The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2021

16 JULY-AUGUST 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The campaign highlighted posi- tive U.S. government support for Hong Kong and its autonomy, spotlighting Chinese government efforts to restrict Hong Kong’s fundamental freedoms and reinforcing shared U.S.–Hong Kong values through expanded people-to- people ties. After the Fulbright program was suspended in Hong Kong, PAS also established a network of U.S. government exchange program alumni. Sohini Das, public engagement specialist, U.S. Consulate General Kolkata. Combating human trafficking is a priority for U.S. diplomatic missions in India. With eastern India a major traf- ficking hub, Public Engagement Special- ist Sohini Das in Kolkata developed a multilayered approach to the problem. The cornerstone of this initiative is the Anti-Trafficking-in-Persons Conclave that brings together key anti-trafficking players to address new and ongoing challenges. Targeted activities through- out the year culminate in the annual conclaves, which have produced signifi- cant collaborations leading directly to positive legislative and judicial results. Public Affairs Section, U.S. Embassy Algiers. Algeria faces a significant youth bulge in its population, high unemploy- ment and a stagnant economy domi- nated by inefficient state-run companies. In response to this challenging envi- ronment, the embassy PAS produced a “Shark Tank”–style reality television show, “Andi Hulm” (I Have a Dream), to promote the importance of entrepre- neurship and support U.S. businesses in Algeria. The 10-episode show, which was produced in cooperation with Ameri- can businesses operating in Algiers, culminated in the crowning of a cham- pion who received a cash prize and a State Department–funded incubation exchange in the United States. The series aired on Algeria’s most-watched televi- sion channel during primetime, reaching millions of Algerians weekly and garner- ing social media buzz and positive press reviews. Allyson Hamilton-McIntire, assis- tant information officer, U.S. Embassy Mexico City. The Central American migrant surge at the U.S. southern border posed major challenges for Embassy Mexico City, in particular the need to communicate different messages to those who had pending U.S. asylum cases and to the much larger number who did not. Assistant Information Officer Allyson Hamilton-McIntire developed a finely nuanced communication strategy on migration policy aimed at these two vastly different audiences. For the thou- sands of migrants with pending asylum cases, Hamilton-McIntire filled the exist- The grand finale of the East India Anti-Trafficking Women’s Hockey and Leadership Camp, part of the anti-trafficking initiative supported by U.S. Consulate General Kolkata and attended by 110 young women, took place in February 2020 at the SERSA Hockey Stadium in Ranchi, Jharkhand. U.S.CONSULATEKOLKATA/AVIJITBHATTACHARYA ing information vacuum with detailed guidelines, timelines and procedures on the asylum process. She employed a variety of communi- cation tools from traditional to contem- porary—TV monitors at migrant shelters, roadside billboards, printed flyers, the WhatsApp groups that migrant caravans employ and interviews with authoritative U.S. officials—to deliver clear informa- tion and a deterrence message aimed at potential migrants. PDAA is a nonprofit voluntary associa- tion of public diplomacy professionals. Climate Crisis Takes Center Stage I n an April 19 speech on global climate leadership, Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on U.S. diplomats to chal- lenge countries lagging on climate change. “When countries continue to rely on coal for a significant amount of their energy, or invest in new coal factories, or allow for massive deforestation, they will hear from the United States and our part- ners about how harmful these actions are,” he said. The Secretary’s speech, in Annapolis, Maryland, came ahead of a U.S.-hosted virtual summit on climate leadership that week. President Joe Biden invited 40 world leaders to discuss measures they will take to reduce emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, Reuters reported. Blinken said the Biden administration would put the climate crisis at the center of its foreign policy and national security. “That means taking into account how every bilateral and multilateral engage- ment—every policy decision—will impact our goal of putting the world on a safer, more sustainable path,” he said. “It also means ensuring our diplomats have the training and skills to elevate climate in our relationships around the globe.”