About the Author: Major General (Ret) Scott Gration serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan.
As I continue my 25th trip as Special Envoy to Sudan, I'm struck by the remarkable potential that an improved relationship between the United States and Sudan holds for the Sudanese people. While much of my time has been spent on Darfur and North-South issues, it's important to recognize that we seek to broaden our engagement with all of Sudan -- north, south, east, and west. Since writing from Juba, I traveled north to Khartoum, and then east for my first visit to the Red Sea State as Special Envoy.
On February 4-5, I visited Port Sudan, a city on Sudan's eastern coast and a vital economic hub. Its port and oil terminal are critical to the Sudanese economy, and though… more »
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton visited Yemen in January, where she reunited with Nujood Ali, the first child bride in Yemen to get a divorce, and Shada Nasser, Nujood's attorney. Secretary Clinton shared her thoughts about reconnecting with Nujood in a piece for Glamour.com. The Secretary wrote:
"At a recent town hall meeting in Yemen, I reconnected with two of my heroes...Nujood Ali was just nine years old when she was forced by her own family to marry a man three times her age. As is the case with so many child brides, Nujood had to drop out of school against her will, and she was physically abused. Wanting to find a way out of her misery and suffering, Nujood boarded a bus and found… more »
President Barack Obama announced today U.S. intent to recognize Southern Sudan. In a statement, the President said:
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Southern Sudan for a successful and inspiring referendum in which an overwhelmingly majority of voters chose independence. I am therefore pleased to announce the intention of the United States to formally recognize Southern Sudan as a sovereign, independent state in July 2011.
"After decades of conflict, the images of millions of southern Sudanese voters deciding their own future was an inspiration to the world and another step forward in Africa's long journey toward justice and democracy. Now, all parties have a responsibility to ensure that this historic moment of promise becomes a moment of lasting progress. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement must be fully implemented… more »
About the Author: Courtney Beale serves as Acting Spokesperson at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan.
On February 2, 2011, a group of 15 English teachers from Rawalpindi and Islamabad completed a U.S.-sponsored six week teacher training course administered by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan (HEC). The "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages" (TESOL) program is one of many U.S. government programs to invest in English instruction for teachers and education for youth in Pakistan. The 15 teachers will be awarded an internationally recognized TESOL certificate.
U.S. Embassy Deputy Cultural Attache Julia Fendrick congratulated the group and encouraged them to share what they have learned with their colleagues to further improve English instruction… more »
On behalf of the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton congratulated the Government of Sudan on the announcement of the Southern Sudan referendum results on February 7, 2011. Secretary Clinton said, "We congratulate northern and southern leaders for facilitating a peaceful and orderly vote, and now that the people of Southern Sudan have made this compelling statement, we commend the Government of Sudan for accepting its outcome."
She continued, "We look forward to working with southern leaders as they undertake the tremendous amount of work to prepare for independence in July and ensure the creation of two viable states living alongside each other in peace. The Government of Southern Sudan must launch a process of inclusive governance and take steps to improve good governance and service delivery, as well as to adopt long-term security and economic… more »
About the Author: Kelly McCaleb is a Foreign Service Officer currently serving in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
Governments alone can't solve the many problems caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war in post-conflict countries around the world. That's why the State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement works with a host of partner organizations through public-private partnerships to help make the world safe from the humanitarian impact of landmines, unexploded and abandoned ordnance, deteriorating stockpiles of munitions, and illicit conventional weapons.
One of the many non-governmental organizations that has partnered with the State Department… more »
About the Author: Luke Forgerson serves as DipNote's Managing Editor.
Last week, Americans watched as events unfolded in Egypt. President Barack Obama said, "...We've borne witness to the beginning of a new chapter in the history of a great country, and a long-time partner of the United States."
President Obama underscored that U.S. officials have been in close contact with their Egyptian counterparts, as well as a broad range of the Egyptian people and other leaders in the region. President Obama said, "...I have had two conversations with President Mubarak since this crisis in Egypt began, and each time I've emphasized the fact that the future of Egypt is… more »
Secretary Clinton spoke last night with Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik. The Secretary emphasized the need to ensure that the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people are met, and that a broad cross-section of political actors and civil society have to be a part of the Egyptian-led process. She also stressed that incidents of harassment and detention of activists, journalists and other elements of civil society must stop.
While attending the Munich Security Conference today, Secretary Clinton discussed events in Egypt with NPR's Michele Kelemen. During the interview, Secretary Clinton said, "I think that the Egyptian people are looking… more »
About the Author: Melanne Verveer serves as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues.
February 6 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. We join with activists and survivors around the world to call for an end to this horrific practice. Female genital mutilation (FGM), which is sometimes called female genital cutting, is one extreme form of violence carried out against women and girls. It is not limited to ethnicity, race, class, religion, or education level. 100 million to 140 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation, and more than 3 million girls are at risk each year on the African continent alone, according to U.N. estimates.
As Secretary Clinton has noted time and time again, human… more »
About the Author: Ann Stock serves as Assistant Secretary of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
People-to-people diplomacy can come in many forms. Last week, 14 basketball coaches from Colombia made connections through basketball. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' SportsUnited exchange program gave them an opportunity to learn best practices from their American counterparts. With nearly one third of the Western Hemisphere's population below the age of 25, this sports exchange was about more than how to win basketball games; it gave coaches an opportunity to collaborate with one another on empowering… more »
DipNote is the official blog of the U.S. Department of State —a place to share stories, discuss experiences, and inspire new ideas on the important foreign policy issues of the day. more »
Our organization is exploring the possibility of opening an aftercare shelter for human trafficking victims under age 12. Have you seen a significant need…
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Let the transitional period begin, with a temporary, provisional government, backed by the Egyptian army and military, "now, means now". Let's not create…
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Assistant Secretary Crowley (Feb. 7): "We recognize that in order to reach a framework agreement, at some point, there has to be a return to direct negotiations." more »
![Secretary Clinton with Nujood Ali, left, and Shada Nasser, right, undated. [State Department Photo]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0207_clinton_child_marriage_m.jpg)
![Southern Sudanese celebrate formal announcements of referendum results in Juba, Feb. 7, 2011. [AP]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0207_sudan_results_m.jpg)
![Southern Sudanese woman votes in a polling center near Khartoum, Jan 2011. [AP]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0207_southern_sudan_woman_m.jpg)
![Grapes for wine production are planted in a former landmine, Croatia. [Roots of Peace photo]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_croatia_landmine_m.jpg)
![Egyptian pro-Mubarak supporters wave an Egyptian flag during a march in Cairo, Feb. 2, 2011. [AP]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0201_egypt_march_millions_m.jpg)
![Protesters chant as they wave Egyptian flags in Cairo, Egypt, Feb. 6, 2011. [AP Photo]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0206_egypt_update_m.jpg)
![Detail of UNICEF poster at Berlin conference on female genital mutilation, Apr. 7, 2005. [AP File]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0206_fgm_poster_m.jpg)
![High school student dunks basketball during California State Championship, Mar. 26, 2010. [AP File]](https://web.archive.org/web/20110208121002im_/http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2011_0205_basketball_m.jpg)
