The American Academy of Diplomacy

Do you love spy thrillers? Ambassador Brian Carlson is reading the ultimate spy thriller, Jonna Mendez’s memoir, “In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked.”

This , we're highlighting career Ambassador , who served as ambassador to Laos and Pakistan. Swipe to see some great photos from her exciting career!

1. As ambassador to Pakistan in 2001-2002, Wendy Chamberlin engages with students while visiting a Madrassa, an Islamic Seminary.

2. Ambassador Chamberlain meets with U.S. Sec State Colin Powell and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan in Islamabad, October 2001. Secretary Powell visited Islamabad shortly after 9/11.

3. As ambassador to Laos in 1998, Chamberlin shares Lao Hai, a fermented rice drink.

4. Ambassador Chamberlin hitches a ride on a beer truck through Congo's Ituri Jungle in 1981. She had been visiting a developing refugee influx from Uganda.

5. Ambassador Chamberlin presents her credentials to President Musharraf of Pakistan on September 13, 2001.

Tomorrow is National Nonprofit Day! We want to recognize all nonprofits and the positive impact they have on their communities and across the globe.

3 years ago, the Taliban captured Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, bringing an end to the 20 year war in Afghanistan.

Starting on August 13, US and UK deployed troops to the Kabul Airport to secure airlifting out citizens, embassy staff, and Afghan citizens who worked with the nationalist forces. In the end, over 123,000 people were evacuated from Afghanistan, making it the US’ single largest non-combatant evacuation mission.

Three weeks after the fall of Kabul, the Taliban announced the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which since its creation has no official international recognition.

Did you know that August is ? In August 1926, 4,000 pacifists from 30 countries assembled at Reims, a French city destroyed in World War I, to “pursue an intensive study of international peace work.” At this meeting of the Fifth International Democratic Peace Conference, attendees proclaimed August “international peace month.”

How did the Obama Administration’s historic pivot to Asia fare? Ambassador Sally Shelton-Colby recommends this new analysis by Robert D. Blackwill and Richard Fontaine.

has officially wrapped! We are proud of for bringing home 126 total Olympic medals, including 40 gold medals.

Did you know? Before the 2024 Paris Games, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs spent months coordinating with 146 embassies. Throughout history, the Olympic Games have fostered dialogue and understanding between nations. However, politics and sports do not exist in separate spheres, and athletes have long used the Olympic stage for political expression.

What is the Great Seal of the United States and how does the State Department play into it?

The Great Seal was first designed in 1782 by William Barton and Charles Thomson. The Secretary of State is the custodian of the Great Seal and it is used to authenticate documents of the federal government.

The Seal can be spotted on everything from treaties and commissions to your passport and the back of the $1 bill. The front of the Seal contains the U.S. coat of arms and the back contains a pyramid with the Eye of Providence.

in 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed the United Nations Charter, making the United States the first country to officially join the organization. While President Truman signed the document with a cheap 10-cent pen, the signing embodied hope and optimism for the promotion of peace and international cooperation after the devastation of World War II.

What do you know about Japan’s history? Ambassador J. Peter Pham’s recommendation of “The Japanese Empire: Grand Strategy from the Meiji Restoration to the Pacific War” by S. C. M. Paine can help you brush up!

Thank you to summer interns Janani & Abigail for their hard work and dedication to the Academy. We wish you the best of luck in all your future endeavors!

Why doesn’t Ukraine have nuclear weapons? Find out in Ambassador William Courtney’s pick “Inheriting the Bomb: The Collapse of the USSR and the Nuclear Disarmament of Ukraine” by Mariana Budjeryn.

Who's in charge at the U.S. Department of State? Check out the Department's official Organizational Chart, and keep reading to learn who's occupying the five most senior positions!

1. The Secretary of State (S) is the highest ranking position in the Department. It is currently occupied by AAD member Antony Blinken.
2. Next in line is the Deputy Secretary of State (D). He is Kurt M. Campbell.
3. Third is the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources (D-MR). He is Richard R. Verma.
4. The fourth-ranking position is the Under Secretary for Political Affairs (P). John Bass is currently the Acting P while also the incumbent....
5. ...Under Secretary of State for Management (M).

in 1975, the US, USSR, Canada and every European nation except Albania signed the Helsinki Final Act on the last day of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, following two years of negotiations. The Helsinki Final Act aimed to improve the détente between the spheres of East and West

The civil rights portion of the agreement provided the basis for Helsinki Watch, an NGO that monitored compliance to the Final Helsinki Act and eventually became Human Rights Watch.

While first viewed as a diplomatic boon for the USSR, the Final Helsinki Act eventually became a manifesto for Soviet dissidents and liberals.

