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Webcast/Webchat: Indigenous People Today

November is National Native American Heritage Month in the United States. To celebrate, we are bringing together experts in the field of indigenous peoples to discuss current issues, including tribal identity, economic status and entrepreneurship. U.S. embassies in Paraguay, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela will participate in this event and others are invited to join a webchat immediately following the videoconference.

Scholar José Barreiro is director of the office for Latin America and assistant director for research at the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington. Born in Cuba, he is of Taino heritage. He has spent his academic career researching indigenous peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean and is a leading expert in the field. Before joining NMAI, Barreiro was professor of Native American studies at Cornell University. Besides his many academic publications, he is a journalist, editor and novelist.

Paul Silva is a senior staff member of Georgetown University's Center for Intercultural Education and Development (CIED) who currently serves as the project director for the Scholarships for Education and Economic Development (SEED) Program. Before joining CIED, he lived and worked for 10 years in Latin America administering in-country development projects. He has done fieldwork with local nongovernmental organizations, foundations and the Peace Corps.

Ramiro Matos is a curator for Latin America at the National Museum of the American Indian. He holds a doctorate from the National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru. He has conducted interdisciplinary investigation projects in Peru's central coast, central highlands and northern coast and has published a range of articles and essays on Andean archaeology and ethnography. As a Quechua speaker, he provides a focus on Andean culture from an indigenous perspective.

If you would like to participate in this webcast and the webchat following, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/wha/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

Transparency and the Public's Right to Information

The director of the American Bar Association’s Governmental Affairs Office will discuss transparency and the public's right to information, with an emphasis on how a legal right of access to government information helps enhance transparency and accountability in the United States.

Thomas Susman is the director of the American Bar Association’s Governmental Affairs Office, which conducts the ABA’s advocacy efforts before the U.S. Congress and other governmental entities on issues of importance to the legal profession. Before joining the ABA in May 2008, he was a partner in the Washington office of Ropes & Gray LLP for more than 25 years, where his work included counseling, litigation and lobbying on a wide range of regulatory, antitrust, lobbying, ethics and information law issues.

Susman is the co-editor of the American Bar Association's Lobby Manual (4th edition, 2009), has taught lobbying and the legislative process as an adjunct professor at the American University's Washington College of Law, and is chair of the Ethics Committee of the American League of Lobbyists. He has authored numerous articles on lobbying and is active in a variety of community and bar activities. Before joining Ropes & Gray, Susman was chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, and before that he was in the Office of Legal Counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice. He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Texas Law School, where he was editor-in-chief of the law review.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/transparency/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

2009 Conference on Higher Education and International Volunteer Service (in Spanish)

Please join us for a webchat with two youth ambassadors attending the 2009 Conference on Higher Education and International Volunteer Service in Washington. Luis Barrios from Venezuela and German Caballero from Paraguay will talk about their community service projects, describe the conference, and take questions from the audience in Spanish via webcam. Questions will be submitted via text.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/espanol/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

U.S. Partnerships in the Middle East: New Beginning, Next Step

Secretary Clinton, in a speech November 3, outlined three areas the United States will focus on in its engagement with Muslim communities around the world, expanding upon President Obama’s June 4 speech in Cairo. The first is partnering with Muslim communities to advance entrepreneurship, job creation and economic development. The second is partnering with Muslim communities to lay the foundation for knowledge-based economies that will spur innovation through science and technology. The third area highlighted for engagement is education. Join the White House's Pradeep Ramamurthy for a follow-up discussion on these initiatives as well as a conversation answering the question “What next?”

Pradeep Ramamurthy is the White House’s National Security Council senior director for global engagement.

Vaincre les obstacles, aborder les sujets difficiles : les défis posés à la femme journaliste

La journaliste engagée Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu animera une discussion vidéo en direct et en français, au cours de laquelle elle répondra à des questions sur sa vie et sur son travail avec des Congolaises.

Chouchou Namegabe Nabintu a remporté cette année le prix international Knight du journalisme décerné par l'International Center for Journalists, en récompense de ses reportages courageux, diffusés par des radios locales, sur la violence exercée sur les femmes en République démocratique du Congo.

