America.gov-

Diasporas Contribute to Prosperity in Homelands of Those Who Left

Phillip Kurata — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:44:32 -0500

People who have left their countries to seek better livelihoods abroad increasingly invest in their homelands, creating prosperity. These so-called diaspora investors may be more likely than other investors to keep money in a particular country rather than repatriate the profits, a researcher says.

U.S.-Sponsored Program Aims to Fight Emerging Pandemic Threats

Bridget Hunter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:27:26 -0500

The U.S. Agency for International Development releases details of a new international effort to monitor diseases that move between animals and people. The goal of this multimillion-dollar private-public partnership is to prevent the next global pandemic using an innovative five-pronged approach.

Ambassador Melanne Verveer Answers Questions on Girls’ Education

McConnellka — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:51:59 -0500

U.S. Ambassador Melanne Verveer responds to comments posed on the eJournal USA Facebook page about girls’ education. Educating girls is the best development investment that can be made, she says. Verveer is ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues.

Latin American Women Entrepreneurs Get Business Development Help

Sharon Carper — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:57:53 -0500

An October State Department-sponsored conference in Washington to help entrepreneurs from the Western Hemisphere improve their business opportunities was unique. All the entrepreneurs were women. The conference was part of State’s Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative.

Clinton Announces Millions in Assistance for Pakistani People

Stephen Kaufman — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:19:49 -0500

As part of her visit to Pakistan, Secretary Clinton announces millions of dollars in U.S. financial support for a range of Pakistani programs and government institutions, including those designed to help people affected by fighting between the government and violent extremists.

Clubs Help Mayan Girls in Guatemala Stay in School

Burton Bollag — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:04:44 -0500

In rural Guatemala, where nearly half the population is Mayan Indian, girls typically end their education early and get married soon thereafter. The pattern contributes to deep poverty. But girls clubs are making a difference by helping girls to stay in school.

To Anyone Who Doubts Girls’ Place in School: ‘Batonga!’

Phuong Ly — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:14:24 -0500

Girls’ secondary education is getting more attention in poor countries. The Batonga Foundation, founded by singer Angelique Kidjo, and the U.N. Foundation’s Girl Fund provide support so girls in Africa can stay in school longer.

Clinton Announces Projects to Improve Pakistan’s Energy Sector

Stephen Kaufman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:40:52 -0500

Secretary Clinton announces $125 million to help Pakistan reduce the electrical blackouts that are hampering the country’s economic growth. Funding will support repairs and replacements to thousands of agricultural well pumps, as well as upgrades and repairs to thermal power stations.

Girls’ School Breaks Cycle of Poverty, 10 Rupees at a Time

Karen Calabria — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:30:04 -0500

After retiring from a corporate job in America, Indian-born Virender Singh returned to the rural village of his childhood to start a school for girls. According to one 17-year-old, star student at the school, “If it wasn’t for school, life would be very miserable.”

A Camp in Armenia Helps Girls Find Opportunity

Judi Hasson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:29:01 -0500

Girls Leading Our World, a one-week residential summer camp in Armenia, teaches teenage girls new ways of looking at the world. Since 2007, GLOW has sponsored activities to teach girls to protect their health and to seek career opportunities.

Pathways Envoys Inspire Entrepreneurs

Sharon Carper — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:49:57 -0500

Forty Latin American women entrepreneurs of exceptional merit came together in Washington October 7–9 for a conference aimed at giving them the tools to expand upon and deepen their success. The State Department-sponsored conference was part of the Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative.

Clinton Will Attend Forum for the Future in Morocco

Merle David Kellerhals Jr. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:08:43 -0500

Secretary Clinton will attend the sixth Forum for the Future in November in Morocco. The forum is an important regional conference that brings together government officials from the Middle East and North Africa and the major advanced economies, as well as civil society and private sector leaders.

Fuel-Cycle Options Can Safely Increase Access to Nuclear Energy

Stephen Kaufman — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:01:37 -0500

Secretary Clinton says it is possible to allow countries to enjoy a guaranteed right to nuclear energy while preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. Both nuclear and non-nuclear states share an interest in a reinvigorated nonproliferation treaty and a stronger U.N. nuclear agency, she says.

