The Foreign Service Journal, January 2011

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OREIGN ERVICE FJ O U R N A L S CONTENTS January 2011 Volume 88, No. 1

C OVER S TORY

MICRODIPLOMACY IN AFGHANISTAN / 20 The experience of a Provincial Reconstruction Team working in Kapisi province shows the great potential of local engagement. By Matthew B. Arnold and Dana D. Deree

F EATURES

THE U.S. AND LIBYA: NORMALIZATION OF A STORMY RELATIONSHIP / 26 The recent improvement in relations with Tripoli suggests some larger foreign policy lessons. Cover photo by Jim DeHart By David L. Mack

A TALE OF TWO PARKS / 30 A retired FSO and native New Yorker takes the measure of a bustling provincial capital in modern China through the prism of Central Park. PRESIDENT’S VIEWS / 5 By Richard L. Jackson Time for the Foreign Service HAITI: STRENGTH AMID DESOLATION / 35 Reserve Corps A year after the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake, Haiti continues to endure By Susan R. Johnson more than its share of hardships. But efforts to rebuild continue, as well. SPEAKING OUT / 14 By Christopher E. Goldthwait Welcoming the Disabled APPRECIATION / 39 to the Foreign Service A Visionary and Activist for the Foreign Service: By Michael Bricker Stephen Low, 1927-2010 LETTER FROM By Kenneth L. Brown THE EDITOR / 18 By Steven Alan Honley REFLECTIONS / 68 Our Little Secret By Regina Landor

LETTERS / 7 CYBERNOTES / 10 MARKETPLACE / 12 BOOKS / 42 INDEX TO ADVERTISERS / 66

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OREIGN ERVICE CONTENTS FJ O U R N A L S

AFSA NEWS Editor STEVEN ALAN HONLEY Senior Editor AMB. JACK MATLOCK DISCUSSES COLD WAR DISTORTIONS / 49 SUSAN B. MAITRA A Q&A WITH OPM DIRECTOR JOHN BERRY / 49 Associate Editor SHAWN DORMAN NEWS BRIEFS / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR / 50 AFSA News Editor AMY MCKEEVER VP STATE: PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS WHILE MAINTAINING Ad & Circulation Manager HIGH STANDARDS / 51 ED MILTENBERGER Art Director VP RETIREE: WHAT’S AHEAD IN 2011 / 52 CARYN SUKO SMITH TLG VICE PRESIDENT CELEBRATES 15TH ANNIVERSARY AT STATE / 52 Editorial Intern MOHAMMAD ALHINNAWI VP FCS: THE GOOD AND THE BAD / 53 Advertising Intern LARISSA FALK 2010-2011 AFSA FINANCIAL AID SCHOLARS / 56 EDITORIAL BOARD NEWS BRIEFS / 61 TED WILKINSON Chairman EVENT CALENDAR / CLASSIFIEDS / 62 KELLY ADAMS-SMITH JOSEPH BRUNS STEPHEN W. B UCK JULIE GIANELLONI CONNOR MARY E. GLANTZ GEORGE JONES KATE WIEHAGEN LEONARD LYNN ROCHE RACHEL SCHNELLER JAMES P. S EEVERS

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 opinions of the writers and does not necessarily represent the views of the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. Journal subscription: AFSA members – $13 included in annual 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, 2011. 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.

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PRESIDENT’S VIEWS Time for the Foreign Service Reserve Corps BY SUSAN R. JOHNSON

After decades of discus- inspired by it. proaches. There would be no need to sion and little action, it is high The WAE issue has come fund retirement and health insurance time for the Department of up in the context of the costs; moreover, retirees can be paid State and our other civilian staffing gaps at the Depart- less than they were making at retire- foreign affairs agencies to es- ment of State and the U.S. ment — so long as they do not forgo tablish a Foreign Service Agency for International De- their annuity — when called to active “ready reserve” composed of velopment that I have ad- duty. qualified retirees — and pos- dressed in previous columns. A small unit in the Bureau of sibly former Foreign Service person- A recent briefing on the scope of the Human Resources — perhaps called nel with 10 years or more of experi- mid-level staffing gap at State and the the Human Resources Ready Reserve ence. We simply can no longer afford tools available to manage it — as well Office — could be set up to adminis- to deprive ourselves of skills and expe- as some of the responses to my Nov. 23 ter the program. This unit would rience readily available to us. message to members about the Quad- maintain a skills bank with a comput- AFSA has long advocated a cen- rennial Diplomacy and Development erized profile of all retirees who regis- trally managed and operated program Review, in which I recommended using ter for the program and handle the to use our retirees to fill temporary retirees to address the mid-level expe- necessary paperwork. It would cover staffing gaps for two reasons. First, rience gap — inspires me to return to the payroll costs of reserve personnel such a system would be more trans- the issue. through a Working Capital Fund that parent and less susceptible to crony- I have heard from many retirees could bill each bureau for the funds ism than the current When Actually who have served repeatedly on WAE expended on its behalf. The office Employed system, which each State assignments overseas and are now could also work with the Bureau of bureau runs on its own. A unified pro- being dropped from the rolls for cost Diplomatic Security and the Office of gram would also cut administrative reasons, and from others who have Medical Services to simplify processes costs by centralizing, computerizing signed up but never been called. There for keeping security and medical and streamlining the hiring process. is a broad perception that the way the clearances up to date. We should give this program a WAE program is set up and managed All branches of our military main- name that describes its function and distributes opportunities to those best tain reserve or National Guard com- purpose precisely and accurately: the known to bureau executive directors ponents, as outlined in Title 10, Foreign Service Reserve Corps. The and post management officers. Subtitle E. Their purpose is clearly current “When Actually Employed” As one retired FSO noted in a spelled out in the legislation: “to pro- designation is a largely incomprehen- thoughtful memo, a Foreign Service vide trained units and qualified per- sible bureaucratic term. Few outside Ready Reserve corps could fill vacant sons available for active duty at such the Department of State have a clue positions on a short- or longer-term time as national security may re- what “WAE” means, and fewer still are temporary basis, or meet sudden un- quire.” Our civilian foreign affairs anticipated needs. It could provide agencies need a similar reserve ca- Susan R. Johnson is the president of the able and experienced workers at a pacity, and now is the time to make it American Foreign Service Association. fraction of the cost of alternative ap- happen. ■

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LETTERS

China Service Sprouse, Edmund Clubb and John fairs experience could alleviate some of I was pleased to see Hannah Gur- Carter Vincent. The classic account of the shortages identified and exacer- man’s excellent FS Heritage profile of this tragic episode in our history re- bated with the drain caused by the John Service (“John S. Service: A Cold mains E.J. Kahn’s The China Hands: Critical Priority Country posts. War Lightning Rod”) in the November America’s Foreign Service Officers and Currently, there are thousands of FSJ, and look forward to reading her What Befell Them. cleared, experienced Foreign Service prize-winning dissertation, “The Dis- Bob Rackmales generalists and specialists working at sent Papers,” when it is in book form. FSO, retired posts throughout the world for a vari- Allow me, however, to offer some ad- Northport, Maine ety of agencies. Why not tap into this ditional details regarding one sentence well of experience and skill to meet the in her piece: “When the American For- An Admirable Mission demands of today’s foreign affairs? eign Service Association honored him Thanks to Krishna Das for bringing Red tape and financial hurdles keep at a 1973 luncheon, he chose to speak ... our attention to the Department of some individuals who could become on political reporting. ...” This de- State’s mission statement (November highly valuable assets to State and scription could give the impression that Letters). We should all be very proud other agencies from even considering the event paid tribute only to Service. to be associated with such a noble and leaving their current positions. In fact, AFSA President Bill Har- inspiring document. Now, what are I’ll give you a personal example. As rop’s invitation letter makes clear that the chances that our newly elected part of a Foreign Service interagency the event’s purpose was broader: “At a U.S. Congress will adopt a similar ap- tandem couple (USAID and State) luncheon on the Department of State’s proach to how we should treat every- with 10 years of government experi- 8th floor at noon on Jan. 30, 1973, the one living within our own borders? ence, including overseas service as a re- American Foreign Service Association Bill Burke gional specialist, I probably understand will honor those Foreign Service offi- FSO, retired and accept the realities of the FS cers in China during the early 1940s Williamsburg, Va. lifestyle better than 95 percent of the who demonstrated their professional- new hires starting A-100. And there ism and integrity by reporting events as Simplify Interagency Hiring are plenty of other individuals like me they saw them.” And the noted histo- I wanted to write to you briefly to out there. Yet for us to go to work for rian Barbara Tuchman began her say I greatly appreciated Susan John- State in the Foreign Service, we’d es- luncheon address by saying, “We have son’s President’s Views column (“Ad- sentially have to start over. gathered to honor a group of Foreign dress Mid-Level Hiring to Strengthen Just to take the State Department Service officers — represented in the Our Institutions”) in the October FSJ. Foreign Service exam as a current non- person of Jack Service — whom history It is exciting finally to see AFSA, and State FSO overseas, I have to hope has recognized as having been right.” the foreign affairs agencies, not have a that my current post hosts the exam, It seems fitting to list those officers, knee-jerk reaction to mid-level hiring. and then pay for a transcontinental here, though even Tuchman’s listing I agree that we shouldn’t open the flight back to the United States for the was incomplete: Clarence Gauss, floodgates, but a short-term hiring oral exam. It is neither efficient nor ef- George Atcheson, John Davies, Ed- project targeting individuals with the fective to make some of the most ex- ward Rice, Arthur Ringwalt, Philip needed management and foreign af- perienced candidates jump through so

