James Taylor, exhibit specialist for the Office of Cultural Heritage, installs the exhibit of 1920s Lenox serveware in Embassy Warsaw’s chancery lobby. This china was commissioned by U.S. Minister to Poland John B. Stetson, Jr., and was used for almost 100 years. Photos courtesy of James Taylor

Setting the table for diplomatic history in Warsaw

By Glyn T. Davies Diplomatic negotiations typically occur in a conference room, but diplomacy itself is often best conducted over dinner. That’s why so much attention is paid to setting the scene for diplomatic dining:...

American becomes first woman to lead U.N. telecom agency

By Tamara L. Scott American Doreen Bogdan-Martin made history by shattering one of the oldest glass ceilings in the United Nations when she was elected as the first woman secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union...
Representatives from Embassy Cairo and the Egyptian government gather to celebrate the return of the Green Coffin to Egypt, Jan. 2. Photo by Nabil Fayek

Embassy Cairo celebrates return of historic sarcophagus to Egypt

By Alexander McLaren Embassy Cairo’s Department of Homeland Security team alongside Homeland Security Investigations in New York, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, and in coordination with Egyptian authorities,...
Two embassy staff members prepare to return a volley in Embassy Baghdad’s winter pickleball tournament, Dec. 16, 2022. Photo by Maricar Batgul

Pickleball in Baghdad brings embassy community together

By Linley Wartenberg Pickleball has caught on in Baghdad. David Arnaldo and David Denehy, both program officers with USAID, claim to have initially brought the game to Baghdad as an activity for their office. Bringing...
Safety Program Coordinator Nury Zepeda (center, with plaque), Consul General Roger C. Rigaud (next to Zepeda, lilac shirt), ConGen Monterrey’s gardening crew, and executives from the cross-border freight railroad company, Kansas City Southern de Mexico, stand before the butterfly garden, Oct. 17, 2022. Photo by Mohmoud Chikh-Ali

Monterrey garden protects butterflies

By Mohmoud Chikh-Ali Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies fly south to Mexico in a chain of four generations. There, the butterflies spend the winter clinging to branches in the forests of Michoacán and Mexico...
Supervisory Human Resources Specialist Montreal Ravenel from the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation (seated far right) looks at Executive Director Elissa Pitterle (seated left) from the Bureau of Administration and the Bureau of Information Resources Management, as she answers questions and shares advice with the 2022 fall interns in the Delegates Lounge at the speed-networking event, Nov. 7, 2022. Photo by Kerri Glass

Speed-networking inspires careers in public service

By Myranda Campanella The Department of State’s internship program has a long history of educating young professionals in the art of diplomacy. Students have the opportunity to work on substantive issues and interact with partners,...
Director of the FBI Christopher Wray speaks at the Bureau of Counter Terrorism event, Dec. 2, 2022. Photo by Vincent Picard

Building capacity to counter terrorism

By Vincent Picard  The Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT) directs foreign assistance efficiently and effectively to protect the United States, American citizens, and other partner countries against terrorist threats worldwide.  In late October and early November, CT...
From left: U.S. Soccer Federation President Cindy Parlow Cone and U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Timmy T. Davis cut the ribbon to open the U.S.A. Pavilion for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 19, 2022. Photo courtesy of Embassy Doha

Embassy Doha World Cup preparations result in success

By Paul Wulfsberg  2022 was an exciting year for American soccer fans. The United States men’s national team (USMNT) had a solid World Cup showing, tying Wales and England before beating Iran to advance to...
Consul General Jack Hillmeyer (center) speaks at the unveiling of the winning tartan design at ConGen Edinburgh, Nov. 30, 2022. Photo by Patrick Hogan

ConGen Edinburgh unveils its own tartan

By Michael Feldman In the fall of 2022, the U.S. Consulate General in Edinburgh held an online contest for the public to select its first official tartan. The tartan’s distinct patterns of plaid are embraced...
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...

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