Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Tara D. Sonenshine will travel to Ethiopia to meet with government officials, local media, students, and activists to advance shared goals in the areas of press freedom, education, youth development, and conservation April 27-30.

São Paulo – Alexandre de Gusmão Foundation (Funag), connected to the Itamaraty, should promote, starting on the 29th, a course for Arab diplomats in São Paulo, Brasília and Rio de Janeiro. According to information disclosed by the organisation, the promotion of programmes for diplomats is a tradition that began in 2006. The objective of the course is to provide professionals a clearer idea of what Brazil is and, later, to facilitate relations with their countries of origin.

APDS Blogger: Alex Laverty

Jon Stewart, Bassem Youssef, & U.S. Embassy, Cairo: Reconceptualizing Diplomatic Norms in the Digital Age

With climate change rapidly opening up new opportunities for shipping and resource extraction across the once permanently frozen Arctic, the United States and other northern countries are being compelled to re-examine their policies, both national and collective, towards this region of growing geostrategic importance.

Two more senior State Department officials are preparing to leave the already hollowed-out top ranks at Foggy Bottom. Undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs Tara Sonenshine is leaving in July after 15 months in the job, likely headed to an academic or media gig.

The Korean dumplings in your grocer's freezer, the new Thai restaurant on the corner and that Burmese curry you ate for lunch are doing more than satisfying your craving for an exotic and flavorful meal. These foods are also helping to foster international relations.

As you all know, World Press Freedom Day is approaching next Friday, May 3rd. You might remember that last year, we launched our first Free the Press campaign to commemorate World Press Freedom Day, where we highlighted cases of journalists on humanrights.gov, profiling those targeted by governments as a result of their free expression. We're going to continue that practice again this year.

Sports was acknowledged as a catalyst in bringing peace in the face of adversities around the world at the Peace and Sport Dubai Forum2013 which began on Tuesday. IOC Vice President Nawal El Moutawakel congratulated UAE for hosting such a great event, the first event in the Middle East. “Sports diplomacy is the tool that protects the society,” said Mahash Saeed Salem Al Hameli.