Empowering Women, Rebuilding Society: The Role of Foreign Service in Promoting Women's Rights in Afghanistan

By Eva Lam
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

In 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan to defend global security. In 2006, the US remains involved in Afghanistan to build a model for democracy in the Muslim world. The promotion of women’s rights is integral to this effort. The US Foreign Service plays an important role in creating educational and economic opportunities for Afghan women. The work of the Foreign Service promotes gender equality, economic progress, and democratic values in Afghanistan.

Any examination of women’s rights in Afghanistan should take place in the context of the dramatic progress made since 2001. The Taliban regime accorded women subhuman legal status. Women were banned from working outside the home, appearing in public without a close male relative, and attending school beyond age eight (Brown and Bokhari 7). The Taliban brutally punished women who violated these restrictions: government officials cut off the fingers of women with painted nails, publicly whipped women who showed their ankles, and stoned to death women accused of adultery (RAWA). For Western observers, this restrictive climate was most visibly symbolized by the burqa, a full-length robe covering the face and body with just a small slit for the eyes; Afghan women could only appear outside of the house in a burqa. In short, any woman who lived within the law lived under the total control of men.

The profound restructuring of the government since the fall of the Taliban has rapidly reversed the situation for women. One of every five delegates elected to the loya jirga, the “grand council” convened in 2003 to draft a new constitution, was female (IRIN News). The constitution guarantees equal rights to all Afghans regardless of gender, and it reserves at least 25% of the seats in the lower house of parliament and in provincial councils for women (Coghlan). Certainly, the last five years have witnessed drastic improvements in women’s political and legal rights in Afghanistan.

But legal equality would be meaningless for women who lacked the education and economic self-dependence to exercise their new rights. Years of repression left Afghan women with few vocational skills. Indeed, only fourteen percent of Afghan women are functionally literate today, and few work outside the home (Reichmann). To address these problems, the US Foreign Service has created a number of programs specifically designed to promote educational equity and economic opportunity for Afghan women and girls.

The Foreign Service has spent the years since the invasion implementing an array of educational projects to compensate for the appalling state of women’s education under the Taliban and build a stronger foundation for the next generation of Afghan women. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is in the process of building seventeen Women’s Resource Centers, where women can receive literacy training and other services (“Women’s Resource Centers”). The US-Afghan Women’s Council, a partnership between Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the US Department of State, implements a number of educational programs, including a training institute for female teachers at Kabul University, an exchange with the University of Nebraska-Omaha in which Afghan women educators receive training in the US and return to Afghanistan to train other local teachers, and a computer education program for Afghan women government officials (“Education”). USAID has also funded the reconstruction of more than 200 schools in Afghanistan, fourteen of which are all-girls’ schools (State Department). Through both USAID and the US-Afghan Women’s Council, the Foreign Service plays an integral role in teaching literacy to women and creating a generation of educated girls in Afghanistan.

Similarly, the Foreign Service is expanding economic opportunities for Afghan women. Women’s Resource Centers provide job training and placement for women (“Women’s Resource Centers”). The US-Afghan Women’s Council has coordinated with non-governmental organizations to create community banks in several provinces, providing microfinance loans to female entrepreneurs in a project that will expand to serve more than 30,000 clients (“Microfinance and Business Development”). The Department of State and USAID jointly funded a delegation of Afghan women to the 2005 Global Summit of Women, a conference for female entrepreneurs (Monsen). Foreign Service Officers are providing Afghan women with the skills, opportunities, and capital they need to return to the formal economy after years of exclusion under the Taliban.

These Foreign Service programs have obvious benefits to the women who use them, but by promoting the status of women, they also improve Afghanistan’s economic situation. The United Nations’ 2002 Arab Human Development Report pointed out the detrimental economic effects of gender inequality, writing, “Society as a whole suffers when half of its productive potential is stifled.” For myriad reasons, improvements in the state of female education provide benefits to the Afghan economy even greater than those gains that result from improving the education of boys. Educating women tends to boost farm productivity, improve children’s health, and cut birth rates and reduce overpopulation (Coleman 82). Additionally, increasing women’s earning potential “profits the community at large because women tend to invest more in their families than do men” (Coleman 84). Educating and empowering women benefits Afghan families and the economy as a whole, helping to stabilize the country and divert resources from the illegal opium trade.