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L ETTERS

many hoops just to get their foot in the about. (Though I acknowledge I don’t sonnel overseas wait for some cases to door. have medical expertise, I am still com- reach a critical stage before doing any- I’m sure there are many people at fortable saying that these cases were thing? Is it State Department policy to State and other departments who not handled professionally.) For ex- do so? If so, this policy is detrimental would like to try working for one of the ample, a burst appendix became sep- to personnel serving in difficult post- other foreign affairs agencies. They, tic while the Regional Medical Officer ings with little or no health care. Or is too, would be welcomed with open would not medevac the patient before the department simply not training arms, but are blocked by the same lo- London saw the lab work (and imme- health care personnel to work in diffi- gistical and financial disincentives. diately acted). The patient was near cult environments? Any improvement, even temporary; death, lost 40 pounds, and had to The State Department has many that AFSA can achieve by developing spend six weeks recovering in London, competing needs, but providing the an interagency hiring program will away from his family. best health care possible to employees benefit not only the to-be-hired indi- Other examples: a lump found should be among its first priorities. viduals, but all Foreign Service mem- under an arm did not lead to immedi- Quality health care is priceless, yet over bers and our country’s foreign affairs ate medevac and ultimately resulted in and over the subject of money comes agencies’ work as a whole. a radical mastectomy. A young boy was up: Outside testing will cost at least Steve Bennett treated for anemia for eight months $500. Certain malaria pills are very ex- FSO, USAID but not tested for the leukemia that he pensive. This medevac costs $100,000. Embassy Dakar actually had. A man was sick for four So what? Are we putting a price tag on months, lost 30 pounds, and was finally human lives? If so, then all of us are at Training MED medevaced, too weak to stand, and di- high risk of losing our lives while serv- Reading the September article on agnosed with colon cancer. ing overseas. the Office of Medical Services (“To Another man with falciparum We are always told how important Your Health,” by Shawn Zeller) was malaria, the most deadly type, was our work is and how valued we are. both enlightening and disheartening. drowning in his own fluid, but the But tragic real-life cases tell a different While the State Department has health practitioner would not medevac story. For the department, taking care scores of competent doctors, nurse him “unless he got worse.” This last of its people should mean giving them practitioners and physicians’ assistants case was my spouse. I had to contact the highest-quality care in a timely working all over the world, the article the ambassador, who had been told he manner, particularly when they are fails to mention that there are also was doing okay, and get authorization serving in difficult environments State Department health professionals for a medevac. My husband spent where medical facilities are deficient who lack the knowledge or experience three days in London in the intensive or nonexistent. Such a policy would to diagnose and treat certain diseases care unit before stabilizing. reduce overall medical costs and min- or recognize when a person needs to This traumatic experience was fur- imize the number of positions left va- be medically evacuated. ther exacerbated by MED’s refusal to cant due to illness that could have Health care for all Foreign Service take responsibility. When I wrote a let- been prevented. personnel — both generalists and spe- ter reporting the incompetence and The September article paints a rosy cialists — serving overseas is impor- malpractice that nearly took my hus- picture, but does not show that there tant, but particularly so in Third World band’s life, I received a very conde- are deficits in the knowledge of de- countries where the quality of local scending reply stating that the practi- partment health professionals. State doctors, hospitals and testing is sub- tioner did everything right, and blam- must train its medical personnel so that standard. We rely on our embassy ing my spouse, the locally employed they can save lives, or at least instruct health care professionals to be proac- nurse, the air ambulance service and them to recognize when they can’t pro- tive. Yet I’ve seen too many real-life the local doctors for the situation. vide adequate help and when it is time cases overseas where medical practi- I am disturbed that MED appar- to proceed to an evacuation. They tioners take a “wait and see” approach. ently cannot admit error, and take cor- should not be taking risks with other Let me cite a few cases I know rective action. Why do medical per- people’s lives, and there should be no

