Inspiring Young Entrepreneurs in Nigeria: Consulate 

General Lagos participated in a youth entrepreneurship forum for over 380 young people selected as school leaders for the 

PAO Ghebreab speaks to young entrepreneurs.

2012 Enactus Nigeria National Competition. These young aspiring entrepreneurs represented the 36 states of Nigeria, and provided an opportunity for the consulate to reach and train a diverse group of student leaders. Public Affairs Officer (PAO), Dehab Ghebreab delivered an inspirational speech on youth and leadership, and the Information Resources Center Director showed how young entrepreneurs can grow their business through free online resources.  The Educational Adviser counseled the youth leaders on how to further their educational studies in the United States.  

ECA PDAS Visit Highlights Programs in Nigeria and Cote d'Ivoire:  Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs (ECA) Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) Adam Ereli completed his first trip to West Africa, visiting Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria from February 1 - 6.  PDAS Ereli was warmly received everywhere he went, particularly by the many prominent U.S. Government exchange alumni he met, which included the

Ivoirian Ministers of Finance and Communication.  His visit included meetings with the first Fulbright Public Policy Fellows (FPPF) assigned to Cote d'Ivoire, allowing him to better evaluate the impact of the FPPF program in Cote d'Ivoire.  He also visited with students participating in the English Access Microscholarship program and the Peace

ECA PDAS Ereil in Yopougon,  Cote d' Ivoire

 Ambassadors program in Abidjan and highlighted ECA programs that support the population of Yopougon, an area of Abidjan that was particularly affected by the post-electoral crisis.  While in Nigeria, PDAS Ereli met with the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and National Orientation, for a discussion on possible partnerships.  He also had the opportunity to see firsthand the impact of ECA programs through meetings with youth leaders, prominent International Visitor Leadership Program participants, Humphrey and Fulbright alumni, and a visit to the Barack Obama American Corner in Lagos.  Drawing on his experience as the Deputy Spokesman of the State Department, PDAS Ereli rounded out his visits to both Abidjan and Lagos with radio interviews, speaking about exchange programs, emphasizing the role of radio in promoting reconciliation and democracy and highlighting EducationUSA and ECA programs. 

Security Cooperation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC):  As part of Embassy Kinshasa's efforts to publicize AFRICOM's (United States Africa Command) extensive 

A DRC Armed Forces member is interviewed by local press.

work in the DRC, Public Affairs Section Kinshasa took a team of local print, radio 

and television journalists to the Groupement des Ecoles Superieures Militaires (GESM) to cover the U.S.-sponsored "Basic Intelligence Course." The journalists interviewed students, instructors and FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo) personnel about the program and shot footage of the classroom environment.  Given the instability in eastern Congo and the rampant conspiracy theories about the United State's role, it is vital that the Embassy publicize all the work that the U.S. Department of Defense/AFRICOM is doing in the Congo.  Through a visit to the training course, the journalists had the opportunity to see AFRICOM's efforts to enhance the professionalism of the Congolese military.

Secretary Clinton Announces Launch of the New 100,000 Strong Foundation:  Secretary Clinton hosted an event at the State Department on January 24 to celebrate the launch of the 100,000 Strong Foundation as a newly independent non-governmental organization, which is working to increase the number of American students studying in China.  The event, which included 250 guests, featured speeches by Secretary Clinton and Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell in addition to a panel that included the Peoples Republic of China's Ambassador to the United States Zhang Yesui, Committee of 100 founder Henry Tang, and Yale-China Association Director Nancy Yao Maasbach.  The Foundation traces its beginning to the 100,000 Strong Initiative - a public-private partnership announced by President Obama in 2009 and led by the State Department until 2012 - that aimed to see 100,000 American students study in China by 2014.  

Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks at the 100,000 Strong Foundation Launch Event

Disabled Mongolians Gather at American Corner Poetry Reading:  The American Cultural and Information Center in Ulaanbaatar hosted a poetry reading in collaboration with the Mongolian Development Center.  The event was organized to support wheelchair-bound Mongolian citizens and encourage networking and community building in the disabled community.  The event featured three famous Mongolian poets who read their most well-known poems, as well as new works. 

