The Ambassador hosted an August 19 lunch for Dallas Maverick
Salah Mejri , the first Tunisian to play in the NBA; his former Tunisian coach; and representatives of NBA-Africa and Mejri’s SM50 Foundation. After the lunch, Mejri held a press conference at the Embassy to announce the three basketball clinics his foundation organized in Tunis, Nabeul and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 August, 2016 | Topics: Sports Diplomacy
Dr. Nouri Gana, Associate Professor at UCLA, gave a talk at the IRC that revolved around the collection of essays he edited in a book titled The Edinburgh Companion to the Arab Novel in English: The Politics of Anglo Arab and Arab American Literature and Culture. The first part of the talk addressed the intellectual history of the Arab ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 18 August, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Nine Tunisian women soccer coaches who are now in the U.S. taking part in a series of workshops and activities as part of our Sports Visitors Program. They will see how women and girls train and play in the United States, and share what they learn with their teams when they return to Tunisia. While ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 18 August, 2016 | Topics: Sports Diplomacy
U.S. Embassy Tunis, Tunisia With the return of the summer travel and tourist season, the U.S. Embassy alerts U.S. citizens visiting or resident in Tunisia to the risks of travel to Tunisia and recommends that U.S. citizens in Tunisia maintain a high level of vigilance. The Tunisian government has shown its commitment to addressing ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 11 August, 2016 | Topics: Security & Emergency Messages
Singer Melinda Doolittle, a finalist on American Idol’s sixth season, performed at festivals in Sousse, El Jem and Sfax during the first week of August. Doolittle, her four-member band and three back-up singers wowed audiences with a rousing 90-minute set of classic American R&B, soul and jazz. One highlight was the singer’s cover of Britney ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 August, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
Racha Haffar, Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant alumna and President of the Not 4 Trade association conducted a workshop entitled “Trafficking in Persons 101” to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. Racha defined what human trafficking is and helped those in attendance to understand the scope of the problem at the national and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 August, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
The Young Tunisian Coders Academy (YTCA ) Summer Camp takes place August 1-5. The young coders share their experiences with us through their daily “Postcards from Kelibia.” Young Tunisian Coders Academy (YTCA) Summer Camp Day 2 We got off to an early start with an introductory session on Scratch for Arduino and Blocklyduino. We learned about robotics and made our first ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 August, 2016 | Topics: Alumni
“A breath-taking experience,” “a saga that blows your mind,” and a “fabulous journey that stirs the imagination beyond belief” were some of the ways fascinated young audience members described Star Wars Day at the Information Resource Center (IRC). To mark the 40th anniversary of the filming of the saga in Tunisia, the Tunisian Star Wars ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 July, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
On July 28, Ambassador Daniel Rubinstein attended the closing ceremony of the 10th anniversary of the Language Village Nabeul hosted by the Minister of Higher Education Chiheb Bouden. The graduates presented several performances including dancing, singing, drama, painting and poetry written by the participants themselves. The Ambassador delivered brief remarks where he acknowledged the LVN ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 July, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
On July 27th, MEPI implementing partner Free Women Association organized a cultural evening as part of its “Woman in Local Governance” project for the beneficiaries of the Sfax region. This gathering highlighted the importance of active participation by women in governance, with a special focus on the local level. During the event female beneficiaries, some ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 27 July, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
On July 21, Ambassador Rubinstein participated in a breakfast discussion organized by Education for Employment Tunisia (EFE) and the National ICT Business Federation in the framework of a project funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) to enable employment-skills training and conduct job placement and business and social entrepreneurship programs. The event focused on the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 21 July, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
Ambassador Rubinstein welcomed the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program (YES) family to the U.S. Embassy for a special reception. He was joined by newly-minted YES alumni, just back from their year as exchange students in the U.S. Alumni regaled the Ambassador and other Embassy staff with stories of their host families, recollections of their ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 July, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
Ambassador Rubinstein gave opening remarks at the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program (TJSP) Alumni Conference. He reminded Alumni, hailing from all 24 governorates, that they truly represent the nation, and that they will play crucial roles in developing Tunisia’s economy and nurturing its young democracy. The Ambassador also highlighted the success of three alumni who have ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 July, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
Congratulations to the 15 Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders candidates who are now in the United States! The students are attending classes in six of the best universities in America. Recently they celebrated Eid and shared the beauty of their Tunisian culture with colleagues and friends at their respective campuses. We wish all ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 14 July, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
Ambassador Rubinstein and all of us at the Embassy wish you Eid Mabrouk.
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 July, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Thank you very much. Minister Ladhari, UTICA President Bouchamaoui, other distinguished guests – all of the Enactus team and most of all, all of the entrepreneurs in the crowd, good evening and “Saha Chribetkom.” That’s the only Arabic I am going to speak tonight. I promise. But, if I speak too long I will say ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 June, 2016 | Topics: Economic Affairs
To celebrate Ramadan, Access alumni from Gabes organized a charity event and collected donations of food, clothes and money for needy families in their community. Access Alumni delivered the collected donations to families with a smile. Thank you Access Alumni Gabes for using your volunteer spirit to benefit your community!
