“There is a sentiment that…we need to contain China to balance off its aggressiveness. That would be a disaster.” A…
From START to Finish: Behind the Scenes of the Tense U.S.-Soviet Nuclear Disarmament in Reykjavík
The 45-year-long Cold War of protracted geopolitical contention between two global powerhouses helped determine the unprecedented magnitude of nuclear weapons…
The 2012 Egyptian Elections: A Democratic Dilemma
In June of 2012, Elizabeth Jones found herself being transferred to the Near East Bureau in the Department of State.…
Working Together Against Separation—Life As A White Anti-Apartheid Activist in 1960s South Africa
Sometimes, politics involves standing for one’s values, even if it goes against the beliefs of the system in charge and…
Lessons from Haiti: Why Security-Only Interventions Fail
Haiti has been plagued with instability for much of its existence, despite being the second country in the Americas to…
U.S.-Russia Competition in Ukraine in the ‘90s
This moment is one of four in a series about Russia, Ukraine, and U.S. relations in a world of post-Ukrainian…
Commemorating Colin Powell
On October 18, 2021 America lost a remarkable leader and public servant. Colin Powell served as the highest ranking soldier,…
A Look Back—First Director of the Population, Refugees, and Migrations Bureau
The Biden administration nominated Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes to serve as assistant secretary of state for the department’s Bureau of…
A Dramatic Turning Point: Turkey’s Last Pride Parade
On the same day that the United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage, US diplomat Chuck Hunter witnessed police forces…
Peace Corps to Ambassador: Thomas Hull in Sierra Leone
Thomas Hull was undaunted by Sierra Leone’s reputation as “the white man’s grave” when he set out as a Peace…