PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 HOW THEY SEE US 10 YEARS AGO IN HAITI TEACHING DIPLOMACY TODAY FOREIGN SERVICE January-February 2020 Volume 97, No. 1 Cover Story Focus on How They See Us 25 32 Teaching Outside Observers See the United States Diplomacy Today in Ways We Ourselves Cannot This comprehensive look at The views of well-informed foreign observers can offer a welcome counterpoint post–Foreign Service opportunities to the extreme ups and downs of Americans’ own assessment of our nation in academia includes first-person and its role in the world. insights into advantages and perils, By Alexis Ludwig advice on the how-tos, and more. By Jillian Burns and Mark C. Storella 37 Keeping the Relationship Special Don’t underestimate the importance of continued U.S.-U.K. collaboration, a senior British diplomat says in reviewing his trans-Atlantic experience. By Patrick Davies Feature: The 2010 Haiti Earthquake 41 Working with the United States: A View from Panama Not without hiccups, U.S.-Panama 48 ties can become stronger A Night to Remember with frank and open discussion, On Jan. 12, 2010, a sunny a former ambassador to the afternoon turned into a nightmare. United States observes. America’s deputy chief of mission By Jaime Alemán in Haiti shares his record of the first hours of the catastrophe. By David Lindwall 45 Hope for a Renewed Partnership in the Americas 54 A Bolivian diplomat reflects on more than two decades of Tremblement! personal experience dealing The USAID mission director with the United States. in Haiti at the time of the earthquake reflects By Jaime Aparicio Otero on the disaster and its aftermath. By Carleene Dei THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 5 FOREIGN SERVICE Perspectives Departments 7 101 10 Letters President’s Views Reflections A Year of Challenge The Day the 12 Talking Points and Opportunity (Ambassador to the) 88 In Memory By Eric Rubin Music Died 9 By Larry Mandel 94 Books Letter from the Editor How They See US By Shawn Dorman Marketplace 21 Speaking Out 96 Classifieds Truth and Honor 98 Real Estate By Harr y Kopp 100 Index to Advertisers 92 102 Off-Road with Local Lens the Foreign Service India A Hippo Encounter By Yulong Wang By Peter Kennett AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION 57 AFSA Welcomes Launch of 62 AFSA Panel: U.S. Diplomats 57 Diplomacy Museum, as the First Line of Defense President Eric Rubin Joins Board 62 Ásgeir Sigfússon Named 58 State VP Voice—Professional Executive Director of AFSA Liability Insurance: Peace of Mind 63 “Next Stage” Panel: in a Troubled Time Post–Foreign Service Careers 59 USAID VP Voice—Get Ready … for Diplomatic Security Agents Get Set … Hire! 63 AFSA Governing Board Meeting 60 Where We Stand—The Foreign Service 64 Support AFSA’s Legal Defense by the Numbers Fund 61 What the Hatch Act Means for You 64 AFSA Plants Cherry Tree in 61 Mike Calvert of FCS Joins Memory of COO Russ Capps AFSA Governing Board 65 2019 AFSA Tax Guide 61 Sue Bremner Joins AFSA Labor Management as USAID Adviser On the Cover—How They See Us: image by Dennis Harms/TheiSpot.com. Haiti Earthquake: photo by USAID/Kendra Helmer. 6 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS A Year of Challenge and Opportunity BY ERIC RUBIN s the dramatic year of 2019 subpoenaed from overseas. And State the members of the U.S. Foreign Service, draws to a close, I want to also agreed to provide some funding to bring to the table. update AFSA’s members on defray legal costs for those testifying. What do we ask? That our patriotism, Awhat our professional associa- In addition, we confirmed that the sacrifice and dedication be recognized tion and union has done and what we are Legal Defense Fund can accept money and respected. That our commitment doing to support and defend our mem- from outside donors to pay the attorney to nonpartisan, nonpolitical service be bers and our Foreign Service. fees of FS members. taken for what it is: a solemn oath to We have all witnessed the cour- AFSA’s Legal Defense Fund has duty, honor and country. age and patriotism of our colleagues raised hundreds of thousands of dollars As we move into the new year, AFSA who were subpoenaed to testify before to contribute to legal costs for our mem- will continue to support our members the House of Representatives in the bers who have been called to testify. We and our Service. We will continue our impeachment hearings. None of us, are optimistic that none of our members efforts to defend individual members least of all those who were required to who have had to testify will need to pay who may be called to testify in impeach- testify, welcomed this challenge. We out of pocket for the enormous costs of ment proceedings. are nonpartisan, nonpolitical public legal defense. At the same time, we will work servants who carry out our work and And we have used this unwelcome to advance our larger interests: full uphold our oath to the Constitution. crisis as an opportunity to focus atten- congressional