En 2003, Chouchou a créé l'Association des femmes des médias du Sud-Kivu (AFEM) afin de sensibiliser l'opinion publique aux violences sexuelles et autres questions touchant à la condition de la femme en République démocratique du Congo. Elle a plaidé la cause des femmes de RDC devant des groupes influents tels que la Cour internationale de justice et le Sénat des États-Unis.

Green Webchat Series: Governments' Role in Confronting Global Climate Change

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen (COP15) approaches and the debate on global climate change heats up, citizens around the world are starting to ask themselves and their governments what steps they can take collectively to reduce their carbon footprint on the environment. This topic is generating many interesting debates, from China to Zambia. Please join us for an engaging and exciting discussion with Richard Graves on governments' roles in confronting global climate change. Do your part, raise your voice!

Richard Graves, project director and founder of Fired Up Media, is a blogger and online campaigner for the Global Campaign for Climate Action. He is a climate activist, a social entrepreneur and an online journalist. Through his various activities, he works for a more just and sustainable world and helps youth leaders from around the world tell their stories in the fight against global warming.

An international guest will also take part in the debate.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/cop15/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

Energy Solutions for a Brighter Tomorrow: Solar Decathlon 2009

Twenty universities from around the United States, Canada and Europe are fielding their brightest and strongest in a global solar competition to design, build and operate energy-efficient houses that are powered by the sun. Come chat with two participants about the ongoing competition and the design of their solar-powered homes.

Irene Garrido, of Team Spain, is a fifth-year architecture student at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. In her first year she served as a member on the Model European Congress at the University of Cambridge. In September, she attended the 24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, to present the patent for her team's solar-powered home, now being showcased at the Decathlon.

Mark Blackwell, of Team Alberta (Canada), is a third-year energy management student at the Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary. In his first year he worked collaboratively with the Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy (ISEEE) to form the ISEEE Students’ Association. Through this organization, Mark organized the First International Student Energy Summit.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/cop15/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

Collaborative Digital Library Projects: Sri Lanka and the World

Join Erich Kesse, who will discuss and take questions on the advantages of digital preservation and the tools available to libraries to preserve their collections, taking into account technology costs, training and accessible international resources. This webchat is open to the general public.

Erich Kesse has worked in the field of library preservation and digitization for the past 25 years and currently works as a consultant in the field. He is the past director of the Digital Library Center at the University of Florida and the former head of preservation at the school. His firm, Erich Kesse Consulting, takes him all over the world, working with clients in the United States, the Caribbean and Botswana. Kesse holds a master's degree in library and information science from the University of Kentucky and a Certificate of Preservation Administration from Columbia University in New York.

Social Media and International Relations

While governments face challenges in using social tools, the reasons for using these tools far outweigh the problems with using them. Social technologies can make networking and engagement with the public simple and powerful, make research faster, identify influencers in useful microniches, provide mechanisms for combating negative publicity, and measure public sentiment to help inform public policy.

And in the case of CO.NX, social media can also provide live broadcast coverage of niche events.

Noted blogger and U.S. Department of State employee John Matel discusses how the State Department is using social media and other Web 2.0 tools for diplomatic purposes.

Safeguarding Communities, Keeping the Peace

Jennifer Pulliam of the State Department answers questions about U.S. efforts to train and equip more than 81,000 international peacekeepers under the Global Peace Operations Initiative (GPOI).

The Global Peace Operations Initiative addresses major gaps in international peace operations support by building and maintaining the capability, capacity and effectiveness of peace operations. The program is part of a U.S. effort to build on the role of the United States as the world’s leading financial contributor to peacekeeping operations and to meet a growing international demand for trained military and police personnel to secure the peace and protect at-risk populations in a host of global hot spots, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Lebanon, Somalia and Sudan’s Darfur region.

For more information on this program at the U.S. Department of State, please visit http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/travel_diary_partnership/ and http://www.state.gov/t/pm/ppa/gpoi/index.htm.

Jennifer Pulliam works in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs on the GPOI program.

