America.gov - Telling America's Story

An Afghan Perspective on American Academia, Education and Society

Learn about the experiences of one young professional studying in the United States and what opportunities exist for qualified Afghans. Dr. Sibghatullah, a Humphrey fellow from Afghanistan, will discuss his educational experiences in the United States, as well as his general impression of life in America and the status of education in Afghanistan.

PLEASE NOTE NEW TIME: 10:30GMT

Dr. Sibghatullah is studying at Johns Hopkins University under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program. He received his medical training in Pakistan, where he and his family lived until recently. From September 2006 to August 2007, he was program manager for a primary health care project in Ghazni province and a midwifery training program in Jalalabad. He also has worked on a household food security and nutrition project with the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization and was a provincial adviser with the Afghanistan Stabilization Program in Kandahar province for the Ministry of Interior.

English Roundtable: Teaching Vocabulary

Teaching vocabulary seems to be a key component in any Asian English teaching curriculum.  Teachers are always looking for ways to help their students learn more words quickly.  But what do they mean by learn?  Do they mean just memorization?  What words are the students supposed to learn and for what purpose?  Do teachers make a distinction between learning words for passive knowledge or for active use?  Or, are students just learning words to pass the all important high stakes tests? 

These are some of the issues and questions we would like to explore in our next English Roundtable on May 13th at 2pm Beijing time.  We hope to see you online!

Proceso electoral presidencial de los Estados Unidos. Una visión general.

El Profesor de la Garza abordará los temas más importantes del proceso electoral presidencial de los Estados Unidos. Entre otros él hablará sobre el financiamiento, los debates presidenciales, las primarias y caucos, "el super martes", el Colegio Electoral, las convenciones y plataformas de cada partido, el voto por ausencia y otros. Aproveche esta oportunidad para chatear con un experto sobre el tema.

Rodolfo de la Garza, professor en ciencias politicas en Columbia University en Nueva York y director de investigaciones del instituto Tomas Rivera, se especializa en estudios electorales del pueblo estadounidense en general y de los grupos etnicos y raciales de ese pais en particular. Autor o editor de 18 libros y de un gran numero de articulos en revistas y libros profesionales, fue elegido Vicepresidente del American Political Science Association y nombrado dos veces como uno de los 100 Hispanos mas influentes del pais.

El proceso de Aplicación de visa en la ciudad de México

La sección consular de la Embajada de los Estados Unidos en la ciudad de México. Lo invita a participar en el web chat con el tema de “El proceso de Aplicación de visa en la ciudad de México”

Este Chat será una excelente oportunidad para que el publico en general realice al vice-cónsul preguntas con respecto al proceso de aplicación de visa en la ciudad de México , Esperamos ansiosamente su participación.

The Consular Section of the US Embassy in Mexico City Invites you to participate in a web chat on the “Visa Application Process in Mexico City”

This web chat will be a wonderful opportunity for the general public to ask a vice consul questions related to the visa application process in Mexico City. We look forward to your participation!!!!

U.S. Elections Your Questions

Wondering about how delegates are counted or how the Electoral College works? Curious where the presidential candidates stand on issues that impact your country? Join America.gov's elections experts Michelle Austein and George Burkes on the first Tuesday of every month to discuss the people, processes and issues that shape the U.S. presidential race. They will answer your questions and talk about the latest events on the 2008 campaign trail.

Like or don't like what you see on America.gov's 2008 Elections Web page? Readers' questions and comments will shape America.gov's elections coverage, so now it is your turn to tell the experts what elections topics you care about.

See also:
U.S. Elections
America.gov's Elections Blog: Campaign Trail Talk
The Candidates
The Issues

Soccer Star Eddie Henderson & Youth Outreach

Sports are a great pastime for many Americans, but they can also be a positive instrument of change in underprivileged communities. Join Eddie Henderson to discuss his career as a soccer player, as well as his inspiring outreach work in Peru building cooperation and solidarity with Afro-Peruvian youth.

