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D iplomatA ppreciation Reception on March 9, 2011 at the Hay Adams across the street from the White House

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D iplomatA ppreciation Recetion on May 11, 2011 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C.

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D iplomatA ppreciation Reception on Friday, October 28, 2011 at the Jumeirah Essex House in New York City

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COVER STORY

DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS

Oprah in Australia 104 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dawn Parker

March, 2011 Reception at the Hay-Adams 4 May, 2011 Reception at the Four Seasons Washington, D.C. 6 October, 2011 Reception at the Jumeirah Essex House New York 8

Assistant to the Editor Chanel Cherry ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES Hiam Awad and Kendra Edwards EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Kyle Byram DESIGN & CREATIVE KDG Advertising, Design & Marketing Laura Socha - lsocha@kdgadvertising.com

Admiral Leasing 43 Australia, Ambassador Beazley 98 Australia, Flood Appeal 103 Australia, Oprah in Australia 104 Amtrak 56

InterContinental Hotels Group 75 InterContinental New York Barclay 13 Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C. 13 InTouch USA Wireless Communications 102 Italy, Ambassador Terzi 68

British - Prince William and Kate Middleton 126

Jim Coleman Cadillac 32 Jumeirah Essex House New York City 9

Canadian Embassy, Barney’s Version 58 Capitol Hill, Celebrity Causes 78 Carlyle Hotel in New York 128 China, President Hu 28

Oprah in Australia 104

DC Livery 35 Dentist, Dr. Tarek Mogharbel 50 Egypt 14 Elysian Hotel in Chicago 120 European Union, EU Presidency, Hungary 22 Fairfax at Embassy Row 10 Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts 7, 122 & Back Cover France, President Sarkozy 52 Hay-Adams 5 & 124 Helga’s Catering 47 Hungary, Ambassador Szapary 22

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Peninsula Beverly Hills 60 & 108 Peninsula Chicago Inside Front Cover Peninsula New York 27 Precise Home Management 66 Sofitel Chicago Water Tower 2 & 57 Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago 1 United Nations Foundation 44 United Nations, Mira Sorvino 94 US Limo System 35 Washington Hospital Center Inside Back Cover White House, China 28 Wings Jets 118

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DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENTS and CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Roland Flamini, Meghan Lawson, Shaun Waterman, James Winship, PhD, Karin Lornsen, Mark Kennedy To contact an advertising executive CALL: 202.536.4810 FAX: 202.370.6882 EMAIL: info@diplomaticconnections.com DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS WEBSITE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT IMS (Inquiry Management Systems) 304 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor New York, NY 10010 TOLL FREE: 877.467.8721 X701 Website: www.ims.com Marc Highbloom, Vice President marc@ims.ca Maria D’Urso, Project Manager Mariad@ims.ca CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Christophe Avril, Gustavo Gargallo, UN Foundation/David Evans/Nathan Mitchelle/ Max Taylor, United Nations To order photos from the events go to: www.diplomaticconnections.com Send any name or address changes in writing to: Diplomatic Connections 4410 Massachusetts Avenue / #200 Washington, DC 20016 Diplomatic Connections Business Edition is published bi-monthly.

Diplomatic Connections does not endorse any of the goods and services offered herein this publication.

Copyright 2011 by Diplomatic Connections All rights reserved.

Cover photo credits: Oprah with Russell Crowe, Harpo Productions, Inc./Getty Images; Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban with Oprah, Lisa Maree Williams/ Getty Images; Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver and Paul Giamatti, Kevin Winter/Getty Images; Ben Affleck in the Congo, UN Photo/Marie Frechon; Halle Barry at the Golden Globes, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Stephen Colbert on the Hill, Saul Loeb/Getty Images; Chinese President Hu and President Obama, Official White House photo by Pete Souza; Jay Z and Oprah in Australia, George Burns/Harpo Productions Inc. via Getty Images; Egypt, Pedro Ugarte/AFP/Getty Images; Jewel on Capitol Hill, Brendan Smialowski/ Getty Images for Virgin Mobile USA;Chef Curtis Stone and Oprah, George Burns/Harpo Productions Inc. via Getty Images

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CAIRO, EGYPT - FEBRUARY 13: Traffic moves through Tahrir Square after the army opened the thoroughfares and ordered protesters’ encampments closed on February 13, 2011, in Cairo, Egypt. Two days after the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian army is asserting its control and has dissolved the parliament and is suspending the constitution, meeting two key demands of pro-democracy protesters.

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S Egyptian soldiers hug each other as others remove the wreckage of a car burned during the uprising at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the popular revolt that drove veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak from power, on February 12, 2011. Thousands of Egyptians were still singing and waving flags as dawn broke over a nation reborn, after a popular uprising toppled Mubarak.

uddenly, it was over. It took a one-sentence statement delivered by Vice-President Omar Suleiman to turn 80-year-old President Hosni Mubarak into yesterday’s man. The Egyptian military took over responsibility for running the country. Euphoria exploded in the streets of Cairo as protesters celebrated their victory, chanting “Egypt is free!”

Eighteen days of street protests had overturned a regime that had seemed firmly entrenched, and 80 million Egyptians now have a chance at democracy. But so far, that’s all it is, a chance. Mubarak’s departure raises questions, but as yet few solid answers. To quote Winston Churchill famous remark from 1942, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

But the beginning of what? It is hard to escape the conclusion that Mubarak was ousted by a military coup, but in many respects it was a coup against itself. In 1952, the Egyptian army ousted King Farouk I, and it has been in effective overall control ever since, with a flimsy semblance of democracy to give it cover. Col. Muhammad Neguib, whom nobody remembers, led the overthrow and became briefly Egypt’s first president. Neguib’s successor was Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser, who in turn was followed by Anwar Sadat, another army officer. When Sadat was assassinated in 1981, Hosni Mubarak the vice-president and former head of the Egyptian Air Force, stepped in.

The Defense Minister, Hussein Tantawi, who heads the military council tasked with forming an interim government holds the rank of field marshal; Vice-President Omar Suleiman is a general. Mubarak’s hopes of defying the spreading unrest and clinging to power faded when the Egyptian high command could not guarantee that soldiers would obey an order to fire on the demonstrators. Egypt has a conscription army, with every adult required to serve.

As a result, the troops are drawn by law from all sectors of Egyptian society and therefore part of the social fabric.

The army is banking on the respect it enjoys among Egyptians to borrow some time in which to cobble together an interim government. The main task of such a body will be to organize free and fair elections and change — or perhaps even replace — the constitution. But WikiLeaked cables from the U.S. embassy in Cairo, published recently, characterized Tantawi as resistant to the kind of social changes that were among the top priorities of the hundreds of thousands of Egyptians who protested for three weeks.

“In the cabinet, where he still wields significant influence,” a March 2008 cable stated, “Tantawi has opposed both economic and political reform that he perceives as eroding

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central government power...He and Mubarak are focused on regime stability and maintaining the status quo through the end of their time. They simply do not have the energy, inclination or world view to do anything differently.”

Besides, as Anthony H. Cordesman, a military expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies,

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commented to the New York Times, “none of these (military) people have ever governed anything.”

Whether these top officers can go against their own reputed inclination and guide the nation towards democracy in Egypt remains to be seen. “The point is so far nobody knows what the generals plan to do,” says a European

diplomat in Washington with knowledge of Egypt. “The nation, in its present state of jubilation, thinks the army will begin process of change, but does the army know how?”

Observers expect Washington will volunteer guidance — discreetly, so as not to provoke criticism of foreign interference.

The Egyptian armed forces have good relations with their

U.S. counterparts at every level. The Egyptian army chief, Gen. Sami Einan was in Washington when the street protests erupted in January, and had to cut short his visit and fly back to Cairo. According to published reports, Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen were in telephone contact with the Egyptian

President Barack Obama watches a televised speech by then-President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in the Outer Oval Office, Jan. 28, 2011. With the President, from left, are: Tony Blinken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough and Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

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A huge crowd gathered in front of the Egyptian Embassy in celebration on February 12, 2011, in Washington, D.C., one day after the resignation of President Mubarak.

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service chiefs throughout the uprising.

Meanwhile both Cairo and Washington have to stop looking back at the Iran revolution for signs of how the Egyptian uprising could evolve. The Iranian revolution against the Shah was mullah-driven from the start, with the formation of an Islamic republic under strict clerical control as its undisputed objective. In Egypt, the protest was essentially secular, spearheaded by thousands of young people expressing their dissatisfaction with the Mubarak regime. The Muslim Brotherhood, caught by surprise, climbed onto the band wagon later, and never gained control of the demonstrations.

The Iranian army — loyal to the Shah, and therefore suspect — was marginalized by the revolution, unlike the Egyptian

army in the present situation. The mullahs relied on the newly formed Revolutionary Guard for security.

The Iranian experience, however, is likely to make the Obama administration anxious for early progress in democratizing Egypt, so as to avoid having the uncertainty spill over into the U.S. presidential campaign year. Although there were other problems, the Iran hostage situation was one of the factors that cost Jimmy Carter the election, shutting the Democrats out of the White House for 12 years.

Maybe — just maybe — Egyptians will sometimes spare a thought for the young street vendor in Tunis to whom they owe a great deal. He started it all by setting himself on fire to protest food shortages and high prices in his country. n

President Barack Obama talks on the phone with then-President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt in the Oval Office, Jan. 28, 2011.

The President’s National Security team confer in the background.

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H.E. Gyรถrgy Szapรกry, Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States

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Hungary’s Ambassador Outlines Presidency Agenda

By Roland Flamini

F

or the six months starting in January 2011, Hungary’s new ambassador to Washington, György Szapáry, has the double responsibility of representing his own government and the rotating presidency of the European Union. In the latter capacity he is tasked with keeping Americans informed on “what is going on in Brussels,” as he put it in a recent interview. His main message is that the eurozone will weather the current economic storm - and so, given time, will the battered economy of his country. He ought to know. Before coming to Washington, Ambassador Szapáry, an economist who spent more than 20 years at the International Monetary Fund, was economic adviser to Hungary’s Prime Minister.

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Diplomatic Connections: Now that there is a permanent president of the European Council, is there still a role for the rotating six-month presidency?

Ambassador Szapáry: The role of the presidency is still important, but of course the President of the Council, Mr. [Herman] van Rompuy, has an important role to play, together with the prime minister of the country that holds the rotating presidency. The Lisbon Treaty clearly sets down their respective roles. As far as the work of the ambassador in Washington is concerned during the presidency, it is to inform (together with the ambassador of the European Union) our friends in the United States what the presidency is doing, and what is going on in Brussels.

Diplomatic Connections: Every presidency brings a list of issues of regional and specific national interest that it wants to address during its six months. What is Hungary’s list?

Ambassador Szapáry: The priorities of the Hungarian presidency are defined around the theme of “A Strong Europe with a Human Touch.” A strong Europe right now essentially means a much firmer hand on managing the economy. The 2008 financial crisis has brought to the fore the weaknesses in economic governance within the European Union. So there are a series of steps being discussed, and eventually being taken, to strengthen economic cooperation and financial discipline.

