"Freedom is indivisible, and when one man is enslaved, all are not free." This important and enduring quote of President John F. Kennedy represents the will and commitment to individual freedom by the Government of Colombia.
Since formally acceding to the presidency on February 24, 2008, Cuban President Raúl Castro has launched a menu of reforms that, by their contrast to the stated positions of his brother, Fidel Castro, have sparked hope that a new era of change has begun in Cuba. Don't hold your breath. The reforms—from the loosening of agricultural markets, to greater freedom to purchase electronic equipment (including cell phones)—represent little more than an effort to relieve some pressures inside Cuba and to stoke international pressure for a reevaluation of US policy.
United by a shared commitment to democracy, free enterprise, and sustainable development, the United States and Costa Rica have long enjoyed a good, mutually beneficial relationship. Building on Costa Rica's well-deserved reputation as a stable democracy committed to peace, social progress, and environmental conservation, President Oscar Arias has embarked on a “Peace with Nature” agenda aiming to make Costa Rica become Latin America's first fully developed, carbonneutral country by 2021. However, Costa Rica also faces security threats arising from increased domestic and transnational crime, as well as threats to its prospects for a greener, more prosperous future resulting from persistent weaknesses in the country's businessenabling environment and key infrastructure, such as water, wastewater, energy, and transportation systems.
When Álvaro Uribe was sworn in as President of Colombia in August 2002, the question in the minds of US policymakers was when, not whether, the Colombian government would fall into the hands of Marxist terrorists or right-wing paramilitaries. Some wondered if a military coup would come first. Terrorists operated with so little constraint that Uribe took the oath of office with bombs and rockets detonating outside the building he stood in, killing 19 civilians and injuring 60 more.
It's an exciting—and challenging—time to be a diplomat. America's diplomats are reaching out to local populations as never before, and are working to support economic prosperity and development in countries throughout the world. For every challenge, the key to outreach, understanding and impact is the ability to speak directly to people in their own language and the capability to understand local perspectives. In this important time, this crucial capacity to communicate and connect empowers US diplomats to better address the world's critical challenges.
The challenges of energy availability and climate change loom ever larger for the international community, with our nation's security and the world's environment hanging in the balance. As diplomats, we must help our nation and its partners find solutions to these challenges. Part of our job is to assume the bullypulpit and enlighten others of the many things America is already doing in these areas, to overcome the global impression that America is not doing its part. But my time in Europe has convinced me that an even greater use of our diplomatic time and resources is to seek out and support innovation, collaboration and partnership between America and those abroad who are pioneering ways to lower greenhouse gas emissions, develop alternative energy resources, and increase energy efficiency.
Hungary is a medium sized European country of approximately ten million people that shares with its Central European neighbors a common legacy of more than four decades of Soviet domination. Although a fully functioning democracy for nearly 20 years now, a member of NATO since 1999 and the European Union since 2004, Hungary still suffers from the heritage of communism. While the physical damage of this era has been largely eliminated, the less visible but longer lasting effects of the totalitarian period of Hungarian history persist in plaguing the economic and political life of the country to which I arrived in August 2006.
Thomas P. Melady, Ph.D. and Margaret B. Melady, Ph.D.
Publication Date:
09-2008
Content Type:
Journal Article
Institution:
Council of American Ambassadors
Abstract:
We revisited Lithuania this summer, 15 years after our first visit. We met leaders in both the public and private sectors and toured the entire country. From communications to living standards, the change has been remarkable. Lithuania in 2008 is a success story.
The circumstances in the Middle East, including the situation on Israel's northern border, can only be understood in the shadow of a startling but extremely grave reality: Israel is the world's only country whose total destruction is openly sought by other countries and powerful movements.
It has been almost three years since the former Yugoslav republic of Montenegro peacefully attained her independence, becoming the newest fully recognized sovereign state in the world. Though she is still very young and of course has her share of internal problems, Montenegro has made impressive strides towards becoming a fully integrated member of the democratic West.