Eddie Henderson is a retired U.S. soccer player and current state technical director of coaching education and player development for Nevada Youth Soccer. His successes as an athlete include playing 11 years professionally and being a member of the U.S. U-17 and U.S. U-18 national teams. He also played for the United States at the 1987 U-20 FIFA World Cup in Chile. He recently traveled to Peru to conduct clinics and other outreach efforts for underprivileged communities, aiming to help Afro-Peruvian at-risk youth change negative conduct by positively influencing them through street soccer and soccer clinics.

Video Webcast: Elections Update

View Thomas Schaller, Associate Professor at the University of Maryland, who will discuss the “2008 U.S. Presidential Elections” with an audience in Pretoria, South Africa.

Thomas F. Schaller, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Department of Political Science at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).

Earth Day Webcast

Join Maureen Guttman, Executive Director, Governor’s Green Government Council of Pennsylvania and Marc Heisterkemp, U.S. Green Building Council, for a program with Taipei and the American Corner in Kaohsiung on “Making Your Building Green” – from Harrisburg, PA and Washington, DC. Webcast.

The 90-minute dialogue will introduce the concept of green buildings and sharing the U.S. experience in converting existing buildings into green ones.

Environmental Concerns--New Partnerships

Although their friendship is relatively new, nongovernmental organizations and the business community are working together these days to forge partnerships that last. Chat with Brad Kenney about the connection between rising concerns about global issues such as climate change and resource conservation and the new relationships developing among NGOs and the global business community.

IndustryWeek’s technology and environment editor Brad Kenney is a multiple award-winning writer with fifteen years of journalism experience covering technology, design and sustainable business. He oversees IW’s coverage of IT hardware and software tools for increasing manufacturing efficiency and productivity, and manages this leading manufacturing magazine’s coverage of sustainable manufacturing techniques, products and services at IW's Making Green section. Kenney has a bachelor's from University of Michigan and is currently enrolled in the MBA program at Kent State University.

U.S. Voting Patterns

Join Dr. Clyde Wilcox, Professor at Georgetown University, who will talk to an audience of post-graduate university students about “Changes in U.S. Voting Patterns in the 2008 Elections: Race, Religion and Gender Issues”. 

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

More than 70 countries participated in the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008), held March 4-6 in Washington. WIREC’s trade show was the largest exposition on renewable energy ever held in the United States. Chat with Dr. Dan Arvizu about the importance of renewable energy.

Dan Arvizu became the eighth director of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on January 15, 2005. He serves on a number of boards, panels and advisory committees, including the advisory board of the American Council on Renewable Energy and the board of directors of HENAAC, a national organization that encourages achievement in science, technology, engineering and math, particularly among Hispanics. He has been selected as one of the "50 Most Important Hispanics in Technology and Business" by Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine for the past four years.

U.S. Elections

Wondering about how delegates are counted or how the Electoral College works? Curious where the presidential candidates stand on issues that impact your country? Join America.gov's elections experts Michelle Austein and George Burkes on the first Tuesday of every month to discuss the people, processes and issues that shape the U.S. presidential race. They will answer your questions and talk about the latest events on the 2008 campaign trail.

Like or don't like what you see on America.gov's 2008 Elections Web page? Readers' questions and comments will shape America.gov's elections coverage, so now it is your turn to tell the experts what elections topics you care about.

See also:
U.S. Elections
America.gov's Elections Blog: Campaign Trail Talk
The Candidates
The Issues

Ask the Ambassador: U.S-Kenya Relations

Kenya has been a longtime ally of the United States that can be turned to for assistance in resolving crises elsewhere in Africa. The United States praises the power-sharing accord reached February 28 between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who will become the new prime minister under the terms of the agreement. The United States believes the agreement is an important step in sustaining Kenya's democratic government and free-market economy, proving that the most profound crises can be resolved if there is political will to do so. Please join Ambassador to Kenya Michael E. Ranneberger for an online discussion of U.S.-Kenya relations, focusing on the need for reconciliation in the months and years ahead.

Michael E. Ranneberger  has served as U.S. ambassador to Kenya since August 11, 2006. He has also served as ambassador to Mali, as senior representative and as special adviser on Sudan, and as principal deputy assistant secretary in the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs. He is a member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of minister-counselor.