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L ETTERS

policies preventing them from taking pendence. Ingushetia, Chechnya and ongoing, bitter enmities among them, decisive action when it comes to a sick Dagestan are republics in the Russian along Georgia’s southern border.” n employee in a difficult posting. Federation, all with separatist tenden- Michelle Donnelly cies. Office Management Jonathan Kulick CORRECTIONS Specialist Adviser In the listing for Susan Clough Wyatt’s memoir, Arabian Nights and Daze: Living Embassy Nouakchott Office of the State Yemen with the Foreign Service, in the Minister of Georgia November issue (p. 27), Wyatt’s former Abkhazia and South Ossetia: for Reintegration husband’s name is misspelled. He is Part of Georgia David William McClintock. In his November article, “From Editor’s Note: We have corrected In the same issue, Patricia Sharpe’s Mount Elbrus to Ararat,” James Angell that passage in the online version to two volumes of poetry, Indus Suite and refers to “the ‘independent republics’ read: Coming and Going Love Poems, were of Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Ingushe- “Today it is home to a collection of mistakenly described as “handbound” (p. 45). Though on textured stock and with tia, Chechnya and Dagestan in the powder kegs: the ‘independent re- unusual artistic touches, the books are not Russian Federation.” publics’ of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in any sense “handmade.” They are pub- Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not in Georgia; Ingushetia, Chechnya and lished by Finishing Line Press of George- in the Russian Federation — they are Dagestan in the Russian Federation, town, Ky., and available through Amazon. regions of Georgia occupied by Russia, bordering Georgia to the north; and We regret the errors. which formally recognizes their inde- Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, with

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CYBERNOTES

Taking Stock of China Watch, One Decade On Middle East Policy e would like a nonviolent, Highlights from the U.S.-China On Oct. 21-22 the National Council Wpeaceful revolution, [by Economic and Security Review Com- on U.S.-Arab Relations (www.ncusar. which] I mean a great change for mission’s latest annual report, issued on org) held its annual policymakers con- the better. I don’t quite know Nov. 17, include the following allega- ference, “U.S.-Arab Relations: Going how [the authorities] will inter- tions: Where?” Among the participants was pret the word. … My attitude is, Beijing continues to pursue an “in- veteran diplomat Chas Freeman, who do as much as I can while I’m digenous innovation” policy to pro- gave a rousing address to open the con- mote favored industries and limit im- free. And if I’m arrested I’ll still ference, in which he criticized U.S. ports, using such tactics as currency do as much as I can. military interventions in the Middle manipulation, strategic purchases of East and Washington’s approach to Is- — Burmese democracy U.S. Treasury securities and curbs on raeli-Palestinian peace talks. campaigner Aung San Suu exports of rare earth elements (crucial “For Israel, the so-called ‘peace Kyi, from a Nov. 15 interview for telecommunications). process’ provides cover for more land by BBC News World Affairs China’s growing air and missile grabs,” Freeman said. “For the Pales- Editor John Simpson follow- power, which benefits from improving ing her release from house tinian Authority, it earns international commercial aviation manufacturing ca- arrest in Rangoon; aid to make up for the lack of legitimacy pabilities, is enhancing the country’s www.bbc.co.uk/news/ at home. For the United States, it gives capability to strike U.S. bases and allies the illusion of activism on behalf of throughout Asia. Meanwhile, mali- peace while avoiding the politically cious computer activity emanating costly decisions necessary actually to In a panel on U.S.-Iran relations, from the People’s Republic of China is produce it.” Flynt Leverett, director of the Iran becoming increasingly sophisticated Michael Corbin, deputy assistant Project at the New America Founda- and dangerous. secretary of State for Iraq, offered an tion (www.newamerica.net), de- For instance, the Pentagon recently upbeat assessment of that troubled scribed the rise of Iranian power in the confirmed that state-owned China country’s progress toward becoming a region as not only an “inevitable” Telecom hijacked message traffic in- fully functioning independent state. product of strategic mistakes the U.S. tended for Secretary of Defense “When I look at where we were in made by invading Afghanistan and Robert Gates’ office, and other U.S. 2006 and I look at where we are in Iraq, but also a result of Iran’s ability government, military and corporate 2010, I have to say that we are in a to pick the winners: groups like sites, during an 18-minute period on process where Iraqis have abandoned Hamas and Hezbollah that “represent April 8, 2010. civil war, where they’re seeking to bal- unavoidable constituencies with legiti- The 316-page report also warns that ance relations with their neighbors, mate grievances.” Beijing’s revised state secrets laws may where they’ve chosen politics [rather — Mohammad Alhinnawi, conflict with U.S. disclosure require- than violence].” Editorial Intern ments and put U.S. investments in

