It’s time for everyone, the media included, to understand the limits of an American presidency.
The last three months of 2021 saw the departure of nine foreign ambassadors to the United States.
One month ahead of a crucial summit between Europe and Africa set for Feb. 17-18 in Brussels, several key Washington-based diplomats are warning that the security crisis in Africa’s impoverished Sahel region could soon spin out of control without urgent outside intervention.
As the Biden administration approaches its first anniversary in power, it might be useful to explain one way in which Washington operates, even though it has not changed with the transition from Trump to Biden. This feature of American statecraft, which is often misunderstood, is the uniquely American tradition of selling the title of “ambassador.”
While some nations have seen a significant deterioration of freedoms during the past 18 months, the pandemic’s direct impact on the vitality of democracy itself has so far been limited, the Swedish nonprofit V-Dem says. But those who run Washington’s top global development organizations aren’t waiting to sound the alarm.
Afghanistan’s largest TV channel, a Hulu comedy about an Egyptian immigrant family in New Jersey and a French series about Nazi occupation during World War II all garnered awards Dec. 15 at the 9th annual America Abroad Media (AAM) gala.
The National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) recognized Iraq’s Fareed Yasseen as its 2021 “Ambassador of the Year” during a Dec. 14 awards ceremony and luncheon at Washington’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
The ongoing pandemic has defined Nomaindiya Cathleen Mfeketo’s nearly two years as South Africa’s ambassador to the United States, literally from day one.
The woman in the grocery store was quite upset. She didn’t like wearing a mask. She hadn’t been vaccinated and she was convinced it was a conspiracy. “The government and Dr. [Anthony] Fauci are just trying to kill enough people worldwide so the population drops to a billion people,” she explained.
Ivonne A-Baki, one of the most prominent women diplomats in Ecuador’s 200-year history, says women have come a long way since she arrived in Washington as her country’s first female ambassador here 23 years ago—but that the battle for gender equality is far from over.
A veritable who’s who of American and foreign diplomats, public servants, educators, scientists, musicians and artists came together Nov. 30 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, one of the world’s most widely recognized and prestigious scholarships.
I asked Dr. Anthony Fauci that question on Dec. 1, when the chief medical advisor held a White House press conference for the first time in months. “The endgame, which we hope and I think will occur, is that as we get more people vaccinated —not only in this country but globally—we will see a situation where viruses will not have the opportunity. what they have right now is to essentially freely distribute and freely circulate in society, both domestic society and global society.”
In the days and weeks following the 2010 earthquake that ravaged his country, Joseph—then Haiti’s ambassador to the United States—was a familiar face on CNN. And now, as the Caribbean nation descends further into a nightmare of natural disasters, political assassinations, kidnappings and lawlessness, this elder statesman cannot and will not remain silent.
The National Press Club (NPC) is no stranger to the spotlight; its members have reported some of the biggest stories of the last century. On Oct. 14, the NPC itself made news when over 70 people gathered at its Holeman Lounge for the club’s first official press attaché mixer.
In its 27-year history, the Embassy Series has hosted over 600 concerts at nearly 80 partner embassies, and at the University Club of Washington. This gives host countries a chance to showcase their music and culture in the United States; audience members are invited to dine and interact with featured artists following their performances.
Nov. 9, 2021—the one-year anniversary of the ceasefire that ended the latest round of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan—we ought to stop and ponder one profound question: Does doing the right thing matter anymore?