Missions New Zealand and Samoa Host Future Leaders of the Pacific Conference in American Samoa: Missions 

Day 3 of the conference, the delegates attended a field trip to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

New Zealand and Samoa teamed up with the East West Center and the Government of American Samoa to jointly host the Future Leaders of the Pacific Conference in Pago Pago, American Samoa, February 4-7.  The Conference brought together young leaders from each of the sixteen Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) nations to discuss trends, issues, and opportunities for collective regional action.  Topical issues included women's empowerment, climate change, sea bed mining and non-communicable diseases.  Samoan Head of State, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi served as the key note speaker, and was joined by U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa - David Huebner; the Premier of Niue - Toke Talagi; Dr. Sitiveni Halapua MP -Kingdom of Tonga; and senior representatives from the East West Center including Dr. Allen Clark, Dr. Victoria Keener, and Dr. Jerry Finin.  The Governor of American Samoa Lolo Matalasi Moliga hosted the Conference participants for an evening reception, and his staff arranged for the group to visit selected locations in the territory.  The program brought an important youth focus to United States Government Pacific rebalancing efforts, enhanced the East West Center's youth outreach capabilities, and supported efforts by the Government of American Samoa to meaningfully connect with its Pacific Island neighbors.  

Embassy Seoul Supports The Special Olympics: The 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games attracted more than 3,300 athletes from 113

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack with a Team USA athlete at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Secretary Clinton Launches the Open Book Project:  On Monday, January 28, Secretary Clinton launched the Open Book Project, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State the Arab League Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) and leading education innovators to expand access to free, high-quality, open educational resources in Arabic, with a focus on science and technology.  In her remarks, the Secretary highlighted how the project will contribute to economic opportunity in the North Africa and Middle East regions by making quality education more accessible and reducing economic and gender-based barriers to education.  She also highlighted how the project responds to the aspirations of men and women across the North Africa and Middle East regions for a better future.  Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter co-chaired the meeting.  

Secretary Clinton Delivers Remarks on the Open Book Partnership

DAS Lerner Meets North Korean-Origin WEST Participants:  On January 24, ECA Deputy Assistant
Secretary (DAS) Robin Lerner visited ten North Korean-origin WEST (Work, English Study, and Travel) participants currently studying English at Harriet Fulbright College in Arlington, Virginia.  WEST is a bilateral exchange program between the United States and the Republic of Korea in which students study English and participate in internships.  To date, more than 1,500 Koreans have participated in the program, including - since last year - North Korean-origin students who are residents of the Republic of Korea. 

Empowering Women and Girls through Sports Highlights Leadership, Health, and Youth Engagement: U.S. Olympians and WNBA players inspired leadership, physical fitness, and self-empowerment among young women and girls through clinics and conversations in Nicaragua and Ukraine.  On the first-ever softball envoy program, in partnership with USA Softball, U.S. Olympians Jessica Mendoza and Ruby Rojas led a series of clinics for athletes and coaches  as well as spearheaded discussions on leadership and the

 importance of health and wellness in Esteli and Managua, Nicaragua. At the same time, in Ukraine, WNBA players NyKesha Sales and Tamika Raymond conducted basketball skills clinics and youth outreach side-by-side with alumni of the March 2012 basketball Sports Visitors program.

Grammy-Winning Female Trio Inspires Young Women in the Pacific: Young women in Papua New Guinea were delighted and empowered by the American Music Abroad program, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, with Barbara Lamb.  At the Buk bilong Pikinini Library, their performance reinforced the power of literacy and education for girls.  The group additionally visited the People's Republic of China, Malaysia, and Vanuatu.  

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, with Barbara Lamb Girl Django

U.S. Provides Additional Humanitarian Assistance to Syrian Refugees in Turkey:  At a press roundtable in Ankara on January 25, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Democracy, Conflict, & Humanitarian Assistance Nancy Lindborg, Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford, and Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees, and Migration Anne Richard announced that the United States is providing an additional $10 million in humanitarian assistance in response to urgent needs resulting from the brutal conflict in Syria.  Mission Turkey prominently featured this announcement and President Obama's January 29 statement on an additional $155 million in humanitarian assistance on Embassy web platforms, which received positive media coverage.

American Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad Wows British Audiences:  On Monday January 28th, U.S. Embassy London hosted Team USA Fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad as part of the State Department's Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative.  Ibtihaj is renowned as the first Muslim woman to compete for Team USA in an international competition.  Ibtihaj visited three schools in the London borough of Newham, one of the poorest boroughs in the United Kingdom.  At each school Ibtihaj spoke about her journey as a minority member of Team USA.  At the Sarah Bonnell School, where the female student population is over 80% Muslim, she showed the girls that she was able to maintain the dress requirements of her faith and still compete at an international level.  These events were Tweeted by British Fencing and Exchange Connect and accumulated over 50,000 followers.  Two YouTube videos were created by the Embassy's social media team and pictures were posted to the Embassy's Flickr account. 