Oracle Corporation Boosts Skills of Romanian Teachers, Students

Phil Kurata — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:27:24 -0500

Oracle Corporation, the world’s largest business-software company, through its teacher-training program is helping Romania develop business and technology skills needed to compete internationally. Oracle Romania is a finalist for the U.S. secretary of state’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence.

In Helping Students, Intel Is Good Neighbor in Costa Rica

Kathryn McConnell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:57:29 -0500

Because U.S.-based Intel Corporation, the largest company in Costa Rica, helps students, the environment and the economy in the Central American country, it has been nominated as a finalist for the U.S. secretary of state’s Award for Corporate Excellence.

Cummins Inc. Powers Community Involvement in China

Erica Marrero — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:08:35 -0500

Diesel engine manufacturing company Cummins Inc. is selected as a finalist for the State Department’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence for its community engagement in China and for the company’s help after a earthquake struck China’s Sichuan province in May 2008.

Pro Bono Work Distinguishes U.S. Law Firm Internationally

Carlyn Reichel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 11:44:56 -0500

The law firm of White & Case practices good corporate citizenship and encourages pro bono work around the world. The firm’s work on behalf of civil society and the rule of law in Moscow has made it a finalist for the U.S. secretary of state’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence.

Office Supply Company in Argentina Commits to Workers, Community

Melissa Quijada — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:32:52 -0500

Officenet Staples in Argentina is committed to corporate responsibility, as seen by its efforts to sustain the environment, embrace diversity and help the community with donations, fundraising and other programs. Officenet is a finalist for the State Department’s Award for Corporate Excellence.

By Starting a Bakery, then a Nonprofit, Kosovo Woman Helps Many

Michelle Austein Brooks — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:58:36 -0500

Through her nongovernmental organization NGO Lady, Sanija Murati helps women in Kosovo find jobs and start their own businesses. Murati, who started a small pastry shop that has now expanded into a bakery and café, says she tells women, “If I could do it … you could do it.”

Gates Foundation Announces $120 Million in Grants for Agriculture

Kathryn McConnell — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:06:33 -0500

A major U.S. charity, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is awarding $120 million in grants to nine organizations to help small farmers in developing countries increase productivity. Bill Gates, co-chair of the foundation, announced the grants October 15, World Food Day.

Cisco Systems Helps Lebanon Rebuild Homes and Professions

Kathryn McConnell — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:12:34 -0500

U.S.-based Cisco Systems Inc., which makes integrated circuits for computing, helps Lebanese students with job skills, small businesses with expansion, and communities with computer access. Cisco is a finalist for the U.S. secretary of state’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence.

TOMS Shoes Donates One Pair of Shoes for Every Pair Purchased

Louise Fenner — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:00:28 -0500

Is it a business or a charity? TOMS Shoes has managed to build a profitable retail business and, in the process, to give away more than 150,000 pairs of shoes to poor children around the world. It has been nominated for the State Department’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence.

Donated Helmets Saving Cyclists’ Lives in Vietnam

Jane Morse — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:47:25 -0500

Protec, a small factory in Vietnam, makes tough, lightweight motorbike helmets, promotes safety laws and donates helmets to children. For its donation and safety campaigns, the Protec factory is a finalist for the U.S. State Department’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence.

Cell Phone Company Gives Back to Its Community in Haiti

Jeffrey Thomas — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:17:46 -0500

Trilogy International Partners of Bellevue, Washington, is a finalist for the State Department’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence for the work its subsidiary ComCEL/Voilà has done to improve lives and educational opportunities in Haiti.

Marriott in Jordan: Promoting Diversity, Tourism, Conservation

Lauren Monsen — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:04:27 -0500

Marriott International in Jordan, nominated for the secretary of state’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence, is known for promoting regional tourism and supporting diversity in its Jordanian work force — while also implementing water-conservation efforts and other environmentally friendly policies.

Ethiopian Sorghum Breeder Wins 2009 World Food Prize

Steve Baragona — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:35:51 -0500

The 2009 World Food Prize has been awarded to Gebisa Ejeta, an Ethiopian-born plant scientist at Purdue University who has been working to improve production of sorghum. The award — presented in Des Moines, Iowa, October 15 — is given annually to those who have helped address the world’s food needs.