See also:
Ambassador Ranneberger Discusses U.S.-Kenya Relations March 12, 2008

Islamic Conference Envoy Sada Cumber

Promoting international understanding and peaceful interactions worldwide, the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is the second-largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations. Chat with Sada Cumber, newly appointed special envoy to the OIC, to discuss his mandate, his thoughts on U.S. relations with the Muslim world, and his early impressions of potential U.S. cooperation with the OIC.

Sada Cumber was appointed special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) on March 3. He serves as the U.S. representative to the OIC, seeking to promote mutual understanding and dialogue between the United States and Muslim communities around the world. Before his appointment, Cumber was an entrepreneur and investor based in Austin, Texas. He has founded 11 technology-based companies, including Texas Global, an international strategic advising firm, and CACH Capital Management, an investment advisory and wealth management firm. Cumber was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1951 and holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce and a master’s degree in history from the University of Karachi. He came to the United States in 1978 and has been an American citizen since 1986.

Renewable Energy

With worldwide demand for energy increasing every day, the development of new, clean, renewable energy sources is critical to Earth's environment. In the United States, work is under way on a variety of potential answers to the global energy challenge. Join David Sandalow, an expert on energy policy and global warming at the Brookings Institution, for an online discussion of renewable energy and what it can mean for the environment.

David Sandalow is an expert on energy policy and global warming.  He is a former assistant secretary of state and senior director on the National Security Council staff and the author of Freedom from Oil.

Studium, Praktika, Sommerjobs, High School & AuPair Aufenthalten in den USA

Worauf muss bei der Planung eines USA-Aufenthaltes geachtet werden? Wo finde ich Informationen zu Universitäten und wie bewerbe ich mich? Kann ich meinen Zivildienst in den USA machen? Brauche ich ein Visum und wie beantrage ich es? Fragen, die sich jedem vor einem Studium, Arbeits- oder Praktikumsaufenthalt in den USA stellen. Wir freuen uns auf Fragen von Schülern, Studenten, Lehrern und Eltern.

Guest Biography: Der Chat wird moderiert von Fachreferenten für Studium und Austausch der US-Botschaft/US-Generalkonsulate. Mitarbeiter der Visabteilung geben Auskunft über Visa für einen Aufenthalt in den USA.

2008 Geneva Conference on Disarmament

Disarmament and nonproliferation remain key subjects dealt with in a number of international fora, including the U.N. First Committee in New York. Join the U.S. representative to the Conference on Disarmament, Ambassador Christina Rocca, as she discusses U.S. goals and expectations for the 2008 Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ambassador Christina B. Rocca is the United States representative to the Conference on Disarmament. She served as assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs from 2001 to 2006. Before joining the State Department, she was foreign affairs adviser to Senator Sam Brownback, specializing in issues related to South Asia, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East.  From 1982 to 1997 Ambassador Rocca was an intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency.

The Significance of America's Women Inventors

Throughout the 20th century, innovation was greatly enhanced by the imagination of women inventors -- and their vital contributions continue in the 21st century. Celebrate and learn more about the significance of women inventors with author Ethlie Ann Vare.

Ethlie Ann Vare is the author of the first book written in the 20th century about women inventors: Mothers of Invention -- From the Bra to the Bomb, Forgotten Women and Their Unforgettable Ideas. Vare is well-known as a television personality and for her work a writer of TV shows, including CSI, Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Renegade and Silk Stalkings. She is currently consulting with Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry for a major exhibit about women inventors, to be displayed in 2009.

U.S. Support of Women Worldwide

The United States has a positive, forward-looking story to tell regarding its commitment to women’s empowerment. Join Ambassador Patricia Brister to chat about U.S. achievements in advancing the status of women in America and around the world, including in the areas of violence against women, health care for women, humanitarian assistance, women’s economic empowerment and women in conflict situations.

Ambassador Patricia Brister is the U.S. head of delegation to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women. She served as a White House-appointed public delegate to the commission in 2005, and in 2006 President Bush appointed her as the U.S. representative. Brister was a successful businesswoman for more than 30 years.

Diversity, Complexity and Culture

Though we are all different on the outside, our differences can be beneficial at a macro level, thereby producing a greater societal good. Join Scott Page to chat about how collective diversity matters more than individual ability.