Ultimately, achieving the full recognition of women’s rights in Afghanistan will take more than a few projects; government intervention alone cannot create social change of the magnitude required to overcome years of oppression and silence under the Taliban. Yet against all odds, the Foreign Service has made remarkable progress in providing Afghan women with the education and vocational skills they need to make full use of their newfound political and legal equality. By teaching women to read, exposing them to the formal economy, and providing capital to entrepreneurs, the Foreign Service has introduced Afghan society to the possibility of women’s economic equality. And by gradually rebuilding schools, training women teachers, and facilitating the education of girls, the Foreign Service is now laying the foundation for a generation of Afghan girls who are fully capable of revolutionizing the country by participating in politics and the economy as men’s equals.



Works Cited


Brown, A. Widney, and Farhat Bokhari. Humanity denied: systematic violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch. October 2001. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Coghlan, Tom. “Election hopes of Afghan women.” BBC News. August 14, 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Coleman, Isobel. “The payoff from women’s rights.” Foreign Affairs. May/June 2004.

“Education.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

IRIN News. “Interview with Loya Jirga delegate Sa'era Sharif.” United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. December 19, 2003. Accessed 28 February 2006.

“Microfinance and business development.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Monsen, Lauren. “Global Summit of Women promotes wider economic, political participation.” USINFO (United States Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs). June 21, 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Reichmann, Deb. “Laura Bush meets Afghan women.” CBS News. March 30, 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. “Some of the restrictions imposed by Taliban in Afghanistan.” No date given. Accessed 28 February 2006.

United States. Department of State, Office of International Women’s Issues. Report to Congress. “US support for Afghan women, children, and refugees.” June 22, 2004. Accessed 28 February 2006.

“Women’s resource centers.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. Accessed 28 February 2006.

Institution of Culture

AMIRY HOTTINGER, HTH San Diego CA



Overview: For this project, we researched a specific institution in order to gain an understanding of how a particular social institution affected me, my peers and society at large. To do so, we wrote a paper on our personal experience of how this institution affected us and conducted a survey to acquire information of how our institution affected them. After building an initital understanding based on individual and peer expreiences, we had to develop an essential question to conduct further research on our topic and to understand the significance of this institution. Lastly, we had to present an analysis and application of ideas based on what we learned from our collected research.


The Institution of Culture Paper

Reflection: For this project, I chose to center my institution on culture, but more specifically on values. Considering all the data that was received through the survey as well as my personal exprience, this leaves one essential question: What is the main underlying influence of a child's cultural values? This also leaves another compelling question; How significant is the role of family in the influence of their child's cultural values? These two questions often arise because it seems as if the importance of culture is beginning to diminish and one could only wonder why that is so. It would be beneficial to find the true underlying reason why this happens because it is crucial to understand who, or what exactly is directing children to follow their values and if parents play a expressive role to influence their young on what to believe in. By finding an answer to these questions, one could determine the importance of cultural values for children and the influences of them.

Role of Foreign Service in the Reconstruction of Iraq

By Sumit Malik
Great Falls, VA

On March 20, 2003, the United States initiated Operation Iraqi Freedom, seeking "to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein's support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people" (Bush). The invasion was successful in dismantling a malevolent regime; however, the aftermath left the United States with the formidable task of uplifting a nation experiencing regional instability, domestic violence, and economic deterioration. The Foreign Service has taken an exemplary stance in the reconstruction process, committing hundreds of personnel to aid in the development of a self-sufficient, prosperous Iraq (Kashkett).

At the time of Saddam Hussein’s deposition, Iraq was beset with a myriad of difficulties. Unemployment rates escalated sharply, approaching an estimated 50 percent. In 2004, the median annual income was a mere $144, partially resulting from the frequency of underemployment, in which over-qualified individuals were forced to settle for low-paying, unskilled occupations (Augustin and Kubena 125). Infrastructure complications impacted numerous sectors of society, including transportation, housing, electricity production, public health systems, sanitary water supply, education, and sewage treatment facilities. Sectarian violence and insufficient municipal security systems effectuated a struggle to maintain order (United States, October 15-18). Furthermore, nearly half of Iraq’s population is currently under the age of 18, emphasizing the necessity of child protection. One in four children below age five experiences chronic malnourishment, and one in eight does not survive beyond five years (“Iraq – Country”). Collectively, alleviating the situation within Iraq has forced itself to the forefront of global concern.