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Chinese firms at risk. On a more pos- Zealand and Singapore are tied for the States did not rank among the 20 least- itive note, the USCC observes that top spot of least-corrupt country in the corrupt nations; having fallen from China is promoting “green energy” in world. 19th place in 2009 to 22nd, the U.S. is order to increase its economic security, Also noteworthy is the inclusion of one of only seven countries whose prevent environmental degradation Barbados in 17th place (tied with standing worsened. Russia also drop- and develop a globally competitive Japan) and Qatar in 19th; the two ped in the rankings, from 146th last green energy industry. countries are the best performers in year to a dismal 154th this year, despite Congress established the USCC the Caribbean and Middle East re- President Dmitry Medvedev’s vocifer- one decade ago, on Oct. 30, 2000, to gions, respectively. ous attacks on what he termed Russia’s monitor and report on the national se- On a more pessimistic note, Trans- ‘most serious disease.’ curity implications of bilateral trade parency International reports that — Mohammad Alhinnawi, and the overall economic relationship “three quarters of the 178 countries in Editorial Intern between the United States and the the index score below five, [indicating] People’s Republic of China. a serious corruption problem.” De- Deepening Ties to New Delhi The bipartisan body has 12 mem- spite America’s nationbuilding efforts, Though it took place under the bers, three each appointed by the Iraq and Afghanistan are considered cloud of the U.S. midterm elections, House and Senate majority and minor- among the most corrupt countries in President Barack Obama’s Nov. 6-9 ity leaders, following consultation with the world, at 175th and 176th place, visit marked a qualitative strengthening the chair and ranking minority mem- respectively. of the U.S.-India relationship. India bers of each house’s armed forces and For the first time ever, the United was the first stop on a 10-day Asian so- finance committees. (There are no members from the executive branch.) To read the full report, visit www. Site of the Month: www.thehungersite.com uscc.gov. Looking for a New Year’s resolution you can actually keep all year long, one that — Steven Alan Honley, Editor makes a small but real difference in the world every day? Then bookmark The Hunger Site.com, which focuses the power of the Internet on a specific humanitarian need: the Very Little Rotten in eradication of world hunger. the State of Denmark Since its launch in June 1999, the site has established itself as a leader in online ac- The results are in. The most cor- tivism, helping to feed the world’s hungry as part of the Greater Good Network rupt country in the world, according to (www.greatergoodnetwork.com). On average, over 220,000 individuals from around the 2010 Corruption Perceptions In- the world visit the site each day to click on the yellow “Click Here to Give — It’s Free” button. (Though you can only donate once a day from any single computer, you can dex, is Somalia. access the site from home and work to double your contribution if you wish.) Each year the CPI, a report com- To date, some 300 million visitors have given more than 746 million cups of sta- piled by the respected nongovernmen- ple food, paid for by site sponsors and distributed to those in need by Mercy Corps tal organization Transparency Interna- (www.mercycorps.org); Feeding America (www.feedingharvest.org), formerly Amer- tional, offers an overview of global cor- ica’s Second Harvest; and Millennium Promise (www.millenniumpromise.org). As ruption, country by country (www. the site notes, 100 percent of sponsor advertising fees goes to the site’s charitable transparency.org). partners to aid hungry people all over the world, including the United States. The group bases its findings on two As a bonus, The Hunger Site acts as a portal to five sister sites, each of which gen- primary resources: individual country erates donations to fight breast cancer, promote child health and literacy, protect rain- data and expert analysis from inde- forests or support animal rescue initiatives. (Icons for all six sites are prominently pendent sources like the World Bank displayed at the top of each homepage.) and Freedom House, and evaluations Visitors can help even more by shopping for items displayed in the online store at by local business leaders in each coun- each site. These all offer a wide array of fair-trade, handcrafted items from around the try. Scoring is on a 10-point scale, with world. 10 representing little or no corruption. — Steven Alan Honley, Editor With a score of 9.3, Denmark, New