funding for international But when the time came, U.S. diplomats tion on the work of the women and men engagement and foreign assistance. And made us proud. Our fellow Americans of the Foreign Service at a time when we will address critical issues affecting saw the best of our Service and the best some of our most basic assumptions Foreign Service members of all ranks, of our nation. have come under question. from policies supporting families with We at AFSA have been working hard We are the U.S. Foreign Service. We special needs children to efforts to to defend and support our colleagues serve our country and advance its inter- ensure that tandem couples are able to who have been caught up in this battle. ests across the globe. We loyally carry out serve together overseas. We will address We successfully negotiated with State the policy of the elected leaders of our the concerns of specialists. Department management to ensure country, in good times and in bad. We We will continue to advocate with that there will be no retaliation against and our family members pick ourselves management and on the Hill for ade- those who complied with congressional up and move to every corner of the quate staffing at our overseas missions. subpoenas. We secured permission for globe, to places that sometimes are scary We will work hard to ensure that Foreign our members to accept pro bono repre- and unhealthy and unsafe. Service members have the opportunity sentation, which otherwise would have At this very challenging time for our to serve overseas to advance our national been prohibited. country and our Service, we must con- interest, as well as develop their careers. Another positive tinue to carry out our mission and stay We will push for additional focus on development was true to the oath that we all took to the diversity, and the need to ensure that that State agreed Constitution. America needs experi- our Foreign Service truly represents to support travel enced, qualified diplomats to defend its America. orders, per diem interests. There is no substitute for the We want to hear from you. Please let and official time years of knowledge, experience, lan- us know how we can better represent for those who were guage expertise and dedication that we, you in these difficult times.n Ambassador Eric Rubin is the president of the American Foreign Service Association. THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 7 FOREIGN SERVICE Editor-in-Chief, Director of Publications Shawn Dorman: [email protected] www.afsa.org Senior Editor Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected] Managing Editor CONTACTS Kathryn Owens: [email protected] AFSA Headquarters: ADVOCACY Associate Editor (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 Director of Advocacy Cameron Woodworth: [email protected] State Department AFSA Office: Kim Greenplate: [email protected] (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 Publications Coordinator USAID AFSA Office: BUSINESS DEPARTMENT Dmitry Filipoff: [email protected] (202) 712-1941; Fax (202) 216-3710 Director of Finance and Facilities Business Development Manager— FCS AFSA Office: Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] Advertising and Circulation (202) 482-9088; Fax (202) 482-9087 Manager, HR and Operations Molly Long: [email protected] Cory Nishi: [email protected] GOVERNING BOARD Controller Art Director President Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] Caryn Suko Smith Hon. Eric S. Rubin: [email protected] Member Accounts Specialist Editorial Board Secretary Ana Lopez: [email protected] Alexis Ludwig, Chair Ken Kero-Mentz: [email protected] Hon. Robert M. Beecroft Treasurer COMMUNICATIONS Daniel Crocker Virginia L. Bennett: [email protected] Director of Communications Joel Ehrendreich State Vice President Ásgeir Sigfússon: [email protected] Harry Kopp Thomas Yazdgerdi: [email protected] Manager of Outreach and Internal Jess McTigue USAID Vice President Christopher Teal Communications Jason Singer: [email protected] Joe Tordella Allan Saunders: [email protected] FCS Vice President Vivian Walker Online Communications Manager Hon. Laurence Wohlers Jay Carreiro: [email protected] Jeff Lau: [email protected] Dinah Zeltser-Winant FAS Vice President Awards and Scholarships Manager Michael Riedel: [email protected] Theo Horn: [email protected] Retiree Vice President THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS John K. Naland: [email protected] MEMBERSHIP PROFESSIONALS State Representatives Director, Programs and Member Engagement The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), Joshua C. Archibald 2101 E Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is Christine Miele: [email protected] published monthly, with combined January-February Matthew Dolbow Coordinator of Member Relations and Events and July-August issues, by the American Foreign Service Holly Kirking Loomis Ashley Baine: [email protected] Association (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization.