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Public Diplomacy in Action
Tara D. Sonenshine, Under Secretary of State for
Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs
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Greetings!
Challenges around the world never sleep. Neither does our public diplomacy.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Dominican Republic to address the Bi-National Centers Biennial Conference and express our support for their role in teaching English to emerging leaders in that hemisphere. And recently, I paid tribute to American generosity on Giving Tuesday, and wrote about our efforts to work with foundations to expand support for civil society organizations around the world. And before the Heritage Foundation, I spoke about the ways in which we are evaluating the impact and effectiveness of our public diplomacy.
Our foreign service officers are constantly at work, whether we are helping Surinamese youth from disadvantaged communities learn hip hop dance, or showing selected episodes of "The West Wing" to Egyptians to shed light on aspects of the electoral process, or convening Slovakian businesswomen, corporate leaders, government officials, press, and academics to promote women's entrepreneurship.
And it's inspiring to see our civilian ambassadors who work so hard to support our people to people diplomacy. Gold medalist diver Greg Louganis visited Kathmandu to promote human rights for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community. In an interactive conversation, first-ever U.S. Youth Observer to the UN, Brooke Loughrin shared stories about her volunteer work in the U.S. to benefit disadvantaged girls from Mali. And former NFL star Edwin Mulitalo went to Samoa to deliver a traveling library to a public school.
Read more below!
Sincerely,
Tara Sonenshine
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Public Diplomacy Programs
Programs by Area for the Weeks of
October 15 and October 22, 2012
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Bureau of African Affairs (AF)
Civic Education and Islam Seminars for Madrassas in Mali: Embassy Bamako partnered with a local youth association to launch a series of regional seminars about civic education and Islam. This seminar series will bring concepts, resources, and discussion in  civic responsibility to students attending madrassas throughout Mali. The program is designed to target madrassa teachers, students, and youth leaders and provide a key message at a time when the roles of religion and the state are highly contested, with the occupation by religious extremists of northern Mali. In her remarks during the launch, Deputy Chief of Mission Stephanie Syptak stressed the importance of civic education in establishing democracy in Mali. Embassy Bamako funded over 14,000 Arabic-language civic education textbooks that will be distributed to madrassas throughout the country as part of this program.
Trade Representative Promotes East African Integration: Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Asia and Africa, Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, visited Bujumbura where he met with Burundi's Second Vice President and Minister of Commerce. Speaking to the press, Marantis encouraged Burundians to take advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)  trade preferences to increase exports. The U.S. imports very little from Burundi beyond a small amount of coffee, despite the fact that almost everything that Burundi can produce is eligible for duty-free entry into the U.S. under AGOA. After his visit to Burundi, Marantis travelled to an East African Community (EAC) trade ministerial meeting in Nairobi where he discussed ways the United States and the EAC can advance regional trade.
Ghanaian Students RISE to the Competition in Robotics: Embassy Accra partnered with the Ghana Robotics Academy Foundation to hold four regional high school robotics competitions, continuing the successful efforts launched with 2011 Public Diplomacy Innovation funds for Robotics Inspired Science Education (RISE). This year's program included more than 45 high schools from across  the country, reaching well over 700 students directly. At a time when Ghana is in full electoral campaign season, science and technology education promotion enjoys bi-partisan support and attracted broad media attention. RISE reached a gender-balanced, religiously diverse student population and transformed science exploration into an immediate impact school pride event. Based on the success of RISE, Ghana was invited to send a team to the World Robotic Olympiad in Malaysia in November 2012 and participating students were identified through this latest RISE campaign.
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Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG)
 TV Martí Receives Three Emmy Nominations: TV Martí, the Broadcasting Board of Governors' television service that provides programming to Cuba, has been nominated for Emmy Awards for its audio design work and for programs Estado de SATS and Hacia La Democracia. [ Read More]
RFE/RL's Ismayilova is Honored for Courage:
Khadija Ismayilova, investigative journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) Azerbaijan Service, was one of three recipients of the International Women's Media Foundation's "Courage in  Journalism" award, given in New York on October 24. Ismayilova was honored for her unflinching reporting in the face of continued harassment, slander campaigns, blackmail, and threats for her exposés of corruption within the Azeri government.. [Read More]
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Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP)
Embassy Supports Social Media Festival in Jakarta: U.S. Embassy Jakarta was a main donor for "Social Media Fest 2012: Create and Collaborate," a three-day event that included 107 online communities  and 24 online startups as well as telecom companies, traditional media outlets, and high-tech companies. The Embassy booth featured interactive exhibits and staff from the Public Affairs Section, Consular Section, and EducationUSA. The event is part of the Embassy's efforts to encourage high-tech entrepreneurship in Indonesia, support online groups that use social media for social good, and promote use of the Internet as a forum for the exchange of ideas and access to information.
