2009.02.18: February 18, 2009: Headlines: COS - Indonesia: Diplomacy: Expansion: AP: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Peace Corps operations expected to resume in Indonesia after a long absence

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Indonesia: Peace Corps Indonesia: Peace Corps Indonesia: Newest Stories: 2009.02.18: February 18, 2009: Headlines: COS - Indonesia: Diplomacy: Expansion: AP: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Peace Corps operations expected to resume in Indonesia after a long absence

By Admin1 (admin) (141.157.5.164) on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 - 9:01 am: Edit Post

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Peace Corps operations expected to resume in Indonesia after a long absence

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Peace Corps operations  expected to resume in Indonesia after a long absence

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, is the second stop in Clinton's inaugural overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat. She said that was "no accident," with the trip designed to show support for the country's hard-won democracy as well as its efforts to fight terrorism while respecting human rights. Steps were already being taken to improve relations, she said, announcing at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda that Peace Corps operations were expected to resume here after a long absence. Peace Corps volunteers last served in Indonesia from 1963 until 1965. They were expelled after leftists accused them of being spies. Clinton also indicated that more development aid was on the way. Indonesia, often held up as a beacon of Islamic democracy and modernity, has personal ties for President Barack Obama, who spent four years here as a child. Among those who turned out at the airport to welcome Clinton were 44 children from his former elementary school, singing traditional folk songs and waving Indonesian and U.S. flags. Clinton smiled and swayed to the music. "I bring greetings from President Obama, who has himself said and written about the importance of his time here as a young boy," Clinton said. "It gave him an insight into not only this diverse and vibrant culture, but also the capacity for people with different backgrounds to live harmoniously together." Wirajuda agreed, saying, "We have proven here democracy, Islam and modernity can go hand in hand."

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announces Peace Corps operations expected to resume in Indonesia after a long absence

Clinton seeks to improve US image with Muslims

By MATTHEW LEE – 1 hour ago

Caption: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, left, walks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda prior to their meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Clinton is continuing the Obama administration's efforts to rehabilitate America's image abroad, especially with Muslims, during a visit to Indonesia that began Wednesday. AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton pledged a new American openness to ideas from abroad, especially the Muslim world, during a visit Wednesday to Indonesia.

Anti-U.S. protests were held in several cities, with some Islamic hard-liners setting tires on fire and others throwing shoes at caricatures of Clinton, but the rallies were small and scattered.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, is the second stop in Clinton's inaugural overseas trip as the top U.S. diplomat. She said that was "no accident," with the trip designed to show support for the country's hard-won democracy as well as its efforts to fight terrorism while respecting human rights.

Steps were already being taken to improve relations, she said, announcing at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda that Peace Corps operations were expected to resume here after a long absence.

Peace Corps volunteers last served in Indonesia from 1963 until 1965. They were expelled after leftists accused them of being spies.

Clinton also indicated that more development aid was on the way.

Indonesia, often held up as a beacon of Islamic democracy and modernity, has personal ties for President Barack Obama, who spent four years here as a child. Among those who turned out at the airport to welcome Clinton were 44 children from his former elementary school, singing traditional folk songs and waving Indonesian and U.S. flags.

Clinton smiled and swayed to the music.

"I bring greetings from President Obama, who has himself said and written about the importance of his time here as a young boy," Clinton said. "It gave him an insight into not only this diverse and vibrant culture, but also the capacity for people with different backgrounds to live harmoniously together."

Wirajuda agreed, saying, "We have proven here democracy, Islam and modernity can go hand in hand."

Though most of the country's 190 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith, public anger ran high over U.S. policy in the Middle East and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush administration, fueling a small but increasingly vocal fundamentalist fringe.

The militant group Jemaah Islamiyah has carried out a series of suicide bombings targeting Western interests in Indonesia since 2002, killing more than 240 people, many of them foreign tourists. But experts say a crackdown has severely weakened the movement; the last attack occurred more than three years ago.

Security was tight for Clinton's visit, with 2,800 police deployed in the capital along with members of the army, according to local police. Witnesses saw scattered protests and at least five people were detained by police following a rowdy rally by 200 Muslim university students in front of the U.S. Embassy.

Some protesters sets tires on fire in a city on the capital's outskirts and others screamed "Hillary is terrorist."

One of Clinton's goals in Indonesia is to stress the growing importance of a region that often felt slighted by the Bush administration.

She visited the Association of Southeast Asian Nations secretariat on Wednesday, where she signaled U.S. intent to sign the regional bloc's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

Clinton also plans to pledge to attend the group's annual regional security conference, U.S. officials said. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice skipped the ASEAN Regional Forum twice during her four years in office, to the dismay of the region.

Development, climate change, the Iranian nuclear dispute and the war in Afghanistan were also on the agenda during Clinton's meetings with Indonesian leaders.

During Clinton's first Asia stop, in Japan, her two days of talks focused mostly on North Korea's belligerent rhetoric and threats of a missile test, and on the global financial crisis. After Indonesia, she travels to South Korea and China, where North Korea is again likely to dominate her meetings.





Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: February, 2009; Peace Corps Indonesia; Directory of Indonesia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Indonesia RPCVs; Diplomacy; Expansion





When this story was posted in February 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers RSS Feed

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register

PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Date: December 2 2008 No: 1288 PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director
Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

Director Ron Tschetter:  The PCOL Interview Date: December 9 2008 No: 1296 Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview
Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

Jan 24, 2009: RPCVs March in Inauguration Date: January 25 2009 No: 1309 Jan 24, 2009: RPCVs March in Inauguration
Peace Corps Community marches in Inaugural Parade 20 Jan
Jane Albritton writes: Memories of Maury Albertson 18 Jan
Sarah Chayes writes: Failing Afghanistan 15 Dec
Volunteers in Guinea are Safe 23 Dec
Jim Walsh reflects on 20 years of service 28 Dec
Public service in Driehaus' blood 3 Jan
An Interview with Kathleen Stephens 3 Jan
Robert P. Cristo returns to Nigeria 4 Jan
Sarah Holt makes 2,663-mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail 5 Jan
Zophia Kneiss is metal sculptor 11 Jan
Harris Wofford is Godfather of National Service 12 Jan
Melanie Edwards founds Mobile Metrix 14 Jan
Jody Olsen Named PC Acting Director 16 Jan
Lawrence Leamer writes: Obama betrays the Peace Corps? 18 Jan
George Packer writes: Obama's Inaugural Address 20 Jan
Obama going to do something great for Peace Corps 21 Jan
John Bridgeland writes: Volunteer to Save the Economy 22 Jan
Foy Spicer writes: Electricity as a scarcity 23 Jan
Carl Pope to Step Down as Sierra Club Chief 23 Jan
James Rupert writes: US Missile Attacks Kill 15 24 Jan
Jeffrey Tayler writes "Murderers in Mausoleums" 25 Jan
Read more stories from January 2009 and December 2008.

Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Date: October 23 2008 No: 1279 Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own
Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

PCVs Evacuated from Georgia Date: August 19 2008 No: 1254 PCVs Evacuated from Georgia
The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: AP

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Indonesia; Diplomacy; Expansion

PCOL42859
76

By pastor (212.49.78.179) on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - 3:37 am: Edit Post

Greetings to you all. I am looking for an opportunity to Minister the Gospel around the world. If you could be there and wish to do a conference etc. you can always contact me for other arrangements. Am also requesting if someone could sponsor my wife to study a Medical Health Recording course of which she failed last year due to lack of campus fee. God bless you as you do that. Colosssians 3:23.

Best regards,

Pastor
Nairobi Kenya
kennblessed@gmail.com
+254720968638


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: