Reference no: EM133647503
A Letter to the United States' Department of State in WASHINGTON, D.C.
Let's do some role playing. You have been selected as a special advisor of African Affairs in the U.S. State Department. The Secretary of State wants a report from you explaining the challenges and issues both historical and contemporary of Africa's geography. Policy recommendations are welcome as well. He is also considering appointing you as the United States ambassador to an African nation.
Your constant aim is to maintain, expand, and foster an understanding of politics and economic development, conflict management and resolution, and issues of governance and institutions of the African continent. Moreover, emphasis must be based on a foundation of understanding Africa's peoples, cultures and languages. Since the African continent is massive, a "regional" approach is suggested. Africa is certainly not one size fits all kind of continent. In considering both historical and contemporary aspects of political life, United States policy seek to illuminate the ways in which Africans at the national, community and individual level interact with a changing global environment - and vice versa.
Here is the Bureau's Mission statement:
Our Mission
The Department of State's Bureau of African Affairs is focused on the development and management of U.S. policy concerning the African continent. The Administration's Africa Strategy, signed by the President, focuses on three core objectives:
1. Advancing trade and commercial ties with key African states to increase U.S. and African prosperity;
2. Protecting the United States from cross-border health and security threats;
3. Supporting key African states' progress toward stability, citizen-responsive governance, and self-reliance.