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World Reaction to the Election

World Reaction to the Election


Here's a small collection of what I came across today.
First, every day the Newseum, a museum dedicated to Journalism in Washington, DC, publishes the front pages of every major newspaper from every state in the nation, along with some foreign papers. Today, this display drew crowds. …

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Obama Win "In the Stars," Say Nepalese Astrologists

I’ll let this article, published by Indian news wire Sify, speak for itself:
“Kathmandu: They made predictions – some with success and some without – about the end of the country's royal dynasty and the end of the Maoist insurgency. Now Nepal's cosmopolitan astrologers are predicting a …

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Burns Gets Political

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Nicholas Burns, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs (effectively the #3 position in the Department), penned an opinion piece for Newsweek this week titled “We …

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Election Countdown: Collection of Commentary

Election Countdown: Collection of Commentary

In the run-up to the election, there are so many relevant commentaries, polls and musings that it is best to just list a few of them below.

Sunday's reporting by Colum Lynch, the Washington Post's UN correspondent, is titled “At the U.N., Many Hope for an Obama …

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I-VOTE 2008

Today the State Department welcomes about 100 fellows of the “I-VOTE” program to a reception in the diplomatic reception rooms. I-VOTE, which stands for International Visitors Observe the Elections, is a program of State's ECA Bureau. Here's their description:
“I-VOTE is an exchange initiative of …

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Powell: PD Needed on Day One

It's old news now that Former Secretary of State and General Colin Powell broke with his Republican party and endorsed Barack Obama while on “Meet The Press” this past weekend (video here).
But I took particular notice to his advice on what should be the …

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Which Candidate Does Al Qaeda Support?

In the Washington Post today Joby Warrick and Karen DeYoung report, “On Al-Qaeda Web Sites, Joy Over U.S. Crisis, Support for McCain:”
“Al-Qaeda is watching the U.S. stock market's downward slide with something akin to jubilation, with its leaders hailing the financial crisis as a vindication of its …

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Using Video to Shed Light on Darfur

Using Video to Shed Light on Darfur


The Council on Foreign Relations recently won an Emmy for its video Crisis Guide on Darfur. I’ve gotten through the first two chapters and I can tell you that it is extremely informative. It highlights both the devastation that …

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Taking Note of the Election's Absent Issues

Two reporters from abroad have separately noticed and reported that certain issues and regions have been neglected in the US presidential campaign.
First, Jonathan Marcus, a BBC News diplomatic correspondent, reported last week that “US campaign bypasses foreign policy:”
“At the outset of this presidential race it looked as though foreign …

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Views of the Election in Indonesia

Views of the Election in Indonesia

 NPR's “All Things Considered” program ran a segment on Indonesian opinion of Barack Obama this week. Obama attended grade school in Jakarta, so one would expect Indonesia to be a bit of a”blue state.”

(Obama's third-grade classroom at Public School No. 1. — Michael Sullivan/NPR)
Here's what …

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A Critique of the Revamped Foreign Serivce Test

An article published in Foreign Policy magazine this week discusses the Foreign Service's newly reformulated examination process for new hires.
First, here's something I didn't know:
“In a 2007 survey, American undergraduates rated the State Department the fourth-most desirable employer in the country, just behind the private-sector dream team …

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U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project

U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project

The Washington-based non-profits Search for Common Ground and the Consensus Building Institute have produced a major new leadership group report on improving U.S. relations with the Muslim world. Titled “Changing Course: A New Direction for U.S. Relations with the Muslim World,” …

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Fixing a "Hollow Service"

The Henry L. Stimson Center and the American Academy of Diplomacy have unveiled a new report on how the next President can strengthen American diplomacy.
Titled “Foreign Affairs Budget for the Future,” the report finds that:
“The State Department, USAID, and related organizations …

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Global Economic Downturn and the U.S. Image

Global Economic Downturn and the U.S. Image

From the Pew Global Attitudes Project:
“Trickle-Down Global Economics: World Already Saw U.S. Influence as Negative

Around the globe, people are anxiously following the U.S. financial crisis as it evolves into a worldwide meltdown.
People nearly everywhere realize that what happens in the American economy can have …

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Relocating the US Embassy in London

Relocating the US Embassy in London


United States Embassy in London, England (Alastair Grant/AP)
The State Department announced last week that it will move its Embassy in London from its charming location on Grovesnor Square across the Thames to a more secure location. The International Herald Tribune reports that:
“The demand for …

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About the Author

Melinda Brouwer

Melinda Brower holds a Masters degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She received her bachelor's degree in Political Science and Spanish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She received a graduate diploma in International Relations from the University of Chile during her tenure as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. She has worked on Capitol Hill, at the State Department, for Foreign Policy magazine and the American Academy of Diplomacy. She presently works for an internationally focused non-profit research organization in Washington, DC.

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