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Secretary Clinton To Participate in Online Dialogue With Egyptian Youth

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / February 22, 2011

Secretary Clinton speaks at the State Department in Washington, DC, Jan. 14, 2011. [AP File Photo]

On February 23, 2011, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will respond to questions from Egyptian youth during a social media dialogue hosted by the Egyptian online news and information portal Masrawy.com.

On February 20, Masrawy.com launched a dedicated page on their website titled "Hillary Clinton Engages in Dialogue with Egyptian Youth." The page is specially designed to collect questions from Egyptians, from which Masrawy.com will choose several to conduct an exclusive interview with Secretary Clinton. Masrawy's U.S.-based correspondent Dr. Ahmed Ghanim will moderate the discussion in the State Department's studio on February 23, and the… more »

New Zealand: Christchurch Earthquake

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / February 22, 2011

People walk across a buckled road in Christchurch, New Zealand, Feb. 22, 2011. [AP Photo]

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck New Zealand on February 22, 2011, and affected the city of Christchurch and surrounding areas. The U.S. Mission in New Zealand has established a dedicated email address for those both seeking information, or providing information, about the welfare and whereabouts of U.S. citizens in Christchurch. Please email the information to: chchquake@state.gov.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton extended condolences on behalf of President Barack Obama and the people of the United States. Secretary Clinton said:

"The United States stands ready to provide assistance to the government of New Zealand and to the brave people… more »

Join a Discussion on Stabilization and Conflict Prevention

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / February 22, 2011

Live: Conversations With America: A Discussion on Stabilization & Conflict Prevention, Feb 25, 2011.

On Friday, February 25, 2011, Ambassador Robert Loftis, Acting Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, will hold a conversation with Mark Quarterman, Senior Advisor and Director of the Program on Crisis, Conflict, and Cooperation at the Center for Strategic and International Studies on the State Department's innovative approach to leading through civilian power. They will discuss U.S. response to fragile states, which pose some of the greatest national security challenges of our time. The discussion will be moderated by Cheryl Benton, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Public Affairs.

The event… more »

Secretary Clinton: “Libya Has a Responsibility To Respect the Universal Rights of the People”

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / February 21, 2011

Fire engines attend a scene in Benghazi, Libya, Feb. 21, 2011. [AP Photo]

Today, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton released a statement on the situation in Libya. The Secretary said:

"The world is watching the situation in Libya with alarm. We join the international community in strongly condemning the violence in Libya. Our thoughts and prayers are with those whose lives have been lost, and with their loved ones. The government of Libya has a responsibility to respect the universal rights of the people, including the right to free expression and assembly. Now is the time to stop this unacceptable bloodshed. We are working urgently with friends and partners around the world to convey this message to the Libyan government." more »

Promoting Trade and a Better Environment, CAFTA-DR Environmental Cooperation

Posted by Rebecca Slocum / February 21, 2011

Asst Sec Jones and Rep Linscott participate in a meeting, Washington, DC, Jan 27, 2011. [State Dept]

About the Author: Rebecca Slocum serves in the Office of Environmental Policy in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.

Free Trade Agreements, and their corresponding Environmental Cooperation Agreements, provide a powerful means for strengthening environmental protection, while simultaneously building democratic institutions and promoting economic growth. One strong example is the United States-Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and corresponding CAFTA-DR Environmental Cooperation Agreement. Since CAFTA-DR environmental cooperation began in 2005, the governments of the CAFTA-DR countries -- Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua; and the United… more »

Situation in Libya

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / February 21, 2011

A recent scene in Benghazi, Libya, obtained by Associated Press Feb. 21, 2011. [AP Photo]

On February 20, 2011, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley released the following statement on the situation in Libya:

"The United States is gravely concerned with disturbing reports and images coming out of Libya. We are working to ascertain the facts, but we have received multiple credible reports that hundreds of people have been killed and injured in several days of unrest -- and the full extent of the death toll is unknown due to the lack of access of international media and human rights organizations.

"We have raised to a number of Libyan officials, including Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa, our strong objections to the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators. We reiterated to Libyan officials the importance of universal rights, including freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Libyan officials have stated their… more »

DipNote: The Week in Review

Posted by Sarah Goldfarb / February 20, 2011

Secretary Clinton delivers remarks on internet freedom, Feb. 15, 2011. [State Dept.]

About the Author: Sarah Goldfarb serves as Associate Editor to DipNote.

This week, Secretary Clinton delivered keynote addresses on internet freedom and U.S. policy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. With General Cartwright and Under Secretary Burns, the Secretary participated in a bipartisan briefing with senators, where they discussed recent events in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East, and how the United States is working to support Egypt as it works toward an open,… more »

Indonesian Hospital Remembers U.S. Diplomat’s Grandmother

Posted by Melanie Higgins / February 20, 2011

Melanie Higgins poses with nurses at hospital in Biak, Indonesia, Feb. 2011. [State Dept. Photo]

About the Author: Melanie Higgins serves in the Political Section of the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Perhaps good diplomacy sometimes comes from serendipity. At least that is how it seemed this week when I found myself in Biak, an island in the Indonesian province of Papua, participating in the inauguration of a new hospital wing in honor of my grandmother. My work in Embassy Jakarta's political section requires me to travel to Papua often -- providing me the happy coincidence of both coming to Biak to discuss political issues with the island's leaders and being able to visit the sites my grandmother likely saw during her time in Biak as a World War II army nurse who advanced across the Pacific with each Allied victory.

Perhaps my diplomatic career is destined to be a slow-motion journey along the route of my grandparents courtship.… more »

New Training Program Focuses on Advancing Justice in Afghanistan

Posted by Robert Sauers / February 19, 2011

Afghan, German and U.S. officials at ceremony in Kunduz Province, Afghanistan Feb. 19, 2011. [USAID]

About the Author: Robert Sauers serves with USAID in Afghanistan.

High-ranking government officials from Afghanistan, the United States, and Germany, along with representatives from international organizations celebrated the opening of the Northern Initiative for Justice Advancement Training (NIJAT) pilot project in Kunduz Province today. Nijat, a Dari word which means to improve a condition or situation, is used in this context to signify the combined efforts of the local and international community to promote a robust rule of law environment in Afghanistan.

The 11-week training is a joint effort of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the German Police Project… more »

Entrepreneurship: A Growth Strategy for Combating Youth Unemployment

Posted by Robert D. Hormats / February 18, 2011

Students sit during graduation ceremony at Arab American University, West Bank, July 1, 2010. [AP]

About the Author: Robert D. Hormats serves as Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs.

By 2020, an estimated 100 million Arab youth, many of them college-educated, will enter the job market seeking opportunities. Youth unemployment is not new a phenomenon; but it is a growing problem around the world. And it is one that the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) feels acutely. Many countries in the MENA region currently experience an unemployment rate of nearly 25 percent among those under the age of 24, compared with figures in the teens or below for most of the rest of the world. In Egypt, unemployment among the young, college-educated population has risen… more »

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