Dr. Jill Biden advocates for Educational Exchanges in France: On February 4, Dr. Jill Biden gave remarks in Paris to American Fulbrighters, Chateaubriand scholars, and French community college students emphasizing the importance of educational and cultural exchanges.  Dr. Biden's participation in this event illustrated the U.S. Government's commitment to educational exchange programs in general and also underscored Dr. Biden's support for U.S. community colleges.  The inclusion of the Lyc�e Joliot-Curie, an economically underserved school, demonstrated the Mission's commitment to youth and diverse communities.  Community college students from Lyc�e Joliot-Curie Nanterre will travel to Boston, MA in March 2013 on an Embassy-supported exchange program.

Dr Jill Biden speaks to American and French Exchange students

Ambassador Solomont Celebrates 120 Years of U.S.-Spanish Cultural Exchange: On January 30, marking the 120th anniversary of the International Institute in Madrid, Ambassador Solomont delivered a speech on U.S.-Spain bilateral relations.  Founded in 1892 as the International Institute for Girls in Spain by American educators and suffragists from Massachusetts, the International Institute provides broad educational programs for thousands of American and Spanish college students each year and collaborates with the Embassy, the Fulbright Commission, and Spanish universities.  It is one of the strongest institutions celebrating American culture in Spain, dedicated to supporting intercultural and academic exchange between the two countries and understanding between their citizens.  In his remarks, the Ambassador highlighted the priorities of the U.S.-Spain relationship and the important role that organizations such as the Institute and people-to-people exchanges play in maintaining that relationship.  The occasion allowed the Ambassador to engage with Spanish students and other actors in the world of international exchanges and to deliver key messages on the U.S-Spain relationship. 

On January 24, 70 U.S.-based companies learned about the economic environment in Germany's capital from U.S. Ambassador Philip Murphy through a virtual discussion hosted by U.S. Embassy Berlin.  The Ambassador, and Minister Counselor for Commercial Affairs, Dale Tasharski, discussed Berlin's economic environment with a focus on promoting U.S. tourism to German audiences.

Students of English Learn About Real Americans:  IIP has released Pop Culture Versus Real America English Learning Edition, for students at the middle- and secondary-school level, as part of an emphasis on supporting English language teaching.  Adapted and rewritten in simplified English, the book offers real life positive contrasts to stereotypical images of Americans in the media.

U.S. Embassies Brasilia and Latvia Take Direct Line to Key Industries:  On January 29, U.S. Embassy Brasilia's Economic section conducted a Direct Line webinar focused on Port Sector Reform and Investment Opportunities.  On January 30, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs Fernandez joined U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Mark Pekala and participants from U.S. companies, state trade promotion agencies, and Department of Commerce representatives to discuss the Informaiton Technology and Shared Services sector in the Latvian economic market.

IIP Helps Embassy Kathmandu's American Road Show Reach Thousands:  Embassy Kathmandu kicked off its American Road Show this week, using post's IIP-provided Moveable Space.  With visits to the remote towns of Puythan and Rolpa in western Nepal, some Nepalis walked an entire day to attend, and more than 6,500 visitors came to the Puythan stop alone for what was, for many, their first opportunity to meet U.S. Embassy staff.  All the books, including IIP materials on display, were donated to local libraries when the program moved to the next community.  

Erbil Consul General Sutphin Highlights U.S. Commitment to Syrian Refugees:  Erbil Consul General Paul Sutphin visited the Domiz Refugee Camp in Duhok province to observe conditions and how U.S. assistance is benefiting Syrian refugees.  Despite the high levels of U.S. assistance, residents of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, including senior Kurdistan Regional government officials, often do not know the extent of the United States' efforts.  As a result of the visit and attendant press release, a number of Kurdish media outlets ran positive stories on the visit and the U.S. Government assistance to Syrian refugees living in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.

Iranian Visitor on Department of State Sponsored Program Engages with U.S. Counterparts on Addiction Treatment:  An Iranian drug abuse researcher returned to Tehran after a one-year fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina, funded by a Public Diplomacy grant through the Iran Regional Presence Office (IRPO).  The scholar, a specialist in the treatment of female addicts, wrote a paper on partner violence among Iranian women drug abusers, translated a gender-specific drug abuse treatment manual into Farsi, participated in local abuse counseling sessions, and gave presentations on qualitative analysis during her time in Charleston, South Carolina.  She intends to continue her collaboration with the U.S. academic community through a follow-on grant for research in Iran funded by the World Health Organization. 

