Several elements have been integral to ensuring immediate relief to the worst-hit areas in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr. They were the preparation before the cyclone and the U.S. Embassy's rapid response afterwards; USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance; and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, working in tandem with other international donors and nongovernmental organizations. The response has now shifted into early recovery and planning for longer-term rehabilitation and reconstruction. On December 13, at 9 a.m. EST (1400 GMT/2000 Dhaka), please join Chargé d'Affaires ad Interim Geeta Pasi and members of the embassy staff, who will answer questions about the U.S. interagency effort to provide aid to Bangladesh in the wake of Cyclone Sidr. This is an opportunity to ask questions of those who have seen both the devastation and cooperation firsthand -- and to discuss "transformational diplomacy" in action. Geeta Pasi joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1988 after working as an institutional financial market researcher in New York City. In Washington, she was a member of the secretary of state’s advance team and managed the secretary’s overseas travel. She was also desk officer for Afghanistan from 2001 to 2003. Before arriving in Bangladesh, she served as deputy principal officer at the American Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany. She also has served in Cameroon, Romania, Ghana and India. She speaks French, Hindi, Romanian and German. If you would like to participate in this webchat, please sign up on the USINFO Webchat registration page. Please tell us your preferred screen name; use of full names is not required. If you have participated in one of our previous webchats, use the same e-mail. (You no longer need to enter a password.) You may submit questions in advance. We accept questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during, the program. You may also e-mail questions without registering. The transcript of this webchat will be available on USINFO's Webchat Station, where information about upcoming webchats is also available. |
