Life in the Foreign Service certainly has its advantages – working in often exotic locales, meeting fascinating people, being a…
Who Let the Dogs Out? – A Pet Evacuation from Kinshasa
Dear Fido, If you’re reading this, we’ve been evacuated (and you learned how to read!…). But don’t worry ol’ pal!…
Patt Derian, A Straight Shooter on Human Rights
Patricia “Patt” M. Derian was one of the key proponents of integrating human rights in U.S. foreign policy at a…
Roaring through the Riots of Libreville
Omar Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, one the longest-serving rulers in history, opened his newly-independent country’s political system to multiple party…
One Laptop Per Child — A Paradigm Shift in Education
According to a 2015 Brookings study, while the number of children attending primary school globally has grown dramatically over the…
A Front Row Seat to the 1975 Coup d’Etat in Chad
Throughout the 1970s, trouble was brewing in Chad. President François (N’Garta) Tombalbaye was the first president of Chad following its…
Death of an AUB President and Father of a Future NBA Coach
He was a brilliant scholar who focused on the Middle East and whose books were widely read by Arabists. His…
Strobe Talbott — “We’re Menaced by the Zombie Behavior of Nations”
Strobe Talbott assumed the presidency of the Brookings Institution in July 2002 after a career in journalism, government and academia.…
Monkeys and Olives for Dinner: The Glamorous Life of a U.S. Ambassador
Arriving at a new post and setting up your household and office can be quite a challenge, even for a…
Laying It Between the Lines: Music Diplomacy in Shanghai
“But if I really say it/ the radio won’t play it/ unless I lay it between the lines.” This song…