A young visitor engages with a virtual gaming station at the U.S. embassy pavilion at Expo Prado, September 2022. Photo by Juan Francisco Casal

Mission Uruguay boosts public image at Expo Prado

By Heather Murphy Expo Prado is Uruguay’s largest and most important national-level agricultural fair. The 10-day event—held every September—showcases commercial, diplomatic, and agricultural entities from across Uruguay, along with hundreds of livestock competitions representing nearly...
Participants in Embassy Almaty and Youth Excellence on Stage Academy’s arts program gather onstage following their gala concert, Aug 5. Photo courtesy of Embassy Almaty

Consulate General Almaty showcases diverse voices

By Anand Krishna Drawing together 25 aspiring artists of diverse backgrounds from eight Kazakhstani cities, the public affairs section (PAS) at Consulate General Almaty ran a 10-day musical theater program in conjunction with the Youth...
The photovoltaic system at Embassy Niamey harnesses electricity for more than half of the embassy’s needs and produces up to 750kW, the second-highest capacity at any U.S. embassy to date. Photo courtesy of B.L. Harbert International

New battery improves energy efficiency at Embassy Niamey

By David Shaffer and Cynthia Bensburg In August, the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO) installed its first ever large-scale renewable battery energy storage system at the new U.S. Embassy in Niger. The installation enhances...
Chargé d’Affaires Hugo Guevara (top) assists with installing the solar panels on the secure storage project at the chancery. The solar panels will provide 100% of the energy required to operate the facility during daylight hours. Photo by Alys Spensley

Embassy Baku practices eco diplomacy

By Naomi Anisman In his inaugural address, President Joe Biden laid out his plans to prioritize climate change in foreign policy strategy: “We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by...
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (center, left) pays respects to the victims of the Armenian Genocide at the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute in Yerevan, Armenia, Sept. 18. Photo by David Hakobyan

Historic visit underscores U.S. support for Armenia

By Jen McAndrew U.S. Embassy Yerevan welcomed a U.S. congressional delegation led by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Armenia, Sept. 17-19. Speaker Pelosi is the highest-ranking U.S. official ever to visit the country....
Students take a soil sample and prepare to record measurements using the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) scientific protocols during the Regional GLOBE Expedition in Käsmu, Estonia, Aug. 3. Photo courtesy of GLOBE Estonia

GLOBE aims to make science education cool in Estonia

By Megan NaylorFor 25 years, the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program has been making science cool for students across Estonia. In August, with the support of visiting NASA scientists,...
USAID disaster workers (with vests and in USAID hat) distribute flood assistance in Sindh Province, Pakistan, September 2022. More than 30 million Pakistanis were displaced due to the floods. Photo courtesy of USAID

Mission Pakistan and USAID assist with flood relief

By Thomas RA Montgomery As monsoon rains fell and riverbanks overflowed in Pakistan this summer, Mission Pakistan staff became increasingly concerned that a crisis of unprecedented proportions was building. At their zenith, flood waters covered...
Steven Manders (red sweater) and members of Embassy Lusaka’s Marine Security Guard detachment (from left) Derius Wright, Nathanael Deschesne, Thomas Lopez, and Daunte Oronabuild, build a pond at an elephant orphanage in Lusaka National Park, Zambia, June 27. Photo courtesy of Embassy Lusaka

Lusaka colleagues build watering hole for orphan elephants

By Carol Borg  When the J. Kirby Simon Foreign Service Trust announced their annual call for proposals, Steve Manders jumped at the chance to use his skills to make a difference. Manders is a retired...
Participants of the Embassy Tashkent-sponsored self-defense camp in Tashkent demonstrate their skills. The program, which also includes mental health coaching, supports women’s empowerment and counters gender-based violence in Uzbekistan. Photo by Haqyor Haydarov

Tashkent-sponsored camp counters violence against women

By Utkirbek Tadjimov With the combined goals of empowering women and combating gender-based violence, the public diplomacy (PD) section at Embassy Tashkent launched its inaugural self-defense camp for women and girls in 2021. The effort,...
Clean Energy Workshop participants in Suva, Fiji, Oct. 4. From left, front row wearing garlands: Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Strategic Lead for Pacific Women Lead Programme Mereseini Rakuita; SPC Deputy Director-General for Science and Capability Dr. Paula Vivili; Bureau of Energy Resources Deputy Assistant Secretary Laura Lochman; Tuvalu High Commissioner Dr. Eselealofa Apinelu; and U.S. Embassy Suva Chargé d’Affaires Tony Greubel. Photo by Bettylyn Matakitoga

ENR delegation launches ‘Women in Energy Strategy’ in Fiji

By Maxine Lunn and Marina Kelly On the heels of the first-ever U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit in Washington, a three-person delegation from the Bureau of Energy Resources (ENR), led by Deputy Assistant Secretary Laura Lochman,...

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