Public Affairs Section

Versión en español

The Public Affairs Section is the public affairs branch of the U.S. Department of State, previously known as USIS. Through cultural, educational and informational activities, its Press and Cultural Affairs Offices explain and support U.S. policies, and promote U.S. interests using a broad variety of programs.

James Foster
Acting Counselor for Public Affairs

The Cultural Affairs Office Promotes appreciation for the cultures of both nations. It co-sponsors and develops a broad irange of cultural activities, such as art exhibits and musical presentations, with academic, public and private institutions. Under its artistic program it presents activities sponsored by the U.S. government. It organizes analytical programs in current events with the participation of U.S. cultural specialists. Through its international visitor program, every year it sponsors and facilitates visits to the U.S. of between 3,000 and 5,000 professionals from the public and private sectors, from all over the world. The summer institutes program is designed for academics with experience as professors on subjects dealing with American studies. The Information Resources Center was established to support the objectives and programs of the Public Affairs Section, offering trustworthy information about U.S. policies, federal legislation, and social subjects. The Center supports other Embassy sections as well. Through its products and services, the Center tries to fill the nformation needs of a select audience, thus contributing to greater understanding of U.S. policies and the intellectual context in which they are developed. The Center maintains a small library and takes advantage the new technologies and telecommunications for reference service. The Information Resources Center produces "For Your Information", a bimonthly alert service which includes abstracts of documents and articles in U.S. newspapers and journals, covering arts, science and technology, politics, international relations, economics, education, and environmental issues. This service is also sent by e-mail approximately every two weeks, depending on the availability of new documents on the Internet. The Information Resources Center also publishes "EAS", a quarterly list of economics-related articles in English and Spanish in subjects of current interest, including the environment, economic policies, trade, and business administration. The Fulbright Commission offers information on studying in the U.S., and related financial information. In Cali and Medellin this information is found at the Student Counseling Offices of the Centros Colombo-Americanos (binational centers). Each Centro Colombo-Americano in Colombia, besides teaching English, offers a bilingual library containing information about English teaching; English language programs in the U.S.; schools, universities, and summer camps in the U.S.; about the exams required for admission to U.S. colleges and universities; tourist information about the U.S. and its major cities; as well as conferences, exhibits and other cultural activities.

The Press Office Monitors Colombian press and other media, provides U.S. Government public diplomacy documents in current events; assists local and foreign media in Colombia; prepares press briefings, interviews, and press bulletins. Produces press bulletins, news services, press documents, speeches, transcriptions, fact sheets, etc. Also includes material received through the Washington File, whose large data base is available for research. Biweekly electronic journals, are edited and published for distribution in Colombia. Radio services include distribution, to stations throughout the country, of musical, scientific and cultural information, originating from the Voice of America. Television services include a broad colection of educational videos from the public interest station, Worldnet. Periodically it produces teleconferences with U.S. experts, in current interest social, economic, scientific, artistic or technical areas, on the public interest station, Worldnet. James Foster Press Attaché Switchboard: (571) 315-0811 383-2613 - Press Office 383-2560 - Press bulletins 383-2625 - Electronic Journals 383-2624 - Videos, Voice of America, Worldnet U.S. news services, magazines and newspapers

Cultural Affairs Office: 315-2201, 383-2627

Fax: 315-2208

Information Resources Center: 315-2131