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 June, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
Embassy representatives attended the launch of the Café Talk online platform
(www.cafetalks.org ). The platform allows participants to join or host café talks in their region while learning about other debates held country-wide. Managed by the International Institute of Debate and funded by the U.S. Embassy, Café Talk has been running since February in ten regions ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 June, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture | Tags: Cafe talk
As part of the Awaken Youth project, Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) implementing partner, Culture For Citizenship association, organized an awareness campaign in Tunis on June 3. Entitled “I Am running for elections, yet I have my conditions,” the campaign aimed to encourage youth to become candidates in the upcoming municipal elections by describing the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 June, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
Mike Watson teaches English in Tunis, but he is also a successful DJ in Los Angeles, New York, and now Tunisia. Also known as DJ Hubcap, Mike gave a presentation on hip hop culture at the IRC last week. Mike noted that while hip hop is heavily influenced by American popular culture, its beginnings are ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 June, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Agreement with the United States Today, Tunisia signed a loan guarantee agreement with the United States that will allow Tunisia to access up to $500 million in affordable financing from international capital markets, delivering on President Obama’s discussions with Tunisian President Caid Essebsi in May 2015. The loan guarantee underscores the United States’ enduring commitment ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 June, 2016 | Topics: Economic Affairs
In conjunction with the release of its new report, A Transatlantic Strategy for a Democratic Tunisia, on June 7, the Atlantic Council is hosting a webcast of a panel discussion with U.S. and European experts on the topic of assistance to Tunisia. Paige Alexander, USAID’s Assistant Administrator for the Middle East, will be among the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 June, 2016 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
Congratulations to Mohamed Ben Haj Hmida, the winner of the contest. This logo will be used throughout the year, from June-2016 to June-2017 on the Embassy website, social media sites, business cards, posters and anywhere else the Embassy chooses. Thank you to all the contestants for their creative submissions. In 1956, the United States opened its Embassy in Tunis. From ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 June, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
Ambassador Rubinstein’s Remarks at the 2016 Independence Day Celebration As prepared for Delivery Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. As the American Ambassador to Tunisia, it is a genuine honor for me to be back in Tunisia after so many years and to be your host this evening, as we celebrate the 240th anniversary of the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 June, 2016 | Topics: embassy
Captain Bedoui, General Rodriguez, Ambassadors, members of the Military Attaché Corps, honored guests and the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band. It has been just over seventy years since the Allied forces launched the North African Campaign that culminated in the liberation of Tunisia. For most of us, the details of the battles fought here ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 May, 2016 | Topics: embassy
Let me begin by thanking our hosts, the Jewish community of Djerba, their Muslim neighbors, and the Government and people of Tunisia, for organizing today’s pilgrimage. The Lag b’Omer celebration is a very special moment for all who attend. It is my pleasure to join Special Envoy Forman and Chargé d’Affaires Hanson in attending the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 25 May, 2016 | Topics: Human Rights, U.S. & Tunisia
This year, I am honored to return to Djerba to attend the Lag B’Omer pilgrimage alongside my colleague Knox Thames, the Special Advisor on Religious Minorities for North Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central Asia. I appreciate the opportunity to once again celebrate the rich heritage of Jews in this ancient city, and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 25 May, 2016 | Topics: Human Rights, U.S. & Tunisia
During her first visit to Tunisia, Cairo-based Information Resource Officer Suzanne Miller visited the American Corners in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax. She had the chance to meet with the coordinators and volunteers who make the spaces so vibrant. At the Franklin Center in Sfax, Suzanne met with members of the debate club, observed a debate ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 May, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
An American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) delegation, which is on a two-week tour of Tunisia and Morocco to deepen their knowledge of international relations, visited the Embassy. Chargé d’affaires Kathleen Hanson and Political Section Chief Auden Mckernan briefed them on recent political developments and fielded questions from the group on a wide range ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 23 May, 2016 | Topics: Scholarships and Exchanges
Nine Tunisian graduate journalist students from the Tunisian public Institute of Press and Information Sciences (IPSI) were sponsored by U.S. Embassy in Tunis to participate into a two- week training in U.S. on March, 2016. They were trained in professional newsrooms and had the opportunity to share, with their partner International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 May, 2016 | Topics: Alumni, Scholarships and Exchanges
“Musical fusion.” “A harmonious blend of Tunisian folk music and Algerian rai.” “A rediscovery of our musical roots through musical instruments.” Those were just a few of the ways the IRC audience described their experience listening to Tunisian-American singer MC Rai. Accompanied by the rhythms of the Gombri instrument played by artist Jamel Boukraa, MC ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 May, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Local Media Coverage on the United States donation of jeeps, communications technology and small aircraft to Tunisia. TVs
Wataniya 1 Nessma TV Al Hiwar Attounsi Attassia TV
TNN Radios
Mosaique FM Express FM Shems FM Jawhara FM Online Media
Webdo lorientlejour.com ca.reuters.com ara.reuters.com Hakaek Online Tunisie Telegraph Kapitalis Tunivisions Sabah Read More»
By Public Affairs Section | 12 May, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: Military Assistance
Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) alumna, Aya Chebbi, has been making news and appearing on top lists of people to watch! The accolades include:
HuffPost Women UK’s list of women working to improve the lives of others (link to story:
http://goo.gl/G7saSq ) and ArabianBusiness’ list of the 100 most influential young Arabs in the world. Congratulations to Aya ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 May, 2016 | Topics: Alumni
Statement by Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Leading a Congressional Delegation to Tunisia Tunis, May 6-8, 2016 We applaud Tunisia for its democratic leadership, and our delegation sends a strong message on behalf of the U.S. Congress and the American people: you are a close ally, and you have our ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 May, 2016 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
About Café Talk Café Talk is about organizing open discussions in Cafes. We aim to bring young people together by giving them the space to discuss and debate about topics they feel concerned about. We believe that having powerful conversations is the first step to improve our communities and make change. Examples of Cafés Talk ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 May, 2016 | Topics: Human Rights | Tags: Cafe talk
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC May 6, 2016 At the Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held today in Washington, Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Catherine A. Novelli and Tunisian Minister of Vocational Training and Employment Zied Ladhari acknowledged the growing economic partnership between Tunisia and the United States, as ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 May, 2016 | Topics: Economic Affairs, Trade | Tags: Joint Economic Commission
Special Envoy to Combat Anti-Semitism Ira Forman, Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia Knox Thames, and Deputy Chief of Mission Kathleen Hanson visited Djerba for the Lag B’Omer pilgrimage at the end of May. The pilgrimage is a unique opportunity to celebrate the diversity of Tunisian culture and hospitality. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 May, 2016 | Topics: Human Rights
On World Press Freedom Day, celebrated every year on May 3rd, Seth Meixner, Country Director of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) spoke at the IRC. Mr. Meixner focused on the practical training IWPR conducts to empower young journalists, and also discussed the skills journalists need to protect digital information and to ensure ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 May, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Please meet the winning teams of the Technovation National Competition held May 1. The top three teams pass on to the semi-final round of the Technovation International Competition to compete with their counterparts worldwide. Later in May, 10 Technovation teams from more than 50 countries will be selected to participate in the Technovation World Pitch ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 May, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
The first Regional English Language Arts Festival “Ezzine Essafi Edition for Creativity” was organized by Mrs. Naima Charfi, ELT Inspector, and the Regional Office of Education in late April. Public Diplomacy Officer Sarah Hennessey and English Language Teaching Coordinator Saida Jedidi Sfaxi served on a jury for part of the festival. Sixteen secondary schools ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 April, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
Nizar Ben Neji, Teaching Professor, Faculty of Sciences of Bizerte Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program, University of Massachusetts – Amherst, 2015. “I had a great opportunity to experience life in a typical American university town while attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMA). One of the finest tertiary institutions in America, UMA is now ranked among the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 April, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
As part of the global Technovation Challenge, more than 20 teams of young girls representing different governorates in Tunisia are developing mobile applications to solve problems relevant to their communities. Taking part in “Pizza and Coding” parties, some teams have had the opportunity to meet weekly at Orange Developer Centers, where they get input on ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 April, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
Phil Hessler, a 22-year-old student-turned-filmmaker, came to Tunisia as part of the State Department’s American Film Showcase to screen his documentary Far From Home. The film tells the story of Phil’s adopted brother Brolin Mawejje and his remarkable journey from a tumultuous Ugandan childhood to a new life in the U.S., where he’s working to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 26 April, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
The Embassy welcomed a group of students and teachers from the Mohamed Jmal Primary School in Sfax. They met with Economic Officer Rongjie Chen, English Language Teaching Coordinator Saida Jedidi Sfaxi, Educational Exchange Specialist Nizar Kallal ,and Information Resource Center Director Sami Saaied. The students learned about the role of the Embassy and how different ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 25 April, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
The Information Resource Center (IRC) hosted a viewing of the independent documentary film “Far From Home,” which follows the journey of Brolin Mawejje from Uganda to the U.S. and ultimately to the international snowboard circuit. The documentary explores Brolin’s complicated family life, his gifted athletic abilities, and his desire to represent Uganda as the first ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 22 April, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
As part of the “Connecting Classrooms” program, the Information Resource Center (IRC) organized a video conference to connect graduate level students from the
University of Tunis with their peers from the University at Albany,
State University of New York . The video conference allowed students from both universities to share language learning experiences where technology was the primary medium. The Tunisian and American ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 April, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY President Triki, Thank you for inviting me to be part of your Ambassadors’ Guest Speakers Program. I am very honored to be here with you, your distinguished faculty and your students. It’s always a pleasure to speak to students because I know I’m speaking to Tunisia’s future scholars, leaders and entrepreneurs. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 April, 2016 | Topics: Education
Check out photos and video of Tunisia’s own Ahlem Nasraoui at the Emerging Young Leaders Award ceremony at the U.S. Department of State, on Wednesday, April 20. In her thank you speech, Ahlem stated proudly: “This award was an opportunity to speak up and voice my country’s aspirations: We Tunisians won’t be defeated by terrorism. We wake up every day to rejoice ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 April, 2016 | Topics: Alumni
Deputy Assistant Secretary John Desrocher, in an interview on Express FM on April 19, highlighted the upcoming Joint Economic Commission, which will take place May 6 in Washington.