Secretary Clinton's "Townterview":  On January 29, Public Affairs organized a Global Townterview with young people and broadcasters joining via satellite, Twitter, Facebook and Sina Weibo from across the world.  The program, which took questions from every continent, received widespread global coverage and was broadcast not only through the partner media organizations; BBC, NHK, NTN24, Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC), NDTV, Channels TV and YouTube, but also by other major international broadcast networks and print outlets including Al Arabiya, France 24, the United Kingdom's Daily Telegraph, Al-Sharq al-Awsat, and Mexico's Milenio.  The Global Townterview created many firsts for the State Department's social media efforts.  It was the first Global Townterview done via satellite in coordination with partner broadcast outlets, and the first Secretary-level event to be live-Tweeted on all ten of the State Department's foreign language Twitter feeds, as well as the State Department's flagship Twitter account, @StateDept (436,000+ followers).  The event also marked the first time that the State Department partnered with YouTube to live-stream a State Department event on their live channel. 

Secretary Clinton Holds Global Town Hall

Special Representative for North Korea Policy Glyn Davies Discusses the United States' Policy on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea:  On January 29, Public Affairs' East Asia and Pacific Affairs Media Hub recorded a Q&A with visiting Ambassador Glyn Davies at the conclusion of his three-country trip to China, Korea, and Japan.  The clips were distributed via NewsMarket, State on Demand, YouTube and other social media platforms.

Special Representative Davies to North Korean Leaders: Put People First

President Obama and Bureau of African Affairs Assistant Secretary Carson Engage with African Audiences on Kenyan Elections:  On February 5 the Bureau of Public Affairs Office of International Media Engagement helped to amplify the President's video message encouraging free, fair, and peaceful elections in Kenya, which was subtitled into Kiswahili.  Embassy Nairobi launched the video, which was Tweeted out on @USAandEurope and @USAenFrancais, shared on the Department of State's Facebook page, and sent to journalists throughout Europe who cover Africa issues.  All major Kenyan news media outlets carried the message as their lead item and it was widely distributed and commented about on social media.  Bureau of African Affairs Assistant Secretary Carson spoke on a conference call to African journalists on February 7, reinforcing the President's message and emphasizing the critical importance of a free and peaceful vote for Kenya's international reputation and future prosperity.

President Obama's Message to the  People of Kenya

Secretary Kerry Addresses Foreign Policy Classroom: On February 7 Secretary John Kerry surprised a group of students participating in Foreign Policy Classroom, a Bureau of Public Affairs outreach program which brings college students from U.S. universities to the State Department to hear from subject-matter experts on foreign policy topics.  The Secretary spoke about the United States' leadership against global terrorism and encouraged students to pursue foreign policy careers. 

On January 23, Public Affairs Section Islamabad participated in a jubilant opening ceremony for 100 new students plus their parents or guardians who began participation in the English Access Microscholarship Program in Islamabad.  The program's host, the University of Modern Languages, is hosting Access for the first time, representing a significant deepening of the United States' relationship with the institution.

Afghanistan:  Media Tour for First Microfinance Bank:  Embassy Kabul organized a media tour for Tolo TV and Radio Azadi to interview the female staff of the Microfinance Banks' Taimani branch, and women business owners who have benefited from the bank's microfinance program.  The Microfinance Bank has $79 million in microfinance and small-medium enterprise loans to 65,000 borrowers - 15% of them women.  The media tour showcased a number of women businesses in the USAID-funded "Women's Garden" who received multiple loans to invest in the growth of their economic ventures.  The story, set to air on the popular morning Tolo TV program and Pashtu and Dari Radio Azadi services, hopes to inspire Afghans (particularly Afghan women) to pursue further entrepreneurial opportunities.

Afghanistan National Institute of Music's Youth Orchestra in Washington, D.C.:  On their second day in the United States, Secretary Kerry met with members of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music's youth orchestra and school staff.  Supported by a grant from Embassy Kabul, the youth orchestra performed at the Kennedy Center, New York's Carnegie Hall, Scarsdale High School in New York, and the New England Conservatory of Music.  The historic tour garnered coverage on the front pages of the New York Times and the Washington Post.