On April 5, 2010, students from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland visited the State Department during a one-day trip to Washington, D.C. as part of a Politics of Development course.  David Bame, Middle East Affairs specialist, discussed State Department priority issues with the students, including Smart Power, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.   Mr. Bame’s remarks are available on Blog Talk Radio.  Listen to the discussion here.

A Conversation on Smart Power and the Middle East with Washington College Students

The State Department's Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs works around the clock to think of how the U.S. Department of State can better engage with the American people by increasing public awareness and involvement in the Department and its work. In order to support an ongoing dialogue, we arrange conference calls and video conference briefings, which we plan to begin broadcasting on Blog Talk Radio. Tune in for insight and updates on US Foreign Policy.

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Officials from the U.S. Department of State participate in a discussion with Haitian-Americans and members of the NGO community to discuss reconstruction and recovery efforts six months after the earthquake.Speakers:-Patrick Gaspard, Director, White House Office of Political Affairs-Julissa Reynoso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean and Central American Affairs, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State-Jerome Oetgen, Public Affairs Counselor, Embassy Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Haiti: A Status Update on Recovery and Reconstruction Efforts Six Months Later

Join the following U.S. Department of State Officials for a discussion on Jamaica and neighboring Caribbean countries:Julissa Reynoso, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Caribbean and Central American Affairs, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of StateGonzalo Gallegos, Director of the Office of Caribbean Affairs, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S. Department of State Robert Boncy, Regional Desk Officer, Office of Caribbean Affairs, Bureau for Latin America & the Caribbean, U.S. Agency for International DevelopmentThe U.S. Department of State will host a conference call with members of the Caribbean Diaspora and the NGO community. Listen live here!

An Update on the Situation in Jamaica

Students participating in the National Student Leadership Conference visited the U.S. Department of State for a briefing.  William Burke-White, member of the Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff addressed the students on U.S. foreign policy priorities.  Dr. Burke-White is on leave from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he teaches international law and human rights and writes on international law and international relations.

U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities

On April 28, 2010, the Office of Public Liaison hosted a town hall meeting for NGO representatives, business leaders, and academic officials to discuss the White House Entrepreneurship Summit, which took place April 26-27 in Washington, DC. In addition to the in-person audience students and faculty from Babson College, Duke University, and the University of Central Florida participated in the discussion via video conference. This show features the audio from a panel discussion on cultivating grassroots partnerships. Panelists included Shelly Porges from the Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, Robert Lalka from the Office of Global Partnership Initiatives, and Ari Alexander from USAID’s Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.

Town Hall Meeting: President's Summitt on Entrepreneurship (Part 2 of 2)

On April 28, 2010, the Office of Public Liaison hosted a town hall meeting for NGO representatives, business leaders, and academic officials to discuss the White House Entrepreneurship Summit, which took place April 26-27 in Washington, DC.  In addition to the in-person audience students and faculty from Babson College, Duke University, and the University of Central Florida participated in the discussion via video conference.The town hall featured remarks by Special Representative to Muslim Communities Farah Pandith and Special Envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference Rashad Hussain, as well as E-Summit delegate Asim Siddiqui, a community organizer from the UK.  Each emphasized the importance of U.S. engagement with Muslim communities and working together to build entrepreneurial partnerships.  In his June 2009 Cairo speech, President Obama announced that the U.S. would host a Summit on Entrepreneurship to identify how we can strengthen ties between business leaders, foundations, and entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.  Co-hosted by the Departments of Commerce and State, the Summit brought together more than 275 participants from over 50 countries.  The Summit highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship as a way of building relationships that lead to greater opportunity at home and abroad. A panel discussion followed this portion of the town hall, and is also available on our Blog Talk Radio station.

A Conversation on Smart Power and the Middle East with Washington College Students

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