Following a busy Tuesday at NATO, Secretary of State John Kerry continued to meet with foreign leaders in Brussels today. Secretary Kerry began this morning with “an expansive conservation” with Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders, before he met with Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze and then held a dialogue with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. His meetings covered an extensive range of topics, from the importance of trade negotiations to security… more »
U.S. Secretary of State delivers remarks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Pakistani General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, and Pakistani Foreign Secretary Jalil Jilani before their meeting in Tervuren, Belgium on April 24, 2013. A text transcript can be found at http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/04/207920.htm
Ambassador James Warlick, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, participates in a Twitter Q and A on January 16, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
Fulbright Alum Helps Islamabad Street Kids Find a Better Future
Jawaid is a four-year-old trash picker. He wants to be a tree when he grows up.
At least, that’s what he tells his teacher during an art class sponsored by the LettuceBee Kids project in Islamabad, Pakistan.
“But you are not a tree,” the teacher tells him. “If you don’t like where you are, you can move.”
That’s the idea behind the LettuceBee initiative, which helps street kids like Jawaid move beyond a life of begging and trash picking, and re-integrate back into society through art, music, and mentorship.
The brainchild of Sarah Adeel, a Fulbright alumna and graduate of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), the idea for LettuceBee Kids came about when she was in Pakistan in 2008 conducting research for her master’s thesis on child welfare in South Asia.
“I was doing a comparative analysis between orphanages and foster-care… more »
Building Bridges of Understanding Among U.S., Indian, and Pakistani Youths
About the Author: Robert O. Blake serves as the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs.
Last week, I had the pleasure of interacting with over 800 enthusiastic and engaged young people as guest speaker for an educational series on South Asia in Delaware. Connecting with students and other young people is truly one of the best parts of my job, for it gives me the chance to encourage young people’s hope and optimism and their eagerness to make a difference in the world.
Sponsored by the Delaware-Delhi-Lahore Partnership for Peace, students from seven participating high schools in Wilmington gathered at Cab Calloway High School to learn more about India and Pakistan. Although not normally part of their required curriculum, these students were eager to hear about the evolving nature of India-Pakistan ties and the encouraging developments in relations between these neighbors.
Our discussion focused on a key element in the India-Pakistan relationship:… more »
As the Olympic and Paralympic Games proved this summer, sports have the unique ability to bring people together peacefully.
As part of its Empowering Women and Girls Through Sports Initiative, the U.S. Department of State brought 18 young female athletes and two coaches from India and Pakistan together recently for the first joint India-Pakistan sports exchange program.
Regardless of their country of origin, these athletes and coaches became a team. They shared laughs, started a new conversation with one another, and encouraged each other to excel both on and off the soccer field.
With a focus on peace building, the India-Pakistan soccer exchange also highlights the importance of using sports as a means of empowerment. According… more »
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in New York, New York on September 24, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]
U.S. Embassy Islamabad: Provincial Government Expresses Solidarity with U.S. Consulate General Peshawar
Peshawar – September 4, 2012 – On behalf of the provincial assembly, the Speaker, Mr. Kiramatullah Khan Chagharmati, offered solidarity and condolences to the U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar. On Monday, a vehicle belonging to the U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar was hit in an apparent terrorist attack injuring four U.S. Consulate personnel.
The speaker called on the U.S. Consul General Robert Reed and assured him of the support and commitment of the Pakistani government, stating, “The whole province is very unhappy with this type of violence. It goes completely against Pakhtun culture, customs and Islam.” He was accompanied by MPA Israr Ullah Khan Gandapur.
Immediately following their visit to the Consulate, the KP government officials checked on the constabulary police members also injured during the attack. In expressing his gratitude for the heroic assistance of the Pakistani police force, U.S. Consul General Reed stated, “We are very thankful to the Pakistani authorities for such support from all levels of the government in this difficult time.”
The U.S. government stands ready to work with Pakistani authorities on a full investigation so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.
U.S. Embassy Islamabad: Media Note on Terrorist Attack in Peshawar
Islamabad – September 3, 2012 – U.S. Embassy Islamabad released the following statement by Charge d’affaires Ambassador Richard Hoagland:
“I am grateful for the humane professionalism of the local Pakistani security forces who saved the lives of the two American diplomats and two Pakistani local staff of the U.S. Consulate General Peshawar by pulling them to safety after their vehicle was attacked. In this dangerous world where terrorists can strike at any moment, we must all work together — Pakistanis and Americans alike — because we have a strong mutual interest in defeating terrorism.”
NYPD Study Tour Inspires New Policing Efforts in Karachi
Like New York City, Karachi is one of the world’s largest cities with a dynamic and diverse population of approximately 18 million. But, apart from the common concerns of police working in any major city, the police of Karachi must also contend with extreme violence perpetrated by sectarian and organized crime syndicates resulting in hundreds of deaths per year. Outnumbered and under armed, Karachi Police combat kidnappings, face systematic targeted killings, and respond to daily civilian demonstrations that frequently turn violent.
Though Pakistan’s problems may seem a world away, the instability and pernicious crimes expereinced in a city like Karachi are felt the world over. At the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), we work to combat these corrosive trends in the interest of local and regional stability. INL works to expand access… more »
![U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry looks on as Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani shake hands after their trilateral meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on April 24, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0424_kerry_afghanistan_pakistan_m.jpg)
![Ambassador James Warlick, Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, participates in a Twitter Q and A on January 16, 2013. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/c236fa457c0fa35586f209ff432e1927/tumblr_mgqhkrXbXw1qcug8io1_500.jpg)
![LettuceBee kids meet with Shelby Means of bluegrass band Della Mae in Islamabad, Pakistan, November 2012. [Photograph by Robert Raines, U.S. Embassy Islamabad/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2013_0102_kids_pakistan_m.jpg)
![Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Blake speaks about South Asia to students from seven participating high schools in Wilmington, Delaware, gathered at Cab Calloway High School, November 2012. [Photo by Delaware Lahore Delhi Partnership for Peace]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_1114_blake_students_delaware_m.jpg)
![U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton meets with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in New York, New York on September 24, 2012. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mawxg7K9jY1qcug8io1_500.jpg)
![Jimmy Hall, New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Patrol meets with NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly at the NYPDs Joint Ops Center in New York, New York. [State Department photo/ Public Domain]](http://blogs.state.gov/images/Dipnote/behind_the_scenes/2012_0802_nypd_pakistan_m.jpg)