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 April, 2016 | Topics: Economic Affairs, U.S. & Tunisia | Tags: Joint Economic Commission
U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Egypt and Maghreb Affairs John Desrocher visited the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)-funded Women’s Enterprise for Sustainability’s (WES) Center in Tunis on April 19. The meeting was an opportunity to hear more about the work achieved so far and to speak with the WES graduates from Tunis, Kef ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 April, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
Ambassador Rubinstein and several other employees cleaned up the area outside of the Embassy entrance. Cleaning up our community is just one way that the U.S. Embassy is marking Earth Day 2016, which is held internationally on April 22.
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 April, 2016 | Topics: embassy
The International Institute of Debate (IDD), in partnership with the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), organized the first debate tournament on April 17 as part of the MEPI-funded “Tounsi W Nghayer” project. The debate competition brought together 40 students from different high schools and universities in Tunis to brainstorm solutions to some of the country’s ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 April, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: MEPI
Antony J. Blinken, Deputy Secretary of State, Remarks on Supporting Tunisia’s Transition at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Good morning. Thank you all very, very much. Minister Brahim, it is wonderful to see you, to be with you today. Ambassador Gouia, my friend, Minister Muashar, also very good to see you again, and so many ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2016 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
Each April, the United States celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), an opportunity to savor a major American contribution to world culture. Initiated by the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, JAM aims to focus public attention on the music, and on the many talented composers, musicians and other contributors to the sound. Just over 60 years ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
Dr. Cathy Caruth, Professor of Humane Letters at Cornell University in the U.S., led a video-conference discussion with students at the Information Resource Center (IRC.) Jointly organized by the IRC and the
Tunisian Association of Young Researchers (TAYR) , the discussion was titled Trauma in Language and History in the 21st Century. Starting with an introduction to trauma theory and references to the insights of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Sara Snoussi, a 2015 Thomas Jefferson alumna, was chosen to represent the Kids Uprise project at the annual Clinton Global Initiative University (
CGIU ) meeting at the University of California, Berkeley in early April. Kids Uprise is an initiative developed by Sarah and her fellow Thomas Jefferson alumni to create a network of school clubs to teach ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2016 | Topics: Alumni
The Embassy recently welcomed a group of students and teachers from Hammam Lif high school. Students met with Vice Consul Cairo Jennings, English Language Coordinator Saida Jedidi Sfaxi, and Educational Exchange Specialist Nizar Kallal. The students introduced themselves and talked about their English club at school, cleverly named “The Chamber of Secrets.” Mr. Jennings shared ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 April, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
As part of the Meet a Diplomat series, Brian Tyers, Information Security Officer at the U.S Embassy in Tunis, gave a presentation entitled “Social Media Hygiene: Why Managing Your Online Persona Matters.” Mr. Tyers provided the audience with practical tips for how to use social media responsibly while safeguarding one’s privacy. Mr. Tyers emphasized the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 7 April, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Public Diplomacy Officer Inga Litvinsky, who works on Maghreb issues in Washington, spoke at the IRC and described her journey from “From Immigrant to Diplomat.” Born in Kiev, Ukraine—which was then part of the Soviet Union—Litvinsky came to the U.S. in 1975 and settled in Omaha, Nebraska, with her parents. She began first grade, quickly ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 6 April, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
The Tunisian Ministry of Culture hosted Public Affairs Counselor Michael Macy and a Public Affairs section team at the Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art in Kairaouan. Housed in a former presidential palace, the museum boasts a unique collection of Islamic art masterpieces dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Following a guided tour, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 April, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens to avoid travel to southeastern Tunisia along the Libyan border as well as the mountainous areas in the country’s west due to the threat of terrorism. A March 7 attack by ISIL-affiliated militants in the southeastern border town of Ben Guerdane resulted in the deaths of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 April, 2016 | Topics: Security & Emergency Messages
For Immediate Release March 29, 2016 Joint Statement of the U.S-Tunisia Council on Trade and Investment Washington, D.C. – The United States-Tunisia Trade and Investment Council held its sixth session on March 22, 2016, in Washington, D.C., to continue its examination of ways to increase trade and investment between the two economies. Led by Deputy ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 March, 2016 | Topics: Press Releases, Trade, U.S. & Tunisia | Tags: TIFA
The United States Government is pleased to announce the first part of an award of a $24.9 million dollar contract for a project to strengthen Tunisia’s border security capabilities along the Tunisia-Libya border. The contract is being awarded by the United States’ Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and will provide an integrated border surveillance system ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 25 March, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance, Press Releases | Tags: Military Assistance