Ambassador George Ward is brushing up on his history with David L. Roll’s “Ascent to Power: How Truman Emerged from Roosevelt’s Shadow and Remade the World.”

Have you heard of the American Culinary Corps?

The American Culinary Corps was created by the State Department in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. It is a network of more than 80 of the United States’ influential chefs and culinary professionals who participate in programs and events on behalf of the Department of State in the United States and abroad to foster cross-cultural exchange.

The Culinary Corps is part of the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership embraces and utilizes food, hospitality, and the dining experience as diplomatic tools to engage foreign dignitaries, bridge cultures, and strengthen relationships with civil society.

For a light read, The Honorable Thomas Countryman picks up “Nuclear War: A Scenario” by Annie Jacobsen.

AAD on the edge of the world? Come along with AAD member Robin Wright on her adventure to the North Pole!

Photo 1: “Since the first ship arrived on the North Pole in 1977, only 174 expeditionary ships have made it. I am on the strongest non-nuclear icebreaker in the world. We were at the top of the Earth all by ourselves today--as Beethoven's ‘Ode to Joy’ was blasted across the deck. At the North Pole, there is no East or West. And you can circumvent the world in about 10 seconds.”

Photo 2: Wright saw 10 polar bears in one day. Here’s a great view of two of them.

Photo 3: “Went snow-shoeing in the Arctic Circle this morning. Extraordinary landscape. Navigating the melting ponds is the challenge, as no way to tell how deep they are--like the one behind me. Made it shloshing among them. But also discovered leg muscles I didn't know existed.”

Photo 4: “We hiked to the ‘Blue Lagoon’ at the North Pole today. (We had well-armed guides on both sides of the trek in case of polar bears or other hungry wildlife.) Remember, it's summer here, so this so-called "melting pond" could go as deep as 4,000 meters--the ultimate depth of the Arctic Sea. There's a reason we all wear life preservers over our expedition parkas. One foot can go into 12 inches of snow and the next foot into 8 inches of water. Luckily, no one has had to be rescued yet.”

Photo 5: “Waterfalls from a ‘hanging’ glacier on Spitsbergen Island today from my zodiac. The grandeur of nature! Unfortunately, the glacier is getting smaller every year courtesy of the human species.”

Ambassador Gordon Gray writes, “I'm looking forward to reading 'The End of Ambition'" because Steven A. Cook "is such an astute analyst of Middle Eastern issues and because I anticipate assigning his book for my course [] on U.S. foreign policy in the .”

What book does Ambassador Kenneth Brill describe as “Well worth reading or re-reading”? Sinclair Lewis’ political fiction novel “It Can't Happen Here,” of course.

in 1945, the leading Allies met in Potsdam, Germany to counter the effects of World War II and to establish the postwar order. Swipe to learn more about the Potsdam Conference.

Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich is reading “Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI” by Ethan Mollick. Swipe to learn why Ambassador Kauzlarich will add this book to the course he teaches!

Paging interns! There is ONLY ONE MORE WEEK left to apply to the Academy’s 2024 Fall Internship. You can find more information at https://www.academyofdiplomacy.org/internship.

Applications are due JULY 22. To apply, please email a résumé and cover letter to [email protected] with “Academy Internship Application” in the subject line. In your email, include your schedule availability and tentative start/end dates.

Today, July 13th, is ! To celebrate, we’re sharing this 1965 photo of AAD president Ambassador Ronald Neumann’s descent from climbing the Grand Teton in Wyoming.

: Did you know Shirley Temple was one of the charter members of the Academy in 1983? She was a famous Hollywood actress, US Ambassador, and beloved by people and diplomats globally!

After the Fall of Saigon in 1975, President Clinton announced the “normalization of relations” with Vietnam in 1995, citing Vietnamese cooperation in accounting for the 2,238 Americans still listed as missing from the Vietnam War.

Swipe to learn how AAD members have engaged with Vietnam before and after the establishment of relations.

Today, the kicks off in Washington, D.C., marking 75 years since the Alliance formed to ensure collective defense in an unpredictable world. Leaders of the 32 NATO Allies will meet in Washington from July 9-11 to make key decisions on how to continue to protect their one billion citizens as the world faces the most dangerous security environment since the Cold War.

Key agenda items to be discussed at the Summit include deterrence and defense, assistance to Ukraine, and partnerships. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assures, “At the Washington Summit, we will demonstrate NATO’s unity and strength once again – in support of Ukraine, and to keep all our people and values safe.”

Next on our series, Ambassador Maureen Quinn recommends “Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan.” Swipe to find out why you should add this book to your reading list!