The Foreign Service has spearheaded reconstruction efforts in Iraq through the implementation of multi-faceted procedures addressing the social and financial aspects of the nation’s present circumstances. Within 12 months of the occupation of Iraq, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) poured $3.3 billion into the restoration of schools, provision of electricity, promotion of communal health, and establishment of democratic councils, thereby enacting the most extensive US foreign aid program since the 1947 Marshall Plan in Europe. This development initiative had tremendous societal impacts, repairing upwards of 1,700 breaks in the nation’s water network, renovating 1,500 schools, and circulating 22 million vaccines to children and pregnant women. Moreover, a 62-member Disaster Assistance Response Team, the largest ever created, was instituted for the purpose of administering humanitarian aid, coordinating US assistance within the region, and facilitating the international provision of resources (United States, A Year 2-4). The team promoted the stockpiling of medicine and potable water in addition to amalgamated efforts with the Department of State in providing over 600,000 metric tons of food to impoverished areas (“U.S. Officials Report”). Foreign Service undertakings effectively granted immediate reprieve to necessitous Iraqi communities, issuing crucial support for the sustenance of a stable nation.

To date, USAID has contributed over $5 billion for the maximization of societal welfare within Iraq (United States, Program 3). Proper allocation of these funds has resulted in a number of notable accomplishments, as the implemented procedures have been remarkably efficient in mitigating domestic hardships. USAID-managed programs have stimulated the dramatic enhancement of the domestic health care system. Access to essential medical services has expanded significantly through the training of 2,500 primary health care workers, and over 98 percent of children ages 1-5 have been immunized for common lethal illnesses. Steady progress in the primary education sector has been maintained, as USAID has supplied 8.6 million textbooks, trained 133,000 new primary school teachers, and doubled the number of rehabilitated facilities since 2004, shifting from unsatisfactory education methodology and bedraggled classrooms to modernized, efficacious learning environments. Additionally, infrastructure development has provided clean drinking water and electricity to more than 4 million Iraqis, and 7.2 million urban residents have gained access to adequate, functioning sewage systems, substantially improving sanitation and minimizing outbreaks of disease (“Top Ten USAID”). Refurbished transportation networks, including restored bridges and reconstructed railroads, have eased traffic conditions, extending benefits to 50,000 travelers each day (“Completed Projects: Roads”). With support from the Iraq Telecommunications and Postal Commission, telecommunications potency has nearly quadrupled, as telephone subscriptions have swelled from 1.2 million to 4.6 million land and cell lines (“Completed Projects: Telecommunications”). Furthermore, Foreign Service Officers have played an integral role in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, facilitating the appropriate administration of aid (Kessler). Simultaneously, a sound foundation for long-term economic growth, advocated particularly by the Foreign Commercial Service, has materialized through continual promotion of the private sector, fostering sustainable job generation (Green). USAID’s assistance in the initiation of the Iraq Investment Promotion Agency has established ties to the global market, permitting the inflow of financial capital at both a domestic and an international basis (“Iraqi Economy”). In concordance with the Ministry of Finance, new dinar currency was introduced to Iraq, in addition to the inception of a redesigned monetary policy to alleviate poverty levels (United States, Our Commitment 5). Microfinance loans administered through the Foreign Service provide economically underprivileged individuals with increased opportunity to enhance their condition (Besheer). Essential reconstruction programs in combination with the training of Iraqi security, military, and law enforcement personnel have enabled the Iraqi society to progress enormously (“Fact Sheet”).

The Foreign Service has extended benefits beyond basic reconditioning procedures. It has taken a diplomatic stance in promoting governmental reform and democratic ideology. The Department of State has reaffirmed its commitment to “the establishment of a stable, united, prosperous, democratic, and pluralistic Iraq” (“Background Note”), shouldering Foreign Service projects including the delivery of essential services on a localized basis by means of representative provincial entities and substantiating over 670 community activist groups engaged in advocacy of women’s rights, civic education, and elimination of corruption (United States, Our Commitment 5).

The amelioration of the situation in Iraq has emerged as a principal international endeavor, and Foreign Service efforts have been critical to furthering this cause. Not only have struggling individuals been provided the opportunity for personal advancement, but society in its entirety has progressed through the adoption of a democratic outlook. While reconstruction within Iraq is not yet complete, the Foreign Service has truly established the framework for a bright and promising future.

Essay Word Count: 1,000



Works Cited


Augustin, Byron, and Jake Kubena. Iraq. Enchantment of the World 2. New York: Children’s, 2006.
“Background Note: Iraq.” United States Department of State. Oct. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007 .

Besheer, Margaret. “Small Loans Help Pave Way for Better Lives in Iraq.” Voice of America News 8 Dec. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007 .

Bush, George Walker. “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” White House. 22 Mar. 2003. White House Radio Address Archives 22 Mar. 2003. 1 Jan. 2007 .

“Completed Projects: Roads and Bridges.” USAID: From the American People. 21 June 2006. United States Agency for International Development. 2 Jan. 2007 .

“Completed Projects: Telecommunications.” USAID: From the American People. 21 June 2006. United States Agency for International Development. 2 Jan. 2007 .

