Wildlife Conservation in South Africa: American wildlife conservation expert Matt Lewis visited rural communities on the edges of South Africa's largest national park, meeting with traditional leaders and community members to discuss the benefits of conservation. At meetings hosted in three communities, Matt talked about how rural communities can profit and better their lives by protecting the wildlife instead of harboring poachers. In addition to reaching rural leaders and community members, Matt engaged with field rangers and others involved on the frontlines of the anti-rhino poaching efforts in the Kruger region. Wildlife conservation, including protecting rhino, is a priority area for the current administration. Rather than just raising awareness about conservation in SA's largest cities, this program allowed us access to a new audience of decision-makers and key influencers by reaching into the rural communities at the center of the conservation debate.

Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP)

IIP Maintains Web Operations During Mission Shutdowns: IIP, in coordination with Consular Affairs, supported five AF Embassies and nine NEA Embassies and Consulates closed August 5 through August 10 for security reasons.  

Obama, Kerry Iftar Remarks Spark Praise and Appreciation:  IIP's Arabic Facebook pages Amreekani and AlAmreekania highlighted President Obama and Secretary Kerry's Iftar remarks at the White House and Department of State, respectively, garnering heartfelt messages of appreciation and support from followers of both communities.  Both posts reached a total of 207,640 people and received 292 likes, 71 comments and 113 shares.  179 readers clicked to read the translated remarks with Algeria, Morocco, Yemen, and Tunisia as top countries. 

American Imam Sheds Light on Muslim Life in the U.S. to Hundreds Worldwide:  Imam Khalid Latif of the Islamic Center at New York University joined a multi-point web chat through IIP's CO.NX office to discuss his experiences as a Muslim born and raised in the United States. Imam Latif refuted misconceptions about the treatment of Muslims in the United States to the over 300 total participants who joined live, including 10 groups that hosted roughly 200 students at American Spaces throughout South Central Asia and East Asia and Pacific. Over 100 online participants logged into the web chat bringing the virtual attendance to its maximum capacity. 

USUN and Office of eDiplomacy Organize TechCamp for Journalists: To correspond with the U.S. emphasis on the protection of journalists in conflict zones as part of our presidency of the UN Security Council, the U.S. Mission to the United Nations and the Office of eDiplomacy organized a TechCamp on July 25-26.  The event, which took place at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism, brought together more than 80 technologists, journalists, academics, and UN officials, representing approximately 20 countries, to discuss practical applications of  technology to the vital yet often dangerous work of journalists.  At the end of the conference, participants presented their project proposals, which included building a search engine to verify credibility of photos and videos taken in conflict areas, creating a massive open online course that compiles resources for journalists in the field, and designing a journalism incident reporting tool. The community forged at TechCamp NYC will continue to be connected through its Facebook page, and USUN and the Office of eDiplomacy will maintain contact with participants as they continue to develop their projects. 

Ambassador Shapiro Appears on Top-Rated Political Satire TV Show: Ambassador Dan Shapiro made a surprise primetime appearance on "Matzav HaUma," a top political satire program and the overall second highest rated television show in Israel. As Ambassador Shapiro sat on the "hot seat," a panel of four leading Israeli comedian-pundits questioned him on U.S.-Israel bilateral relations. He responded sharply in fluent Hebrew, emphasizing the close cooperation between the governments and peoples of the Unites States and Israel and therein garnering laughs from the live studio audience. 

Virtual Geography Quiz Entertains Thousands of Iraqis:  PAS Baghdad hosted the third in a series of live Facebook chats on U.S. culture, society, and values with Iraqi citizens, this installment taking the form of a quiz on U.S. geography. Staff posed and answered questions in Arabic and English on climate, population, geographical features, and the Muslim community in the U.S. This chat was viewed by over 25,000 people and generated over 1300 likes and 500 comments. During the month of Ramadan, when travel outside the Embassy is nearly impossible, online chats keep PAOs engaged with Iraqi youth. 

Jazz Musician Jonathan Batiste Holds Workshop at LeBAM Summer Music Camp: Through partnership between the Zouk Mikael Festival and PD Beirut, American jazz artist Jonathan Batiste

held a workshop for the Lebanese Association for Music (LeBAM)'s International Summer Band Camp. 12 students from LeBAM were joined by 12 young local professional musicians to play under Batiste's guidance for two hours as more than 75 diverse young musicians and teachers from LeBAM looked on. As the young musicians played with Batiste's band, Stay Human, they fostered a tangible atmosphere of collaboration and understanding. 