Scott Page is a professor of complex systems, political science and economics at the University of Michigan and a senior research scientist at the university's Institute for Social Research. He is also an external faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute. Page is interested in how diversity improves performance and decision making, when '"diversity" means what we look like on the outside, rather than what we look like within — the tools and abilities that make each of us unique. He is the author of The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies.

Martin Luther King’s Legacy in U.S. Society

More than 40 years have passed since an estimated 250,000 people marched to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where they heard Martin Luther King Jr. give a speech of unsurpassable eloquence. Known ever since from its "I Have a Dream" passages, the speech gave impassioned voice to the demands of the U.S. civil rights movement: equal rights for all citizens, including those who were born black and brown. Join this webchat for a discussion of where these ideas fit into contemporary U.S. society.

Click HERE to submit your questions now!

Guest Biographies:

Whitney Mero is representative from Descendants of African People in Taiwan. Jean Pierre-Louis is chief of the Consular Section and Economic Section, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Kaohsiung Branch. Janee Pierre-Louis is chief of the Commercial Section, AIT Kaohsiung Branch.

Immigrants and the 2008 Elections

As America heads into the presidential elections, one of the issues at stake is the treatment and rights of immigrants. Who are the immigrants in America, and what are the issues and challenges they face? What are some of the policies being implemented at the local and national levels that are affecting immigrants? Join Deepa Iyer for a discussion about immigrants in the United States, with an emphasis on the Asian American community.

Deepa Iyer is executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a national nonprofit organization dedicated to civic and political participation by South Asians in America. A lawyer, she has more than eight years' experience in civil and immigrants' rights issues. Iyer immigrated to the United States from India when she was 12.

U.S. Diversity: Immigration and Assimilation

America is a nation of immigrants. As these "waves" of immigrants arrive, they are shaped by American values and traditions. In turn, immigrants change and reshape America. Please join Hasia Diner for a discussion of the ways in which assimilation and immigration intertwine to form the American identity. 

Hasia Diner is Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg professor of American Jewish history and professor of Hebrew and Judaic studies at New York University. She holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Her research interests include American Jewish history, American immigration history and women's history.

Video Webcast: Elections 2008

Join Amy Walter, Editor in Chief, National Journal who will discuss the latest news in the U.S. Presidential Elections.

Following this Webcast join the following Webchat:

Beyond Super Tuesday

Kosovo: The Way Forward

On February 17, after lengthy negotiations with Serbia led by the EU/Russia/U.S. troika, the elected representatives of the people of Kosovo declared that province’s independence.

Please join Under Secretary of State R. Nicholas Burns for an online discussion about the significance of Kosovo’s independence and the way forward to lasting stability and prosperity in the Balkans.

R. Nicholas Burns is the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, the Department of State’s third ranking official. Appointed by President Bush, he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 17, 2005 and was sworn into office by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. As Under Secretary, he oversees U.S. policy in each region of the world and serves in the senior career Foreign Service position at the Department.

Programas de becas de la Comisión México – Estados Unidos

La Comisión México-Estados Unidos para el Intercambio Educativo y Cultural (Comexus) es la principal organización binacional dedicada a promover el entendimiento entre México y los Estados Unidos a través de los intercambios educativos entre ciudadanos de los dos países que demuestren excelencia académica. La Comisión administra los programas de becas Fulbright-García Robles con la convicción de que los individuos con experiencia internacional son piezas clave para cimentar y promover las relaciones bilaterales entre México y los Estados Unidos en el contexto de una creciente integración hemisférica.

Si eres ciudadano mexicano y estás interesado en estudiar una maestría o un doctorado en universidades de los Estados Unidos, participa en el webchat para que conozcas los programas que ofrece Comexus.