“Fact Sheet: Training Iraqi Security Forces.” The White House. 30 Nov. 2005. 2 Jan. 2007 .

Green, Stephen L. “Iraq eRocket #6 Entry Strategies: As the Iraqi Market Evolves, Business Paths Multiply.” U.S. Commercial Service. May 2006. United States of America Department of Commerce. 2 Jan. 2007 .

“Iraq - Country in Crisis.” UNICEF. 11 May 2006. 1 Jan. 2007 .

“Iraqi Economy: Iraq Investment Promotion Agency Begins Encouraging Investment.” Portal Iraq. 20 Mar. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007
.

Kashkett, Steve. “Iraq: Question-and-Answer Time.” AFSA News Mar. 2006. 1 Jan. 2007 .

Kessler, Glenn. “Rice Orders Difficult Posts Filled First.” Washington Post 24 Aug. 2006: A17. Washingtonpost.com. Ed. Leonard Downie, Jr. 2 Jan. 2007 .

“Top Ten USAID Strategic Accomplishments in Iraq.” USAID: From the American People. 7 Dec. 2005. United States Agency for International Development. 2 Jan. 2007 .

United States. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. October 2006 Quarterly Report to Congress. 30 Oct. 2006. 1 Jan. 2007 .

- - -. United States Agency for International Development. Our Commitment to Iraq. Nov. 2005. 2 Jan. 2007 .

Program Financial Summary. 1 Nov. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007 .

A Year in Iraq. May 2004. 1 Jan. 2007 .

“U.S. Officials Report on Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq.” International Information Programs. 31 Mar. 2003. United States Department of State. 1 Jan. 2007 .

Standing Up For Human Rights

By Alicia Constant
Albuquerque, New Mexico

July 20, 2005: Lin Hongying, a 56-year-old woman farmer, was beaten to death by police in Jiangsu. (Biao and Jia 2) April 3, 2008: Hu Jia, a human rights activist who fought for justice in China, is sentenced to three and a half years in prison on falsified charges of “inciting subversion of state power.” (Casey) March 14-15, 2008: unrest in Tibet and a violent crackdown by police sparks international protests. These examples are only a few of the black marks on China’s human rights record, and the reason why China is the greatest challenge facing the Foreign Service in the 21st century.

During the countdown to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China’s record of denying its citizens basic rights of life, liberty, and property, despite guarantees in Articles 33-41 of China’s constitution, has gained worldwide awareness. For example, in March, Tibetan leaders estimated that more than 140 Tibetans were dead and hundreds to thousands of others wounded, detained, or facing starvation in the aftermath of what began as a peaceful demonstration. China’s censorship of journalists and citizens makes assessing the actual damage nearly impossible. (Shrestha) In order to “clean up” the streets of China for the Olympics, police have sent many human rights activists, impoverished Chinese, and governmental dissidents to prisons or labor camps. As of 2007, an estimated 1.25 million people have had their houses forcibly demolished without compensation in order to make way for Olympic construction. (Biao and Jia 2) China has also consistently enforced the one-child rule, forcing women who have more than one child to undergo an abortion. (China: Country Reports) China’s long-standing history of human rights abuses has sparked protests by activists along the route of the Olympic torch from London, to Paris, to San Francisco.

The U.S. Foreign Service, a world leader in democracy and individual rights, faces multi-dimensional challenges in its effort to improve human rights in China. The U.S. has not attempted to resolve the human rights issue diplomatically since 2004, when talks were broken off after 12 rounds of unproductive dialogue. However, China has recently announced that it is “ready to resume the human rights dialogue,” (“Rice, Chinese F.M.”) and talks are scheduled for spring 2008. In order to resolve this problem, Ambassador Randt, President Bush, the Commercial Officer, and all other officials of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing must unite in a collateral effort to promote a strong U.S. presence in China. While engaging in diplomatic talks on human rights, the ambassador must represent and promote U.S. foreign policy to the Chinese government and influence China to make the right choices. (Dorman 10-11) China’s recent collaboration with the UN to end the violence in Darfur demonstrates that consistent pressure by U.S. diplomats is succeeding. (Christensen)

To send a strong international message about China’s human rights record, many protestors have demanded that President Bush boycott the Olympics or refrain from attending the opening ceremonies. In a June 2007 statement, the State Department rejected the option of an Olympic boycott on the basis that it would only cause bitterness among the Chinese people, destroy the progress already made by U.S. diplomats towards resuming talks on human rights, and deprive American athletes of the chance for a gold medal. (Green) China has already accused the U.S. of “clinging to a Cold War mentality” (Labbott and FlorCruz) and a boycott would confirm this false assumption by reflecting the 1980 U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. According to President Bush, the upcoming Olympics should be a “moment where China's leaders can … show confidence by demonstrating a commitment to greater openness and tolerance [in Chinese society].” (Green) Instead of a boycott, the Foreign Service should use the Olympics as an opportunity to urge China closer to a free society by emphasizing the benefits of respecting human rights.

