C1-C4_FSJ_0410_COV:proof 3/16/10 5:40 PM Page C1 DNA TESTING FOR IMMIGRANT VISAS? ■ THE MEANING OF COURAGE $3.50 / APRIL 2010 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L STHE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS HANDS ACROSS THE SEA The Foreign Service Helps in Haiti C1-C4_FSJ_0410_COV:proof 3/16/10 5:40 PM Page C2 01-16_FSJ_0410_FRO:first 3/19/10 4:18 PM Page 3 OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S CONTENTS April 2010 Volume 87, No. 4 F OCUS ON The Foreign Service Role in Haiti A COMPASSIONATE AND COMPETENT RESPONSE / 17 The work USAID and State have done in Haiti following the Jan. 12 earthquake shows why they should take the lead in disaster response. By J. Brian Atwood RELIEF EFFORTS RESONATE IN WEST AFRICA / 21 Naval personnel from three West African nations took part in the Cover and inside illustration relief effort as part of a U.S.-African military program. by Ben Fishman By Benjamin East PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 Two Important Blueprints for ECHOES OF GRACE / 24 Labor-Management Collaboration The local staff who form the backbone of Embassy Port-au-Prince By Susan R. Johnson saw their society literally disintegrate in seconds. By Michael Henning SPEAKING OUT / 14 DNA: The Future of ‘THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME’ / 27 Immigrant Visa Processing Embassy Santo Domingo has played a special role By Simon Hankinson in the disaster relief efforts in neighboring Haiti. REFLECTIONS / 72 By Team Santo Domingo Courage By Elisabeth Merton TALES FROM THE FIELD / 33 Hundreds of AFSA members from around the world are responding to the crisis in Haiti. Here are some of their stories. LETTERS / 7 By Steven Alan Honley CYBERNOTES / 10 BOOKS / 63 REMEMBERING THOSE WE HAVE LOST / 45 One Foreign Service officer, the wife and two children of an FSO MARKETPLACE / 64 and at least six Foreign Service Nationals were among the casualties. INDEX TO By Susan Brady Maitra ADVERTISERS / 70 APRIL 2010/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 3 OREIGN ERVICE CONTENTS FJ O U R N A L S EWS Editor AFSA N STEVEN ALAN HONLEY Senior Editor AMB. LIMBERT DRAWS CAPACITY CROWD AT BOOK SIGNING / 49 SUSAN B. MAITRA USAID SURVEY RESULTS / 49 Associate Editor SHAWN DORMAN EWS RIEFS GGELER N B / A / 50 AFSA News Editor STATE VP VOICE: OWN YOUR FUTURE / 51 FRANCESCA KELLY Ad & Circulation Manager USAID VP VOICE: THE TRUE CHALLENGES ED MILTENBERGER FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATOR / 52 Art Director CARYN SUKO SMITH LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: THE FEDERAL BUDGET / 52 Advertising Intern FCS VP VOICE: GOOD NEWS / 53 JOSERELDA BOON RETIREE VP VOICE: CONNECTING WITH COLLEAGUES / 53 Editorial Intern JENNIFER THOMPSON FAS VP VOICE: UPOROUT (PART 1) / 54 EDITORIAL BOARD OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS / 55 TED WILKINSON Chairman OREIGN FFAIRS AY F A D / 55 MAY G. BAPTISTA TEN YEARS AT AFSA: CHRISTINE WARREN / 58 JOSEPH BRUNS STEPHEN W. B UCK SINCLAIRE LANGUAGE AWARD WINNERS / 59 JULIE GIANELLONI CONNOR JEFF GIAUQUE CLASSIFIEDS / 60 MARY E. GLANTZ D. IAN HOPPER GEORGE JONES LYNN W. R OCHE RIMA J. VYDMANTAS THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS PROFESSIONALS Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is published monthly with a combined July-August issue by the American Foreign Service Associa- tion (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Material appearing herein represents the opin- ions of the writers and does not necessarily rep- resent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal sub- scription: AFSA members – $13 included in an- nual dues; others – $40. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. Indexed by Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). The Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply the endorsement of the services or goods offered. TELEPHONE: (202) 338-4045 FAX: (202) 338-8244 or (202) 338-6820 E-MAIL: [email protected] WEB: www.afsa.org; www.fsjournal.org © American Foreign Service Association, 2010. Printed in the U.S.A. Send address changes to: AFSA Attn: Address Change 2101 E Street N.W. Washington DC 20037-2990 Printed on 50-percent recycled paper, of which 10 percent is post-consumer waste. 4 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/APRIL 2010 PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Two Important Blueprints for Labor-Management Collaboration BY SUSAN R. JOHNSON Two important sets of pol- high-quality services. A fol- ment the strategy and how these can be icy documents that deserve low-up memo from the co- leveraged with existing resources; (4) a more attention than they’ve chairs lays out guidelines for discussion of management reforms that gotten have emerged from the establishing the forums. could improve outcomes; and (5) met- Obama administration’s first That brings me to the sec- rics to assess outcomes. year. I spotlight them here not ond set of blueprints, which The budget’s number-one strategic only because they reflect the are related to the Obama ad- goal is to build civilian institutional ca- administration’s underlying ministration’s international af- pacity — not just by seeking significant strategic vision, but because they also fairs budget request for Fiscal Year increases in Foreign Service personnel, focus on how it should be implemented. 