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C YBERNOTES

WWW.FSJOURNAL.ORG Click on the Marketplace tab on the marquee 50 Years Ago... s the foreign news trickled in during December from Laos, AFSA Legacy Ecuador, Cuba and the Congo, showing the members of the afsa.org/CFCFAD.cfm AForeign Service under fire, it became abundantly clear that today’s diplomats are indeed in the front lines. To the thousands of young people taking the written AKA Hotel residences examinations, the news reports must have underlined again that a career in the stay-aka.com Foreign Service offers an adventurous and challenging life, not to be assessed in the too-usual pattern of income, security and things acquired. Clements International — Gwen Barrows, “Washington Letter,” FSJ, January 1961. clements.com journ that took the president to In- South and Central Asian Affairs Robert Diplomatic Automobile Sales donesia, South Korea and Japan. Blake and Special Assistant to the Pres- diplosales.com Starting in Mumbai, where Pres. ident for Multilateral Affairs and Obama reiterated Washington’s com- Human Rights Samantha Power, the Fox Hill mitment to cooperation to stop the Obama entourage included Treasury foxhillseniorcondominium.com kind of terrorist attack that took place Secretary Timothy Geithner, USAID there two years earlier, and moving on Administrator Rajiv Shah, Secretary of Georgetown Suites to New Delhi, the presidential visit was Agriculture Tom Vilsack, White House Georgetownsuites.com intended to demonstrate that the Chief Technical Officer Aneesh Cho- strategic relationship — in the words of pra and several hundred corporate Hirshorn Company, The hirshorn.com a Foreign Policy Initiative analyst, “one CEOs. of the great bipartisan U.S. foreign pol- A high point was Pres. Obama’s ad- Inside A U.S. Embassy icy success stories of the past decade” dress to the Indian Parliament, where afsa.org/inside/ — had not stalled. he described “the future that the On the contrary, the Obama admin- United States seeks in an intercon- ProMax istration aims to take the U.S.-India re- nected world,” and explained why he Promaxrealtors.com lationship, which the president calls believes that India is indispensable to “one of the defining relationships” of this vision. He sought, he said, a “truly SDFCU the 21st century, to a new level. As the global partnership — not just in one or sdfcu.org president pointed out, Indian Prime two areas and not just for our mutual Minister Manmohan Singh had been benefit, but for the benefit of the TetraTech his first foreign guest, and the three-day world.” Tetratech.com stay in India was the longest of his own Part of that vision, Pres. Obama foreign visits to date. said, is “a reformed United Nations Se- WJD Announcement of some 18 joint curity Council with India as a perma- wjdpm.com initiatives in economic, scientific, po- nent member.” litical, educational, energy and secu- While the Security Council en- rity areas conveyed the breadth of the dorsement staked out a long-term vi- relationship and its benefits for both sion for the relationship, material countries and the world. building blocks were put in place — The jampacked itinerary included and obstacles removed — to strength- interactions with businesspeople, tech- en ties in the near term. Most signifi- nologists and agricultural scientists, as cantly, perhaps, Pres. Obama announ- When contacting an advertiser, kindly well as government officials. In addi- ced that the Commerce Department mention the Foreign Service Journal. tion to Assistant Secretary of State for will lift decades-old sanctions on two of