Dr. Abdelbaki Hermassi—who served as Tunisia’s
Minister of Culture ,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and
UNESCO Ambassador—spoke at the IRC on Thursday, March 17. His wide-ranging presentation covered topics like Iran’s Islamic revolution, the rise of political Islam, the Pan-Arabic movement, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Arab Spring and terrorism. He also spoke about how North African nations and the Gulf countries perceive regional ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 March, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
The Tunisian Scouts, a scouting organization for boys and girls ages seven and up and the largest youth organization in Tunisia, hosted a conference in partnership with the Ministry of Religious Affairs focused on combating extremism and radicalism. More than 150 participants including 100 Scouts, 20 imams, local community leaders, government representatives including the Governor ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 March, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: Scouts
Michael Marcusa, a doctoral candidate in political science at Brown University, led a lively discussion in the IRC entitled “When Modernization Fails: Revolution and Radicalism inTunisia.” Marcusa has spent 10 months doing fieldwork in southern and central Tunisia, and his talk focused on Sidi Bouzid and Metlaoui. Though the cities face similar economic hardships, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 March, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Students from the March 2 high school in Zarzis visited the Embassy and met with Public Diplomacy Officer Sarah Hennessy, ELT Coordinator Saida Jedidi Sfaxi, and Cultural Affairs Assistant Refka Nsiri. The students told Embassy staff about their “English Fan Club ZZ” and shared some of their club activities and talents, including singing and drawing. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 March, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
Ambassador Rubinstein made his first official trip to Sfax. After calling on Governor Chaouat, Ambassador Rubinstein met with several members of Parliament, had lunch with members of the local American Chamber of Commerce and visited the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Sfax (CCI-Sfax). He then hosted a roundtable with members of several different civil ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 7 March, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: Regional Outreach, Sfax
Thomas Shannon Op/Ed The United States and Tunisia: Deepening Partnership Tunisia is the only country to successfully transition from its Arab Spring revolution to the founding of a democracy. As such, Tunisia has captured the attention, interest, and sympathy of the world. During a four-country tour of the Maghreb and Sahel, my first trip as ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 March, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance, U.S. & Tunisia
We are a team of alumni from four U.S. exchange programs: the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, NESA UGRAD Program, Coca-Cola Scholarship Program, and the MEPI Student Leaders Program. While in the United States, we already knew that we would apply for the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF) 2015. We were just looking for the right ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 February, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
In partnership with the Tunisian chapter of the YaLa Academy, an innovative online institution for the formation of future regional peace leaders, the IRC organized a program focused on innovative ways to use citizen journalism to promote peace and dialogue across the MENA region. Rahma Sghaier, YaLa Tunisian chapter coordinator, explained how citizen journalism empowers ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 18 February, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces | Tags: Journalism
Ambassador Rubenstein visited El Makhzen cultural center in the Tunis Medina, where he was interviewed by Al Wataniya TV and joined an audience of Tunisian actors, actresses, students and teachers for a screening of the American Film Showcase documentary Of Many. Director Linda Mills participated in a lively post-film discussion about the role that art ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 February, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
After an early-morning workout on the West coast of the U.S., Tunisian swimming champion Ous Mellouli chatted via video with a large group of students at the American Corner in Tunis. Guests watched a video outlining Ous’ path to success—the hard work, the dedication, the challenges, and the victories. Ous talked about what it takes ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 February, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces | Tags: Sports
Public Affairs Officer Michael Macy gave opening remarks at the Tunisia TESOL Conference. He emphasized the Embassy’s support of English education and teachers, highlighting several State Department programs that provide teachers opportunities to better understand the U.S. educational system. Myrtis Mixon, a professor at the University of California, gave a plenary session on how to ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 February, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning
Access Tabarka graduates paid a visit to the Embassy where they met with Ambassador Daniel Rubinstein, Public Diplomacy Officer Sarah Hennessy and ELT Coordinator Saida Jedidi Sfaxi. The students shared their accomplishments and community involvement during their two years of Access, as well as how they improved their English through cultural activities and field trips. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 11 February, 2016 | Topics: English Language Learning | Tags: Access
U.S. filmmaker Linda Mills and American Film Showcase (AFS) representative Alan Baker were guests of Amani Boulares of Radio Nationale Tunisienne. Both Ms. Mills and Mr. Baker gave a comprehensive overview about Of Many, a 30-minute documentary screened in Tunisia as part of the American Film Showcase program, and expressed their excitement at the opportunity ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 February, 2016 | Topics: Art & Culture