Because the United States and China are becoming increasingly economically interdependent, their relationship is one of the most critical and complex in the world. In the past five years, U.S. exports to China have increased from $18 to $52 billion, while U.S. imports from China have grown from $102 to $287 billion. (“Remarks”) This relationship is further complicated by the United States’ $232.5 billion bilateral trade deficit. (U.S. House) The Commercial Officer and the entire Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) play an important role in maintaining a healthy economic relationship while encouraging American companies to sell to China and further increasing U.S. exports. (Dorman 22-23) The FCS must urge China to respect intellectual property rights and crack down on the rampant piracy that has cost U.S. companies 2.5 billion dollars in lost sales. (Congressional Research Service) By reducing the U.S. trade deficit, we can decrease our economic dependence on China and gain leverage to promote our human rights values.

Improving human rights in China will be beneficial to both the Chinese people and the United States by encouraging China’s stability and further economic growth. China will gain the respect of the international community and loyalty from its own people. As President Bush noted, “By meeting the legitimate demands of its citizens for freedom and openness, China's leaders can help their country grow into a modern, prosperous, and confident nation.” (“U.S. Sees Progress”) Change of any kind requires time. Although the Olympics have raised international awareness of China’s human rights situation, they alone will not be enough to fully resolve this issue. Through persistent diplomacy in the 21st century, the members of the U.S. Foreign Service will continue to progress toward the day when the Chinese people will be free from governmental repression. As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice declared, “No corner of the Earth is permanently condemned to tyranny. Change may take time, but change will come.”

Essay Word Count: 960

Works Cited
Christensen, Thomas. “Shaping China’s Global Choices through Diplomacy.”U.S. – China Economic and Security Review Commission. U.S. Dept. of State, 2008. 10 Apr. 2008.

Dorman, Shawn, ed. Inside a U.S. Embassy. Washington, D.C.: American Foreign Service Association, 2005.

Green, Eric. “Views Mixed on Boycotting 2008 Beijing Olympics.” America.gov. 19 Nov. 2007. 5 Apr. 2008. < http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/November/200711191741031xeneerg0.1641657.html>

Labott, Elise, and Jaime FlorCruz. “China Rejects U.S. Attack on Human Rights.” CNN News. 12 March 2008. 10 Apr. 2008.

People’s Republic of China. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. Ch. II, Articles 33-41 and Amendment 4, Article 24.

Shrestha, Manesh. “Tibet Protesters Claim Death Toll Now 140.” CNN News. 25 March 2008. 10 Apr. 2008.

Biao , Teng, and Hu Jia, “The Real China and the Olympics,” letter to the international community, Human Rights Watch, 27 September 2007.

United States. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. China: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. 11 Mar. 2008. 3 Apr. 2008.

---. Congressional Research Service. China-U.S. Relations: Current Issues and Implications for U.S. Policy. By Kerry Dumbaugh. Apr. 2008. 14 Apr. 2008

---. Dept. of State. “China: Verdict on Activist Hu Jia.” Press Statement. By Tom Casey. 3 Apr. 2008. 10 Apr. 2008.

---. ---. Fact Sheet: U.S. - China Relations. Washington, D.C.: GPO, 2006.

---. ---. U.S. Embassy, Beijing. “Remarks by Ambassador Alan F. Holmer at Qinghua University Entitled ‘Establishing New Habits of Cooperation in U.S.-China Economic Relations.’” 14 Nov. 2007. 10 Apr. 2008

---. ---. “Rice, Chinese Foreign Minister Joint Press Availability in Beijing.” February 2008. Accessed 10 April 2008. Transcript.

---. House of Representatives. Committee on Foreign Affairs. Testimony of Deputy Secretary John D. Negroponte: The Future of Political, Economic and Security Relations with China. Washington: GPO, 2007.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

By Brian Parker


In November 2003, a 10-year-old Palestinian boy hunting birds with his friends near Gaza city was shot by Israeli troops who thought he was carrying a bomb (The Guardian). In November 2004, a crowded market in Tel Aviv exploded into chaos when a 16-year-old Palestinian blew himself up, leaving three Israelis dead (Erlanger). In December 2008 and January 2009, twenty-two days of fighting between Israeli troops and Hamas combatants left 960 Palestinian civilians dead (United Nations). The countless tragedies are a grim sign that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be the greatest challenge to the American Foreign Service in the 21st century.

