Ambassador Raymond Joseph Haiti Sees Glimmer of Hope Amid Despair by Larry Luxner For the first time in eight years, desperately poor Haiti has an ambassador in Washington. And in a lengthy interview with The Washington Diplomat, that ambassador is warning lawmakers that if Congress doesn’t do something quickly to jump-start Haiti’s economy, the United States will face a massive refugee crisis in its own backyard. … To that end, Joseph says he enthusiastically backs the Haiti Economic Recovery Opportunity (HERO) Act. This bill proposes to give Haiti’s 8.5 million inhabitants the same U.S. trade advantages as those provided under C well as the Dominican Republic, which shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola wiAFTA to six Central American nations asth Haiti. Ambassador Kishan S. Rana Former Indian Diplomat Says Ambassadors Are More Relevant Than Ever in Global Affair by John Shaw In an interview with The Washington Diplomat, Kishan S. Rana, a former senior diplomat in India’s Foreign Service, said ambassadors should recognize that revolutions in transportation and communications have fundamentally changed their jobs and is convinced that embassies are now more important than ever. Embassies, Nations Give Generously To Help Victims of Hurricane Katrina by Larry Luxner At the Canadian Embassy, dozens of staffers led by Ambassador Frank McKenna spent all day Sept. 7 conducting a telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims. By day’s end, the embassy raised more than $20,000 in donations to the Red Cross. Clinton Global Initiative Raises Billion Dollars in Pledges, Produces Lively Debate’ by Sean O’ Driscoll At New York’s Sheraton Hotel, the first-ever Clinton Global Initiative delivered very dramatic results. The three-day conference earned more than $1.25 billion in pledges to help four key global problems: poverty, religious strife, climate change and bad government. Also See: Many Blame United States For Stopping U.N. Reform As Oil Prices Rise, Resources Drop,Companies Considering Renewable Energy by Alan B. Nichols The sharp spike in gasoline prices, particularly after Hurricane Katrina, has triggered charges that oil companies are engaged in price gouging and enjoying windfall profits at the public’s expense. Bangladesh Donates to Katrina Relief As It Battles Terrorism, Extremism at Home by Michael Coleman Of all the world’s inhabitants, few can empathize as deeply with the victims of Hurricane Katrina as the people of Bangladesh.

Culture Section Check out the arts section for the latest in museum exhibits, dance, theater and much more. Congressional ‘Ambassador Trips’ Connect Diplomats With Americans by Sanjay Talwani Twenty years ago, when U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley decided to invite ambassadors on a trip to his home state of Iowa, many of the diplomats were less than awestruck. From Breast to Prostate Cancer: Learning More About Genetic Links by Gina Shaw If you’re a woman whose m other, grandmother or sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at a relatively early age, you probably are all too aware that you may be at an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer yourself. But what if you’re a man with a strong family history of breast cancer? Does it affect you? It might, if that family history is linked to a genetic mutation. October 2005 Hotel Insert Best List Covers Luxurious, Unique Hotels by Christine Cubé The Washington Diplomat’s Best of Hotels list includes many distinguished and eclectic properties, known for the big and little things that make each hotel special. Superb Service, Unique Dining Concepts Elevate Hotel Restaurants by Vanessa LaFaso Whether it’s through conceptual menus and décor, marketing strategies or just plain good service, many hotel restaurants are raising the bar and exceeding the expectations of guests and local residents alike. Foggy Bottom, Dupont Circle Home to Many Elegant Yet Affordable Hotels by Carolyn Cosmos There are many creative yet cost-effective options in the city, but the convenient Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom areas of Washington, D.C., close to the State Department and White House, offer a number of interesting possibilities. Here’s a look at a few of them. Hotel Meetings for Unique Groups Require Creativity, High Level of Service by Christine Cubé Washington’s hoteliers are seasoned veterans when it comes to hosting unique, often random, gatherings. Wine tastings? Easy as pie. Star Wars junkies or Japanamation conventions? They don’t even bat an eyelash. Also See: Embassies Often Turn to Area Hotels for Receptions