WEBCAST - Consumers and Economic Growth: Top U.S. Forecasters Discuss Trends

Consumer spending in America represents more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity and fuels growth in countries that export to the United States. During times of economic stagnation, U.S. politicians have encouraged this spending — through tax policy and in the bully pulpit — as the best way out of recession.

But the recession that began in late 2007 has been different. Because risky lending by U.S. banks and overborrowing by some Americans contributed to the slowdown, frugality is gaining an upper hand among many in the United States.

Listen to or watch two renowned economists discuss what makes consumers tick and forecast how consumers will affect economic growth in coming years.

David Cross is president of Market Outlook, a San Diego–based research firm that advises senior executives at international companies marketing to American consumers. His specialty is quantifying how economic and demographic changes affect future sales and profits. Before founding Market Outlook, Cross directed consumer and economic research services at Wharton Economics, Futures Group International and Chase Econometrics.

James Meil is chief economist at the Cleveland-based Eaton Corporation, one of the world's largest manufacturers of hydraulic and motor-vehicle equipment. In 2005, he received first place in the Wall Street Journal's economic forecasting contest, at which time the newspaper noted that, while in-house forecasters for the most part have died out in industrial America, Meil and a few others like him “have insights into the economy that the pack on Wall Street misses.” Meil has also received forecasting awards from USA Today and from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.

Safeguarding the Seaways: Counterpiracy Update

Join Donna Hopkins of the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for the latest on international efforts against pirates operating in the waters off the coast of Somalia. For more information on U.S. efforts against pirates, please visit http://www.state.gov/t/pm/ppa/piracy/index.htm.

Donna Hopkins serves as the State Department's program manager on piracy issues. She has participated in several CO.NX programs on piracy. A transcript of her May 26 event can be found here.

See also America.gov's feature, "Combating Piracy."

Academic Exchange Opportunities in America

This will be a lively discussion on exchange and study opportunities in the United States. The focus will be on all available academic and professional exchanges for international students, including programs for students in Asia and the Middle East. We will give special attention to popular exchange programs such as the Fulbright, Humphrey and Gilman scholarships, as well as programs for undergraduate and high school study in America. Questions regarding English language programs, academic advising and the visa process, as well as adjusting to America and culture shock, are also welcome. Our guest presenter is Evelyn Levinson.

Before assuming her current position as director of international admissions at American University in Washington, Evelyn Levinson spent more than 20 years in the field of educational advising, with a focus on the Middle East region. She has also worked as an academic adviser for EducationUSA at the State Department.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/exchanges/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

For more information, see a list of more than 450 worldwide Department of State–affiliated EducationUSA overseas advising centers that assist students in country with the admissions and pre-departure process.

Also see the EducationUSA Web site for answers to frequently asked questions on undergraduate and graduate study in the United States, as well as for the booklet If You Want to Study in the United States in various languages (Booklet 1, undergraduate study; Booklet 2, graduate study; Booklet 3, English language, short-term and professional study).

You can also view Evelyn Levinson's presentation, "Preparing Your Students for U.S. University Admissions and Scholarship Opportunities" (PDF, 25 pages, 295KB).

Educating and Empowering Girls: One Woman's Story

Growing up in a poor village in Zimbabwe, Tererai Trent did not have access to an education and was married by the time she was 11. Her life changed in 1992, when she met Jo Luck, an American woman working for Heifer International. Luck encouraged Trent to write down her dreams on a piece of paper. Trent's dreams included going to the United States for an education and earning a Ph.D. Trent has achieved each of her goals, having recently earned her Ph.D., and she is now working for the organization that helped change her life. Trent will talk about why educating girls is so important and how to believe in the power of your dreams.

Tererai Trent is currently deputy director for planning, monitoring and evaluation at Heifer International, an international nonprofit organization that works to build sustainable communities. Her story is featured in the best-seller Half the Sky and she recently appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Using Music to Connect People and Bridge Cultures

As a universal language, music can be a powerful tool to connect people despite their differences. Music offers countless opportunities to unite musicians and listeners, regardless of age, cultural background, race, religion or even mother tongue.

On November 18, the U.S. Department of State will be featuring two major initiatives of Genesis at the Crossroads, a Chicago-based nongovernmental organization dedicated to bridging cultures in conflict through the arts, on CO.NX during a live program that is open to the general public.