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The EU’s Stability and Growth Pact is being strengthened and extended. For instance, currently, if the budget deficit of a country exceeds 3 percent of GDP there is a so called excessive deficit procedure whereby the country is asked to take corrective measures to bring down the deficit to below 3 percent. In the future, if the national debt exceeds 60 percent of GDP there will be a similar excessive debt procedure, if the proposals on the table are adopted. There is another new element proposed: if a country is judged to have excessive macroeconomic imbalances, the Council can recommend measures that the country has to take to correct the imbalances. If effective steps are not taken to reduce the deficit, debt or the macroeconomic imbalances, fines can be levied.

Furthermore, economic governance is strengthened by the so called European Semester: countries will have to present their economic program for the coming year prior to adopting their national budgets and have to take into account the directives set out by the Commission in an Annual Growth Survey. All these measures are designed to strengthen economic cooperation within the European Union and, of course, within the eurozone as well. Contrary to some fears, I don’t think the eurozone will break up; this is a very, very strong commitment of the European Union.

Economic cooperation is the “strong” part; the “human

touch” includes among others Hungary’s Roma Strategy.

There are about 10-12 million Romas in Central and Eastern Europe. Their integration is far behind what it should be desired in a democratic society. So Hungary is pushing for a framework that would form the basis for Roma integration strategy in Europe. Hungary itself is taking measures that other countries may emulate if they wish.

In the energy sector, Hungary is pushing for a common European energy policy to strengthen energy security.

Hungary has already achieved some success, by signing an agreement with Slovakia to establish interconnection between the gas pipelines of the two countries. Then there’s the Danube Initiative, a regional strategy for 14 countries in the River Danube region — of which eight are European Union members and the rest are non-EU members — extending economic cooperation to bring non-members closer to the European Union through common economic projects.

Diplomatic Connections: Given what’s happened to the euro in recent months, do you feel relief that Hungary was not already in the eurozone when the crisis hit Europe?

Ambassador Szapáry: For a small open economy like Hungary’s integrated as it is into the European Union economy by trade and financial transactions, it is an advantage to be a member of the eurozone. Many studies have shown that in such circumstances, an independent exchange rate (in other words, outside the eurozone) is more a source of shock than a shock absorber.

Diplomatic Connections: Don’t these new measures you outlined to recover stability in the eurozone mean that individual member states are surrendering more control to Brussels in managing their own economy?

Ambassador Szapáry: Not at all. Not in a region that is integrated to such a degree in the areas of trade and financial transactions as is the European Union. Stronger economic cooperation does not mean that you “surrender” sovereignty.

It means that you agree on common policies that are good for your own country as well as the other EU members. You can have good and bad economic policies within or outside the eurozone. The key thing is you have to have good policies, and if you do, it’s better to be in the eurozone. If you have bad policies — that’s bad whether you are in or out of the eurozone.

Diplomatic Connections: But the problems within the eurozone are far from over, and there are still eurozone countries which many regard as being on the brink, not just

Ireland and Greece, but Spain is mentioned, and also Italy is mentioned. Do you think there are the resources available to shore up the euro at this point?

Ambassador Szapáry: The eurozone’s critics draw unfavorable comparisons with the United States which also has a common currency. They say that Europe is not an optimal currency zone like America where labor mobility is much greater and everyone speaks the same language. But in Europe you have different cultures, different institutional set-ups, labor mobility is more restricted, so — the argument goes — you cannot have an optimal currency area. This is a wrong comparison. The right comparison is between the eurozone and the non-euro world. If countries like Italy, Portugal and Spain had had to face the 2008-2009 financial crisis outside the eurozone, they would have fared much worse: the exchange rate would have depreciated, inflation and interest rates would have shot up and great uncertainty would have settled in.

Diplomatic Connections: Where does Hungary stand now in relation to joining the eurozone?

Ambassador Szapáry: We have to make Hungary’s economy much more competitive, reduce the deficit, shrink the debt and bring down inflation in a sustainable way. Hungary will have this year a deficit of slightly below 3 percent and the debt/GDP ratio will begin to decline. This has required very tough measures, but also Hungary will have to improve the competitiveness of its economy so as to boost growth and create jobs. There will be measures announced soon in many of the areas of so-called structural reforms that require a longer period of time to implement, and hopefully the economy, within a few years will be in a position whereby we can announce a target date for entering the eurozone.

Diplomatic Connections: How many is a few years, in your opinion?

Ambassador Szapáry: It is hard to say a date now. We have to wait to see how fast we will succeed in putting the economy firmly on a path of rapid growth that would reduce the excessively high unemployment rate. Hungary had several target dates in the past that were not met because the policies were not on the right track. I recommend prudence now in setting dates.

Diplomatic Connections: How do you react to criticism even from within the European Union about your new press law?

Ambassador Szapáry: I must say that many people who criticize the media law have actually not read it. The new law

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is definitely in favor of free press; all the elements it contains can be found in other media laws of the European Union.

That said, the Hungarian government has stated that it will make the changes that the European Commission thinks are necessary. Discussions are currently going on between the Hungarian government and the Commission regarding the matter.

Diplomatic Connections: What was the purpose behind the new law in first place?

Ambassador Szapáry: Parts of the law were still as they had been under the communist system, and if they had been applied strictly, they would have implied much stronger restrictions than embodied in the new law. Some expressed concern about the possibility of levying heavy fines. However, the law allows the plaintiff to challenge them all the way to the Hungarian Supreme Court. The fines will not have to be paid pending the decision. Any law can be abused. One should not start out assuming that the media law will be abused.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the state of current U.S.-Hungarian relations?

Ambassador Szapáry: Relations with the United States are excellent. We are a very firm ally of the United States Mr. Roland Flamini, Correspondent, Diplomatic Connections and H.E. György Szapáry, Ambassador of the Republic of Hungary to the United States

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within NATO. We are shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan, as we were in Iraq. We cooperate in all aspects of security, including anti-terrorism.

Diplomatic Connections: When it comes to European Union decisions, is there a sense among the smaller countries that they are often pushed aside by the larger countries, notably Germany and France?

Ambassador Szapáry: The fact of life is that some countries have a stronger possibility that their views will prevail than some other countries. But if you have good arguments, and you can convince your partners that it’s in the interest of the other countries as well, a small country can further an idea. If a small country stands up firmly in defending its vital interests, the others will come around to respect it. There have been many examples of that. It’s our job to try to convince our partners if we want to achieve something that we think is for the good of the European Union. This is how Europe works: you start an idea and you push, and little by little it will work. We have gone through this process for the past 60 years in building Europe.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Ambassador Szapáry. n

By Shaun Waterman

T

here is no more important relationship in the world today

than that between the United States and China, so the eyes of the global media were tightly focused on the recent meeting in Washington between Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President Barack Obama.

The leaders of the two largest economies on the planet met in January amid the pageantry of a full

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President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China watch the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps pass on the South Lawn of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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press state visit. Although they have in the past openly diverged in their analyses of their respective nations' roles in the global financial crisis, the overwhelming message from both leaders was that global prosperity depended on their ability to work together.

"Our countries have never had such a broad range of common interests, nor shouldered such a broad range of common responsibilities," President Hu told business leaders, during his policy address held in Washington.

"We have an enormous stake in each other's success," President Obama said. "China's success has brought with it economic benefits for our people as well as yours," he added.

The series of meetings over two days between the two presidents were the carefully orchestrated pinnacle of a delicate diplomatic tower built by officials of both countries over the months preceding it.

The symbolism of the visit — with the full state dinner and 21 gun salute Hu was denied by the Bush administration on his last trip in 2006 — is seen by some as a reward in itself for the Chinese leadership.

But in truth, the visit is just the latest step in a complex dance between the two nations' leaders — seeking to negotiate a relationship which is shifting as the world stumbles towards recovery and the outlines of post-crisis global economy emerge.

On a broad range of global economic and environmental issues, from trade and currency imbalances to climate change, successful cooperation between the United States and China is seen as essential.

"If our two countries work together, most of the problems that are before us will find a creative solution," said former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger at Hu's Washington speech, "And if they don't, then there is no possibility for one side or the other to achieve success." Kissinger — who masterminded the first trip to China by a U.S. president, his patron Richard Nixon, and has lobbied on behalf of the Chinese government — introduced Hu at the policy speech.

Kissinger's tribute to Hu, however, was overshadowed by the encomium delivered by U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, representing President Obama at the event.

President Hu's "leadership has helped raise the standard of living in China and helped transform it into a global economic power, one that is playing a critical role in nursing the world economy back to health," Locke said.

Under Hu's leadership, China had succeeded in lifting "hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and into a growing middle class," Locke added, calling it "One of the most impressive accomplishments of the modern era and one 30

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of the most impressive accomplishments in Chinese history."

President Hu himself said "The peoples of our two countries should step up cooperation." He cited with approval the comments of his predecessor Deng Xiao Ping to the effect that the Pacific Ocean "should not be an obstacle that divides us, but rather a bond that unites us."

"We should increase high-level exchanges and deepen and expand communication at all levels," he urged.

Indeed, President Hu himself put a good foot forward in this regard, meeting also with business leaders in President Obama's home town of Chicago.

Together with the selection of the hosts for his policy

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama prepare to welcome President Hu Jintao of China at the South Portico of the White House, January 19, 2011.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and President Hu Jintao of China greet the U.S. delegation, including Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, on the South Lawn of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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speech — the U.S.-China Business Council and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations — the Chicago meetings underlined the prominence of the business agenda in the relationship between the two countries.

Chairman of the U.S.-China Business Council and of the Coca-Cola Company, Muhtar Kent, told the audience at the policy speech "about the unique and powerful role that businesses in America and China can play in creating ... greater understanding between our nations."

"There's no question that Chinese and American businesses

can and should play an increasing role in building bridges of understanding between our two nations," he said.

Apart from such sweet talk, which is of course a routine part of diplomatic protocol, the Washington summit — a private dinner, oval office meeting and state dinner — was the culmination of a closely choreographed series of visits to Beijing by senior U.S. officials, most recently that of U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates earlier this year.

The Gates trip was crucial because, if economic cooperation represents the upside of the Sino-U.S. relationship, security is

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden talk with senior administration officials in the Oval Office before an expanded bilateral meeting with President Hu Jintao of China, January 19, 2011.

Pictured from left are: Chief of Staff Bill Daley, Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, Senior Director for Asian Affairs Jeffrey Bader, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.

Army Colonel David Anders escorts President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China as they review the troops on the South Lawn of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China stand together during the playing of the national anthem on the South Lawn of the White House, January 19, 2011.

seen as its zero sum potential downside.

Recent events like the North-South crisis in Korea have demonstrated how high the regional security stakes are — and the Chinese had severed military-to-military relations with the United States in response to a 2010 U.S. arms sale to Taiwan.

Authorizing that sale, and meeting with the Dalai Lama, were the two key tough signals Obama sent last year after U.S. officials became frustrated with the Chinese leadership, according to analyst Paul Haenle with the Carnegie Endowment think tank in Washington.

The Chinese resumed those military-to-military contacts and made some of the right moves to pressure North Korea, Haenle wrote, "But it remains to be seen whether this is a long-term trend, or — as I suspect — a short-term fix to get through Hu's visit to Washington."

The Chinese president seemed keen to draw a red line on precisely those two issues that Obama had sent the Chinese tough signals on in 2010.

"Taiwan and Tibet related issues concern China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," said Hu, "They represent China's full interests, touching on the national feelings of 1.3 billion Chinese."

The United States and China should "Treat each other with respect and as equals and handle major sensitive issues in a proper manner," he said. "Otherwise our relations will suffer constant trouble or even tension," he warned.

But whether it is security or economics at issue, the optic remains the same for many observers -- how the United States will deal with China's rise as a global power.

The leaders are faced with what Graham Allison of Harvard University has labeled "the Thucydides Trap."

The Athenian historian concluded in his history of the Peloponnesian War that, "What made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta."

In other words, as David Sanger of the New York Times argues, the visit was "all about managing China's rise and defusing the fears that it triggers" in the United States — the root of potential conflict between the two powers.

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President Barack Obama, President Hu Jintao of China, and First Lady Michelle Obama descend the Grand Staircase of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcome President Hu Jintao of China at the North Portico of the White House for the State Dinner, January 19, 2011.

President Barack Obama, along with President Hu Jintao of China, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, and Vice President Joseph Biden, listen to former President Jimmy Carter during a reception in the Yellow Oval Room in the Residence of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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Guests attend the State Dinner honoring President Hu Jintao of China in the State Dining Room of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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STATE DINNER AT THE WHITE HOUSE

President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China toast during the State Dinner in the State Dining Room of the White House, January 19, 2011.

From left, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, former President Jimmy Carter, Dr. Jill Biden and Vice President Joe Biden listen to performers during the State Dinner reception in the East Room of the White House, January 19, 2011.

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama say goodbye to President Hu Jintao of China in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, January 19, 2011.

President Hu was indeed careful to stress that "China will never seek hegemony or pursue an expansionistic policy."

Perhaps more interestingly, Sanger reports, the Chinese president gave his U.S. counterpart a briefing "about China's challenges at home: Low per-capita income, huge disparities between rich and poor, badly polluted cities, a social safety net with holes big enough for 1.3 billion people to slip through."

Sanger calls it "a remarkable ... highlighting of China's limits, not its new powers," quoting Jeffrey Bader, the U.S. president's top Asia adviser as saying, "The message seems to be you don't need to fear us, but you also should know that we can't do everything you want," for instance on human rights or regional security.

"And by the way," Bader concludes, "both of those statements are true." n President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao of China attend a meeting with business leaders in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, January 19, 2011.

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In developing countries like Ethiopia, girls walk an average of six hours a day to get clean water for their families. They carry containers that can weigh up to 80 pounds. UN programs build wells in their communities so that the girls can attend school instead of fetching water.

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All girls are bright, talented and full of dreams. They are future teachers, business owners and leaders of the free world. The opportunities here in the United States for girls are plentiful and the sky is the limit. Unfortunately, those opportunities don’t exist for all girls around the world.

By Karin Lornsen DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS B U SINESS e d i t i o n | M a r c h - A p r i l 2 0 1 1

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The African proverb, "Educate a boy, and you're educating an individual. Educate a girl and you are educating an entire village" is a remarkable realization.

Adolescent girls aged 10 to 14 in developing countries like Malawi, Liberia, Ethiopia or Guatemala are often not given access to the same rights and freedoms their brothers have. They miss out due to extreme poverty and lack of value for women in their cultures, which often leads to harmful practices like violence and forced child marriage. But an educated woman not only brings empowerment to herself, she brings empowerment to her children as well.

To make equal opportunities available to girls around the world, the D.C.-based United Nations Foundation created Girl Up. Girl Up is a for-girls, by-girls campaign which funds United Nations programs where the UN works closely with governments to create income opportunities for families, to enforce child marriage Above: Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Estelle joined hundreds of D.C. teens for a rally that raises awareness and funds for UN programs.

Left: Educating girls is key to the fight against poverty, protecting them against violence, and informing them about the risks of AIDS/HIV. Bottom Left: During the rally, participants write inspirational notes and post them on message boards to show solidarity with girls around the world.

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Fashion photographer Nigel Barker is a celebrity ambassador for Girl Up. His humanitarian work is an important part of his professional and personal life. During the rally he told the crowd of teenage girls that everyone has the power to make a difference.

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Grammy award winning singer/songwriter Estelle joined the Girl Up rally in Washington, D.C., encouraging American girls to get involved and explore another perspective on life.

laws, and implement life-saving interventions for girls.

Girl Up is encouraging American teenagers to get involved by giving a "High Five" to their peers in developing countries. By taking five minutes to learn about the issue or by donating $5 or more, the campaign will provide impoverished girls with such basic needs as access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services and safety from violence.

For example, in Ethiopia, women and girls walk an average of six hours a day to obtain fresh water for their families. This often prevents them from attending school and can put girls in danger when they are far from home. By building wells, Girl Up will bring clean water closer to home, so that girls can stay safe and have time to go to school and study.

In September, Girl Up launched its Unite for Girls Tour. The pep rally has since traveled across the country to Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver and finally back to its home base in Washington, D.C. During Martin Luther King weekend, hundreds of area teens participated in an interactive and educational rally at the Boys & Girls Club in Anacostia. They joined celebrity guests fashion photographer and America's Next Top Model judge Nigel Barker and singer-songwriter Estelle to tell the world that they care about the health and education of girls in developing countries.

"We know that when you help a girl, you make a positive change for the future of a community or entire nation," said Kathy Calvin, Chief Executive Officer of the UN Foundation. "But for millions of these girls, it is a struggle to get access to basic things like health, education or safety. Our global campaign 'for girls, by girls' could change that."

"As the father of a young daughter and son, I can attest to the undeniable power and spirit of today's youth," said Nigel Barker. "I'm going to man up, and I'm going to Girl Up. And I'm going to let you do the same." Estelle suggested that instead of spending $5 on two cupcakes, we should spend it on From Left: Nigel Barker carries five-liter jugs at the Ethiopia station with teen leaders Erica Lamberson and Karina Jougla.

Girl Up is asking American girls to give their sisters around the world a “High Five.�

Girl Up has 17 teen advisors between the ages of 9 and 18 who hail from 11 states in the U.S. Members of this group serve as spokespersons in their communities, lead events, and contribute to social media.

Right: UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin is encouraging American girls to help make a positive impact on the future of their peers around the globe.

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giving a High Five to "change the course of a girl's life."

"I really wanted to become involved, because through this campaign I can change another girl's fate across the world," said 10-year-old Girl Up teen advisor Sydney Medina from New Jersey. Sydney is one of 17 Girl Up Teen Advisors, who all met for the first time in Washington, D.C., during the pep rally. "As a teen advisor I host fundraisers at my school and educate people in my community about our cause," added teen advisor Mia Guitierrez (12) from Missouri. "I recently put on a soccer tournament to benefit Girl Up and was able to raise $250 to help girls in Malawi, Ethiopia and Guatemala."

During a Girl Up pep rally and students have the opportunity to travel through an interactive display with a passport in hand, to learn about girls around the world. During the rally, boys and girls learned how they can help make the future brighter for their counterparts in less fortunate parts of the world. n Girl Up teen advisor Jenna Bailey (17) from Ohio explains to rally participants how they can get involved by donating, spreading the word, or just becoming more aware.

Girl Up will provide safe water solutions in 36 communities in Ethiopia. By building wells in remote villages, girls have more time to get educated and break out of poverty.

The UN’s Biruh Tesfa program in Ethiopia is one of many beneficiaries of Girl Up. The program provides adolescent girls with the opportunities to go to school, see a doctor, and be included in their communities.

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President Barack Obama and French President Nicolas Sarkozy talk on the South Lawn sidewalk following their private dinner in the White House Residence. An interpreter stands with them.

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By Mark Kennedy

T

he French saying “plus ça change, plus c’est la meme chose,” (the more things change, the more they stay the same) took a hard knock in Washington in January when President Barack Obama hailed

President Barack Obama meets with President Nicolas Sarkozy of France in the Oval Office.

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Nicolas Sarkozy as “an outstanding partner and an outstanding friend to the American people.” The occasion was Sarkozy’s short working visit to the White House, and the French president listening to a translator through earphones, nodded agreement. For good measure, Obama added, “We don’t have a stronger friend and a stronger ally than Nicolas Sarkozy and the French people.”

This is as far removed as it can get from the public antagonism — is it only eight years ago? — triggered by President Jacques Chirac’s opposition to the Bush administration’s war in Iraq. Chirac, Sarkozy’s predecessor, even rallied other European governments to do the same, and the result in America was “Freedom Fries” and men behaving badly.

In 2004, this reporter was present at a Brazilian embassy reception when then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld — the harshest of the administration’s critics of European disengagement from the Iraq war — spotted the thenFrench ambassador, Jean-David Levitt, heading towards him, and pointedly turned his back and walked away.

But that was then. Sarkozy has been described in confidential U.S. diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks as “viscerally proAmerican,” and a “force multiplier” for America’s foreign interests. As the French newspaper Le Monde put it before the trip, “Sarkozy has always admitted his love for the United States and felt close to some of its values.” Under Sarkozy, France has rejoined NATO military operations, and the French have troops deployed in Afghanistan.

Obama’s tribute to the French caused a predictable outcry in the British press, always watchful for any sign that the so-called U.S-U.K. “special relationship” was being undermined. The papers were 54

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quick to point out, for example, that the French have 3,850 troops in Afghanistan, compared to the U.K.’s 10,000, and British losses to date amount to more than 300, compared to about 30 French.

But the nitpicker could find something missing in Obama’s remarks: he stopped short of returning the compliment.

The U.S. president and the American people were not called France’s outstanding partner and friend, leaving the tribute looking somewhat one-sided.

Now, Obama tends to weigh his words carefully, hence the

question: was he doing so on this occasion, in which case the omission was deliberate, or was this presidential boilerplate language trotted out by the White House for visiting leaders?

The background here is that the two leaders are widely believed to have had personality issues from the start.

Though their international policy objectives are usually similar, when not identical, the famously passionate and emotive Frenchman had hoped Obama would be his buff, and took Obama’s typically reserved response to his friendly overtures as a rebuff.

But hard-headed spheres of mutual interest have taken precedence over sentiment. France has the rotating presidency of this year’s G8 and G20 summits, and the main purpose of Sarkozy’s Washington visit — his second in less than a year — was to lobby his summit agenda, which emphasizes strengthening the global economy. With both leaders not doing well in the polls and facing re-election in 2012 a boost in growth and job creation is something they would both welcome.

The trip was deemed prudent because Sarkozy is pushing for changes in the international monetary system to reflect an increasingly multi-polar world. He wants to end the dollar’s position as the sole global reserve currency France’s President Nicolas — an idea that is not well received Sarkozy and his wife Carla in Washington.

