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You Are In: Home >The American Center |
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Civil and Constitutional Rights, Liberties, and Human Rights
Civil Society: Supporting Democracy in the 21st Century. As we meet here on the eve of our American Fourth of July celebration, the day when we commemorate our independence, I want to say a word about why the issue of civil society is so important to Americans. Our independence was a product of our civil society. Our civil society was pre-political. And it was only through debate, discussion, and civic activism that the United States of America came into being. We were a people before we were a nation. And civil society not only helped create our nation, it helped sustain and power our nation into the future. It was representatives of civil society who were the first to recognize that the American colonies could not continue without democratic governance. And after we won our independence, it was activists who helped establish our democracy. And they quickly recognized that they were a part of a broader struggle for human rights, human dignity, human progress. Civil society has played an essential role in identifying and eradicating the injustices that have, throughout our history, separated our nation from the principles on which it was founded. It was civil society, after all, that gave us the abolitionists who fought the evils of slavery, the suffragettes who campaigned for women's rights, the freedom marchers who demanded racial equality, the unions that championed the rights of labor, the conservationists who worked to protect our planet and climate. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/07/143952.htm
Remarks at USAID Conference on Transforming Development through Science, Technology and Innovation. And here in the government, we are studying the most successful models of mobile banking and working with NGOs, financial institutions, and governments to explore new applications. We’re pushing to expand internet access across the world. In January, I spoke about the freedom to connect when I laid out our internet freedom agenda. And we are committed to standing behind that agenda. We also see innovation as a tool for building civil society not only to help organize people, but to hold governments accountable. The more we can move toward E-government, the more we can reduce corruption. Because if someone can sign up for that business license by going online, that is far fewer hands that money has to pass through. So it not only brings the actual positive outputs we’re seeking, but it does hold out the potential of changing the process by which people see themselves as citizens and consumers. We’re exploring new mechanisms for promoting innovation, such as prizes and competitions that encourage more people to put their own intellectual capital to work. And we’re strengthening our bilateral partnerships through science diplomacy. It’s one of President Obama’s goals which is to have science envoys, and some of you either have been, or I hope will be, among our science envoys to break down political boundaries. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/07/144668.htm
Secretary Clinton announces Civilian Response Corps reaches 1,000 members at its two-year anniversary mark. Today Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced the Civilian Response Corps, a group of civil federal employees who are trained to deploy to areas of crisis to provide prevention, reconstruction, and stabilization assistance, has reached 1,000 members at its two-year anniversary mark. The Corps is the only expeditionary interagency civilian force in the U.S. Government dedicated to conflict prevention and peacebuilding. “The Civilian Response Corps puts smart power into action every day,” Secretary Clinton stated in a video address to Corps members attending a Civilian Responders’ Workshop. “Your efforts help reduce conflict and prevent weak and failing states from becoming havens for terrorists. In just two years, your ranks have grown to over 1,000 civilian responders – you, in effect, have become an army of peacebuilders.” http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/07/144656.htm
Combating Anti-Semitism. Stereotypes and prejudice towards Jewish communities persist around the world, which is why we must ensure continued support for the OSCE's anti-Semitism initiatives. In one OSCE participating State Hannah recently visited, a government official she met with actually gave credence to a modern version of the medieval anti-Semitic blood libel lie, discussing an accusation that Jews kidnapped children to steal their organs. Through the work of this conference and the ongoing efforts of OSCE participating States and non-governmental organizations we will continue to monitor and combat anti-Semitism and all forms of intolerance and discrimination. http://www.state.gov/s/srmc/143767.htm
Combating Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims. We welcome the opportunity to speak here today, as the problem of intolerance and discrimination against Muslims is an issue across the OSCE region. The United States strongly supports combating all forms of discrimination and intolerance against Muslims and is taking efforts to build mutual respect between people of all faiths. The U.S. government works continuously to ensure that person of all faiths, including Muslims, can freely enjoy the fundamental freedom of religion. We raise these concerns with our Allies, partners, and others – both within the OSCE and without. The U.S. Government’s Annual Report on International Religious Freedom addresses these concerns in detail within the OSCE region and around the world. http://www.state.gov/s/srmc/143780.htm
U.S. Secretary of State designates Susan S. Jacobs as Special Advisor for international children’s issues Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is pleased to announce the appointment of Ambassador Susan S. Jacobs as Special Advisor to the Office of Children’s Issues. A long-time advocate for children, Secretary Clinton has created this new foreign policy position to address intercountry adoption and international parental child abduction. In her work on these important issues, Special Advisor Jacobs will actively engage with foreign government officials to protect the welfare and interests of children. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/07/143892.htm
Refugees: Building New Lives in the U.S. – America.gov, June 2010. America.gov is a website of the U.S. Dept of State, Bureau of International Information Programs True stories of refugees starting over and of the Americans who helped them http://www.america.gov/refugees.html
Remarks at Educationusa Forum. All of us understand why American colleges are so highly regarded. In addition to the outstanding quality of their facilities, resources, and faculty, American schools provide excellent value for the money. A wide range of tuition fees and living costs, plus some financial help from colleges, make study in the United States affordable for hundreds of thousands of international students each year. Unfortunately, the programs we sponsor directly at the State Department can reach only a fraction of the students worldwide who aspire to an American education. But the partnership we are building with you through our EducationUSA network brings a message of hope and opportunity to students around the world that a U.S. education is an attainable dream. Our challenge at the State Department is to help market over 4,000 higher education institutions in this country to the multitude of applicants each year. http://www.state.gov/e/rls/rmk/2010/143785.htm
The Peace Corps: a comprehensive agency assessment “This is an exciting time to be a part of the Peace Corps as we strengthen and reform agency operations and invest in quality improvements,” said Director Williams. “This report will serve as a plan for excellence and represents the Obama Administration’s commitment to efficient and effective government while expanding public service opportunities for all Americans.” Full Text:
Updated: July 19, 2010. |
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