Worldwide Welcome

From left: Sister Orla Treacy of Ireland, Razia Sultana of Bangladesh, Naw K’nyaw Paw of Myanmar, Col. Khalida Khalaf Hanna al-Twal of Jordan, Olivera Lakić of Montenegro, Secretary Pompeo, first lady Melania Trump, Flor de María Vega Zapata of Peru, Magda “Mama Maggie” Gobran of Egypt, Moumina Houssein Darar of Djibouti, Marini de Livera of Sri Lanka, and Anna Henga of Tanzania. The 2019 International Women of Courage Award recipients with Secretary Pompeo and first lady Melania Trump stand on stage at the ceremony, March 7 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Ron Pryzsucha
By Linsey Armstrong In March, the Department of State celebrated Women’s History Month through a host of inspiring activities and initiatives. This year, the Department...

Opening Doors

Boys practice their acrobatic skills on Lido beach, Mogadishu. Photo by Tobin Jones
By Janet Deutsch Rarely do Foreign Service officers (FSOs) have the opportunity to experience the launching of a new diplomatic presence in a host nation....

A Solid Foundation

The American Institute in Taiwan’s new $255 million office, a modern complex built explicitly to serve as home base for the American Institute in Taiwan and its activities, symbolizes the United States’ commitment to the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. Photo by Fabian Ortiz
By Nolan Masterson Foreign Service personnel assigned to Taipei, Taiwan, before 1979 completed their tours at the Embassy of the United States to the Republic...

Third of a Century

The 31st A-100, the class of Paul Glimer, Jim Steele, John Bradshaw and Stuart Symington, official class photo, Jan. 10, 1986. State Department photo
By Paul Gilmer The history of A-100 classes dates back to June 7, 1924, when President Coolidge issued Executive Order 4022 establishing a Foreign Service...

Ebenezer Bassett

A historical etching shows Ebenezer Bassett at the time of his nomination to minister resident.Image courtesy of Harper’s Weekly, May 1, 1869.
By Christopher Teal When President Ulysses S. Grant appointed Ebenezer D. Bassett as Minister Resident (Ambassador) to Haiti in 1869, Bassett made history. As the...

Prioritizing People

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Africa and Public Diplomacy Elizabeth Fitzsimmons supports a public diplomacy English Club program in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. Photo courtesy of Public Affairs Section Brazzaville
By Jacqueline Mourot “The work of being a Public Affairs Officer was not going to wait for me to translate training into real tactics...

From Health to Space

Science Envoy for Health Security Dr. Michael Osterholm, center, discusses research to prevent the spread of infectious diseases during a visit to the Ghana Armed Forces United States Naval Medical Research Unit-3 Molecular Lab. Photo by Isaiah Tuolienuo
By Hillary LeBail and Gavin Piercy Science envoys are preeminent American scientists and engineers who, at the request of the Secretary of State, agree to...

Beyond Books

Bookshelves in the Library, with library logo and black and white photo of Ralph J. Bunche on top.
By Julie Arrighetti For the Department of State’s Ralph J. Bunche Library, 2019 is a year of significant anniversaries. Founded in 1789, the Library has...

Inspiring Confidence

Hand places a ballot into a box.
By Michael Liebegott Five years after the 2014 Revolution of Dignity in which the Ukrainian people demanded a democratic, Euro-Atlantic future, they headed to the...

Security Investment

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By Tau Shanklin Roberts, Ian Arzeni and Razia Kimani The U.S. National Strategy for Counterterrorism requires the U.S. to broaden its range of partners...