Super Bowl Champion Delivers Embassy's Traveling Library in Samoa: Former National Football League (NFL) star Edwin Mulitalo assisted Embassy Apia in delivering a traveling library to a primary school in Samoa. The books will be rotated  around rural schools in Samoa so that students can borrow and take home books to read. The Embassy provided the school with an autographed football and pictures of Edwin, who also spent personal time with the students by engaging them in motivational stories. Embassy Apia will also work with Edwin in the future in his capacity as a U.S. sports ambassador.
Embassy Singapore Highlights Corporate Community Service: The U.S. Embassy Singapore and the American Chamber of Commerce celebrated the  annual Corporate Community Day with more than 60 U.S. businesses and more than 1,200 volunteers participating in community service projects throughout Singapore. The Ambassador, Deputy Chief of Mission, and staff visited community organizations in support of the initiative. The event showcased the American values of community spirit and involvement through volunteering.
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Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA)
International Visitor Leadership Program Alumnae Expands Business with the United States: African Women's Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) 2012 alumnae Pascaline Tchale (Cameroon) recently secured a $45 million deal to export chia seeds to the United States. As Secretary General of the African Association for Agro-exports, Ms. Tchale heads a network of more than 20 African exporting countries and will set up a processing plant to employ over 300 women and youth. Ms. Tchale will also travel to the United States in an effort to secure a loan with U.S. banks for approximately $1.5 billion.
African Supreme Court Justices Meet American Counterparts: Seven Supreme Court Justices from across Africa visited the United States October 15-23 on  ECA's International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The visiting justices learned about the U.S. judicial system and met Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, and Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
SportsUnited Grant Promotes Disability Inclusion in Haiti: From October 13-20, a delegation of American university students, paralympians, and  emerging leaders in disability sports conducted technical training in Haiti. Their outreach promoted the development of sports and social inclusion for Haitians with disabilities.
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Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR)
Embassy Sarajevo Kicks Off Regional Tech Camp: US Embassy Sarajevo held "TechCamp Sarajevo," October 18-19. TechCamp Sarajevo  was a hands-on event bringing together 100 civil society and technology leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. The goal of a TechCamp is to empower civil society groups to harness the latest technology and tech-based tools to advance their missions. Over the course of the two day camp, participants explored and began implementing technologies to aid their work in transparency, accountability and citizen engagement.
Embassy Bratislava Highlights Women's Entrepreneurship: Post kicked off a year-long effort to promote women's entrepreneurship in Slovakia October 15. Slovakia's First Lady and Ambassador Theodore Sedgwick opened the forum, which brought together more than 130 entrepreneurs, corporate leaders, government officials, members of the press, and academics. Panelists – including Forbes Magazine's Slovak businesswoman of the year and the State Secretary of Labor – focused on challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs, as well as financing and the use of social media. Jennifer Kushell of YSN.com delivered the keynote speech, and a reception at the Ambassador's residence for policymakers and business leaders after the event provided additional networking opportunities. EUR Deputy Assistant Secretary Bay Fang participated in the forum and the reception, and did media surrounding the event, as part of her visit to Slovakia. Jennifer Kushell continued her outreach October 16 with a series of television and press interviews, speaking engagements with students, and meetings with a select group of female Slovak leaders. Embassy Bratislava has partnered with the non-governmental organziation VOKA to continue outreach for the coming year through a grant that will bring American female entrepreneurs to Slovakia to lead workshops focused on specific business sectors and to strengthen networking and mentoring programs.
U.S. Partners with Croatia on Education Fair, and Alumni Lend a Hand: Croatia's largest higher education fair, aptly called the Scholarships and Educational Programs Fair, was supported this year by Embassy Zagreb and EducationUSA. This annual event is organized by the Institute for the Development of Education (IDE), the leading Croatian non-governmental organization in higher education and student counseling. The fair took place in Zagreb at the National and University Library, and for the first time in Rijeka at the the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka on October 18, 2012. About 7,500 people, mainly students, visited the fair in Zagreb and around 3000 in Rijeka. Although Embassy Zagreb participated in previous fairs, this was the first time the United States was the "partner country," with the largest and most noticeable spaces at the conference dedicated to the U.S. Embassy, alumni corner and EducationUSA. During both fairs in Zagreb and Rijeka, exhibition spaces and the space for the opening ceremony were visably American: decorated with banners, movable spaces, posters and flags. U.S. exchange program alumni held talks with interested students about their experiences in the United States and gave tips on applying for schools and exchange programs.
