America.gov - Engaging the world

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.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/riyadh. 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.

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.

Si vous souhaitez participer à la discussion en ligne, consultez le site https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/francais. Cliquez sur la case « Enter as a Guest » (accès à titre d'invité), tapez votre nom d'Internet préféré et joignez-vous à l'entretien. Nous acceptons les questions et les commentaires envoyés à l'avance ainsi qu'à n'importe quel moment de la discussion.

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."

The Future of Education: Online (and Free/Open) College Textbooks

Everyone who has been to college knows that textbooks are very expensive. Flat World Knowledge is a revolutionary company that is trying a new approach to college textbooks.

Students can access the books for free or purchase alternatives — from print-on-demand versions of the books to audio versions to downloadable versions and more — at a fraction of the cost of traditional textbooks. Books are not only free, but also openly licensed so people can modify them as needed. This has real significance for other countries where users may wish to adapt and localize and/or translate content.

Flat World Knowledge backs its textbooks with an online social learning platform that allows students to learn from each other as well as from the textbooks.

Our guest for this chat will be the founder of Flat World Knowledge, Eric Frank.

If you would like to participate in this webchat, please go to http://statdept.connectsolutions.com/education. 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.

Exploring the Moon, Mars and Beyond

This program will provide a look at the outlook for space exploration, specifically NASA’s plans to further explore the moon, Mars and beyond, as well as other nations’ future space exploration programs.

Geoffrey L. Yoder joined NASA in 2000, formulating the Flight Hardware Development Branch at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. In 2005, Yoder joined the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA headquarters where, among other roles, he was responsible for information technology architecture and IT management, risk and knowledge management and technology protection, architecture trades and analysis. Currently, Yoder serves as the Director of the Constellation Systems Division within NASA's Exploration Missions Directorate.

If you would like to participate in this webcast, please go to http://www.cpcwebcast.com/state. 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 Summer Deaflympic Games

From September 5 to September 15, 2009, Taiwan will host the Summer Deaflympic Games, an International Olympic Committee-sanctioned event that features competition in 20 sports by deaf athletes from around the world. The Taipei Deaflympics are projected to attract over 5,000 athletes and tens of thousands of spectators.

Of the 80 countries participating, the United States will have the largest delegation, with 250 athletes, coaches and trainers. Despite the physical obstacles that Deaflympic athletes face, their athletic prowess is indisputable. Join us as we speak to athletes from the U.S. Deaflympic Team!

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After AGOA 2009: What Next?

The Eighth AGOA Forum (named after the U.S. African Growth and Opportunity Act) took place in Nairobi, Kenya, August 4–6, 2009. The theme of this year’s forum was “Realizing the Full Potential of AGOA through Expansion of Trade and Investment.” Join Lloyd Pierson for a follow-up discussion on topics covered at the forum as well as a conversation answering the question "What next?"

Lloyd O. Pierson is the president and chief executive officer of the United States African Development Foundation and previously served on the foundation's board of directors from 2004 to 2006. Before that, he was the assistant administrator for Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he gave priority attention to the U.S. trade hubs on the continent and opened the hub in Dakar, Senegal. Before that, he was chief of staff/chief of operations for the Peace Corps and during a transition period served as the Peace Corps' acting worldwide director. He has been Peace Corps country director in Ghana, Botswana, Namibia and Swaziland and was co-negotiator for the Peace Corps bilateral agreement allowing volunteers to enter Zimbabwe.

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).

Youth and Nuclear Technology

As part of an ongoing program to create awareness among Sri Lankan youth of the peaceful uses of nuclear technology, representatives of North American Young Generation in Nuclear (NA-YGN) will share their passion for nuclear science and technology by discussing the many ways these technologies affect their daily lives and talking about the contributions these technologies make to society. Our guests will be NA-YGN's president and vice president, Michael Kurzeja and Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides.

Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides started serving as vice president of NA-YGN in May 2009. For the previous four years, she served as the communication and U.S. affairs chair of NA-YGN. In these roles she helped organize the Awards, Conservation and Publication committees. Before being elected to NA-YGN's national leadership, she was the initiating president of the Calvert Cliffs [Maryland] Chapter of NA-YGN and helped organize the fleet model of young professional chapters at Constellation Energy.

In May of 2009, Michael S. Kurzeja assumed the role of president of NA-YGN, and he is focusing on expanding the organization's public advocacy efforts and improving communications both with its members and with the nuclear industry. The previous year he served the organization as vice president. Since becoming a NA-YGN member in 2006, he has served in various positions and successfully led a team that developed and distributed NA-YGN’s “Critical to Success” survey.

Kurzeja is a shift supervisor at Exelon's PowerLabs subsidiary. In this role, he leads a group of technicians and engineers in equipment optimization tasks for both Exelon and commercial clients throughout the nuclear industry. He is also the project manager for the PowerLabs 2010 project, which aims to increase efficiencies and reduce overall costs by leveraging emerging technologies.

If you would like to participate in this webcast, please go to http://www.cpcwebcast.com/state. 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.

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.

If you would like to participate in this global webchat, please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/women. 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.

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.