Miércoles 13 de febrero de 2008 a las 12:00 horas. (Hora del centro de México)

The Next New Thing--Innovation Trends

Super Tuesday and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

Join Us on Super Tuesday

America.gov is partnering with the Washington Foreign Press Center to bring you live coverage of Super Tuesday events February 5, 2008. Learn about the upcoming speakers and the schedule of events:

3:30-4:00 pm (2030-2100 GMT)	Jonathan Margolis, Deputy Coordinator, Bureau of International Information Programs and Jim Dickmeyer, Director of the Foreign Press Centers - "Welcome and Introduction to America.gov"
4:00-5:00 pm (2100-2200 GMT)	Thomas Mann, Brookings Institution - "Super Tuesday: The End of the Presidential Nominating Process or a Waystation on the Route to the National Party Conventions?"
5:30-6:30 pm (2230-2330 GMT)	John Mercurio, The Hotline - "The 2008 Campaign: Covering the Coverage"
7:00-8:00 pm (0000-0100 GMT)	John Zogby, Zogby International - "Elections 2008 - The Battle for the Middle Ground"
8:00-9:00 pm (0100-0200 GMT)	John Fortier, American Enterprise Institute - "Winning the delegate count on Super Tuesday: An assessment of the candidates' prospects."

The Next New Thing: How to Innovate, Right Now

According to author Scott Berkun, "The biggest secret of innovation is that anyone can do it." How to be successful at innovation and innovative thinking is the subject of an Ask America webchat with Berkun, a best-selling author and writer on the topic of innovation. In this discussion, Berkun will address your questions about what it takes to succeed as an innovator and how thinking “outside the box” is changing the world around us.

Guest Biography: Scott Berkun is the author of the bestseller The Myths of Innovation (O'Reilly Media, Inc., 2007). He writes about creative thinking and innovation at http://www.scottberkun.com.

The Next New Thing: Teaching Innovation

Each year the United States issues more than 180,000 patents to scientists, students, corporations and everyday people so that they can protect and build on their ideas and introduce them to the world. But there is no typical American innovator. Innovators come in all shapes and sizes; they might work in large office buildings, laboratories or even the smallest garages attached to their homes. What unites these innovators is the knowledge that the road to innovation might be long and checkered with failure, but success will come to those who believe in an idea and have the passion to follow through. So how do these innovator's obtain the skills needed to make their visions a reality? Join Professor of Marketing Rajesh Chandy as he discusses how America's educators are helping to foster the next great generation of thinkers and innovators.

Guest Biography: Rajesh K. Chandy is James D. Watkins Professor of Marketing and co-director of the Institute for Research in Marketing at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. His research and publications on innovation have received a number of awards, including the Journal of Marketing's Harold Maynard Award for contributions to marketing theory and thought, the American Marketing Association's Early Career Award for Contributions to Marketing Strategy and the TechSIG Award for the best article on technology and innovation. He was named a 2003 Young Scholar by the Marketing Science Institute, and Fortune magazine described his findings on innovation as "an unorthodox and bracing set of management principles." Chandy is a member of Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez's Advisory Committee on Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economy and an award-winning instructor in the Carlson School's MBA and executive programs.

Fighting Corruption: Moving Forward on the Global Framework

The United States is committed to strengthening the fight against corruption. In recent years, through a series of international agreements culminating in the UN Convention against Corruption, a global framework for combating corruption has emerged. Individual countries can now make their anticorruption efforts more effective by vigorously implementing globally agreed anticorruption measures and drawing on international cooperation to support them. From January 28 to February 1, 2008 in Bali, Indonesia, the United States and other countries that have signed or ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption will meet to discuss implementation of the Convention and consider ways to boost international efforts to prevent and fight corruption. Join Elizabeth Verville for a preview of the 2008 UNCAC 2nd Conference of States Parties and how the U.S. maintains a leadership role in anticorruption activities.

Guest Biography: Elizabeth G. Verville became deputy assistant secretary of state for crime in December 2006. She is responsible for developing and implementing foreign policy initiatives to counter international criminal threats to U.S. national interests and programs to strengthen law enforcement institutions. She has headed the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee in Vienna to negotiate the U.N. Convention Against Corruption, as well as the U.N. Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime and its three supplemental protocols to combat trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and illicit trafficking in firearms. She also has headed the U.S. delegation to the Conferences of States Parties to these conventions as well as to U.N. crime meetings. Before joining the government, Verville practiced law with a private firm in Boston, Massachusetts, and was an assistant attorney general for the state.

