the month with a screening and discussion of the movie "Beginners" and a rainbow handprint wall on which our visitors put their handprints to signify their support for LGBT rights.  The American Center building sports a huge banner this month with a rainbow and the Secretary's quote: "Gay rights are human rights." In Colombo, Ambassador Butenis opened the June 17 LGBT conference hosted by NGO Equal Ground and supported by the Embassy.  The workshop - Future LGBT Leaders Unite - launched Colombo Pride activities.

 

South and Central Asia: Youth Summit/Tech Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan: Tech Forum Central Asia brought together over 100 participants from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and over 20 tech trainers.  This joint venture between SCA and the Secretary's Office of Innovation and eDiplomacy featured good press coverage, great public-private partnerships, and most importantly the right participants and trainers.  In the training sessions several important topics were discussed: freedom of the press, disability rights/accessibility, connecting donors with non-governmental organizations (NGOs,) and issues of trust and transparency.  For each, participants drilled down to specific examples and discussed possible solutions.  For example, a Kazakh woman concerned about handicapped accessibility learned about free mapping tools that will allow her to locate and virtually tag handicapped-accessible buildings.  Young civil society leaders and entrepreneurs used the opportunity to network and raise their digital literacy. 

 

Bangladesh: "A Conversation with Bangladesh" is a hit!:

Public Affairs Section Dhaka's new monthly youth talk show, "A Conversation with Bangladesh," premiered on Desh TV, reaching over 10 million viewers nationwide.  Radio Today cross-promotion drew in an additional 50 million listeners, and pushed Embassy Dhaka's Facebook viewership to 1.2 million visits in one week.  As the show's first guest, Ambassador Mozena engaged two young co-hosts and a live audience of young social entrepreneurs on Bangladesh's economy, discussing hot button issues like TICFA (Trade and Investment Cooperation Framework Agreement,) labor rights, and corruption.  This primetime show, the brainchild of Cultural Affairs Officer Mike Harker, builds on the success of Secretary Clinton's own Conversation with Bangladesh in May and provides a platform for Embassy Dhaka to engage mass youth audiences on issues important to the Mission and the country's majority youth population.  In each episode, a U.S. Government representative or prominent American will engage on an issue within their field of expertise that underscores shared U.S.-Bangladesh goals.  Local broadcasting partners cover 100% of production costs.  Future episodes will be shot at the new Edward M. Kennedy Center for Public Service and the Arts in downtown Dhaka.