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

On March 8, Secretary of State John Kerry honored nine extraordinary women with the Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award, which recognizes women around the world who have shown exceptional leadership in advocating for women’s rights and empowerment, often at great personal risk.

Since the 2007, the U.S. Secretary of State has recognized 66 women from 44 countries with this award, and the annual ceremony has become an occasion that encourages all of us who work at the U.S. Department of State. One of the reasons the ceremony inspires us is the powerful stories these women have to tell. We want to share their stories and spotlight their achievements, and the use of social media…more »

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 »

About the Author: Hannah Johnson serves as an Assistant Editor for DipNote.

This week’s “Photo of the Week” comes to us from the Office of Digital Engagement’s Jeff Jackson and shows Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public AffairsTara Sonenshine participating in a “Global Twitter Q & A” on December 5, 2012. 

During the event, Under Secretary Sonenshine answered questions submitted on Twitter in eight languages, including Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French,… more »

About the Author: Mike Hammer serves as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

Five years ago tomorrow, the State Department launched DipNote — the first-ever, U.S. Cabinet-level blog. On a day quite similar to this one, with the Public Affairs team fully immersed in the annual gathering of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, my predecessor Sean McCormack pledged that the blog would open a new window into the world of American diplomacy. Much has changed around the globe over the past five years, but one constant has been more and more people are getting their news and information through social media. So, we are committed to using our blog as a means to inform and engage the American people and those around the world.

This commitment is underscored by the fact that more than 1,000 men and women of the State Department and USAID have contributed their stories to the blog — more than 4,700 total entries to date. We owe a debt of… more »

About the Author: Janice Clark serves as Director of Website Management in the Bureau of Public Affairs.

In response to the Federal Digital Strategy that the White House released in May 2012, the Department of State seeks your input in identifying services that may be appropriate for development by modern tools and technologies. We have two questions for you.

Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, allow for sharing data between applications. Content that is created in one place can be dynamically posted and updated in multiple locations on the web. What information from the U.S. State Department would you find useful for us to make available via web APIs?

We’ve identified 7 possible API candidates, which you can review here… more »

About the Author: Kathryn Nash serves as a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations.

On April 17, the first-ever Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO), Rick Barton, will discuss how the bureau is working to prevent violent conflict and respond when crises do break out. You can join him for a live chat on the Department of State’s Facebook page from 2:00-2:30 p.m. (EDT).

The Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations (CSO) helps countries and people find the road away from conflict and toward peace. Over the last two decades, the United States has found itself increasingly involved in, and affected by, weak or failed states. The interconnected nature of today’s world makes instability and conflict, even… more »

About the Author: Ambassador Kathleen Stephens serves as Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

One of my favorite things to do in Washington is to visit a Smithsonian Museum. Today, I was lucky enough to visit the Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History where, in my official capacity, we celebrated the launch of our Amazing Ocean Mobile App.

This app, a collaborative venture between the State Department and the Smithsonian Institution, brings the mysteries and beauties of that ocean exhibition to people around the world — with just a touch of their screens. It is available in English, Simplified Chinese, and Bahasa Indonesian. And we piloted it last month in our… more »

On March 1, 2012, the U.S. Department of State announced that “TechWomen,” our cutting-edge mentoring program is now accepting applications from American women in the technology sector to serve as professional and cultural mentors. Beginning today, candidates may apply at www.techwomen.org/get-involved/.