Chevron Corporation Addresses Community Needs in Philippines

Jim Fisher-Thompson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:36:59 -0500

Chevron’s work in the Philippines has earned the corporation a place among a handful of finalists for the U.S. secretary of state’s 2009 Award for Corporate Excellence. One of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, Chevron has been doing business in the Philippines for 90 years.

Innovative U.S.-African Partnership Aims at Better Nutrition

Jim Fisher-Thompson — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:24:50 -0500

An innovative new public–private sector partnership with small-scale businesses in Africa will harness the power of commerce and U.S. expertise in health care and development to improve food security on a continent where disease strikes hardest at the undernourished.

WHO to Ship Swine Flu Vaccine to Poorer Countries in November

Terry Somerville — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 11:38:46 -0500

The World Health Organization says it will begin shipping millions of doses of the swine flu vaccine to poorer countries, possibly as early as November. WHO vaccine chief Marie-Paule Kieny says about 100 countries will receive donations of the vaccine.

Clinton Praises Role of Peace in Northern Ireland’s Prosperity

Stephen Kaufman — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:19:10 -0500

Northern Ireland’s economic success since the ceasefires of the 1990s and the signing of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement demonstrates how peaceful reconciliation and compromise between rival communities can bring greater prosperity to all, Secretary of State Clinton tells lawmakers in Belfast.

Urban Search and Rescue Techniques Cut Time, Save Lives

Phillip Kurata — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:17:28 -0500

When a 1985 earthquake leveled much of Mexico City, 130 enthusiastic but unskilled rescue workers died trying to save people buried in rubble. Since then, modern urban search and rescue techniques and training have been developed that save more lives and lessen the danger to rescuers.

Economic Crisis is Factor in HIV/AIDS Funding

Joe De Capua — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:15:31 -0500

The top U.S. official on HIV/AIDS says the Obama administration is committed to fighting the disease. However, Ambassador Eric Goosby says the economic crisis will be a factor in all funding decisions over the next few years.

United States Delivers Disaster Assistance to East Asia

Merle David Kellerhals Jr. — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:56:23 -0500

The United States continues to provide relief supplies, medical care, disaster response teams and other humanitarian assistance across East Asia and the Pacific following a tsunami, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding from torrential rains, and mud-soaked landslides.

Crucial Moment for U.N. Anti-Corruption Convention

Andrzej Zwaniecki — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:50:18 -0500

Failure by signatories of an international anti-corruption convention to agree soon on an effective implementation-review mechanism will damage the credibility of the pact, according to U.S. officials, businesses and nongovernmental groups. Signatories meet in Qatar in November to continue work.

Kosovo Town Celebrates New School

Michelle Austein Brooks — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:43:26 -0500

Community involvement is an important aspect of education, Patricia Rader, director of the U.S. Agency for International Devlopment’s Kosovo mission, tells the town of Cikatove e Vjeter, Kosovo, during its celebration of the opening of a new primary school.

On and Off the Court, Balkan Athletes Learn Conflict Resolution

Michelle Austein Brooks — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:37:16 -0500

Although their countries used to be part of one nation, teenagers from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Slovenia and Kosovo do not typically interact much with one another. But their shared interests — including enthusiasm for basketball are helping bridge differences.

Momentum for Change in Africa Is Good Development News

Charles W. Corey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:57:17 -0500

Africa is changing faster than many realize and there is definite momentum for economic reform and development in the region. Representatives of business and government address a session of the Seventh Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit on “Africa Beyond the Global Financial Crisis.”

Hispanic Women Entrepreneurs Gather in Washington

Sharon Carper — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:26:31 -0500

The Pathways to Prosperity in the Americas initiative is promoting women’s business connections. The Women’s Entrepreneurial Conference in Washington will link women to markets, finances, technology, and to other women experienced in trade.

In Building Schools for Girls, Mountaineer Honors Sister’s Memory

Christopher Connell — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:28:40 -0500

Inspired by his sister and villagers he met in Korphe, Pakistan, mountaineer and author Greg Mortenson builds schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and advocates for girls’ education. Schooling, Mortenson believes, is “the single most important and effective investment we can make in any society.”

German Factory Brings Big Hopes to Serbian Town

Michelle Austein Brooks — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:42:00 -0500

Thanks to a good business strategy, the Serbian town of Prokuplje convinced a German car-parts company to open a local factory, bringing new jobs to a region with high unemployment. Since 2002, the town has received help from the United States Agency for International Development and its partners.