Social Networking Sites: On the Campaign Trail & Beyond

The term “social networking” brings to mind Web sites like Bebo and MySpace, but the practice of making personal connections via the internet is driving a wave of technological innovation through American companies and organizations. The new social networks don’t rely on advertising revenue and rediscovering childhood friends. They are being designed with specific purposes in mind, from fighting poverty to bringing political campaign supporters together. Join technology writer and expert Jessica Hilberman for a discussion of social networking sites and how they are changing the nature of human interaction on the internet.

Guest Biography: Jessica Hilberman is a writer and editor who has published widely on the subjects of technology, health, popular culture, and urban issues. She lives in Northern California.

The U.S. View on Current Events in Somalia

The United States continues to support efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in Somalia and bring economic development to its people. The United States believes that the key to long-term stability in Somalia and to protecting the country from serving as a safe haven for terrorists is inclusive political dialogue between the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and key Somali stakeholders. The United States is the largest bilateral donor of humanitarian assistance to Somalia, providing more than $180 million in humanitarian and development assistance in the last two years. Please join Ambassador John Yates for a discussion on the new prime minister and Cabinet, security and U.S. involvement with the country.

Guest Biography: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appointed Ambassador (retired) John M. Yates as special envoy for Somalia on May 17, 2007. As special envoy, Yates plays a critical role in engaging with representatives of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, other key stakeholders, and regional and international partners to help Somalia create a stable government as it emerges from more than 14 years of instability and lawlessness.

Ambassador Yates comes to this post with considerable experience, having represented the United States as an observer to the Somalia National Reconciliation Conference at Mbagathi, Kenya, which established the Transitional Federal Charter and the Transitional Federal Institutions, which serve as the framework for the reestablishment of governance in Somalia. A career Foreign Service officer with more than 40 years' experience, Yates was one of the State Department's leading Africa specialists prior to his retirement in 2002. Yates has a B.A. in international relations from Stanford University and two master's degrees and a doctorate in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Media Making Change: New Technology, New Voices

Blogging, online video, and rapid-fire text messaging are new media technologies that have become widely used and adapted in the last few years. Savvy users have applied these technologies in unexpected ways to achieve political goals. Governments are struggling to respond, some with repression, some with reforms. Join Patrick Butler for a discussion of how technology is allowing new voices to create and join a global discussion.

Guest Biography: Patrick Butler is vice president for programs at the International Center for Journalists, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization that "promotes quality journalism worldwide in the belief that independent, vigorous media are crucial in improving the human condition," according to its mission statement.

U.S. Foreign Policy Towards Pakistan

The current political crisis in Pakistan is the topic of a USINFO Webchat with international affairs specialist Walter Russell Mead. Fallout from the Bhutto assassination and the delay of national elections will be among the topics Mr. Mead will cover during this discussion of U.S. foreign policy towards Pakistan in a rapidly changing environment. In addition Mead will touch upon the U.S. stance towards the democratic process in Pakistan, the fight against extremists and the safe management of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal.

Guest Biography: Walter Russell Mead is the Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations and one of the country’s leading students of American foreign policy. His book, Special Providence: American Foreign Policy and How It Changed the World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2004), was widely hailed as an important study that will change the way Americans and others think about American foreign policy. His most recent book, God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World (Alfred A. Knopf, 2007), is a major study of 400 years of conflict between Anglophone powers and rivals ranging from absolute monarchies like Spain and France through Communist and Fascist enemies in the twentieth century to al-Qaeda today. Mr. Mead’s chief intellectual interests involve the rise and development of a liberal, capitalist world order based on the economic, social, and military power of the United States and its closest allies. He is interested in the implications of this evolving world order for American foreign policy and for American and international society. He is an honors graduate of Groton and Yale. He has traveled widely in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. He is a founding board member of the New America Foundation.

Media Making Change: New Media Versus Old Media

New technologies lead to new media platforms and styles. As new forms gain a greater audience share, the debate grows more intense about whether practitioners of the new media honor the time-honored professional standards that separate journalism from the gossip sheets. Join David Vaina for a webchat discussing these and other topics related to new media platforms and how they are shaping today's journalism.

Guest Biography: David Vaina is a research associate at the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization devoted to evaluation and study of the performance of the news media. PEJ describes itself as nonpartisan, nonideological, and nonpolitical. The organization is affiliated with the Pew Research Center.