Foreign Service members at home and in the Middle East confront obstacles every day in their mission to promote peace in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. As special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell recently stated, “The situation in the Middle East is volatile, complex and dangerous” (State Department). The rise of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2007 virtually ended diplomatic relations between the United States and the Palestinians of Gaza because of Hamas’s status as a terrorist organization. In the West Bank, American diplomats face the important task of conveying to Arab leaders that even though the United States has a long-standing alliance with Israel, it is also dedicated to the welfare of Palestinians. In Israel, Foreign Service members have to deal with Israeli agendas that sometimes clash with America’s foreign policy objectives. For example, during his campaign, recently elected Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced that he would increase development in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. President Obama’s goal of “a Jewish state in Israel and a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security” (State Department) cannot be realized if Israeli settlements continue to encroach on Palestinian territory. These are but a few of the difficulties that the Foreign Service faces in the Middle East.

In spite of these enormous challenges, the men and women of the Foreign Service have resolutely persisted in diplomacy. The invaluable work of Foreign Service members in Israel and the Palestinian territories plays a fundamental role in promoting peace and advancing the United States’ interests. First, the work of diplomats exemplifies the American value of human rights. This is made evident by State Department spokesman and Foreign Service Officer Robert Wood’s recent call for Israel to stop its unjust practice of demolishing homes to deter terrorists (Olster). Next, the Foreign Service advances American interests by promoting economic development. It accomplishes this through the United States Agency for International Development, which has provided Palestinians with more than 2.2 billion dollars in aid since 1993 (usaid.gov). USAID also provides loans and technical assistance to help Palestinian businesses grow and increase exports. In this way, the Foreign Service Officers in USAID are helping to create a future partner in free trade for the United States. Finally, the diplomatic relations forged by the Foreign Service are invaluable tools against terrorism. By insisting upon America’s desire for peace and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians, Foreign Service Officers foster goodwill towards the United States, which translates into a safer world for American citizens.

In 2002, the State Department wrote up the Road Map to Peace plan (Otterman). Its first phase called for an end to Palestinian violence and a freeze on the expansion of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. It is true that this first phase has not been accomplished. Even so, the plan was not created in vain. On April 1st 2009, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman declared that Israel would honor the Road Map plan (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs). The Foreign Service member’s work in 2002 may be the groundwork for future progress.

It is imperative that American diplomats keep striving towards the peace outlined in the Road Map and other agreements. In some cases, this means communicating American approval of positive acts. In other cases, this means exerting pressure to end activities that delay peace. For example, the State Department must persist in opposing the expansion of Israeli settlements and the destruction of Palestinian homes in Eastern Jerusalem. It also must reiterate that Hamas will not gain official recognition if it continues to fire rockets into Israeli towns. Furthermore, recent polls show that a majority of both Israelis and Palestinians favor a two-state solution to the conflict (Yaar and Hermann). The State Department must convince Israeli and Palestinian officials to reflect their peoples’ will in their policy. On April 13th 2009, special envoy George Mitchell arrived in Morocco and commenced his tour of the Middle East to enlist the support of Arab nations in negotiating a two-state solution (State Department). This shows the State Department’s readiness to lead international efforts to form a sovereign Palestinian state.

The Foreign Service’s tireless efforts, both past and present, illustrate a key truth about the Israeli-Palestinian struggle: the peace process demands time, patience, and persistence. The conflict started more than sixty years ago. After the fighting ends, it might be decades before mutual mistrust between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs completely subsides. This is why the Foreign Service’s work is so important. A durable solution requires what Mitchell calls “committed, persevering, and patient diplomacy” (State Department). Success in the Middle East cannot be measured solely by the major breakthroughs that make the front page at home, but also by the unrecognized every day efforts undertaken by United States Foreign Service members to maintain dialogue and understanding between Israeli and Palestinian officials.

At a press conference with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary of State Clinton declared: “There is never reason to give up hope… Persevering, rethinking, regrouping, [and] being committed will eventually result in the goal that we are seeking together” (State Department). This is the message the United States Foreign Service sends to Israelis, Palestinians, and the rest of the world. The 21st century may know many challenging conflicts, but through solidarity and commitment to international partnerships, peace is always possible.

Psychoanalyzing a character in a book

by: Amiry Hottinger,
High Tech High, San Diego CA
October 22. 2009
The Women of Brewster Place
by Gloria Naylor

Question: Choose a character in the book and psychoanalyze him or her. Why is this character important in the novel? Go in depth to explain behaviors and hidden motivations. Show, with evidence, why this character is essential to the development of the novel.


