http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com The World Affairs Blog Network Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:43:22 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en New U.S. Middle East Envoy Wins Approval but Little Confidence for His Mission America's new Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, is back from his first trip to the region and will likely return there later this month. He met with the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority and ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2009/02/09/in-the-news/ Adobe Fireworks CS3 + Wave Arts Power Suite + Adobe Creative Suite 3Nicholas Burns, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (effectively the #3 position in the Department), penned an opinion piece for Newsweek this week titled "We Should Talk to Our Enemies." In it, he defends Senator Barack Obama's ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/30/burns-gets-political/ Today the State Department welcomes about 100 fellows of the "I-VOTE" program to a reception in the diplomatic reception rooms. I-VOTE, which stands for International Visitors Observe the Elections, is a program of State's ECA Bureau. Here's their description: "I-VOTE is an exchange initiative of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/27/i-vote-2008/ The Council on Foreign Relations recently won an Emmy for its video Crisis Guide on Darfur. I've gotten through the first two chapters and I can tell you that it is extremely informative. It highlights both the devastation that the civil war has wrought on the Sudanese and also the ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/22/using-video-to-shed-light-on-darfur/ An article published in Foreign Policy magazine this week discusses the Foreign Service's newly reformulated examination process for new hires. First, here's something I didn't know: "In a 2007 survey, American undergraduates rated the State Department the fourth-most desirable employer in the country, just behind the private-sector dream team of Google, Disney, ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/17/a-critique-of-the-revamped-foreign-serivce-test/ The Henry L. Stimson Center and the American Academy of Diplomacy have unveiled a new report on how the next President can strengthen American diplomacy. Titled "Foreign Affairs Budget for the Future," the report finds that: "The State Department, USAID, and related organizations lack the tools to meet today's complex global challenges. ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/13/fixing-a-hollow-service/ United States Embassy in London, England (Alastair Grant/AP) The State Department announced last week that it will move its Embassy in London from its charming location on Grovesnor Square across the Thames to a more secure location. The International Herald Tribune reports that: "The demand for more space, greater security and ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/09/relocating-the-us-embassy-in-london/ Two weeks ago the Council on Foreign Relations, a New York-based think thank, hosted world leaders in town for a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly for separate, public discussions about current issues in world affairs. Those distinguished leaders include: Ali Babacan, Turkey 's Minister of Foreign Affairs; Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, President of Argentina; Viktor ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/05/watching-diplomacy-part-ii/ Where can you watch Condoleezza Rice talk foreign policy and then play piano, James Glassman discuss public diplomacy, Tom Friedman read from his new book, and King Abdullah II of Jordan related the US-Jordan relationship? The Aspen Institute's video blog. So far I've watched the first three of the above mentioned ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/10/02/watching-diplomacy/ The Chicago Council on Global Affairs released last week a public opinion poll about Americans' views on foreign policy issues. The findings show the American public's number one foreign policy worry is the country's standing in the world. The Financial Times reported on the findings: "The... survey found that 83 per cent ... http://diplomacy.foreignpolicyblogs.com/2008/09/30/financial-crisis-changing-priorities/