Adversity can often bring out the best in those who are willing to rise to the challenges it throws at…
The Rocky Beginnings of the U.S.-ASEAN Relationship
What does the beginning of a diplomatic partnership look like? Though the image that comes to mind is elegant diplomacy,…
Peace Corps to Ambassador: Frank Almaguer in Honduras
Prior to a long career at USAID, Frank Almaguer first gained experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in British Honduras…
Modern American Diplomacy
The Modern American Diplomacy Podcast, produced by ADST and supported by the Una Chapman Cox Foundation, provides in-depth stories and…
Yellow Rain in Southeast Asia: Bee Pollen or Deadly Weapon?
The 1925 Geneva Protocol put in place a worldwide ban on chemical weapons, but the necessity and handling of such…
A Foreign Service Spouse on a Mission: Combating Human Trafficking in Greece
Whether being assigned to a new post, taking on a new position, or learning a new language, the careers of…
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?…
Life as a Vietnam War POW
In 1966, well into the Vietnam War and three years into Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, Charles Graham Boyd took his…
To Aid, or Not to Aid—Breaking the Feudal System in Developing Nations
Fifty billion dollars. That is the most recent figure for U.S. yearly spending on foreign aid. However, even though this…
The U.S. Response to the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia
The Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami of 2004 killed over 275,000 people in 14 different countries. In Aceh, Indonesia alone,…