The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor is a montage of the collective strength of seven diverse African American women who live in abandoned buildings on a walled-off street of an urban neighborhood. They have arrived there in different ways; some women have come up from the South to the "Promised Land" of the North, only to find disillusionment and loss. Others have moved in from better parts of the city to escape prejudice or protest against the relentless onslaught of middle class values. Gloria Naylor tells each woman's story separately, but slowly links development between and among the various characters. In general, they are all stories of the will to survive and the overcoming of predatory and inhumane behavior from their own relatives and neighbors. The women progressively try to make a community out of a group of unfulfilled dreamers that don't really understand each other, but ultimately become self-reliant women. Of all the characters presented in the story, the middle-aged matriarch of the group, Mattie Michael, becomes the backbone and the source of comfort for several of the other women. She is the most consistent and prominent character that is presented throughout the book that coveys the true portrayal of African American women.
Mattie Michael is first introduced in the novel during her teen years in Tennessee where she lived with her parents: Samuel, her overprotective father and Fannie, her nurturing mother. Mattie allows herself to be seduced by Butch Fuller, a boy whom Samuel warns Mattie about. When Samuel learns that Mattie is pregnant by Butch, he becomes enraged and beats her. In order to escape her father's abuse, pregnant Mattie leaves her home and stays with her friend, Etta Mae Johnson in North Carolina. After five months, Mattie gives birth to a baby boy whom she names Basil. When Etta Mae leaves for New York, Mattie is left with her son in the apartment. After a terrifying incident with a rat harming Basil, Mattie decides to leave the apartment and find a new home. When she comes across Eva Turner and her grand-daughter, Luciela, they allow Mattie and her son to move in with them. When Eva passes away, Mattie remains to take care of the house but later loses it when she posts bail for Basil. Ultimately, Basil runs away and Mattie moved to Brewster Place, neglected and heartbroken, only to build up herself once again.
Mattie also has a strong grasp on the concept of friendship. Etta Mae Johnson and Mattie both have known each other since they grew up together in Tennessee. Throughout the years, they have remained very good friends and have been there for one another through difficult times in their lives. When Etta Mae first appears in Brewster Place, she is the center of attention; pulling up in a Cadillac with a Florida license plate and then comes out of the car wearing a green sundress and sunglasses. Etta Mae seemed as if she always lived a life very different from that of Mattie Michael. Etta Mae broke all the rules; she did not believe in being submissive to whites, and she did not want to marry, be a mother, and remain with the same man for the rest of her life. She is a woman who is aware of her own mind. Etta Mae was always looking for something that was just out of her reach, attaching herself to a a new man until she was got bored of him. As a result, Etta Mae spends her life moving from one man to the next. When Etta Mae meets Reverend Woods during Sunday morning church, she automatically falls for him. Mattie on the other hand, is more conscious of what Etta Mae's motives are and confronts her friend and questions her of what it is that she somehow felt obligated to straighten her friend out; to allow Etta Mae to realize that what she was doing with her life was not productive nor it was it moral and expected of a woman. As Mattie pushed her concerns towards Etta Mae, she completely defends herself and practically puts Mattie in the position of offense. To Mattie's defense, she thinks to herself: "Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over. Mattie realized that this moment was called for all three (Naylor, 70.)" Mattie knows how to be a true friend and knows when to back off when she pushes things too far. With the realization of her foolishness, Etta Mae returns home to Mattie: "Etta laughed softly to herself as she climbed the steps toward the light and the love and the comfort that awaited her (Naylor, 74)." Mattie knew what she was doing and she knew that it was up to Etta Mae to make the right decision and to come to the realization that Mattie was just trying to help. Friendship is always something that Mattie will cherish, and despite that the fact that friends do tend to argue, they will always be waiting for one another and be there for one another and maintain an even stronger bond.
