Prior to a long career at USAID, Frank Almaguer first gained experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in British Honduras…
Documentaries for Diplomacy: African Cinema in the 1960s
When it comes to determining the world’s greatest films, we may focus on Italian giants of neorealism like Bicycle Thieves…
Grains, Cows, and the End of the Cold War
The end of the Cold War is sometimes thought about as a dramatic and rapid event marked by the fall…
Combating Malaria in Ethiopia: The Early Public Health Initiatives of USAID
After thirteen months of combating the novel coronavirus pandemic through periods of quarantine, mask mandates, and social distancing, all adults…
Post-WWII German Reconstruction: Rehabilitation and Food Availability
Following the Allied victory in World War II, Germany faced a long road to reconstruction. The war took the lives…
Peace Between Egypt and Israel in Jeopardy: The Return of Sinai
In 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a historic peace agreement committing to diplomatic and commercial ties. Peace seemed imminent for…
A “Typical Roberta Cohen Operation”—Establishing USIA Programs in Addis Ababa
Like much of Africa, Ethiopia experienced a watershed moment at the end of World War II, emerging out from under…
Dinner with Imelda: Encounters with the Philippines’ Most Famous Dictatorship
In the wake of the Cold War, dictatorial regimes sprang up throughout the world, capturing international attention with news of…
Parallels in Protest: From the Civil Rights to the First Intifada
In the 1960s, the United States experienced nationwide protests for the justice of African Americans in a society where the…
The Consequences of Serendipity: From Peace Corps to USAID
Is anything ever truly up to chance? Or are these moments of chance instead a culmination of one’s hard work?…