First @StateDept Tweetup Spotlights International Women of Courage
![Participants of the first @StateDept Tweetup pose for a photograph with Secretary of State John Kerry, Terese Heinz Kerry, and special guest First Lady Michelle Obama during the International Women of Courage Awards ceremony at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., March 8, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0308_iwoc_tweetup_m.jpg)
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 »
Celebrating the Cherry Blossom Centennial
![First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a centennial tree planting ceremony during the National Cherry Blossom Festival at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C., March 27, 2012. [Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0328_flotus_cherry_blossoms_m.jpg)
About the Author: Ambassador J. Adam Ereli serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
One hundred years have passed since the first two cherry blossom trees were planted around Washington, D.C.’s Tidal Basin as a token of friendship between United States and the Japan. Despite the cold weather yesterday, I watched a historic event unfold as First Lady Michelle Obama participated in a commemorative tree planting to mark this centennial milestone.
A century ago, First Lady Helen Taft and the wife of Japan’s Ambassador, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first two trees in Washington — a gift of Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo — and the beautiful blooms still honor all that they stand for. For so many years, these trees have stood as a symbol of… more »