Mattie plays a significant role into Luciela's recovery after a devastating incident. Luciela (Ciel) Louise Turner first appears in the story as the grand-daughter of Eva Turner. She previously lived with Eva and Mattie in North Carolina, but moves to Brewster Place later on in the story. Once Mattie moves to Brewster Place, Luciela is all grown up and has a daughter of her own. She also has a husband, Eugene, whom she loves very much, despite the fact that he abuses her verbally and threatens to harm. Luciela feels the need to always please Eugene and desperately tries to have their relationship work. When Luciela learns that Eugene does not want the child that she is pregnant with, she aborts the baby. Soon after, she regrets it and she begins to realize the kind of person that her husband really is. After an attempt to have Eugene stay with her, Luciela's daughter, Serena is killed in an unfortunate accident. Ultimately, Luciela is heartbroken and devastated after her child dies and goes into depression. During Serena's funeral, Luciela secludes herself in a room away from all her guests. Mattie comes in and tries to end Luciela's long-suffering: "She rocked her into her childhood and let her see murdered dreams. And she rocked her back, back into the womb, to the nadir of her hurt, and they found it- a slight silver splinter, embedded just below the surface of the skin. And Mattie rocked and pulled- and the splinter gave way, but its roots were deep, gigantic, ragged, and they tore up flesh with bits of fat and muscle tissue clinging to them. They left a huge hole, which was already starting to pus over, but Mattie was satisfied. It would heal (Naylor, 103.)" Mattie made a substantial effort to bounce Luciela back into reality and to face the grieve that she would have to overcome in order to accept the loss of her daughter. Luciela was living almost as if she had completely shut herself from the physical world; she was not aware of her surroundings, she let the house and herself go and she seemed as if she was not sure of what to do or what to think because of all the emotions that she felt for the loss of her daughter. Mattie did the utmost aspect of the loss of a loved one but allowing Ciel to feel the pain and to let her emotions out.
Not only does Mattie attempt to mentally stabilize Luciela, but she also tries to play the motherly role of physically cleansing her: "Mattie cupped her hands under the faucet and motioned for Ciel to drink and clean her mouth. When the water left Ciel's mouth, it tasted as if she had been rinsing with a mild acid. Mattie drew a tub of hot water and undressed Ciel. She let the nightgown fall off the narrow shoulders, over the pitifully thin breasts and jutting hipbones. She slowly helped her into the water, and it was like a dried brown autumn leaf hitting the surface of a puddle... (Naylor, 104.)" Mattie Michael also made an attempt to physically bounce Luciela into reality by making her cleanse her mouth and giving her a bath because she had not done so for says. Mattie was simply just trying to allow her to feel reality once again and gain conscious awareness of her surroundings and she was able to successfully achieve that goal.
Mattie also manages to see situations in a very different perspective. Lastly in the book, we meet Lorraine and Theresa, also known as "The Two." They are unique amongst the Brewster Place women because of their sexual relationship, as well as their relationship with their female neighbors. Their neighbors find their relationship very difficult to accept. As lesbians, Lorraine and Theresa represent everything foreign to the other women. Lorraine feels the woman's hostility and longs to be accepted. Theresa, on the other hand, makes no apologies for her lifestyle and gets angry with Lorraine for wanting to fit in with the women. Theresa wants Lorraine to toughen up- to accept who she is and not try to please other people. One of the main oppositions of the two and the one that is responsible for leading the campaign against Lorraine and Theresa, is Sophie. During a block party meeting, she states her opinions about how Lorraine and Theresa's relationship was not socially acceptable and was an abomination against the bible. Mattie steps in and opposes of Sophie's views of The Two and respectively voices her own opinion: "Well, I've loved women, too. There was Miss Eva and Ciel, and even as ornery as you can get, I've loved you practically all my life. (Naylor, 141.)" Mattie views Lorraine and Theresa's relationship much more different than Sophie and most of the other women on the block. She then says: "But I've loved some women deeper than I ever loved any man," Mattie was pondering. "And there been some women who loved me more and did more for me than any man ever did (Naylor, 141.)" Mattie sees their relationship as something that isn't exactly that ironic. She views their relationship from a completely different perspective than everyone else. She believes that two women can love each other unconditionally the same way a woman can love her closest girl friend, a man can love a women or in any other variety. Quite understandingly, Mattie considers that the definition of love is universal and that there is merely not one solid meaning.
Mattie's strength, truthfulness, morals as well as her ability to survive hardships- losing a child, fleeing her parent's home, and losing her own home, she still continues to persevere. Her constant strength is a source of support for women such as Etta Mae Johnson, Luciela Turner and Lorraine and Theresa. Her generous heart and deep faith represent the best elements not only of Brewster Place but also of African-American women in general.


Works Cited
Naylor, Gloria. The Women of Brewster Place: New York: Penguin, 1982.

Kathryn and Sally

Kathryn carries deep-seated resentment for her father, who has recently returned after a period of living with an older woman. In this confrontation, Sally, Kathryn's older sister, argues for understanding and forgiveness now that their father has returned to the household.

Huong Pam and Janelle Tating, both senior students of Bethel High School in Vallejo, California portrayed the role of Kathryn and Sally in their rendition of a Roger Karshner's piece (courtesy of VCAT).