If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
If you have something to say...
Say it on the Huffington Post
Despite recent meaningful national and international discussions on women's economic, political, and educational opportunities, little has been said about whether the promotion and protection of women and girls abroad will remain a key policy priority for a Kerry-led State Department.
The 94-3 Senate vote confirming John Kerry as our new Secretary of State is, in that regard, a remarkably unifying, indeed affirming, action as I see it. Not a thing to do with gender, race, God, age or political party: simply the most qualified American for the job.
Messrs. Obama's and Kerry's challenge is to make a reset more of a priority. Both sides need to shake off the remnants of the Cold War and embrace the new normal.
Today, 60 leading environmental, conservation, development and faith-based organizations urged Secretary Kerry to emphasize the severity of the threat of climate change and spur bold and immediate action.
It is important to consider how Kerry's appointment could shape U.S. foreign policy, both in the short- and long-term. Moreover, how might Kerry's tenure in the State Department affect the relationship between the U.S. and international organizations like the United Nations?
Has there been a change in Obama Administration policy over the past four years? There are certainly indications that this might be the case.
When Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke to the U.N. Security Council on February 5, 2003, countless journalists in the United States extolled him for a masterful performance.
Finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has gone on for more than sixty years, should now be a top priority for President Obama as it is central to Arab-Israeli peace and will dramatically enhance regional stability.
John Kerry comes to the job with a long history of work on AIDS. So there are high hopes that he will pick up the ball where Secretary Clinton left off and help ramp up U.S. global AIDS efforts.
President Obama will soon have to decide whether he will be the "all of the above" president or the "respond to climate change" president.
Cultural diplomacy or public diplomacy cannot be effective when coupled with acts of war. This is a lesson which major powers keep learning and also keep forgetting. Public diplomacy could not succeed in Iraq as long as military force was used.
With another presidential election cycle and inauguration behind us, it might be worth noting something that may be an indicator of which presidential candidate will actually win -- no matter which party he (or she) -- represents.
Solar power has undergone a historic transition from expensive niche technology to a rapidly expanding cheap technology that is experiencing dramatic growth rates. A solar surge requires four tactical moves that, taken together, would constitute big change.
Military action must be the last, rather than the primary, tool of foreign policy. While Chuck Hagel knows this, he also knows that the nation's military must be ready and able to deliver overwhelming force when required.
On top of its looming decision on the Keystone XL, it's likely that the Obama administration will make a final decision on whether or not to greenlight shale gas exports sometime in 2013. The policy agenda is about to heat up in the energy and environment policy arenas inside the Beltway.
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