From 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. EST (14:00–15:00 GMT), our guests will be Wendy Sternberg, Genesis at the Crossroads’ founder and executive director, and William Meyer, a high school student in Princeton, New Jersey, who works on the Arm Them with Instruments Program.

From 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EST (15:30–16:30 GMT), our guests will be Sternberg and Cantor Alberto Mizrahi, world-renowned vocalist; Humayun Khan, Afghan vocalist and harmonium player; and artists from Saffron Caravan, the music ensemble under the aegis of Genesis at the Crossroads.

Since its establishment in 1999, Genesis at the Crossroads has paired artists from disparate communities and cultural backgrounds in a series of artistic, educational and humanitarian programs to serve as collaborative models for others. Its two branches — one for performance programs, the other for arts education, with humanitarian programs linking the two — inspire creation of new vocal, instrumental, dance, literary, documentary film and visual works of art, promoting cross-cultural understanding between individuals and communities.

Genesis at the Crossroads (GATC) offers a systematic approach to arts diplomacy by creating and implementing innovative performance, arts-education and humanitarian programs worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.gatc.org/home/index.php.

If you would like to participate in this event, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/music. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The live event is scheduled to begin on November 18 at 9 a.m. EST. See http://tinyurl.com/ygkw663 for a countdown to the event.

Campus Life in America

An estimated 600,000 international students are currently studying at university campuses around the United States. On November 18, Whitney, a junior at Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, will be live to take your questions about campus life in America.

Whitney is a third-year undergraduate student. She currently works part time at the Butler Country Club and has interned under Pennsylvania State Representative Brian Ellis and with the U.S. Department of State. Her hobbies include reading, boating, camping and spending time with her friends and family.

If you would like to participate in this event, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/bangalore. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The live event is scheduled to begin at 1400 Bangalore, India (3:30 a.m. EST, 08:30 GMT). See http://tinyurl.com/y9dvop5 for a countdown to the event.

Celebrating Native American Heritage

Join U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Officer Felix "Jabu" Salazar to discuss Native American Heritage Month in the United States. Jabu will take your questions on his experiences as a Native American representing the United States as a diplomat.

Jabu is the political and economic officer in the Durban Consulate General at the United States Mission to South Africa. Before joining the Foreign Service, he worked for Chemonics International, in the Africa region, in the Professional Development Department. Jabu also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in South Africa from 1998 to 2001. He is happily married to Zodwa (who is a Zulu from South Africa) and has a 3-year-old son named Anacleto (or Cleto for short) and a newborn son named Halalisa (or Lali for short). On Jabu’s mother’s side, his family is Mexican-American, and on his father’s side, Spanish and Navajo.

If you would like to participate in this event, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/special. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

The live event is scheduled to begin on November 20 at 1600 Durban, South Africa (9 a.m. EST, 14:00 GMT). See http://tinyurl.com/ycrmtzv for a countdown to the event.

The World Digital Library

The World Digital Library, proposed in 2005 by U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, will make available on the Internet, free of charge and in multilingual format, significant primary materials from cultures around the world. These materials include manuscripts, maps, rare books, musical scores, recordings, films, prints, photographs and architectural drawings. The library aims to promote international and intercultural understanding and awareness, provide resources to educators, expand non-English and non-Western content on the Internet, and contribute to scholarly research.

This webchat will discuss the history of the World Digital Library, its current projects, collaborations with libraries and archives overseas, and its future.

Michelle Rago is the technical project director of the World Digital Library at the Library of Congress.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/information. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.

Educational Opportunities and International Scientific Collaboration in the United States

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is the Indian-American co-winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. This webchat will discuss his experiences as a naturalized U.S. citizen, as a student in the United States, and as a world-renowned chemist.

Ramakrishnan was born in Tamil Nadu, India, and earned a degree in physics from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Gujarat in 1971. He moved to the United States and earned his Ph.D. in physics from Ohio University. He is currently working as a senior scientist with the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, England.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/newdelhi/. No registration is needed. Simply choose "Enter as a Guest," type in your preferred screen name, and join the discussion. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program.