Serbian Foods Find International Markets

Michelle Austein Brooks — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:54:40 -0500

Biotrend Donato, a small, family-owned company, has built a business by making prepackaged salads, dressings and vegetable-based sauces for sale in Serbia. Now, the U.S. Agency for International Development is helping it and others market products internationally.

U.N. Conference Calls for Sustainable Farming to End Hunger

Merle David Kellerhals Jr. — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:47:52 -0500

Enabling the world’s poor to feed themselves through sustainable farming will help alleviate the crises caused by one of the most urgent threats facing the world: chronic hunger and its consequences, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says.

U.S. Launches Multibillion-Dollar Effort to Fight Global Hunger

Phil Kurata — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:25:10 -0500

The United States is returning to the work of global agricultural development, a policy that it abandoned nearly three decades ago. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says the United States has pledged $3.5 billion over the next three years to promote food production.

Obama Says Partnerships Are Defining U.S. Foreign Policy

Merle David Kellerhals Jr. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:39:36 -0500

President Obama pauses briefly during the whirl of United Nations events and diplomatic conferences to speak to volunteers who are committed to resolving some of the world’s most pressing concerns, including poverty, health, education and the impact of rapid climate change.

Clinton Identifies Food Security as Top U.N. Agenda Item

Jim Fisher-Thompson — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 09:23:48 -0500

The best approach to ending world hunger is to “integrate diplomacy with development,” Secretary Clinton says. To this end, the United States and United Nations will co-host an event highlighting the need for all nations to work together to feed the estimated 1 billion people who are undernourished.

Inter-American Network Fights Region’s Poverty, Social Inequality

Eric Green — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:23:22 -0500

A social protection network has been launched in the Americas to fight regional inequality and poverty. Secretary Clinton says the Inter-American Social Protection Network will help the people of the Western Hemisphere by making it possible for citizens to invest in their futures.

Norman Borlaug, “Father of the Green Revolution,” Dies at Age 95

Kathryn McConnell — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 18:52:23 -0500

Norman Borlaug, who fought starvation and malnutrition with science, dies at age 95. Recognized as the “father of the Green Revolution,” Borlaug is credited with saving more than 1 billion lives from starvation during the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1970, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Nonproliferation, Climate Change Top U.S. Issues for U.N. Meeting

Stephen Kaufman — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:48:24 -0500

Traditional U.S. security priorities such as nonproliferation and arms control are being joined by climate change and food security as the Obama administration emphasizes a new American commitment to multilateralism ahead of the 64th United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Grants from Millennium Challenge Corporation Spur Development

Jim Fisher-Thompson — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:53:59 -0500

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton highlighted the relationship between good governance and economic development during her recent Africa trip — a universal concern that the Millennium Challenge Corporation addresses through innovative grant partnerships called “compacts.”

Clinton Cites Concern for Women Farmers During Africa Trip

Jim Fisher-Thompson — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:45:48 -0500

Women may “hold up half the sky,” as the Chinese proverb says, but in Africa, as in much of the developing world, they also do most of the strenuous work of farming and deserve special support in the battle to end hunger on the continent, says Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

2008 Awards for Corporate Excellence

Kathryn McConnell — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 18:50:15 -0500

The State Department’s Award for Corporate Excellence recognizes U.S. businesses that demonstrate a commitment to promoting opportunity and prosperity in the overseas communities where they do business. Eleven finalists were selected from 61 nominations submitted by American ambassadors.

South Africa Develops Search and Rescue Capacity for World Cup

Phillip Kurata — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:09:49 -0500

Retired businessman and active volunteer fire chief Ian Scher is helping South Africa develop an effective urban search and rescue capacity as his country prepares to host the World Cup in 2010. Scher’s vision is to help neighboring African countries develop similar capacities, with U.S. support.

U.S., Middle Eastern Experts Join in Fighting Breast Cancer

Louise Fenner — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 14:31:28 -0500

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and Susan G. Komen for the Cure are part of the U.S.-Middle East Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research, which is a program of the State Department’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

New U.S.-Middle East Partnership To Fight Breast Cancer

Michelle Austein — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 09:34:27 -0500

Organizations from the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are working together in a new initiative to fight breast cancer, first lady Laura Bush announced June 11.