2011, now on Capitol Hill. The details but also in terms of getting and devel- Taken together, they offer AFSA some of that submission are certainly impor- oping the right skills to meet the chal- real opportunities. Let me explain. tant, but Secretary of State Hillary Rod- lenges we face. Lew calls for “judicious President Barack Obama’s recent ex- ham Clinton’s memo of June 1, 2009, in decisions regarding the ways in which ecutive order on labor-management re- which she set forth guidance for prepa- security requirements impede our abil- lations (E.O. 13522) establishes a ration of the budget, is arguably just as ity to facilitate diplomatic and assistance National Council on Federal Labor- significant. activities” and for improving manage- Management Relations co-chaired by In that document, the Secretary em- ment and oversight capacity. John Berry, director of the Office of phasizes that the budget request should Taken together, these two sets of pol- Personnel Management, and Jeffrey be a blueprint for strategic vision, prior- icy documents offer real opportunities Zients, deputy director of the Office of ities and our means of achieving them. for AFSA to embrace the strategic vi- Management & Budget. Its overarch- While we face a complex array of sion underlying the executive order, by ing goal is to support agency partner- threats, we can meet them by using the working with OPM and OMB to estab- ships and cross-agency learning for “talent of our people, well-reasoned lish the forums and make them a more productive labor-management relations. policies, strategic partnerships and the productive team effort. The executive order requires all ex- strength of our principles.” In the process, we can build on the ecutive departments and agencies Deputy Secretary of State Jacob historically productive partnership be- whose employees are represented by a Lew’s companion memo points out that tween AFSA and the management of labor organization to establish Labor- tackling these challenges will require State and the other foreign affairs agen- Management Forums. Among other strong partnerships and institutions, as cies to strengthen our institutional ca- things, the LMFs are tasked with de- well as new thinking about how we de- pacity, develop the professional skills re- veloping “a limited number of mission velop and implement programs and op- quired to meet the challenges before us, linked or process-improving perform- erate at all levels. He identifies five and balance our security requirements ance goals” and to support the changes elements that should characterize the with the achievement of our mission. needed to enable agencies to deliver budget: (1) goals and expected results; I welcome your specific suggestions (2) a strategy to achieve these goals and on how to use the Labor-Management Susan R. Johnson is the president of the how these align with other efforts under Forum to achieve these goals; please American Foreign Service Association. way: (3) the resources needed to imple- send them to [email protected]. ■ APRIL 2010/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 5 01-16_FSJ_0410_FRO:first 3/22/10 2:11 PM Page 6 LETTERS Cover the Dissenters Work after the Foreign Service,” was vised Explosive Device Defeat Organ- Congratulations to AFSA President particularly useful. I read it cover to ization. In the process, I have devel- Susan Johnson on her editorial in the cover. oped a rather unique expertise in February Journal on the subject of dis- I had to come to terms with life after foreign disclosure, technology transfer, sent and how to make it meaningful the Foreign Service earlier than most, munitions licenses, official and unoffi- again. I particularly agree that “taking both because I was selected out after cial foreign visitor controls, antiterror- dissent seriously is essential.” 18 years of service (1981-1999), and be- ism/force protection, international While there are probably many ways cause I was only 43 years old — far agreements, liaison with foreign em- to highlight the importance of con- from age 50, when I would have re- bassies, etc. structive dissent, there is one obvious ceived an immediate annuity. (I will re- To me, this career direction was a first step we can take: changing the way ceive a “delayed annuity” at age 62.). logical choice for a political officer in- we handle the dissent awards in our It seemed fruitless to file a griev- terested in the Department of De- own magazine.