Under Secretary for Management Brian Bulatao (center), Director Jim Schwab (center right), and Deputy Director Janice deGarmo (center left) join Team Cfa to celebrate the launch of the Center for Analytics at the Data for Diplomacy 2020 event, Jan. 16. Photo by Erica Bostrom

The Department launches the Center for Analytics

By Janice deGarmo Business and policy leaders today increasingly turn to analytics for help in solving their most complex problems. In an age of information overload, only those who can leverage data as a strategic asset can win. The...
Mission Bosnia and Herzegovina Diversity and Inclusion Working Group co-chairs Star Hy (left) and Shamaine Martin-Crick (right) open the Mission’s Diversity Book Library, January 2020. State Department photo

Mission Bosnia and Herzegovina establishes Diversity and Inclusion Working Group

By Star Hy  When U.S. Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Ambassador Eric Nelson laid the foundation for a Diversity and Inclusion Working Group (DIWG) at post in 2020, there was an overwhelmingly positive response....
Police officer for the Bellevue Police Department in Washington Craig Hanaumi (front in uniform) strengthens ties between community and police enforcement through some nontraditional methods like practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with community members. Photo by Gauri Doshetty

Embassy Stockholm DEI Council engages community on justice issues

By Arnela Hadzisulejmanovic Just as Foreign Service officers’ employ different types of diplomacy to further their nation’s goals, law enforcement officials should strive to do the same through consistent and meaningful community engagement. That was the focus of a...
A Nicaraguan family located in Carpio, San José, receives aid from volunteers from the embassy during the height of the pandemic, July 2020. Photo by Donald Ridder

Embassy San José helps local community overcome crisis

By Donald Ridder The Carpio community, located near Embassy San José, is an example of how marginal neighborhoods in Costa Rica with large Nicaraguan populations have endured hardships that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated. Carpio...
A group of exchange visitors from Keene State College in New Hampshire volunteer at the NYC Marathon on behalf of the Department’s Exchange Volunteer Program, Nov. 3. Photo by Steven Spiegel

Exchange Visitor Program marathon series expands

By Christian Caudill  For the fifth year in a row, the Department of State’s Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) comprised the largest group of volunteers for the TCS New York City Marathon. More than 1,600 volunteers...
From left: Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Embassy Kingston Chargé d’Affaires John McIntyre stand for a moment of silence during the unveiling ceremony, Nov. 4. Photo by Cleo Walker Smith

Embassy Kingston honors Colin Powell’s legacy

By Bobby Adelson Embassy Kingston honored the late, former-Secretary of State Colin Powell, whose parents were both born in Jamaica, with a wreath laying ceremony and a permanent installation of Powell's official portrait in the...
From left, front row: Economic Officer Jorge Banavides from Embassy Pretoria, Information Management Specialist Jason Truax, and Information Security Service Officer Chickelle Woody provide a presentation on cybersecurity to the Cape Academy of Math, Science and Technology in the Western Cape Province. Photo by Angie Naidu

Promoting cybersecurity awareness in South Africa

By Chickelle Woody The U.S. Mission to South Africa conducted outreach through a collaborative campaign that focused on providing cybersecurity awareness to the local government, students at universities and high schools, and NGOs in the...
Argentine tennis player Gabriella Sabatini (second from left) cuts the ribbon to officially unveil a new mural painted by Argentine street artist Martin Ron (second from right). The mural was commissioned by Ambassador Marc Stanley (far left) and his wife Wendy Stanley (middle) and features Sabatini, Argentine tennis player Diego Schwartzman (far right), and American tennis player Serena Williams. Photo courtesy of Embassy Buenos Aires

Tennis mural completed in Buenos Aires

By Glyn T. Davies Sports are a powerful way to bring people together. Witness the World Cup, Olympics, Wimbledon, or any international sporting event. Depict the drama of sport in stunning, monumental art, place it...
Embassy Podgorica staff members (from left) Siddha Page, Jason Smith, and Sarah Schumacher stand next to a new playhouse in front of the refurbished playground that was sponsored by the embassy, Oct. 28, 2022.

Embassy Podgorica officers refurbish shelter playground

By Eliot Elzinga, Siddha Page, Suzanne Schaefer, Sarah Schumacher, and Jason Smith  A nondescript building on a quiet street in Niksic, Montenegro, serves as a haven for women and children affected by domestic violence. Run...

Partnership feeds Department’s hunger for data

By Matthew Graviss, Ph.D.  The Department of State is developing opportunities to transform itself into a more data-centric culture, positioning employees to make better-informed, evidence-based mission decisions. Changing internal culture doesn’t happen overnight for any...

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