Bruni-Sarkozy are greeted by President Barack Obama and Sarkozy argues that the internaFirst Lady Michelle Obama. tional monetary system should give greater weight to the currencies of emerging nations like China, Brazil, India and Russia. The Chinese, in particular, are calling for a shift away from the dollar’s special status.

The French have offered few specifics on their proposal, but Le Monde quoted a senior French official as saying, “The (international monetary system) has got to be on the agenda: it’s a point on which we won’t surrender.”

Sarkozy is also expected to press for regulating (and possibly taxing) the world finance markets — another move that doesn’t find favor in Washington. In addition, the French want to seek ways to stabilize commodity prices to prevent the wild cost fluctuations that currently cause such problems to cash-strapped, developing countries.

Because Obama is known to dislike international leadership summits, which he regards as talkfests with little action, Sarkozy wanted to ensure that his American counterpart would show up on both dates, the G8 meeting of the

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leading industrialized nations in the Normandy town of Deauville in May, and the G20, which includes both rich and developing countries, in Cannes in November. It’s highly unlikely that Obama would consider skipping a G20 summit, but the White House still has the G8 on its undecided list.

President Obama was reported as saying that the United States and France could “coordinate our (summit) agendas” — a signal that the Americans have a few issues of their own to put on the table, including increased efforts to undermine Iran’s nuclear plans.

And there were other topics raised by the Americans, notably Washington’s concern over France’s recent multi-billion euro sale to Russia of four Mistral class amphibious assault ships. The French deal is a landmark — the first major arms purchase by Russia from a foreign country, and the first from a member of NATO — a military alliance originally set up to counter the Soviet threat. The Mistral, an advanced helicopter carrier with its own command center, can carry 450 troops and several tanks. The sale, agreed in

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December, has made Russia’s smaller neighbors, such as Georgia, nervous. The U.S. is concerned that it could open the way for other Western countries to sell weapons to Moscow.

Sarkozy’s meeting with Obama over lunch (while wife Carla lunched separately with First Lady Michelle Obama) was a landmark of sorts, being his first meeting with the French leader — or any leader for that matter — whose going over by U.S. diplomats was disclosed by WikiLeaks. The American embassy in Paris had labeled Sarkozy as “impulsive,” “thin skinned and authoritarian” and called his manner a throwback to the kings of France. But sources familiar with the lunch said the atmosphere had been business-like and the two leaders seemed comfortable together. “Sarko is not that thin skinned, as a French diplomat he’s been called worse,” remarked a Western diplomat in Washington with knowledge of the French political scene.

“He takes it in his stride.” n

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Actor Paul Giamatti poses with his award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) for ‘Barney’s Version’ in the press room at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 16, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California.

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B y D r. James A. Winship

Photo by Gus Gargallo of Diplomatic Connections

Left to right: Canadian producer Robert Lantos; Actress Rosamund Pike (plays the role of Miriam in the movie); Canadian Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty and Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer.

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Actress Halle Berry arrives at the 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards held on January 16, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California.

Halle Berry was the presenter who gave Paul Giamatti his Golden Globe award that night.

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P

aul Giamatti may have been the most surprised person in the room when presenter Halle Berry announced his name as winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, for his starring role as Barney Panofsky in the film adaptation of Canadian author Mordecai Richler’s novel “Barney’s Version.” Presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the award honors Giamatti’s remarkable physical and intellectual transformation from a young man exploring counter-culture in Italy, to an almost establishment, Jewish Montreal-er, to a mildly cynical middle-aged producer, to a forgetful and occasionally fretful senior citizen. Remarkably, it is not only Giamatti’s visage and wardrobe that change over time; the actor is also master of the subtle changes of demeanor and gait that mark the aging process.

Mordecai Richler died not long after publication of this novel, but he has remained a beloved icon of contemporary Canadian literary culture, nowhere more so than in his native Montreal, the city — with its nearby Laurentian Mountains, that

figures at the heart of this story. It is the Canadian-ness of Richler’s work and its Canadian producer and director, Robert Lantos and Richard Lewis, that led Canadian Ambassador to the United States Gary Doer to host a special pre-Golden Globes, pre-American release screening of “Barney’s Version” at the Canadian Embassy at the foot of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Joining the packed house for the screening were U.S. Ambassador David Jacobson and Canadian Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty.

Also in attendance were producer Robert Lantos and one of the stars of the film, actress Rosamund Pike, who plays Barney’s third wife and the main love of his life, Miriam. Lantos introduced the film by saying that for him the film was “more of a mission than a project.” Mordecai Richler was his friend and finding a screenwriter to transfer this first person narrated novel that covered more than 30 years of its central character’s life was a daunting task. Richler himself started on the screenplay of “Barney’s Version” but the work stopped when he became ill. He was never able to resume the

Producer Robert Lantos and actress Rosamund Pike doing a Q & A about the movie with the audience at the Canadian Embassy, January, 2011.

Canadian Ambassador Doer introducing Mr. Lantos and Ms. Pike.

Producer Robert Lantos with actress Rosamund Pike addressing the audience at the Canadian Embassy, January, 2011.

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Canadian Ambassador Doer (second from right, front row); David Jacobson, U.S. Ambassador to Canada (third from left, front row); Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty (second from left, front row) and Gordon Giffin, former U.S. Ambassador to Canada (far left)

Photos left to right: Mr. Paul Frazer; Dr. Tina Alster; Ms. Pamela Vokey; Mr. John Sadler | Shannon-Marie Soni, Counsellor, Culture and Outreach and Jesse Thomas - both with the Embassy of Canada | James Milburn, Christina Jutzi, Environment Officer and Sean Clark, Second Secretary (Trade Policy) - all with the Embassy of Canada | Cdr Cathy Slaunwhite, Embassy of Canada and Chris Robart.

work before his death. “In the absence of its author,” recalls Lantos, “creating cinematic language for this sprawling novel turned out to be the biggest challenge of my producing career.”

Finding the right writer took more than seven years.

Writers came and went, but Lantos always heard the voice of Richler saying, “It’s not good enough. Start again.” Richard Lewis, eventually to become the film’s director, submitted a draft of a screenplay. It came close enough to Richler’s voice to prove that Lewis wanted to make a movie loyal to the novel.

But not until Michael Konyves came along did Lantos find a writer who could simultaneously capture the author’s irreverent spirit and cut to the core of the story, the love between Barney and his third wife Miriam.

Paul Giamatti’s round-faced, slightly bug-eyed appearance

might have been expected to relegate him to roles as a character actor, but he has emerged as a respected, if unexpected, leading man known for playing characters who are at once brilliant and irascible, intermittently lovable and not infrequently objectionable, alternately thoughtful, unthinking and occasionally downright mean. Giamatti is adept at revealing the imperfections as well as the possibilities in his characters.

His best moments are playing messiness where viewers are tempted to expect simpler, neater characters. Perhaps this is why he works so well as Mordecai Richler’s title character.

Giamatti plays the core complexity of being human exceedingly well. “People are tricky,” he insists. “Life is tricky. Everything is a puzzle to figure out, in some way. If you want to get in there, it’s tricky.” It’s tempting to see Mordecai Richler’s

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autobiography in “Barney’s Version,” and there are aspects of

at his most infuriating. Given Mordecai Richler’s gift for irony,

his life here. He did, in fact, meet his third wife at his second wedding. But, autobiography is neither Richler’s style nor Giamatti’s preference. Instead, Richler’s style and the film’s

Barney meets his third wife literally at the wedding party celebrating his second marriage. Not only is Barney smitten, he is smoldering to the point where he deserts the hotel wedding

forte is to present snatches of life that provide moments of insight.

In the midst of a very strong cast featuring Dustin Hoffman

reception to follow his new love to the railroad station and onto the train as she prepares to return to New York. Miriam smilingly turns down his besotted entreaties to flee with him

as Barney’s retired cop father and Minnie Driver as Barney’s second wife, it is Rosamund Pike who nearly steals the film from everyone with a quietly powerful, self-assured, alluring

to Italy and dutifully sends him back to his just wedded wife.

There is a telling aspect to “Barney’s Version” that permeates the film on multiple levels. First, this is Barney’s story told

and yet discerning performance that is devoted to Barney, even

through Barney’s eyes. It is Barney’s version of the events that

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Left to right: Actors Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver, Jake Hoffman and Paul Giamatti arrive at ‘Barney’s Version’ screening during AFI FEST 2010 held at Egyptian Theatre on November 6, 2010, in Hollywood, California.

us, he is surrounded by friends and people who love him, who indulge his quirks and support his life. And, most poignantly, this is Barney’s version because at the end of the movie we begin to understand that Barney has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease that is fogging his mind, depleting his memory, undermining his wittiness and invidiously reshaping his version of his story even as he is recounting it.

Throughout the film we get glimpses of other versions of Barney’s story. There is the retired Montreal detective who is convinced that Barney got away with murdering his best friend and published a book telling that alleged story. There is the fascinating relationship between Barney and his father, a retired Jewish cop played by Dustin Hoffman with controlled abandon. Hoffman, rejected for the part of Barney because he was too old for the role, becomes the perfect foil for Barney — role model for Barney’s cynicism, teacher ready to recall Montreal’s oft encountered anti-Semitism, lover of Montreal’s remarkable diversity, confessor to Barney’s thoughts and plans, and ready reveler to the end of his life. And, there is the little remarked nurturing relationship between Barney and the “star” of his television melodrama — a blousy Eastern European long past her prime who continues to generate wonderful press back in her home country, all of it planted by Barney’s press agents in order to sustain her self-worth, and all of his behindthe-scenes efforts unbeknownst to her.

Miriam, meeting the love struck Barney for the first time observes, “Barney, you wear your heart on your sleeve. Put it away. It’s disgusting to look at.” It’s tempting to want Barney to have a heart of gold beneath the sharp edges of his exterior, but the truth is more complex than that: Barney has multiple hearts — one that borders on the maudlin, one that is dutiful, one that is ego-centric and one that is soft, caring and remarkably gentle beneath the self-indulgence and the cynicism.

That last heart clearly shows in his deep, life-long (most of the

unfold throughout the decades of his life. Second, it is Barney’s

time) love for Miriam even after they divorce and she remarries.

Miriam is a woman of quiet strength, immense competence and deep integrity. She rejects Barney’s betrayal, but she knows

version because it is centered on him — on his loves, on his indulgences — especially McAllen’s whiskey, Monte Cristo cigars, and good cognac, on his quirky sense of humor, on his

and loves a part of Barney that others have seldom seen.

The closing scene of the film takes the viewer into Montreal’s Mount Royal Cemetery where we see Barney’s headstone, a

trenchant sometimes hurtful insights, on his friendships and on the compromises he makes to make his life work such as his television studio “Totally Unnecessary Productions,” which

headstone for two. The stone is marked simply PANOFSKY, with Barney’s name at the base including his date of birth and the date of his death. To the left of Barney’s name Miriam’s

revels in melodrama and double entendre. It is Barney’s version because it reminds us that we all tell our stories to ourselves in ways that are most often self-confirming and only

name is carved. Will she be buried alongside him despite their divorced status?

