[…] On the one month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Haitian Agriculture Minister Joanas Gue will convene a high level meeting to discuss the country’s medium and long-term agricultural development, food security and nutrition planning process.

[…] Every day we get a little bit better at providing emergency food relief to more Haitian families. The United States leads this effort by being the largest contributor to the World Food Programme with 4 million ready to eat meals and more than $78 million. These efforts are succeeding in feeding more than 120,000 families per day directly from our distribution centers, not to mention efforts that are occurring outside of Port-au-Prince that have reached more than 250,000 people. Day by day progress is made.

[…] Under the leadership of the Haitian Government, the United States has been working in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and other UN and non-governmental organizations with security provided by the UN Stabilization and Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the U.S. Military to help feed the millions of Haitians devastated by the January 12 earthquake.

[…] In the centuries since African Americans first arrived on our shores, they have known the bitterness of slavery and oppression, the hope of progress, and the triumph of the American Dream. African American history is an essential thread of the American narrative that traces our Nation's enduring struggle to perfect itself.

[…] It's because of this spirit -– this great decency and great strength -– that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength.  And tonight, tonight I'd like to talk about how together we can deliver on that promise. 

[…] Thank you very much, Alberto, for not only that kind introduction but your and your colleagues’ leadership of this important institution. It’s a pleasure to be here at the Newseum. The Newseum is a monument to some of our most precious freedoms, and I’m grateful for this opportunity to discuss how those freedoms apply to the challenges of the 21st century.

[…] Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will deliver remarks on Internet Freedom on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 9:30 a.m. at the Newseum, in Washington, D.C. The remarks will be live-streamed on www.state.gov. Secretary Clinton’s policy address will lay-out the Administration’s strategy for protecting freedom in the networked age of the 21st Century.

[…] Ambassador Ertharin Cousin announced at a briefing today on Haiti relief efforts at the World Food Program (WFP) headquarters in Rome that the United States will contribute an additional $30 million toward WFP’s emergency appeal for Haiti relief operations.

[…] The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity -- our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country. And this morning, I’m joined by several members of my national security team who are leading this coordinated response.

[…] “Before I begin with this critically important subject about our future in Asia, I want to just say a few words about developments in Haiti. We are still gathering information about this catastrophic earthquake, the point of impact, its effect on the people of Haiti. The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in the region.

[…] President Obama came to office with a promise to renew America's global leadership. That leadership would be firmly rooted in our national interests but also guided by the President's vision of a common security bolstered by investments in our common humanity. Central to the President's promise was an active, responsible return to the multilateral arena -- an era of principled and purposeful engagement.

[…] When I think about that and the thousands of people who were part of it who came together to declare with one voice that reproductive healthcare is critical to the health of women, and that women’s health is essential to the prosperity and opportunity of all, to the stability of families and communities, and the sustainability and development of nations

The United States seeks a safer, more prosperous, more democratic and more equitable world. We cannot reach that goal when one-third of humankind live in conditions that offer them little chance of building better lives for themselves or their children.

[…] The Alliance to End Hunger hosted an inter-active briefing which attracted a diverse audience of Congressional staffers, nongovernmental organization representatives, international organization representatives, and academicians. Ambassador Cousin reviewed U.S. strategy to achieve Millennium Development Goals, and highlighted her work with the major international food and agricultural organizations in Rome

[…] We know the fault lines because we’ve been imprisoned by them for years. But here is the bottom line: we can embrace this accord, take a substantial step forward, and continue to refine it and build upon its foundation.

The Ambassador, on the first overseas trip of her tenure, will explore how the U.S. can strengthen its support for multilateral efforts to reduce hunger and advance agricultural development through visits to UN relief, recovery, and income-generation projects in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Follow her on the journey through her posts on http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/by_author/ecousin/.

[…] we will work with our partners, the UN, and the Afghan people to pursue a more effective civilian strategy, so that the government can take advantage of improved security. ….This effort must be based on performance. …. And we will also focus our assistance in areas – such as agriculture – that can make an immediate impact in the lives of the Afghan people.

[…] Most of the immigrants in the center where we served lunch are newly arrived from war-torn countries like Afghanistan and other poor nations like Haiti where a large percentage of the population goes to bed hungry every night. Far away from home they doing their best to start a new life helped by volunteers and staff of the Community of Sant’Egidio, a Catholic non-governmental organization.

[…] Our actions at this Conference will set out both the current priorities, our vision for FAO and also demonstrate the will of this body to do its part in this global fight against hunger…we believe that FAO is correct in stressing the importance of investing in agriculture with the dual purpose of expanding supply and exploiting the potential of agriculture for contributing to economic development and poverty alleviation….Increased agriculture investments come not because of pledges in a declaration but because of the return at country level for committed investments.