Challenges: Tunisia has made great strides since its 2011 revolution, including holding several rounds of fair and free parliamentary and presidential elections, finalizing a new constitution, and most recently, forming a new, democratically elected government. As with all transitions, however, there are also challenges, in particular, those posed by extremists who aim to derail ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 February, 2016 | Topics: Foreign Assistance | Tags: INL
Russell Hodge, Information Management Specialist at the U.S. Embassy, discussed the importance of IT certifications for job competitiveness with more than 40 young graduates at the American Corner last week. He shared practical advice for how to best select the right IT certifications to increase the chances of being hired. Mr. Hodge also shared his ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 February, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
In celebration of Black History Month, the IRC hosted a video conference between students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their peers from the University of Tunis. Dr. Jeannette Jones, Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, led the discussion, entitled “The Legacy of the Reconstruction Amendments and the Rise ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 February, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
The U.S. Embassy hosted the Young Tunisian Coders Academy (YTCA) at the Information Resource Center (IRC.) YTCA to teach young students the Scratch programming language, introducing basic programming fundamentals and giving them the basic programming skills to create their own interactive stories, games and animations. Thirteen students ages 9 to 16 years old from Tunis ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 February, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
This month’s “Meet a Diplomat” program focused on a topic straight from the headlines: the Iowa caucus. Iowan Jeffrey Osweiler, the Embassy’s Consular Chief, explained how the small agricultural state became the testing ground for U.S. presidential candidates. After discussing the media frenzy surrounding the poll and describing the caucus as a community-based process, a ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 February, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Alumni in Tunisia are eagerly anticipating the next round of the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF.) To help them prepare their project proposals for the 2016 AEIF competition, the U.S. Embassy organized a training on how to write an effective, comprehensive, and competitive proposal. During the session, exchange alumni were introduced the proposal writing process ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 31 January, 2016 | Topics: Alumni
2014 Technology Transfer Innovation in Higher Education Technology The highlight of my exchange experience is what I learnt about the university role in stimulating the partnership between the university and the business world to help promote an environment for professors and researchers and to transform the innovative ideas into valuable products and assist the marketing ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 January, 2016 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
……From his side, Ambassador Rubinstein expressed his gratitude of being among AmCham Members in a Monthly Lunch Debate for the first time in his mandate. Talking about the Economic Challenges is Tunisia, His Excellency argued that the U.S. Government recognizes that the Government of Tunisia has taken concrete steps toward Economic reforms, but additional action ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 January, 2016 | Topics: Doing Business in the U.S., Economic Affairs
As part of the new “Meet the Author” program, the Information Resource Center held a book discussion session led by Roua Sghaier, author of The Memory of the Pavement, which was honored with the 2015 Arab Creativity Award in Literature. A prolific and talented writer, Roua shared her passion for writing since childhood. In ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 27 January, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
The IRC held a video conference Wednesday with Michigan-based physician Dr. Yahya Basha. Dr. Basha talked to a group of students, describing his long-term support of the Arab refugee community in Michigan and throughout the United States. Originally from Syria, Dr. Basha shared his experience working with communities of different religions to advocate for tolerance, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 22 January, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
Drawing on his extensive experience in coaching young entrepreneurs, Jeff Hoffman, Co-founder of ColorJar and a founding member of Priceline.com, provided useful tips to more than 120 participants in Tunis, Sousse and Sfax on how to build a successful start-up. According to Jeff, “Following operational excellence in business is what brings you the money.” For ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 January, 2016 | Topics: American Spaces
“Eye-opening.” “Truly informative.” “Thought-provoking.” This is how participants described the talk Dr. Hedi Zaouchi gave on Citizen Journalism at the IRC. Dr. Zaouchi, professor of cultural studies, emphasized that citizen journalism, or “people’s media,” can serve as a media watchdog in democratic societies. He said that in times of crisis, activists can replace ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 16 December, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
TechCamp Tunisia, organized by U.S. Embassy Tunis and Amideast, brings together decision makers from non-governmental organizations, business leaders, Tunisian government representatives and entrepreneurs from Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Libya who are interested in advancing solutions to youth employment through emerging and innovative technology tactics. TechCamp Tunisia’s theme, Tech for Tomorrow’s Workforce will involve brainstorming ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 December, 2015 | Topics: Science & Tech
On December 5th, the Tunisian Fulbright Society alumni association (TFS) in partnership with the U.S. Embassy organized a blood drive campaign. A dozen alumni answered the call and donated blood at the National Center of Blood Donation (CNTS). This event is a testimony to the alumni’s willingness to volunteer and to benefit their community.