We don’t know. The only certainty is that there is room in

mildly self-critical. It is Barney’s version because, like most of

Barney’s version for Miriam’s love. n

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PRECISE HOME MANAGEMENT LEADS THE WAY IN TRAINING. EDUCATION IS THE KEY TO A PERFECTLY RUN HOME. PRECISE HOME MANAGEMENT TAKES THE WORRY OUT OF HIRING HOUSEHOLD STAFF. Andrew Lowrey, Founder and President of Precise Home Management

ood help is hard to find, as the old saying goes, which is why it’s good to have Andrew Lowrey at your service.

Lowrey is the Founder and President of Precise Home Management, a Baltimore based company which provides domestic solutions to a discerning clientele world-wide. He has had a long and varied career in service and truly understands what it takes to run a household smoothly and efficiently for maximum peace of mind.

Lowrey, who grew up in Cambridge, England, began his career in service to British royalty. He has worked in five star hotels, served aboard the QEII, and owned and operated his own tea shop in Cambridge. After 66

graduating from the prestigious Ivor Spencer International Butler School in Sydney, Lowrey served as Head Steward aboard a 345 ft yacht privately owned by a Saudi businessman who served as an advisor to the king. After many adventures he settled in the United States where he worked as a butler for one of Maryland’s most prominent families.

In 1998 Lowrey left his position to start Precise Home Management to address a lack of resources he saw for both homeowners and domestic staff. Today, Precise Home Management is a leading Domestic Staffing Agency and Consultancy, thanks to Lowrey’s vast knowledge of domestic affairs, his attention to detail and his dedication to total satisfaction.

1007 North Calvert Street, Baltimore MD, 21202 410.659.9200 Office

410.659.9202 Fax

What distinguishes Precise Home Management in the field of domestic staffing is Lowrey’s thorough and painstaking assessment of his clients’ needs. Once he has carefully screened applicants and run detailed background checks on them, he personally oversees their training and is on hand to ensure their seamless introduction into the clients’ home. Whether an estate manager or a housekeeper, a chauffer or a private chef, Lowrey guarantees the suitability of his placements; if a client is dissatisfied with a placement Precise Home Management will find a more appropriate candidate quickly and at no additional charge.

Lowrey has even been known to step in himself, once acting as a chauffer until a suitable applicant could be found and trained. As well as sourcing and placing qualified domestic professionals, Precise Home Management offers in-home training and education for new or existing staff.

For the busy homeowner Precise Home Management provides many home organizational services. Lowrey, drawing on his years of experience in Estate Management will personally draw up detailed protocols for each staff member of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly duties as well as detailed lists of all the employers preferences, from what scents to avoid to the exact placement of pillows on a chair.

Lowrey will personally oversee the implementation of all protocols in order to en-

maintenance; proper care of couture; use of different cleaning equipment, materials and ecological products; care of antiques; protocol for interacting with family and sure a smoothly run household. He also guests; hospitality; and how to properly offers Household Manuals and Directo- answer the phone and take messages. All ries, which list all pertinent information applicants will take personal instruction regarding the house, its contents and its from Lowrey, with additional lessons from occupants. Invaluable for insurance purspecialists and profesposes, these directories are also an unsional instrucparalleled tool for keeping track of tors in varithe demands of a busy family. This ous fields. year, in a long awaited development, Whether Precise Home Management will be you have a working with Alternet Home Inforlive-in staff of mation Systems, a company which 20 or a single housesince 1997 has worked with the keeper, Andrew Lowrey and Precise Home world’s most prestigious families Management have the tools, expertise and and their estate staffs. Together, Pre- experience to take the worry and stress out cise Home Management and Alternet of training and managing your domestic can create web-based communication, help. Good help, it turns out, is a phone information and management tools for call away. private estates, with services and software for the management and display of fine art collections, facilities, libraries, travel planning, estate architecture, garden and grounds management, and more.

Ever forward looking, in the fall of 2010 Precise Home Management, in addition to continuing to offer in-home training will open a Housekeepers Training Academy.

Lowrey has seen an increasing need for better educated staff as fewer people today are properly trained in the arts of domestic service. The intensive week course will cover, among other things: wardrobe

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By Roland Flamini

D

ante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Titian, Vivaldi, we think of them as Italians, but were they?

True, they shared a common language (more or less), and in many respects, a common culture. Yet it was only 150 years ago that the separate parts of the Italian jigsaw — the different kingdoms, principalities, republics, and occupied territories that made up the peninsula — were slotted together to create one nation. And unification came at a price in bloodshed as Italian patriots fought foreign and domestic oppressors.

Like the child of a wealthy family, Italy was born into a rich cultural heritage stretching back to the Middle Ages and beyond, making it — in the words of Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, Italy’s ambassador to the United States, “a cultural superpower.” Diplomatic Connections interviewed the ambassador in the massive Italian embassy — which itself evokes a medieval structure — and asked him firstly, what being Italian meant to an Italian: Ambassador Terzi: We are a relatively young country compared to the other major European nations; but in a sense Italy was already a country for many centuries before getting its birth certificate on 17 March, 1861. Our culture and our history cannot be viewed separately. Just think of the very birth of Italy: our nation’s defining moment can be read through the making of Verdi’s Macbeth and its third act’s “oppressed people in 68

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H.E. Giulio Terzi, Ambassdor of Italy to the United States

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revolt against the tyrant” chant, first written in 1847 and then in its 1862 libretto after Italy’s unification. Even small places like La Scala can change the course of history of an entire people. There is a strong identity factor in the way Italians look at themselves, both in Italy and abroad, and this has not been overwhelmed by globalization. On the contrary, the social network reaffirms our culture. We are a nation of communicators, the principle of dialogue is a strong element in the Italian mentality.

A few weeks ago, I was watching a politically heated debate on an Italian television channel and a very prominent Italian businessman said, “Well, when we consider the image of Italy, what’s really important is the daily activity of millions of Italians spread around the world.” That makes Italy a global country, a cultural superpower in a way. Consider that presence in the United States: For instance, according to the National Science Institute there are 15,000 Italian scientists in America, either visiting or permanently here. Among them are the 70 physicists from Italian universities working at Fermilab in Illinois, trying to answer questions like: What is the universe made of? Where did it come from?

Diplomatic Connections: To date, what do you think has been Italy’s greatest achievement? For example, what about Italy’s post-war recovery, which became known as the Economic Miracle.

Ambassador Terzi: Ah yes, the Economic Miracle: The rate of growth of our industrial production between 19501960 was 42 percent, and that was initiated and supported by a unique example of trans-Atlantic cooperation — the Marshall Plan. It was also thanks to the steady hand and economic social policy of great Italian leaders at the time, like (Alcide) De Gasperi and (Luigi) Einaudi. They were confronted with a country totally destroyed by war — and also the moral destruction caused by the complete subjection of the Fascist regime to the Nazi regime. So there was at the same time the economic recovery and the moral recovery, the restoration of a political conscience, a strong and very balanced constitutional charter. And then you see Italy’s continued development, up to the point of becoming a major player in security issues around the world, a strong member of the Atlantic Alliance, and protagonist on the world stage.

Diplomatic Connections: How would you characterize the current state of U.S - Italian relations?

Ambassador Terzi: It’s a very strong partnership, I’d say a special partnership, although I know that this word has a 70

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particular connotation. It’s a partnership which reflects across the board consultation on the most difficult issues: we have shown ourselves capable of strong responses, and of being capable to contribute in the field in concrete terms.

A year ago, just prior to the review on Afghanistan, President Obama called Prime Minister Berlusconi to check whether Italy was ready to increase significantly its contingent,

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and the answer by my prime minister was immediately and without conditions a commitment to increase the force: we were among the first two countries to increase the contingent in a more significant way from 3,000 to 4,000 people, a very specialized and qualified force, experts for training, the Carabinieri and so on. And it was very much appreciated.

Afghanistan is a key concern for the security of both our countries, and we consider our participation as a national priority in terms of the security of Italy.

But there are many other aspects of this cooperation: for example, we are members of the same inner circles, the G8 and also the G20. We see eye-to-eye on matters of macro-economic policy, the necessity to find a strong way towards a sustained recovery, to re-launch employment; there is a commonality of objectives and reasons between Rome and Washington.

There’s also understanding on strengthening the euro monetary zone. There is all this debate going on among commentators, journalists, and experts about the euro, but there’s less debate at the political level. The conviction that

Atrium inside the Embassy of Italy in Washington, D.C.

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the future of the euro is not only promising but a future which must be guaranteed for the stability of the international financial system is something which has gained a lot of ground here in Washington. It is reinforced by what is happening in Brussels and the thinking in member countries of the European Union. The European conclusion on financial stability in Europe, and also world financial stability is: yes, the euro is there to stay.

Diplomatic Connections: Many of those commentators you just mentioned, however, insist that the eurozone’s problems are far from over, and the crisis now facing Ireland and Greece could — for different reasons — extend to other member states, possibly Spain, Portugal, and also Italy.

Ambassador Terzi: The European leaders have reinforced the Union’s stability mechanism. They are ready to use more resources to resolve the crisis; they are acting through the use of bonds guaranteed by the Euro Area Member States. This for the “technical” strategy for defeating the speculation, and stabilizing the area. But there is a very basic factor which is perhaps stronger than these measures. The creation of the

H.E. Giulio Terzi, Ambassador of Italy to the United States

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European Union has always moved forward, never backward.

It has stalled, it has faced difficulties, it has been a long term process which has always improved.

When you look at the last 30 years, there has been a sequential improvement of tools and the willingness to be stronger in political coordination and foreign security policy, but also in economic and fiscal coordination. In the last decade, compared with the previous decade, all the indicators point to very considerable improvement of the eurozone: inflation reduced by more than 30 percent and growth, although modest has been considerably higher in the last decade in comparison to the previous one. The high birth rate of small and medium enterprises — and this regards very much Italy — compared to the last decade, and so on. All these indicators show that the euro was an extraordinary achievement and an economic idea which has been working. We don’t have to forget that the euro crisis was determined by something which happened outside, not within, the eurozone.

Diplomatic Connections: But it’s been said that while the euro itself was a good idea, it didn’t have the structure to confront the eventual crisis, when the crisis arrived.

Ambassador Terzi: Eurozone governments did demonstrate a reaction capability which, maybe at the beginning was not as fast as my country would have wished, but once undertaken came up with a very strong determined strategy.

It is true that the many hundreds of millions of dollars or euros required in order to stabilize the financial markets are very strong figures, but if we look at the size of the American debt, we are looking at numbers and ratios which are even more dramatic than the problems of the eurozone. We are facing similar challenges to our economies, and that’s a fundamental reason to cooperate in reinforcing our currencies and our financial stability. We tend to be more optimistic than inclined to make self-fulfilling prophecies.

Diplomatic Connections: The new European Union economic recovery mechanism has shifted more control of the economies of individual member states to Brussels.

How do you feel about that?

