U.S. Independence Day a Civic and Social Event

Washington -- The United States celebrates its Independence Day on July 4, a day of patriotic celebration and family events throughout the country. In the words of Founding Father John Adams, the holiday would be “the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” More...

USP School of Economics Releases Book on Race and Ethnicity in a Cross-Cultural Context

São Paulo, July 1 2009 -- The  Portuguese and English versions of the book  "Pictures and Mirrors: Race and Ethnicity in Brazil and the United States"  were released on June 18 at the University of São Paulo School of Economics, with the presence of U.S. Consul General Thomas White. The Dean of Howard University Prof. Orlando  Taylor, Howard  Prof.  Wayne Patterson,  Vanderbilt University History Professors Jane Landers and Prof. Marshall Eakin, Federal University of Bahia  Paula Barreto and USP School of Economics  Director Prof. Carlos  Azzoni were also in attendance and took part in the opening  panels in support of the theme  “Race, Development and Social Inequality in Brazil and in the U.S.”  More...

The 23rd ISPA Congress in São Paulo Celebrates Brazilian Art and Presents Awards to Three Brazilian Giants: Actress Fernanda Montenegro, Grupo Corpo and Pianist Nelson Freire

São Paulo, June 22, 2009 -- The São Paulo State Secretariat of Culture, with the support of the US Consulate General in São Paulo, SESC, the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center, among others, sponsored the 23rd International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA) Congress in São Paulo during the period June 10-13, 2009.   For the first time in South America, the ISPA brought its annual international congress to Brazil, to discuss the theme of diversity in the arts.  Immediately preceding the congress, on June 8 and 9, ISPA organized the “Academia,” a two-day program of lectures, workshops, focus groups for Brazilian performing arts professionals. More...

Brazilian Wins Democracy Video Challenge

Brasília, June 16, 2009 – The video from the Brazilian Anna Carolina dos Santos Israel, “In a Democracy, We are All Parts of the Same Body”, is one of the winners of the Democracy Video Challenge, organized by the U.S. State Department. Citizens from different countries and cultures were invited to post in Youtube, short videos of up to three minutes completing the sentence “Democracy is…” Democratically, the choice of the winners was made by popular vote, in the Internet, trough the link: www.youtube.com/democracychallenge.

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Secretary of State Announces Release of the Ninth Annual Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report

"The ninth annual Trafficking in Persons Report sheds light on the faces of modern-day slavery and on new facets of this global problem. The human trafficking phenomenon affects virtually every country, including the United States. In acknowledging America’s own struggle with modern-day slavery and slavery-related practices, we offer partnership. More...

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Honduran Crisis Must be Resolved Peacefully and Lawfully

Washington — Political tensions in Honduras must be resolved peacefully and with respect for democratic norms, President Obama says, voicing his concern over the June 28 detention and expulsion of President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales. In a June 28 statement, Obama called on all of the political and social entities in Honduras to “respect democratic norms, the rule of law, and the tenets of the Inter-American Democratic Charter.” More...

State Department Official Encourages Youth Activism

Washington — Focusing on a new era of civic activism and public diplomacy, U.S. Department of State official Derek Chollet encouraged young professionals to voice their opinions and join discussions on global affairs.“I’m more interested in the exchange of ideas,” said Chollet. More...