After Annapolis: The U.S. Commitment to the Palestinian People

In support of the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan (PRDP) and with the approval of Congress, the United States intends to provide over $550 million to the Palestinian people, including budget support and assistance for development projects and for security sector reform activities to bolster security in the West Bank. The United States will also ensure that the needs of the most vulnerable in Palestinian society are met by continuing our humanitarian assistance through the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and other international organizations.

Please join Tom Goldberger, director of the U.S. State Department's Israel and Palestinian Affairs office, for questions and answers on the U.S. commitment, including emerging public-private partnerships and the changing face of international aid.

Guest Biography: Thomas Goldberger is a career Foreign Service Officer currently serving as Director of the Israel Palestinian Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. Tom’s two previous postings were as Economic Counselor in Ankara, Turkey and Amman, Jordan. He has also served in the U.S. Embassies in Paris, France and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and in various capacities in the State Department in Washington.

Middle East Partnership Initiative: Strengthening Democratic Participation Through the Empowerment of Civil Society

Over 300 civil society leaders from throughout the BMENA region convened in Sanaa, Yemen between November 30 and December 2 for the fourth Civil Society Parallel Forum. Organized by a cross-cutting coalition of Yemeni civil society leaders, with support from MEPI, the Parallel Forum represents a locally-driven initiative in which civic leaders from the BMENA region outline tangible, action-oriented strategies to advance reform in the Middle East and North Africa.

Please join Laura Schulz in a discussion of the Parallel Forum and its significance as it relates to MEPI's support to indigenous civil society organizations in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Guest Biography: Laura A. Schulz is the Civil Society and Rule of Law Manager at the Office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), U.S. Department of State, where she has developed and oversees a portfolio of nearly 30 programs throughout the Middle East and North Africa that amplify and strengthen local democratization efforts. She has worked for more than a decade with civil society organizations in the Middle East. In 2006, she received a Superior Honor Award, for demonstrating U.S. Government commitment to civil society in the Middle East.

Getting Out the Vote: Text Messages and Political Campaigns

In a fast-paced technological environment, every political candidate is looking for an edge on how to mobilize voters. Please join Matt Bieber of Mobile Commons, a mobile messaging software firm, to discuss the way political campaigns are using targeted text messaging and other new media techniques to reach, influence and interact with young voters in the United States and abroad.

Guest Biography: Matt Bieber is the director of mobile community for Mobile Commons, a firm that makes software that allows organizations to create and manage their own mobile messaging campaigns. Mobile Commons works with campaigns of every size -- including those of leading presidential candidates, big city mayors and contenders for local office -- as well as nonprofits, advocacy groups and corporations. Before joining Mobile Commons, Bieber was finance director for a congressional campaign in Pennsylvania.

Museums and the Importance of Documenting the Indigenous Experience

Elections 2008: Beyond Super Tuesday

The results of Super Tuesday are known, and the remaining primaries and caucuses are to come. Join two political analysts as they provide their perspective on what is in store for the remaining candidates in the race for the U.S. presidency.

Thomas F. Schaller is associate professor of political science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and co-author of Devolution and Black State Legislators. The weekly national political columnist for The Baltimore Sun, Schaller has also written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times and has appeared on Comedy Central's The Colbert Report. Schaller earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ann Stone is an entrepreneur and activist who heads The Stone Group Inc. (TSG), which has built a name as an innovative, cutting-edge campaign strategy, public affairs and public relations firm. Active in politics since age 12, she has worked in more than 450 campaigns as everything from precinct worker to campaign manager. In 1989, she launched a national political group, "Republicans for Choice." This group is locating and mobilizing the pro-choice majority in the Republican Party, in order to change the party platform and elect pro-choice Republicans at the federal, state and local levels. In 1996, Stone joined with two other women to form the National Women’s History Museum, and she works with women’s groups worldwide to foster women’s history movements across the globe.

Summer Work and Travel in the U.S.

In 2007, more than 5,000 Romanian college students spent their summer vacation working and traveling in the United States through the Summer Work & Travel program. If you are interested in participating in the 2008 program, please join us for an online discussion!