PA's Office of Broadcast Services (OBS) Amplifies Israeli-Palestinian Peace Talks Around the World: OBS' coverage of Secretary Kerry's remarks opening the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks was transmitted live by major international broadcasters worldwide, including the Associated Press, BBC World, Al Jazeera (English and Arabic), and Al Arabiya. Subsequent distribution of OBS' coverage appeared in over 25 major broadcasters' news programs, with total audience exposure conservatively estimated in the tens of millions.

Syria Humanitarian Assistance Amplification: International Media Engagement (IME) facilitated an 

interview with Syrian opposition station Orient TV for Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population, Refugees and Migration Kelly Clements and USAID Senior Official Robert Jenkins on President Obama's recent pledge of $195 million in humanitarian assistance to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis. Mr. Jenkins highlighted that the U.S. is now providing more than one billion dollars in humanitarian assistance and he called on the international community to continue to contribute more assistance to the growing humanitarian crisis.  Mr. Jenkins also discussed the difficulties of distributing aid to Syrians in all fourteen governorates within the country and expressed gratitude toward Syrian aid workers who assist international humanitarian organizations despite extreme risks.  DAS Clements applauded the efforts of neighboring states that have opened their doors to Syrian refugees and emphasized the U.S. role in global refugee resettlement programs.  DAS Clements also reiterated that the assistance programs are run independently of the Syrian government and aid is allocated based on need, not on sect or political affiliation.

Bike Ride for the Environment:  Embassy Kathmandu's Youth Council organized a Bicycle Rally that took cyclists on a 10-mile journey through the capital to highlight environmental issues, especially pollution, and the need for bicycle-friendly conditions in Kathmandu. Over 60 cyclists participated, including members of the Youth Council and Embassy community. The closing event was held at Patan Palace which was renovated through the U.S. Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation in 2008. There was coverage of the event in both vernacular and English language print media. 

Young Filmmakers Debut Their Work: Last week, on a new youth-oriented television program on TV1, two filmmakers from the Afghan Voices, supported by Embassy Kabul, showcased their new documentary works. Kubra Jafari, a student at the American University of Afghanistan who has produced films about female military pilots, debuted her newest documentary about a group of young techno dancers who practice and perform Michael Jackson-style dance - but do so underground for fear of social disapproval. Herat-based filmmaker Najib Ibrahimi shared his work about star-crossed lovers who, after abandoning their comfortable lives in order to be together, now live on the streets. The filmmakers received their training and equipment as part of a ten-month grant to the Afghanistan New Generation Organization.

Connecting through Museums:  Museum professionals in Sri Lanka and the Maldives engaged in professional development workshops led by Smithsonian Curator Karen Lee. The workshops covered collection management, exhibition planning, and fund raising.  In Kandy, Ms. Lee conducted a program at the "Temple of the Tooth" for officers of the National and the International Museums focused on using technology in exhibitions.  In Sigiriya, she worked with museum officials and conservationists to help them market the UNESCO World Heritage Site to attract more visitors. The Maldives workshop focused on creating exhibits that act as social objects and spark conversation and visitor interaction. 

Handicrafts Festival Promotes Cooperation and Entrepreneurship: A weekend of festivities highlighted U.S. support for the textile and artisanal handicraft sector. Charg� Griesmer gave opening remarks at the festival, highlighting how Embassy support to the textile and traditional craft sector has promoted women's entrepreneurship, mentorship, professionalization, and cultural preservation. A dinner the following evening at the Charg�'s home provided an opportunity for approximately 30 artisans and expert advisors from around Central Asia, India, Malaysia, and Singapore to share their perspectives on ways to grow and highlight this important economic sector. Local media gave significant coverage to the festivities.

Soccer Academy for Young Women: American Center Colombo hosted nearly 200 female high school students for a one day soccer academy.  Cultural Affairs Officer Dawn Suni explained to the students how girls'

 participation in sports is popular in the United States and showed them the documentary "Kick Like a Girl," which highlights how girls are empowered through sport. The students joined Suni on the playing field for an hour of soccer coaching and expressed their gratitude for arranging this event to encourage girls to pursue athletics for fun and empowerment.