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 December, 2015 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
“I might have taken wrong roads, made wrong decisions and choices at times but the IVLP experience was definitely the RIGHT door to knock on for a huge push towards a new future.After all the success stories and the accomplishments that I have been exposed to, I returned home with a major goal: to have ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 December, 2015 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
As part of our “Meet a Diplomat” speaker series, Mr. Mohammed Tahir, Information Management Officer, spoke about Diversity and Islam in the United States. After sharing his personal experience as an immigrant through the Diversity Visa Lottery program, Mr. Tahir outlined the significant changes in American society with regard to ethnic diversity. The election of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 3 December, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
“I thought I knew all about CSR, but today’s session broke new ground for me.” As part of the Meet a Diplomat speaker series, Embassy Financial Management Officer Rich Shields took the audience on a thought-provoking journey. Mr. Shields challenged the audience to think of CSR as a gradual and natural evolution in a free ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 November, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
A number of students and TechGirls alumnae participated in a workshop last week examining the role of social media and internet communication tools to advocate for women’s issues. Participants learned how these tools can help to raise awareness about women’s causes and promote positive change in real life. The workshop was conducted by Amie Williams, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 27 November, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
An October visit to Tunis was the first between the United States Forest Service and the Tunisian Forestry Department, to explore opportunities for collaboration and technical exchange. The two agencies look forward to furthering the collaboration in the areas of forest fire management, rangeland management, eco-tourism and capacity building activities related to these technical ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 24 November, 2015 | Topics: Agriculture, Foreign Assistance
“Eye-opening.” “Enlightening.” “Very timely.” These were just a few of the words used to describe a video conference facilitated by the IRC between students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and their peers from the Universities of Sousse and Tunis. The discussion revolved around “North African Identity in Tunisia and France: Then and Now.” The video ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 November, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
In a workshop that mixed solo acting with group performances, Lebanese-American writer and artist Leila Buck inspired students and teachers alike to employ drama in cross-cultural engagement and social integration settings. Using the IRC space as her stage, Ms. Buck sparked the imagination of participants by encouraging them to improvise scenarios. Each performance walked the ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 10 November, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
More than 70 Masters’ students and Ph.D. researchers attended the first ever doctoral study day on “Writing Research Proposals in Culture Studies, Linguistics and Business Management” at the Information Resource Center (IRC). The event was organized in collaboration with the Tunisian Association of Young Researchers (TAYR) and the Tunisian American Young Professionals (TAYP). Three eminent ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 October, 2015 | Topics: Scholarships and Exchanges
Zied Mehouachi Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program – 2013-2014 Program Assistant, IREX “For me, the Thomas Jefferson scholarship program is a chance for non-experienced students to discover themselves and their abilities, to develop [their] skills and to come back and help Tunisia progress. That’s what happened to us exactly, we all came back to Tunisia with ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 20 October, 2015 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
Congratulations to the Young Leaders Entrepreneurs NGO and all exchange alumni volunteers who organized and took part in the She Can event on Saturday, October 10th. The event focused on women’s leadership as an inspiring power for youth and emphasized the importance of ending violence against women. The conference opened with a short video and ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 10 October, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
American band Burn the Ballroom spoke at the U.S. Embassy Tunis IRC to a number of students and members of the public about the business side of making music. They gave the audience a brief history of the band—how it came to be formed, the meaning of the band’s name, as well as some ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 October, 2015 | Topics: Art & Culture
U.S.-Tunisian cultural and artistic cooperation through U.S. rock and Tunisian rap at Ibn Rachiq Tunis was captivating. Joined by rapper Marwan and DJ Gamra, RedStar Radi, Tunisian hip-hop artist, provided an excellent opening act’s performance. Radi and Burn The Ballroom rocked the show and riveted the audience!
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By Public Affairs Section | 9 October, 2015 | Topics: Art & Culture
The Information Resource Center organized its second “Meet a Diplomat” event featuring USAID Senior Development Advisor Kay Freeman. A diverse group of researchers, students and professionals came to hear Ms. Freeman discuss 35 years of partnership between Tunisia and USAID. Ms. Freeman traced the history of USAID in Tunisia since the sixties and outlined how ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 September, 2015 | Topics: USAID
“Based on life experience…” “Genuine and thought-provoking…” were just some of the positive phrases uttered by students attending yesterday’s presentation by Consular Chief Jeffrey Osweiler comparing life and politics in the U.S. and Canada. Looking at both countries through the lens of an American who studied and lived in Canada, Osweiler provided unique insight, comparing ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 2 September, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
On Thursday, August 27, a group of fifteen TechGirl and TechWomen alumni attended a roundtable discussion lead by Mariem Ayadi, Youth and Exchange alumna and a NeXXt Scholar aluma in Science and Technology. Ayadi shared with the group different opportunities to study science and technology in the U.S., and discussed the challenges facing women in ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 27 August, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
hey may have different academic and professional backgrounds and they come from different regions in Tunisia; however, they share a lot in common regarding their U.S. Government (USG) exchange experience in the United States. August 21-23, the U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the We Youth USG alumni association organized a reintegration camp—an opportunity for USG ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 21 August, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
An audience of more than 50 gathered at the IRC to hear Tunisian cyclist Arafet Ben Marzou share his experiences traveling the West Coast of the United States. Arafet showed a video of his journey and then used a slide show to discuss environmental-protection practices in America, including green energy policy, open-space preservation programs, sustainable ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 August, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces, Travel & Tourism
Amel Ghouila Researcher at Institut Pasteur, Techwomen 2014 My TechWomen experience was really great, and I learned much more than I expected. What I remember the most is the willingness of the mentors to help others and to create opportunities. I feel like I belong to a big family. If I need some help, I ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 19 August, 2015 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni of Tunisia
By Public Affairs Section | 8 August, 2015 | Topics: Art & Culture
On Friday, August 7, UCLA’s Dr. Nouri Gana, editor of The Making of the Tunisian Revolution: Contexts, Architects, Prospects, spoke about the country’s political evolution with 42 scholars, students and journalists at the IRC. The Tunisian-born Gana discussed the book’s development, international media coverage of Tunisia’s revolution and the nation’s culture of dissent. His talk ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 7 August, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces
In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (#ADA), the IRC hosted a screening of videos highlighting the significance of ADA in America’s struggle for equal opportunity for all of its citizens. Approximately 20 disability activists and NGO representatives attended the event. After the screening, U.S. Embassy Press Attache Carina Klein ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 28 July, 2015 | Topics: American Spaces, Human Rights
Ambassador Walles met with the AEIF 2015 winning team from Tunisia and presented them with a certificate in recognition of their achievement. This is the second time since the AEIF competition began in 2011 that a Tunisian team has won a grant. This project, one of 48 winning projects worldwide, is the Young Tunisian Coders ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 17 June, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
TechWomen Alumna Amel Ghouila hosted the Technovation Tunisia National Pitch, an apps development competition launched in Tunisia for the first time. Nine teams of young girls from 6 different regions presented different mobile apps that they developed to solve problems in their communities. A mentor guided the teams, whose members ranged in age ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 May, 2015 | Topics: Alumni, Science & Tech
Saber Ben Hassen, a Thomas Jefferson Scholar studying at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, blogs about living outside his comfort zone, the benefits of volunteering, and the effect of study abroad on future employment prospects.
