Empowering Young People as Economic and Civic Actors

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry engages young German innovators and leaders at his first Youth Connect event with moderator/journalist Cherno Jobatey in Berlin, Germany, February 26, 2013. [State Department Photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Zeenat Rahman serves as Secretary of State John Kerry’s Special Adviser on Global Youth Issues and Director of the Office of Global Youth Issues.

In his first major address as Secretary of State, John Kerry spoke about young people acting as a “global cohort.” He spoke about a generation proficient with technologies that keep them connected in ways no prior generation has ever been, and the opportunities that this presents all of us.

On his inaugural trip overseas, Secretary Kerry engaged this generation during #YouthConnect, a special event at the high-tech, coffee shop Basecamp in Berlin. The Secretary and more than 100 young people discussed foreign… more »

Highlights from the first stops in Secretary Kerry’s first international trip, including London, Berlin, Paris, and Rome. [Go to http://video.state.gov for more video and text transcript.]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks at Youth Connect: Berlin in Berlin, Germany on February 26, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/02/205218.htm

Berlin: Secretary Kerry Hits the Summit From Basecamp

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry engages young German innovators and leaders at his first Youth Connect event with moderator/journalist Cherno Jobatey in Berlin, Germany, February 26, 2013. [State Department Photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Leyla Ones serves as Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General Munich.

Hundreds of smart devices and laptops weren’t the only things buzzing this morning at Berlin’s Basecamp! Over 100 German and American students and young professionals gathered at this trendy part coffee shop, part high-tech store to join Secretary John Kerry in kicking off the first “Youth Connect” event. U.S. Embassy Berlin and Facebook co-hosted this exchange of ideas with Germany’s next generation of leaders and innovators. Popular German host Cherno Jobatey got the crowd excited before the Secretary arrived and moderated the event.

To underscore Secretary Kerry’s point that we live in a world more interconnected than ever, during the one-hour event, #youthconnect tweets were flying, Facebook postings were stacking up on… more »

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel  while in Berlin, Germany on February 26, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/02/205191.htm.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry delivers remarks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle while in Berlin, Germany on February 26, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/02/205202.htm.

#SecKerry To Hold First #YouthConnect Event on Inaugural Trip to Europe and the Middle East

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry boards U.S. Air Force Boeing 757 at Andrews Air Force Base en route to Europe and the Middle East for his first overseas trip as Secretary of State, February 24, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Richard Buangan serves as Director of Digital Engagement at the U.S. Department of State.

Earlier today, Secretary of State John Kerry departed on his inaugural overseas trip as Secretary of State. From February 24 to March 6, he will travel to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

The Secretary will begin his trip in London, the United Kingdom, where he will meet with senior British officials to discuss the range of bilateral and global issues on which we are closely coordinating. British Foreign Secretary William Hague already tweeted his delight to be hosting Secretary Kerry’s first overseas stop. Tweet us your thoughts…more »

Travel to Europe and the Middle East: February 24-March 6

Photo Gallery | Trip Page

From February 24 to March 6, Secretary of State John Kerry is traveling to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Follow his trip on www.state.gov.

Secretary of State John Kerry’s Travel to Europe and the Middle East

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson
Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
February 19, 2013


From February 24 to March 6, Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. MORE

In Germany, Representing My Family and Country


Robert Perls, Vice Consul of the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, participates in the German Association for Gestalt Therapy (Deutsche Vereinigung für Gestalttherapie e.V.) ceremony unveiling of a memorial for one of the founders of Gestalt therapy Fritz Perls, the grandfather of Robert Perls, in Berlin, Germany, October 12, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]

About the Author: Robert Perls serves as the Vice Consul at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany.

Today, the personal and professional intersected when I had the opportunity to honor my grandfather, Fritz Perls. With his wife Lore, he invented Gestalt Therapy, a dramatic departure from traditional Freudian therapy, and revolutionized the field of psychology. On October 12, they and their work were honored at my grandfather’s childhood home in Berlin. The Deutsche Vereinigung fur Gestalttherapie, which is the German Gestalt Therapy Association, organized the memorial event. Though many in the field of psychology consider my grandfather a transformative figure, he had never been honored in Germany. He observed the rise of Nazi power and left the country just in time, never to return. The Gestalt associations in Germany and throughout the world keep the body of his work alive and train new generations of psychotherapists in this newer, existentialist approach to the therapeutic… more »