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International Information Programs (IIP)
Nangarhar's Lively Lincoln Learning Center: The Lincoln Learning Center (LLC) in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, has been one of the most successful to date,  inspiring and educating more than 7,000 Afghans monthly. The Nangarhar Director of Information and Culture, who views the LLC as having a positive impact, recently described the LLC's initiatives as an excellent way to combat "the cultural war coming from neighboring countries." The LLC provides students with a variety of educational materials ranging from books, to computers, to instructor led English language courses.
"Hip Hop for Peace and Reconciliation" Webchat: Hip Hop artist Shiine inspired Somali communities around the world October 17, as AF, IIP, the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) team, and the Somali Unit at Embassy Nairobi collaborated on a CO.NX interactive webchat program in Somali that attracted 50 viewers from six countries. Webchat participants asked Shiine  questions about the new political administration, his upcoming concert tour, and his personal reaction after facing an assassination attempt, which left him in a coma. Shiine voiced unwavering hope and encouragement for Somali communities to the audience and onsite reporters from Radio Bar Kulan, SNTV, Radio Mogadishu, and Radio Ergo. Including the live viewing party in Nairobi, the program was seen in Italy, Kenya, the Philippines, Tunisia, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.
Reaching Young Entrepreneurs: "Entrepreneurs: The Next Generation" profiles young, successful entrepreneurs from around the world and uses their  voices to debunk common misperceptions about entrepreneurship. The latest issue of IIP's eJournal USA, published the week of October 22, is the first to be written at an intermediate English level. The issue is designed to teach young people what it takes to pursue their aspirations as entrepreneurs, while learning new English vocabulary.
Lauren Bush Helps "Our Planet" Fans Eradicate World Hunger: Videos posted on IIP's Global Conversations: Our Planet Facebook page featuring Lauren Bush, co-founder and CEO of FEED Projects, reached 370,000 people and generated over 5,000 engagements – comments, likes, shares, and clicks. In the first video Lauren discussed FEED's beginnings and what young people can do to help eradicate world hunger and malnutrition, while also inviting questions for a follow-up video. Our Planet posted the 'answers' video October 16 on World Food Day. FEED donates a portion of its sales to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP), which provides school meals to children around the world.
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International Organizations (IO)
USUN) Rome collaborated with the U.S.  Embassy to the Holy See in programming Tony P. Hall as the Vatican Radio's guest lecturer in honor of World Food Day. Vatican Radio conducted a 30-minute radio interview of Tony Hall, who spoke about the progress and the continuing challenges on the road to achieving a world without hunger. Ambassador Hall noted "while there are some positive things going on [with the anti-hunger movement,] we still need to develop the political will to really end [hunger."]
IO/Public Affairs Office Hosts Mini Model UN for Girl Scouts: In celebration of the first-ever International Day of the Girl, the Bureau of International Organization Affairs partnered with the United Nations Association's Global  Classrooms Washington DC team to host a mini Model UN simulation on child marriage for a group of girl scouts at the State Department. After reviewing country information and reflecting on the far-reaching consequences of child marriage, the Girl Scouts worked in groups to prepare brief speeches on recommended resolutions followed by a lively debate and vote.
First-ever U.S. Youth Observer to the UN General Assembly, Boston Collegue Student Brooke Loughrin, Speaks with Students about Youth at the UN: On Friday October 19th, over ninety high school and middle school students from the New York City area came to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations to learn about the role of youth at the UN. The first-ever U.S. Youth Observer to the UN, Brooke Loughrin, joined a panel discussion with the UN Youth Delegates from Thailand, Austria, and the Dominican Republic. This interactive conversation centered on the role of youth in the fight to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The panel members answered questions from students about how to become involved in the issues they care about, like girls' education and youth unemployment. Brooke answered questions about her time as the first-ever U.S. Youth Observer to the UN, a program developed as a partnership between the United Nations Association-USA, IO/PAO, and USUN. She shared with students her story of volunteering at a young age for the Fabric of Life Foundation in Seattle, Washington to
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Anka in Kyiv 