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By Public Affairs Section | 26 April, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
Inspiring, a life-changing experience, an adventurous journey.” This is how the Thomas Jefferson alumni described their American experiences during an event commemorating Thomas Jefferson’s birthday on Tuesday, April 14th. At the Embassy-hosted event, Ambassador Walles joined the alumni to celebrate the achievements of the newly-established
Thomas Jefferson Alumni Association , which was founded by the first group of TJ ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 13 April, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
On Saturday, April 4th, the Thomas Jefferson Alumni Association (TJAA) organized a multicultural event called “Global Village” at the Maison des Jeunes in the Tunis suburb of La Marsa. The event brought together different cultural centers and embassies to share with the public different components of their cultures and to introduce the services they provide. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 4 April, 2015 | Topics: Alumni | Tags: Alumni Embassy Events
Inspired by their rich and diverse experiences in the United States, Thomas Jefferson alumni came back with a great deal of enthusiasm and a strong desire to give back to their local community. Through the recently established Thomas Jefferson Alumni Association, these returnees founded an English club for young students in the cultural center in ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 29 March, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
IVLP alumna Ms. Salma Abida, a judge at the Center for Legal and Judiciary Studies at the Ministry of Justice, made a presentation at the U.S. Embassy in Tunis on March 18 about the U.S. approach to combatting trafficking in persons to a dozen members of the steering committee of S.H.A.R.E (Support and Hand-over of ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 18 March, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
Martin Luther King, Jr. Video Contest 2015 “Volunteering” UPDATE – March 31, 2015 U.S. Embassy Tunis thanks all those who participated in the
#MLKJ2015 contest. Each contestant deserves recognition for the effort and commitment he showed in creating a video. We received a number of amazing entries, but three videos really stood out for their originality, ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 1 March, 2015 | Topics: Art & Culture | Tags: Contest
Last week, Ambassador Walles presented certificates of completion to 27 YES participants from 13 governorates of Tunisia. On the same occasion, he presented a certificate and a gift of appreciation to the International Exchange Alumni Member of the Month, Leila Baghdadi, in recognition of her outstanding achievements following her participation in the IVLP program. Learn ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 30 January, 2015 | Topics: Alumni
Mohamed Arous, MEPI Student Leaders alumnus has recently represented Tunisia in the Young Leaders Forum Maghreb – EU at the European Parliament where he had the chance to discuss and debate upon policies at the level of Economic and Political cooperation between Maghreb Countries, Tunisia Specifically and EU. At the European parliament, Mohamed talked about ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 12 November, 2014 | Topics: Alumni
SUSI and Access alumna Oumaima Tayari made a presentation to 30 Access students at the school Le Monde des Langues Bab Saadoun about her experience as a participant in the SUSI for Student Leaders on Civic Engagement program. Oumaima talked about the qualities of a leader and offered some tips for making an effective speech. ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 5 November, 2014 | Topics: Alumni
Ambassador Anne W. Patterson Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Remarks at: “Invest in Tunisia: Start-up Democracy” Good afternoon. Prime Minister Joma’a, Prime Minister Valls, colleagues. It’s an honor to address all of you today. Tunisia is succeeding in this transition thanks to its commitment to political consensus at home and economic engagement with ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 8 September, 2014 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Taoufik Jelassi and U.S. Ambassador Jake Walles signed an Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation today to strengthen bilateral scientific, technological and educational cooperation. To support further exchange in the domain of science and technology pursuant to the new agreement, Ambassador Walles also announced two new programs. The ...
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By Public Affairs Section | 15 August, 2014 | Topics: Scholarships and Exchanges
By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2014 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2014 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia
By Public Affairs Section | 15 April, 2014 | Topics: U.S. & Tunisia