1930s Japan—a time of emperors, tension in the Pacific, and mysterious unspoken social rules of the Showa Era. When Dorothy…
Do You Hear the People Sing?—Democratic Promotion in Haiti, Mozambique, and Iraq
E Pluribus Unum. The average American will unwittingly encounter these very words on a daily basis and hardly give them…
First India, Next the World: Madhumita Gupta’s Story of Determination and Drive
Madhumita Gupta had a long and successful career serving as a Foreign Service National with the U.S. Agency for International…
Setting the Record Straight: Accountability in Reporting on the Guatemalan Economy
For policymakers to make the right decisions, it is crucial that they first have the right information. With this in…
Justice and Equality: Stories of Progress and Personal Diplomacy in the State Department
As we renew conversations in the United States about what liberty and justice for all truly looks like, we must…
The Other Side of the Fence—The Spouse’s Experience of the Nairobi Bombing
As Richard A. Buckley watched the uncensored footage of the remains of what was just earlier the U.S. Embassy Nairobi…
The End of Omar al-Bashir—New Hope for Sudan
Since becoming independent from its former colonizer, the Republic of Sudan has fluctuated between democratically elected governments and severe dictatorships.…
No More Kicking Balloons, Bags, or Rags—Building Goodwill in Guinea
Ever since the Kennedy administration, the United States has increasingly felt a sense of responsibility for people in Africa. As…
“The Times They Are a-Changin”—Working in the Context of Social Revolution
While U.S. State Department employees regularly serve in the midst of pivotal international agreements and turmoil, the events going on…
Building a Country from Scratch—The South Sudanese Transition to Independence (2005-2011)
Creating a country ex nihilo is never an easy feat. How does one construct functional government institutions from scratch in…