Beginning this week, the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with Global Ties U.S., will sponsor the Diplomacy Begins Here series - eight citizen diplomacy summits in communities across the United States. The summits will bring attention to the critical role that public and citizen diplomacy play in building a more peaceful, prosperous world at home and abroad. 

VOA State Department correspondent Scott Stearns and VOA Kurdish reporter Motabar Shirwani conducted a wide-ranging interview with U.S. Undersecretary of State Richard Stengel about the Islamic State, Ukraine and Ebola.

The State Department’s Sports Envoy program will pair Paralympic gold medalist and reigning Chicago marathon champion Josh George with Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix for a week-long series of clinics and engagements in Rio de Janeiro from November 4-8.

An active partnership between the U.S. State Department and William & Mary, the Diplomacy Lab continues this year with multiple projects (...)The Diplomacy Lab, which was established in 2013 with William & Mary and the University of Virginia as founding partners, is designed to satisfy the need for more research on pressing international issues, while providing undergraduate students with actual policy experience.

The State Department is trying hard to counter online propaganda from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The information battleground includes Twitter and video messages, terrain that ISIL knows well. In addition to having too little money and too few people, the department is forced to conform to federal rules requiring that its work be identified as coming from the U.S. government.

The fact that President Jokowi chose a career diplomat was no surprise. But eyebrows were raised when Retno LP Marsudi’s name topped the shortlist of candidates in the week prior to the Cabinet announcement.

Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel will travel to Kuwait to lead the U.S. delegation for the October 27 conference of coalition partners focused on countering ISIL messaging and combatting violent extremism in the region.