Ambassador Terzi: More power to Brussels is an easy slogan, and when we look at the Lisbon Treaty there is no doubt that Brussels institutions have been reinforced — but 74

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it has been done democratically, with attention paid to the European citizen’s right to a say in the decision making process, and we are very happy about that. The founding members who inspired the philosophy of the European Union were not necessarily all of them federalists, but the philosophy of the union has always been to move from free trade, free movement of capital, free movement of people, goods, to something much more sophisticated and politically relevant reflected in stronger institutions. It is a plus.

Diplomatic Connections: You spoke earlier of the global reach of the Italians, and possibly nowhere is this truer than in the United States, where there is a very large community of Americans of Italian extraction. What kind of interaction is there between the embassy and the ItalianAmerican community?

Ambassador Terzi: The relationship of Americans of Italian descent with our embassy and our cultural organizations goes very deep, and is very important. Italians who are making a contribution to the U.S. are really the best representatives of our country. Italian-American organizations show their tremendous generosity whenever there is a major tragedy in our country, such as the Abruzzo earthquake.

Now these ties are strengthened because a quota of members of the Italian parliament is elected by and from among Italians residing abroad — of course, Italian citizenship is a pre-condition.

Here is an example of the embassy working together with the Italian-American community on an issue. A year ago, the College Board dropped Italian from the advance placement subjects. That Italy should be excluded was a great disappointment to my government. When I came to Washington, prominent members of the Italian-American community advised me that my first objective should be to bring back the teaching of Italian to the advance placement, and then we started a true campaign with the enormous help of the major Italian-American organizations, but also major Italian companies and my government. Last November, I had the great satisfaction in New York to sign the contract with the College Board to reinstate the Italian language.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Ambassador Terzi. n

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T

he Italian word “brio” means verve or flourish, and that’s the way Italy is celebrating the 150th anniversary of its unification. The actual date on “Italy’s birth certificate” — as Ambassador Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata calls it — is March 17, 1861, but the Italians are marking the event throughout the year both at home and abroad with a program of cultural and other activities — concerts, movies, discussions, and, of course, opera.

In the United States, Italy@150, a series of Italy-related events celebrate the anniversary in style. At Harvard’s Sanders Theater, for example, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras are staging a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Macbeth, an opera that became a metaphor for the Risorgimento, the struggle that led to unification; the famous Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles is showing the uncut version of “Il Gattopardo” (The Leopard), director Luchino Visconti’s film version of the best-selling novel set in Sicily in the politically charged 1860s; in San Francisco, the Italian Cultural Institute is exhibiting historic documents from the public libraries of Rome and Naples.

Linked to the anniversary program in Washington is a major exhibition at the National Gallery of Art called “Canaletto and His Rivals,” portraying the splendor of 18th century Venice by the master himself and some of his leading contemporaries. While a unified Italy may be younger than the United States, its component parts each have long and distinguished histories of their own, and none more than Venice, as Ambassador Terzi pointed out in a recent interview with Diplomatic Connections. His comments on Venice, the National Gallery exhibition, and the role of culture in diplomacy — “Venice is a landmark of Italy’s extraordinary cultural reality, but also a city which reflects so vividly the enormous cultural heritage of my country. Venice is not just a city with a historic past; it is also a contemporary laboratory of ideas, of studies, political thinking, and even science events. For the Italians Venice is a dream.”

On the National Gallery Exhibition: “The intensity of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Italian unification will be reflected in the next few weeks through the important exhibit of “Canaletto and His Rivals,” to be seen at the National Gallery of Art thanks to the support of important Italian donors, and firstly the Bracco Foundation, the new foundation for the arts of an

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important pharmaceutical company in Italy and the United States.

“Canaletto and His Rivals” represents a key point in Venetian artistic history, the 18th century. Canaletto has an amazing professional and artistic story which is very well reflected in the 21 canvases and 34 other works by himself and the other leading painters of his period, Bernardo Bellotto, his nephew, who started in the Canaletto workshop, then the others, Vanvitelli, Marieschi, and especially Guardi. So this exhibit is not only a study of 18th century painting and artistic life in Venice, but is also an original approach to comparing the tension between the artists, and how, out of that tension emerged the techniques of these artists. They are evidence of the extraordinary vitality of the Venetian culture in the 18th century, but also the vitality of the city, which is still so much involved in culture through the Film Festival, the Biennale — and which is also a candidate for becoming in 2019 the

European Capital of Culture.”

On the role of culture in diplomacy: “I would say it has a dominant role, not just in promoting exhibits, artists and so on, but as a key element of soft power in the relations among states. The more we refine the tools of diplomacy the more we understand how dominant is the concept of soft power relationships between countries. Culture in terms of communication of ideas, of being more understood by one’s interlocutor, as a key element of peace processes, and the attempt of our world to find stability and security. Working in Washington, for instance, a good part of my time is dedicated to being active in discussions with universities, think tanks on various issues, foreign policy and security issues but also issues which have to do with political thinking, philosophy, social and humanities — in the noble sense, the thought of our time.” n

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JEWEL “I believe that as an artist I have the opportunity and a responsibility to use my voice to support a cause,” declares the singer Jewel.

So many other celebrities feel the same way these days that there’s a constant traffic of stars to Capitol Hill to focus congressional attention on their causes. A sampling of what these “celebvocates” had to say in Washington in 2010 reflects the wide range of issues — and the degree of their engagement.

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Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images for Virgin Mobile USA

By Mark Kennedy

Singer-songwriter Jewel Kilcher (2R) walks near Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Jewel experienced homelessness while a teenager in San Diego, California.

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SHERYL CROW “My little boy is worried about flushing the toilet. We’re already starting, at two-and-a-half. He already knows not to flush the toilet unless, you know, you have to.

We were brought up to shut off the water when we were brushing our teeth, only run the dishwasher when it was stuffed, never took 45-minute showers.” Singer SHERYL CROW press conference on the Hill on water conservation.

Singer Sheryl Crow speaks on the Hill on the topic of water conservation in Washington, D.C.

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ALEC BALDWIN “No, that’s bull——.” ALEC BALDWIN, on being asked in Washington about reports that he is thinking of running for U.S. Congress.

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BEN AFFLECK “Basically I am here today because I believe in the Congolese people, and I believe in the power of the American people to effect change when they set their minds to it.

I started out with the relatively modest view of getting people to listen to me...I was shocked at the lack of focus and cohesion on the part of the various sectors who were meant to be making it better.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is on the tipping point right now; it can very easily fall back into chaos, or it can move forward into recovery. The United States has a critical role to play. We need to refocus on urgent priorities.� Actor BEN AFFLECK speaking at a Center on Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) conference on crucial Congolese elections this year.

Above: An officer of the World Food Programme (WFP) verifies the registration of the residents of the camp of the internally displaces persons (IDPs) for eligibility to receive food rations distributed by the WFP and an international non-governmental organization, CARITAS. Left: Children in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDP).

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Actor Ben Affleck (second from right) with members of the United Nations Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) Press and Information Office (PIO), and the Disarmament, Demobilization, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (DDRR) office, during a sensitization campaign targeting the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR) based in the east of the country.

Young Masisi village children are pictured after performing traditional dances and songs for a visiting delegation in the Congo.

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Television host and comedian Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” listens to a question as he testifies on US farm workers before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugee, Border Security and International Law on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2010.

STEPHEN COLBERT [Working for one day as an immigrant farm worker] “gave me some understanding of why so few Americans are clamoring to begin an exciting career as seasonal immigrant farm workers. For one thing, when you’re picking beans you have to spend the whole day bending over. It turns out — and I did not know this — most soil is at ground level. If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we make the earth waist-high. Come on, where’s the funding?” Comedian STEPHEN COLBERT testifying before the House Sub-committee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security on behalf of the immigrant farm workers.

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Actor and environmental activist Kevin Costner arrives to testify before the US House Homeland Security Committee September 22, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. A full committee hearing convened on the Department of Homeland Security’s leadership in disaster planning and response related to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. The hearing, entitled DHS Planning and Response: Preliminary Lessons from Deepwater Horizon, will be an opportunity to examine the department’s preparation and authority in carrying out its incident management role as well as its responsibilities under the National Response Framework as the coordinator for all agencies involved in a federal response effort.

KEVIN COSTNER “This is what our end of the Gulf looks like to our neighbors. But what do we see when we reverse the picture? When we look off the coasts of Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil. It begs the question — how good is their spill response plan? Do they even have one? Is it possible that we think the Gulf is so big, so vast that what happens somewhere else doesn’t matter? That it is not our problem? I don’t believe for a second that this committee feels that way. But if there is someone out there that does, then I would ask them to look at Cuba...Cuba still only sits 90 miles of the coast of Florida. Seven deep water wells have been slated for exploration in 2011 and 2012...What will be their response if something goes wrong? Is it too big a leap to think that we could have oil on the level of a Deepwater Horizon moving uncontrollably toward Florida and up our eastern seaboard?” KEVIN COSTNER testifying on the Gulf oil spill before the House Committee on Science and Technology.

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UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran

Ibrahim Gambari (right), Joint Special Representative for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), meets Sudanese refugees who have settled outside an UNAMID team site in Khor Abeche, South Darfur, since fleeing violence in their native villages last December. UNAMID is providing water and security to the community while urgent humanitarian relief is requested.

MIRA SORVINO “Khartoum has to be stopped. We have to save these people. It is our moral responsibility as United States citizens and citizens of the world. It must not be tolerated a

Sudanese women from Kassab Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Kutum, North Darfur, venture out to collect firewood. They were escorted by South African peacekeepers of the African UnionUnited Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), as the women IDPs often fear being raped by rebel fighters or criminals when they leave their homes.

second longer. Let us live up to the promise of what Senator Proxmire devoted his entire being to enact.

Let us not have the blood of insuffi-

UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran

cient action on our hands. Let us be In El Fasher, North Darfur, staff members of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) march alongside Sudanese women for “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence,” an annual campaign held between theInternational Day to End Violence Against Women (25 November) and Human Rights Day (1 December).

the moral leaders that we know we can be, and let us save the people of Darfur. Actress MIRA SORVINO, a goodwill ambassador for Amnesty International, testifying before the House Subcommittee on Darfur.

Debebe

Refugees in the Zam Zam Camp for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the Darfur region of the Sudan.

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Academy Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino

A young man sits within the “children-friendly space” at Abu Shouk Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp near El Fasher, North Darfur, and engages with the displaced children.

A group of children inside Abu Shouk Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp, North Darfur, Sudan.

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Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), a member of the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and actress and advocate Jennifer Garner attend a call for increased investment in early childhood education press conference at the Rayburn House Office Building on June 24, 2010, in Washington, D.C.

JENNIFER GARNER “People who have guns have a lot to say about the fact that they have guns, but people that have little kids aren’t advocating for their little kids cause they’re too busy just getting through every day. Parents just expect politicians to do the right thing and put money in the right places.

But that isn’t happening.” Actress JENNIFER GARNER at Capitol Hill press conference on children’s education.

