To directly defy orders from one’s superiors undoubtedly takes nerve and, above all, conviction and belief in doing the right…
Oral History Bound Book Program
Publish Your Oral History! Our newest publications program—producing oral history transcripts as bound books—is accepting orders and fulfilling them on…
From the Ground Up: USAID in Post-Soviet Russia
Six months after the fall of the Soviet Union, James (Jim) Norris became the USAID mission director in Russia. Not…
An Embassy in Brazzaville During the Time of Independence
Prior to mid-August 1960, the United States had limited diplomatic activity in the French African colonies. However, within a 48-hour…
Fighting the War on Drugs with Bus Stops and Law Books: USAID in Bolivia
As the Cold War died down, U.S. assistance to Latin America shifted focus to a new war: the war on…
Keeping the Skies Open: Defending the Open Skies Treaty
The checkered history between Russia and the United States was arguably the most transformational relationship for world events in the…
The Historic Roots of China-Africa Cooperation
The African continent is often seen as a land of paradoxes. Although it possesses many natural resources and extremely fertile…
Saving the Special Courts of Kosovo at Christmas
The nation of Kosovo is one of the youngest nations in Europe. It has had to overcome ethnic tensions and…
Economic Diplomacy and the Private Sector: Helping IBM Expand into Latin America
In 1984 Donald Lyman left the State Department after seven years of service. Although it was a brief stint compared…
Putin in the Making—A Sour First Impression?
Who exactly is Vladimir Putin and how was his experience with U.S. high-level officials as a Russian deputy mayor? To…