Judith McHale's Departure from the State Department

The article was written by CCLP Faculty Fellow Phil Seib, and was originally posted on the Center on Public Diplomacy blog. Judith McHale's departure from her position as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs presents an opportunity not only to appraise her tenure, but also to consider the future direction of U.S. public diplomacy. McHale's most valuable contribution may have been to structurally reinforce public diplomacy within the State Department. By overseeing the addition of deputy assistant secretaries responsible for public diplomacy throughout State, she took a big step toward increasing the centrality of public diplomacy……

Notes from the Field: CCLP Researcher Shares Trafficking Update from Vietnam

Researcher Zhaleh Boyd is conducting a fact-finding mission in Vietnam in conjunction with the CCLP Technology and Trafficking in Persons initiative. Boyd, a 2010 Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellow, reports in from the mid-way point of her trip on her latest findings on human trafficking in Asia and the Pacific Rim. —————————————————————————————— I have just completed the first week of my 16-day research trip to Vietnam. This week was spent in the Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam's boomtown. L-R: Mark Preston, Candace Burnham, Jerry Edling, and Zhaleh Boyd standing at the entrance to the US Consulate in……

Secretary Clinton and the Information War

This article was written by CCLP Faculty Fellow Philip Seib. In testimony to Congress last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton acknowledged the existence of an ongoing "information war" that the United States is losing. In addition to saying that "Al Jazeera is winning," Clinton pointed to the major investments in international broadcasting being made by China and Russia. The Chinese effort is of particular importance. As Secretary Clinton said, "We are in a competition for influence with China; let's put aside the moral, humanitarian, do-good side of what we believe in, and let's just talk straight realpolitik."……

Education and training of foreign service must be enhanced to protect US interests

With support from the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, senior fellow Jeremy Curtin was the lead drafter of a major new study Forging a 21st Century Diplomatic Service for the United States Through Professional Education and Training , sponsored by the American Academy of Diplomacy and the Stimson Center in Washington, DC. The report focuses on the new and expanding demands on American diplomacy in the 21st century and the training and resources required to meet them successfully. The report argues that the rising importance of "civilian power" in the U.S. national security equation, as Secretary of State Hillary……

Amb. CdeBaca highlights CCLP efforts to combat human trafficking in year-end report

The director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Human Trafficking for the US State Department, Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, released his end of the year report on the initiatives pursued to combat human trafficking and forced labor. Annually, the State Department releases the Trafficking in Persons Report which not only focuses on the issues that are pervasive in human trafficking, but also laying out future plans in order to end this crime. The Center on Communication Leadership & Policy hosted Amb. CdeBaca and other officials from the State Dept., including Senior Advisor for Innovation to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton,……

Board member Thomas Nides appointed to State Department

The Center on Communication Leadership & Policy is proud to announce that a member of its board, Thomas Nides, has been appointed by President Barack Obama to a senior post in the US State Department. Beginning on December 30, 2010, Nides takes on a new role as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources under Sec. Hilary Clinton. The State Department announced Nides' position in their first briefing of the new year…….

Tech@State

The Center on Communication Leadership & Policy's Research Director, Mark Latonero, along with senior fellows, Jeremy Curtin and Adam Clayton Powell III, participated in the Tech@State Conference on Civil Society 2.0, which took place from November 4-5, 2010, at the US Department of State and World Bank in Washington, D.C. The conference was organized around several themes: transparency and engagement, economic opportunity, the position of science, technology, and the environment, risk management in disaster zones, and the structure and status of civil society in frail states. Several notable speakers highlighted the conference. Alec Ross, Senior Advisor for Innovation, Office of……

Anti-Trafficking Forum Highlights Need for Global Information Sharing Platform

International nonprofit organizations are gaining ground in the fight against human trafficking, but would be better served with the development of an information sharing platform, a team of researchers from the Center on Communication Leadership & Policy confirmed after a two day conference in Yorba Linda, Calif. Led by CCLP Research Director Mark Latonero, the team participated in the Global Forum on Human Trafficking, an international symposium hosted by a San Francisco based anti-trafficking non-profit. "This conference reinforced the findings from our August fact-finding mission to the Mekong sub-region," explained Latonero, who led the research initiative in Cambodia and Thailand…….

Advisory board member Nides nominated to become Deputy Secretary of State

President Barack Obama has nominated CCLP Advisory Board member Thomas Nides, Morgan Stanley's chief operating officer, as deputy secretary of state for management and resources. Nides, 49, has been with Morgan Stanley since 2005. His resume includes a background in politics and public relations, including serving as chief of staff for U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman during his vice-presidential campaign in 2000. If confirmed by the Senate, Nides would replace Jacob Lew, who awaits confirmation as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Click here for the White House announcement…….