The webchat will cover details about the Summer Work & Travel program including who is qualified to participate, rules & regulations, how to apply, your visa interview and more.

Join Vice Consul Heather Steil who will discuss the Summer Work & Travel program with college students in Romania.

On Common Ground: America & Islam

Diversity is a corner stone of American society. In fact, U.S. citizens come from virtually every ethnic and religious community in the world. As the face of America changes, Americans of all ethnic and religious backgrounds are making efforts to better understand each other. Join Courtney Erwin, who will discuss Islam-West engagement and the ways in which Americans of various backgrounds are discussing and acting on their common and unique values.

Courtney Erwin is chief of staff and director of programs at the Cordoba Initiative, an international, multi-faith organization founded in 2002 committed to healing divisions between Muslim and Western societies.  It does this through civil dialogue, policy initiatives, education, and cultural programs. Prior to joining the Cordoba Initiative, Courtney worked at the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington as their Coordinator for Religious Freedom. Courtney holds a Juris Doctor in international law and mediation; a Master of Arts in Islamic law; and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, with a concentration on Muslim-Christian Understanding.

Innovation: What Makes a Great Inventor?

Innovation is the art of creating something new, and every day in the United States and around the world, scientists, students and everyday people are working to bring to life an idea that is theirs alone. Join inventor Ronald Riley for a discussion of what it takes to be a great inventor and innovator.

Guest Biography: Ronald J. Riley is a prolific inventor and president of Riley Consulting Inc., Riley & Associates Inc. (licenses his intellectual property) and Riley Enterprises Inc. As an inventor, he specializes in industrial controls and product development, but also has patents in process in such diverse consumer areas as footwear, telecommunications, exercise equipment and biotechnology. Riley founded the Professional Inventors Alliance (PIA) in 1993 to help inventors who faced difficulties with infringement of their patents share information and network with other inventors facing similar problems.

African Americans and U.S. Foreign Policy

As African-American History Month continues, please join professor and author Clarence Lusane as he discusses the influence and role of African Americans in shaping U.S. foreign policy.

Professor Clarence Lusane  teaches courses at American University in comparative race relations; modern social movements; comparative politics of Africa, the Caribbean and Europe; black political theory and political behavior; international drug politics; and jazz and international relations. His current research interests are international race politics, human rights and electoral politics. His most recent book is Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice: Foreign Policy, Race, and the New American Century (2006). Lusane received his Ph.D. in political science from Howard University in 1997.

Bangladeshi-American Military Imam

A man who came to the United States as a student from Bangladesh has become a U.S. Navy Chaplain. He uses his love for God and humanity to counsel and assist U.S. military personnel of all faiths and backgrounds. Join Imam Abuhena Saifulislam for an online discussion that will cover the chaplaincy program in the U.S. Military, Islam in the U.S. military, and his role in promoting religious tolerance.

GUEST BIOGRAPHY: Lieutenant Commander Abuhena Saifulislam was the second Muslim chaplain commissioned in the U.S. Navy. He immigrated to the United States in 1999, after earning a master's degree in business in Bangladesh. He enlisted in the Navy in 1992, and was the first Muslim chaplain at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when the detention facility first opened in 2001.

Interfaith Understanding

America is a wonderfully diverse nation, encompassing multiple ethnic groups and religious backgrounds. Though this diversity is a significant asset to the country's character, it creates the need for a peaceful dialogue among religious institutions. Join Mike Goggin to discuss the importance of understanding and a sense of community among persons of diverse faiths to enable them to work cooperatively for social and economic justice.

Guest Biography Mike Goggin is assistant director of the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington. He is also president of the North American Interfaith Network, an umbrella group of 75 interfaith organizations. He has a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University's school of foreign service and a master's degree in theology from the Washington Theological Union. He recently contributed a chapter to the new book Building the Interfaith Youth Movement: Beyond Dialogue to Action.

Ambassador Robert Tuttle Answers Your Questions

The U.S. presidential election has been a hot topic for months. Become part of the continuing debate as Ambassador Robert Tuttle answers questions about the 2008 presidential race.

Ambassador Robert Tuttle began his career in the public sector when he joined the White House staff in 1982 as special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. In 1985, he was appointed director of presidential p