Department+of+State

= Department of State =  Mission Statement " create a more secure, democratic, and prosperous world for the american people and the international community. "

Current Leaders of the Department
 Secretary of state: Warren Christopher

Articles
**Climate Change** 1. //__http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/04/122240.htm__// The  discussion is taking place here at the State Department, because the crisis of climate change exists at the nexus of diplomacy, national security and development. It is an environmental issue, a health issue, an economic issue, an energy issue, and a security issue. It is a threat that is global in scope, but also local and national in impact.

2.//__http://www.nature.org/initiatives/climatechange/__// Climate change is already affecting our lives and the places we live, and has the potential to dramatically impact the lives of future generations.

3. //__http://en.cop15.dk/blogs/climate+thinkers+blog?gclid=CIiF_aeKo5oCFQIMswodfzE3-A__// Political members opinions on climate change.

President Obama should proceed on the issue of climate change by listening to the opinions of others concerned about the topic. He should require things that would help reduce the affects of climate change for example reducing the amount of pollution by having people recycle. By taking these small steps we can make a bigger impact on our environment.
 * Recommendations**

1. //__http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/04/122161.htm__// T he effects of malaria hurt educational achievement, worker productivity, and economic development. It afflicts the impoverished, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and is itself a source of poverty.
 * Malaria** 

2.//__http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/conditions/04/24/malaria.soccer.survivor/index.html?iref=newssearch__// Until there is a vaccine, prevention and remedies as simple as bed nets will be crucial.  Success playing soccer means Sanna Nyassi no longer needs to be wary of malaria, but that hasn't made him forget those that do. "I was born poor," Nyassi says. "But things are getting better for me. I have to look back at the other ones."

3.//__http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/23/world.malaria.day/index.html?iref=newssearch__// Malaria is preventable and curable, yet every 30 seconds, a child in sub-Saharan Africa dies from the disease, according to the World Health Organization.Last year on April 25, the World Malaria Day initiative was launched to raise awareness of the disease and efforts to control malaria around the world, as part of the Roll Back Malaria partnership -- a global group of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and governments. 

President Obama should provide funds for better health plans to benefit the poor people in America. He should fund money to pay for vaccines for other foreign countries that can not afford it. Vaccines should be required for all americans traveling to foreign countries so that they do not get malaria. By doing this, we can improve the lives and standard of living for others.
 * Recommendations **

**Budget How do they spend the money? ** <span style="display: block; text-align: center; color: rgb(255, 0, 138);"> Two priorities have guided American policy over the past six years – winning the war on terror and promoting freedom as the alternative to tyranny. To advance these priorities, the Department of State has engaged globally. Through transformational diplomacy and foreign affairs programs, the Department has worked to create a world of responsible democracies with the ultimate goal of providing enduring security for the American people. U.S. security interests, development efforts, and democratic values remain inseparable. American diplomacy has sought to support stability in key countries and regions, confront terrorist threats, promote economic growth, respond to humanitarian crises, and encourage better governance, policies, and institutions.

<span style="color: rgb(203, 26, 91);"> In those early years, America remained largely isolated from the rest of the world, and the State Department saw little activity except in times of war, or when the federal government sought to acquire lands. In the years leading up to the Civil War, Washington sought to ensure European support for the union, an important matter since Great Britain and France depended to a large degree on cotton from the South. The State Department only emerged as a vital component of U.S. policy after the Spanish-American War of 1898, as the United States acquired territories overseas and became increasingly involved in foreign affairs. The first modern secretary of state was John Hay, who, during his tenure (1898–1905), negotiated several treaties toward the building of the Panama Canal, and promoted open access to trade in China. Since the Kennedy era, the importance of the secretary of state has risen or fallen depending on <span style="color: rgb(203, 26, 91);"> the administration. The power of Henry Kissinger's influence was substantial, and was derived from his position as national security advisor, an office he held concurrent with his appointment at state for some time. Among the more active secretaries of State are two from the turn of the twentieth century: Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell, who were also the first female and African American, respectively, to hold the position.
 * <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255); font-size: 120%;">History of the department <span style="color: rgb(203, 26, 91);">The department of state is the oldest executive department of the federal government. It grew out of the Committee of Secret  <span style="color: rgb(203, 26, 91);">Correspondence which was established by the Continental Congress. Its first chairman was Benjamin Franklin. Over the next 14 years, the office went through several name changes until, on September 15, 1789, when Congress designated it the Department of State. ** <span style="color: rgb(203, 26, 91);">The department had a range of responsibilities, such as operation of the mint, issuing of patents, and regulation of immigration, that have long since passed on to other departments and bureaus. John Jay, who had served as secretary for foreign affairs served as acting secretary until President George Washington's appointee, Thomas Jefferson, took office as secretary of state in 1790.

Mary Ann Vercillo & Tiffany Hoffman