Taking Democracy to a New Scale

Posted by Tomicah Tillemann / October 15, 2012

About the Author: Tomicah Tillemann serves as the Secretary of State's Senior Advisor for Civil Society and Emerging Democracies.

Today, I've come together with more than 500 activists, academics, and policymakers to participate in the World Movement for Democracy's Seventh Assembly in Lima, Peru. The Assembly is a key gathering for civil society leaders from dozens of countries, and participants at the meeting are working to develop new strategies for advancing democracy, dignity, and opportunity worldwide.

This year's Assembly is taking place from October 14 to 17, and it's built around the theme of “Democracy for All: Ensuring Political, Social and Economic Inclusion.” Peru, like many Latin American countries, has made significant political and economic progress over the last decade. But… more »

Travel Diary: Secretary Clinton Visits Peru

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / October 15, 2012

More: Trip Page | Interactive Travel Map | Background Briefing Prior to the Secretary's Visit to Lima

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Lima, Peru, on October 15 and 16. In Peru, she will meet with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala to discuss bilateral and regional cooperation. She will also participate in an international conference on women's financial inclusion -- Power: Women as Drivers of Growth and Social Inclusion -- at which she will deliver remarks to the plenary.

Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer… more »

Solar Panels Bring Electricity to Remote Areas of Suriname

Posted by Jeremy Peterson / October 14, 2012

About the Author: Jeremy Peterson serves as the General Services Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to participate in the Peace Corps Legacy Project, which documents the sustainable projects people of Suriname have carried out with the help of Peace Corps volunteers during the organization's 17 years in country.

The group I traveled with visited villages on the Upper Suriname River to see solar panel projects funded by the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) and put into place by Peace Corps volunteers and Suriname citizens. ECPA is a flexible, voluntary framework for countries to collaborate and cooperate on clean energy and climate change issues. Peace Corps Suriname's ECPA initiative focuses on energy poverty and climate change efforts and is supported by an interagency agreement between Peace… more »

Photo of the Week: Raising the Status of Girls Worldwide

Posted by Alison W. Bauerlein / October 12, 2012

About the Author: Alison Bauerlein serves as an editor for DipNote and a Foreign Service Officer in the Office of Digital Engagement.

This week's "Photo of the Week" comes to us from USAID/Vietnam's Richard Nyberg, who took this photo in the central highlands of Vietnam on October 9, 2012. The young girl pictured is one of the many ethnic minority girls benefiting from the support of USAID, the East Meets West Foundation, and the people and authorities in Kon Tum, Vietnam.

On Thursday, October 11, 2012, the world marked the first-ever celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child. As USAID noted on its web page devoted to the day, the occasion provides an opportunity for "reaching out and educating… more »

In Germany, Representing My Family and Country

Posted by Robert Perls / October 12, 2012

About the Author: Robert Perls serves as the Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany.

Today, the personal and professional intersected when I had the opportunity to honor my grandfather, Fritz Perls. With his wife Lore, he invented Gestalt Therapy, a dramatic departure from traditional Freudian therapy, and revolutionized the field of psychology. On October 12, they and their work were honored at my grandfather's childhood home in Berlin. The Deutsche Vereinigung fur Gestalttherapie, which is the German Gestalt Therapy Association, organized the memorial event. Though many in the field of psychology consider my grandfather a transformative figure, he had never been honored in Germany. He observed the rise of Nazi power and left the country just in time, never to return. The Gestalt associations in Germany and throughout the world keep the body of his work alive and train new generations of psychotherapists in this newer, existentialist approach to the therapeutic… more »