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ASHLEY JUDD “I am here to tell you, mountaintop removal coal mining simply would not happen in any other mountain range Actress and philanthropist Ashley Judd

in the United States. It is utterly inconceivable that the Smokies would be blasted, the Rockies razed, the Sierra Nevadas flattened...The fact that the Appalachians are the Appalachians makes this environmental genocide possible and permissible...Ancient, life giving, a perfectly complete enclosed loop of life and economy, the preciousness of these mountains is a natural endowment that should be treated as sacred. Instead, they are being blown to smithereens.� ASHLEY JUDD at a National Press Club press conference on open face mining on the Appalachian Mountains.

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Below: A large AIDS ribbon is mounted on the façade of the UN Human Rights Office’s Palais Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, in a campaign to fight discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. Every 30-Swiss-Franc donation illuminates one light towards efforts to fight discrimination.

Above: This Tanzanian woman’s husband recently died of AIDS, leaving her alone to take care of their five children. She has received some help from WAMATA, a local NGO assisting people with HIV/AIDS and their families. WAMATA is an acronym for the Kiswahili name “Walio Katika Mapambano na AIDS Tanzania” or “People in the Fight agains AIDS in Tanzania.”

Women and their children wait to see a doctor in a clinic in Uganda.

Two AIDS orphans on the grave of their parents inside their house near Gikongoro, Rwanda.

Since the death of their parents, the children have had to take care of themselves.

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A 14-year-old girl with HIV at the Hospital Sainte Croix in Leogane, Haiti.

A woman with AIDS in Mzuzu District, northern Malawi.

Actress Debra Messing

DEBRA MESSING “I saw firsthand that the U.S. government’s investment in HIV/AIDS is working, and we can all be proud that the U.S. government’s support for programs like male circumcision and HIV counseling and testing is very strong in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. But although we have and utilize effective HIV prevention tools and strategies, data from UNAIDS indicates that the epidemic continues to grow, so we need to broaden the use of those tools and strategies, and we need to invest in learning and doing more of what works.” DEBRA MESSING to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommitee on Africa and Global Health.

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MARYTYLER MOORE “I wish I could say that I am happy to be here but meaning no disrespect, I’m not. You see, I’ve had juvenile diabetes for more than 35 years now, and I’m tired of it. I sincerely wish I didn’t have to come back, year after year, to seek your help — but I do.

I have to, for myself, for everyone with diabetes, and most especially for the beautiful and courageous children who are here with me today.” Actress MARY TYLER MOORE lobbying for funding for juvenile diabetes research before the Senate Committee on Left to right: Actress Mary Tyler Moore, Dr. Griffin Rodgers, Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and singer Nick Jonas during Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The four tesified on living with type 1 Diabetes.

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Homeland Security and Government Affairs.

GEENA DAVIS “I was the first woman president of the United States. So, I have some authority on this issue.”

GEENA DAVIS, star of the television drama “Commanderin-Chief,” at a hearing on women’s rights before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights.

Actress Geena Davis addresses reporters after meeting with US Senator Dick Durbin,D-IL, November 18, 2010, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Davis was on the Hill to call attention to women’s rights.

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Antonio Maria Costa (right), Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), introduces Mira Sorvino, Oscar-winning actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador on human trafficking on the occasion of the launch of a global report on human trafficking.

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he United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) presented Acad-

emy Award-winning actress, humanitarian and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino with the Global Advocate of the Year Award in December of 2010. It was befitting that Ms. Sorvino was recognized for her perpetual dedication to unceasingly pursuing the eradication of the volatile crime of human trafficking. She’s engaged DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS B U SINESS e d i t i o n | M a r c h - A p r i l 2 0 1 1

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) meets with Mira Sorvino, actress and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human Trafficking, at his meeting with key players from the creative community in Los Angeles, California.

UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Mira Sorvino, Oscar-winning actress, at the launch of a global report on human trafficking with Antonio Maria Costa, UNODC Executive Director.

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her celebrity in a proactive and influential fashion by assisting in bringing not just national, but international attention to the trafficking of women and children worldwide.

Sorvino was appointed as a United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Goodwill Ambassador on human trafficking in February of 2009 when a global report on this endeavor was launched. As custodian of this position, she has been successful in influencing Hollywood producers and directors to give ear to this cause and truly make an impactful difference. With Ms. Sorvino being at the helm of this awareness project, she has proven to be industrious. In just two years she has ambitiously and successfully achieved bringing monumental attention to the mission of no longer allowing the world to ignore this great human injustice to an entire population of people taken

captive and used as sex slaves.

Applauding Ms. Sorvino’s efforts in battling this ruthless crime where more than 2.4 million people are entrapped, the UN press corps in New York quoted UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov in his expression of gratitude towards this celebrity who seems to demonstrate traits in her character that are altruistic and extraordinarily selfless: “Human trafficking is a complex problem, and the challenges remain daunting. But all over the world, momentum is growing to stop this shameful violation of human rights and human dignity. Mira Sorvino has made an enormous contribution to this momentum. Her work onscreen and off has lent a voice to the voiceless.”

Unwaveringly, Sorvino has been charitable and generous with her time, efforts and lending her star power for a cause greater than herself. Her impassioned spirit and focused objective have driven and motivated world governments to get involved in this undertaking. This celebrity displays the poise and dignity of a true diplomat and it was more than apropos that she received this award. n

Mira Sorvino, UNODC Goodwill Ambassador to Combat Human Trafficking, at a meeting with key players from the creative community in Los Angeles, California.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and his wife, Yoo Soon-taek (centre), attend the 15th Annual United Nations Correspondents Association Awards - December, 2010. Seen here with (from left to right) Giampaolo Pioli, President of UNCA; John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project and Mira Sorvino, Academy Award-winning actress and UNODC Goodwill Ambassador.

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H.E. Kim Beazley, Ambassador of Australia to the United States

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mbassador Beazley comes to diplomacy by way of 27 years in Australian politics, 13 of them in cabinet posts, including a long period as Australia’s Minister of Defense. As Canberra’s man in Washington, he represents the interests of one of America’s staunchest and most consistent allies, with troops from Oz in Iraq first, and now Afghanistan, and — going back a bit — in Vietnam. He says January’s devastating floods in Queensland were unusual for their sheer scale, but at the same time “routine enough for us to be certain that during the wet season, there’ll be floods.” In his office in the landmark modern Australian chancery on Massachusetts Avenue, he discussed the visit to Washington in March of Julia Gillar, Australia’s first woman prime minister, in the context of Australian-American relations.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the actual state of Australian-U.S. relations?

Ambassador Beazley: Very good. It’s a bond which has been evolving. Its biggest component is military and intelligence and it revolves round that. But the day-to-day relationship tends to press more towards diplomatic issues rather than defense issues which are much more rooted and tend to roll through at their own rhythm.

Diplomatic Connections: When you say diplomatic issues what are you referring to?

Ambassador Beazley: For example, the reporting in relation to the recent unrest in Egypt. That’s not an issue between Australia and the United States. But Australia needs information, and Washington is a huge global information base, so therefore we have to engage them. Closer to home, the area that is most critical for Australia is the Far East, described as Asia Pacific by some, East Asia by others. So the character of the relationship between the United States and

By Roland Flamini

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Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, during a briefing meeting on Oct. 2, 2010, at International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan.

the individual nations in that region and how the U.S. relates to the region collectively is important to us. It’s a constant theme for us in Australia to try to push the priorities in American foreign policy towards that area.

The happiness, prosperity and strength of the United States is in Australia’s national interest, so we take a pretty strong view that when we offer advice to our mountainous colleague — as we approach Gulliver from Lilliput — anything that we say is motivated from the point of view that we want them to succeed as a result of suggestions that we make.

Diplomatic Connections: What is the purpose of Prime Minister Gillard’s visit to Washington in March?

Ambassador Beazley: Generally speaking when the prime minister turns up, particularly for a first visit, in discussions that she has with the president they just roll out the full complexity of Australia’s relationship with the U.S.: all the things that interest us in connection with the relationship will be out there on the table.

Diplomatic Connections: One of those issues, of course, is Australia’s military presence in Afghanistan. Is there a time-frame around Australia’s deployment, or does it remain open-ended?

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Ambassador Beazley: We have several activities in Afghanistan: most prominent among them is the operations of our special forces, and the operation associated with training a brigade of the Afghan national army. We expect the training activity per se will take from two to four years to properly train that brigade, and then we expect to go into a period of over watch, which has not been defined, but in Iraq it had been about a year. There’s been no statement on what the character of the engagement would be after that. The time table is applicable to the training exercise only.

Diplomatic Connections: How do you think the Afghanistan conflict will end?

Ambassador Beazley: With discussions. It always does, and one hopes the discussions go well. All wars end with discussions, having hopefully in the interim given them the best possible chance for a reasonable system to work for the Afghan people, and the best possible capacity to defend themselves and arrange their own security, and given them the best chance — if they care to take advantage of it — of a decent government, and the best chance for effective internal policing.

Diplomatic Connections: The Afghan engagement is not very popular in European countries, but seems by and large to be accepted in the U.S. — so far. What is the public sentiment in Australia?

Ambassador Beazley: I would say there’s a very similar attitude as the U.S. Give people their druthers and they’d rather not be at war, but they also want a reasonable outcome, and they’re also conscious of the association between what was previously in Afghanistan and terrorist threats to Australia. These are not hypothetical threats; they’re real.

Australians have been killed in South East Asia by people trained in Afghanistan, and the view of an outcome in Afghanistan in which that type of activity does not take place there is regarded in Australia as essential.

Diplomatic Connections: The economy: The Europeans are having their problems; the United States is in slightly better shape. Yet, Australia is enjoying an economic boom.

Four percent growth, five percent unemployment. How much of this is due to Australia’s trade with China?

Ambassador Beazley: We are a producer of massive resources for which the region we live in is desperately hungry.

Not just China: our exports to the Association of South East Asian Nations are almost as big as to China. Then you’ve got Japan and South Korea. If you combine trade figures with business figures, the relationship that we have with the United States comes up close to the Chinese relationship.

In mutual Australian-American ventures — business here by

Australians, business there by Americans - it’s about US$900 million, and the mutual Chinese-Australian business is $90 million. China is around tenth in foreign investments in Australia, though they’re very rapidly rising: there’s more Chinese investment in Australia than there is in the United States. Still, there are about 9,000 Australian companies doing business in the United States, including two Australian banks among the 20 biggest banks in the United States.

Australia has huge sums of money under management — about $1.7 trillion, the fourth largest sum of money under management in the world, and that will go up over the next decade to over $4 trillion. They can’t place that money in Australia, so fund managers are very interested in what’s happening elsewhere.

Diplomatic Connections: Some believe that the Chinese economic boom is a bubble destined to burst. What is the feeling in Australia about that?

Ambassador Beazley: It’s not something we can influence.

The Chinese manage their own affairs, and they manage them pretty well, but we have a diversified export base, although China is a powerful component of it.

Diplomatic Connections: How is Australia perceived in the United States, and where do you see Australia in the global context in, say, the next 20 years?

Sydney, Australia

A Royal Australian Regiment (para) soldier on foot patrol while conducting an International Security Assistance Force mission in Uruzgan.

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Ambassador Beazley: I was defense minister during the Cold War, and we had important joint facilities in Australia to the United States that were quite critical to the American strategic deterrent, so we had quite a bit to talk about. But you’re conscious that in the sweep of the Cold War, you’re a backwater. The Cold War was focused on Europe, to a degree North Asia, and the Middle East. Southeast Asia, and Australia south of Southeast Asia, was a backwater.

But now, as American geo-strategic thinking changes, Australia, rather than being a backwater is the southern tier of the focal point of the global political system, which is the Asia Pacific, and it will be forever. So there’s a real shift in the value of Australia to the United States as an ally. So where is Australia going — hopefully doing good things better and better, and keeping a constant eye on the requirement we have

Melbourne, Australia

to modernize ourselves in a political and regulatory way.

Diplomatic Connections: Thank you, Ambassador Beazley. n

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Image from Invitation to fundraiser, courtesy of the Embassy of Australia.

Large areas of Australia remain significantly affected by the devastating impact of major flooding and Cyclone Yasi. Flooding in the state of Queensland was amongst the worst in living memory with three quarters of the state, more than twice the size of Texas, being declared a disaster zone.

The Embassy of Australia raised $70,000 for the Disaster Relief Appeal at a fundraising event on February 4. The appeal was established to assist the thousands of people affected by the floods and Cyclone Yasi. The funds have been used to provide basics like clothes, food and other essentials people need, as well as to assist families with back-to-school expenses.

The Embassy of Australia has been touched by the support shown by the people of the United States, many of whom contacted the Embassy directly to offer their condolences and to ask how they can contribute.

More information, including how to donate to the appeal, is available at www.qld.gov.au/floods. Donations can also be made through the Australian American Association which is a section 501 (c)(3) public charity (http://www.americanaustralian.org/en/art/1265/).

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By Meghan Lawson

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(L-R) Russell Crowe, Oprah Winfrey and Danielle Spencer (Russell Crowe's wife) sail on the Sydney Harbour on December 13, 2010, in Sydney, Australia. Oprah Winfrey was in Australia with 302 audience members from the U.S., Canada and Jamaica and taped episodes of the 25th and final season of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' from the Sydney Opera House while there. The shows aired in the U.S. and Australia in January 2011.

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Harpo Productions, Inc./Getty Images

hat happens when the world’s most famous television show host is bitten by the travel bug?

Maybe she chooses to vacation at a five-star resort, or she invites a few friends along for the ride, or she contacts some local heavyweights to show her the sights.

For most celebrities, this amounts to a normal vacation. But Oprah Winfrey doesn’t do normal. Instead, when Ms. Winfrey decides to travel to a far-flung destination, her mantra is simple: go big, or go home.

And in Australia, Ms. Winfrey definitely went big.

In December, the television icon and her entourage touched down in Australia for an eight-day sightseeing marathon that had the media mogul crisscrossing the country from the Great Barrier Reef to Uluru to the Sydney Opera House dubbed the Sydney “Oprah” House

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Oprah Winfrey (3rd R), Australian actor Russell Crowe (2nd R) and his wife Danielle Spencer (4th R) sail on the yacht 'Eagle Rock' on Sydney Harbour as part of her whirlwind tour Down Under on December 13, 2010.

Winfrey, age 56, was in Australia for a week to film her four-part 'Ultimate Australian Adventure' show.

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Oprah Winfrey poses with Chef Curtis Stone on December 8, 2010, on Hamilton Island, Australia.

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during her stay — all the while taping four episodes for her television show. In tow, Ms. Winfrey brought along 18 tons of filming equipment, more than 200 support staff, and 302 of her show’s most loyal fans.

In turn, thousands of Australians, from celebrity chefs to government ministers, kicked preparations into overdrive to ensure the trip was unforgettable not only for the television icon, but also for the millions of viewers who tune into her program weekly — some 40 million in the United States alone.

Ms. Winfrey’s visit, officially billed as “Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure,” was announced during an episode aired on September 13, the first day in her twenty-fifth and final season of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Actor John Travolta and representatives from Tourism Australia joined Ms. Winfrey for the surprise announcement.

“I started to think about where would I most want to go.

Maybe I should take all of you with me to the other side of the world. We’re going to Australia!” the host said, sending her audience into hysterics.

No stranger to extravagant giveaways, Ms. Winfrey’s Australia invitation rivals her Pontiac sedan stunt in 2004, in which she presented cars to all 276 members of her audience. The Paley Center for Media in New York rated that stunt, with a price tag of $7 million, as the greatest TV surprise ever.

In the land down under, Australians found themselves awash in “O fever” throughout December, with the daytime star and her guests popping up everywhere from the sandy beaches of Hamilton Island off the coast of Queensland to vineyards in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley. Speaking before a crowd of thousands in Melbourne’s Federation Square, the talk show host declared, “I’ve never seen a welcome like this in my life.”

The attention surrounding Ms. Winfrey’s visit reached a fever pitch in Sydney, where she taped two episodes in front of 6,000 fans at the landmark Opera House. Several main streets were blocked off for the event, which also featured appearances from homegrown talents like actress Nicole Kidman, musician Keith Urban and actor Russell Crowe.

Hugh Jackman, the Aussie actor of X-Men fame, made a dramatic appearance by zip-lining onto the stage and injuring his eye. Although the cameras briefly stopped rolling, Jackman continued with his interview after sharing a

glass of red wine with Ms. Winfrey onstage.

With her trip coinciding with severe flooding in the state of Queensland, Ms. Winfrey also used her platform to highlight the plight of flood victims. “”I was sorry to arrive in this country and hear about all of the devastation happening with the floods. But I know that you’re open-hearted, big-hearted, giving people,” she said while speaking in Melbourne along with Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

For its part, the Australian government hopes Ms. Winfrey’s celebrity clout — she recently topped Forbes Magazine’s Most Powerful Celebrities list — will provide a much-needed boost to the country’s tourism industry, which accounts for 2.6 percent of overall gross domestic product.

In fact, federal and state governments footed nearly AUS $6 million of the trip’s bill using taxpayer money. This was in addition to sponsorship from Motorola and Chevrolet.

“Oprah is a household name and her star power has the potential to lift Australia’s profile as a premier tourist destination,” stated Australia’s Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson.

Alan Joyce, Chief Executive Officer of Qantas Airways, shared similar views.

“This is the best investment I think we’re ever going to make for advertising and tourism in Australia,” he said, while also announcing that Qantas would provide flights for Ms. Winfrey and her entourage both to and within the country — a total of nearly 90 flights.

With the Australian dollar appreciating by nearly 20 percent since mid 2010, the country has experienced a sharp drop in the number of tourists visiting from the U.S. and Europe.

Meanwhile, travelers leaving the country’s shores are now exceeding arrivals by 1.2 million, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Ms. Winfrey, whose production company also put a reported $7 million towards the extravaganza, told reporters she is confident of the positive effect her visit will have on exposure and tourism. “It is immeasurable what four hours of a love festival about your country, broadcast in 145 countries around the world can do.”

“I have named myself the unofficial ambassador for Australia and I have a big mouth and a big platform,” she said after criticism was raised about the use of taxpayer dollars.

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Jay-Z and Oprah Winfrey applaud during the first taping of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010, in Sydney, Australia. 12,000 audience members were selected from 350,000 applicants to participate in two tapings of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House.

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Hugh Jackman glides along a high wire prior to injuring his eye on landing during the second taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010, in Sydney, Australia. 12,000 audience members were selected from 350,000 applicants to participate in two tapings of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House.

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Bono kisses Oprah Winfrey's hand during the second taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010, in Sydney, Australia.

Oprah Winfrey interviews Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman during the second taping of the “Oprah Winfrey Show” at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010, in Sydney, Australia.

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Oprah Winfrey (3rd L) shares the stage with US rocker Jon Bon Jovi (2nd L) and his band during the filming of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010. Winfrey, age 56, named herself as Australia's new ambassador to the world, saying her visit Down Under would reap huge rewards for Australia's image and its tourism coffers.

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The ultimate effects of the “Australian Adventure” remain to be seen. While some are still criticizing the millions spent by federal and state tourism agencies – local media even likened it to a royal or papal visit – others are worried that Australia will not be able to live up to the near-flawless picture of the country painted by Ms. Winfrey.

“Any U.S. tourists on tight budgets who follow Oprah’s siren call to come down may well feel they haven’t got quite what they were sold,” wrote Sydney Morning Herald columnist Sally Morrell at the end of Ms. Winfrey’s visit.

“The problem is that Oprah didn’t just get five-star treatment during her six-night stay in Australia, she got 10 stars,” she continued.

By contrast, Australian officials are confident their investment in Ms. Winfrey’s visit will reap rewards — eventually. “I think the big thing is that this won’t deliver everything in a month or six months or 12 months — it will deliver a lot in the next five years,” said Andrew McEvoy, Tourism Australia’s managing director, after “Oprah’s Ultimate Australian Adventure” episodes had aired before millions in January.

Ms. Winfrey’s ability to sell almost anything she puts her name to has amounted to what marketing experts call the “Oprah Effect.” In fact, online travel giant Expedia reported a 25 percent week-on-week increase in Americans searching for Australian hotels during the week the Oprah Show episodes were aired. The company also experienced a 163 percent increase in Americans searching for travel packages Down Under during the same period.

According to government and industry officials, this is only the tip of the iceberg in what promises to be millions in added revenue for Australia.

If nothing else, however, the hysteria surrounding Ms. Winfrey’s Down Under experience solidifies the pioneering talk show host as the undisputed queen of popular media. n

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View of the magnificent lobby at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, located at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Wilshire Boulevard. For information, contact Chris Gleeson-Director of Diplomatic Affairs Phone: 310-858-2381 Email: chris.gleeson@fourseasons.com View of Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills Presidential Suite Master Bedroom

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View of the Penthouse Library at the Four Seasons Hotel New York, rising over Manhattan’s premier shopping and business district, between Park and Madison Avenues. For information, contact Joni Rose Jankie, Director of Diplomatic Affairs Phone: 212-350-6609 Email: joni.rose.jankie@fourseasons.com DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS B U SINESS e d i t i o n | M a r c h - A p r i l 2 0 1 1

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April 29, 2011, has been scheduled as the date for the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in central London.

Look for the next edition of DIPLOMATIC CONNECTIONS for full coverage of this historical and monumental event.

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Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton pose in the Cornwall Room in St James’s Palace on November 25, 2010, in London, England. This photo was released by Clarence House Press Office on December 11, 2010, as one of the official portrait photographs for the engagement of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton.

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H ome to Princes, Presidents and New Yorkers alike.

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Look past the monuments and the museums and you’ll find one of the nation’s top hospitals.

Located just three miles from the nation’s capitol is another national treasure — Washington Hospital Center. With 1,600 dedicated physicians, the Hospital Center is a leader in the research, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and neurological disease, cancer, endocrine disorders, kidney disease, and geriatric and respiratory care. All this plus convenient services like valet parking make a trip into the city well worth your while.

For an appointment with an experienced specialist, call our International Services office at (202) 877-2102.

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