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India’s state-owned military and re- in commercial sales to India that had search firms, the Indian Space and Re- been negotiated in advance and would search Organization (India’s NASA) support some 57,000 American jobs. and the Defence Research and Devel- Obama pointedly distanced himself opment Organisation, opening the door from the rallying cry in some parts of for trade in dual-use and strategically the U.S. against “outsourcing,” and sensitive materials and technologies. sought to underscore the mutual eco- Also significant was the announce- nomic potential of the relationship. ment of Washington’s intention to sup- Though not particularly in the spot- port India’s membership in four multi- light during this visit, security coopera- lateral export control regimes: the Nu- tion is another dynamic element of the clear Suppliers Group, the Australia Indo-U.S. relationship. The U.S. mili- Group, the Missile Technology Control tary conducts more joint exercises with Regime and the Wassenaar Arrange- India than with any other country and, ment. In addition, a memorandum of since 2008, American business has con- understanding was signed providing for cluded some $4 billion in military sales cooperation on India’s Global Center to the country. Consultations with for Nuclear Energy Partnership, which India on developments in Afghanistan, New Delhi had announced during the Central Asia and the Far East and other April 2010 Global Nuclear Security international issues are ongoing. Summit in Washington, D.C. Notwithstanding some commenta- These measures serve to solidify the tors’ view that Washington’s pursuit of Obama administration’s commitment India is to counter China, the evidence to the landmark U.S.-India Civilian Nu- suggests that the policy is more sophis- clear Agreement concluded by the ticated. The Obama administration ap- Bush administration. So far, U.S. in- pears to grasp the reality that zero-sum dustry’s participation in the nuclear calculations have little place in a multi- power boom gathering momentum in polar world. India has been stymied by the Indian For detailed information on the visit, parliament’s adoption of highly restric- see the Singh-Obama Joint Statement tive liability legislation. This demon- (www.whitehouse.gov) and the “trip stration of Washington’s sincerity may readout” by USAID Administrator help facilitate some rethinking by In- Rajiv Shah and Assistant Secretary dian lawmakers. Blake (www.state.gov). For back- Pres. Obama and Prime Minister ground on the India-U.S. relationship, Singh also announced a major new ini- see the “U.S.-India Partnership Fact tiative in agricultural development call- Sheets” (www.whitehouse.gov). The ed “A Partnership for an Evergreen Carnegie Endowment for International Revolution” — a sequel to India’s Peace (www.carnegieendowment. “Green Revolution” of the 1960s that org), the Center for Strategic and In- was critically assisted by the U.S. ternational Studies’ South Asia Program Expansion of economic ties was a (www.csis.org) and the Brookings In- major focus of the visit. In New Delhi, stitution (www.brookings.edu) offer the president addressed a U.S.-India background and commentary on cur- business conference where the CEOs rent developments. ■ of Boeing and General Electric, among — Susan Brady Maitra, others, announced roughly $15 billion Senior Editor

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SPEAKING OUT Welcoming the Disabled to the Foreign Service

BY MICHAEL BRICKER

was delighted to learn that the even when one wears the most power- State Department would begin to A disability ful hearing aid available, as I do. Iactively recruit disabled employees places you at a After a week of struggling and ask- to implement Executive Order 13548, disadvantage within ing the Polish teacher to repeat these President Barack Obama’s July 2010 di- a system that is not new sounds over and over again, I ac- rective calling for an additional 100,000 cepted the fact that I was being unfair individuals with disabilities to be em- equipped (or inclined) to the other students. I went to the di- ployed by the federal government. The to level the playing rector of the program and requested order gives specific performance tar- field, such as the one-on-one instruction so I could ob- gets and deadlines for each federal Foreign Service. tain at least a basic understanding of the agency to meet. language. He appeared very under- That development prompted me to standing and assured me that he would consider what advice I would give a dis- work something out. abled applicant, based on my nearly 21 Warsaw. It was not particularly hot that When I arrived at FSI the following years in the Foreign Service as a hear- day, but I still remember perspiring Monday, I was shown to a windowless ing-impaired individual. profusely from nerves. Could I keep office/storage room, handed a book ti- First, I would tell my potential col- up with the rest of the class? Should I tled something like Teach Yourself Pol- leagues that throughout my adult life, explain to the teacher that wearing a ish, and left alone to practice pronounc- whether I was working on Wall Street hearing aid does not “cure” deafness? ing these very foreign sounds. I some- or attending university, I have suc- (As actor Art Carney of “Honeymoon- how survived those five weeks and re- ceeded by pushing myself harder than ers” fame, who was hearing-impaired, ceived a 0/0 in Polish — the first official my non-disabled colleagues. If they once commented, “All hearing aids do entry in my official performance folder. worked 10 hours, I worked 12. I lived is make deafness louder.”) While such My main concern was whether this — and to some extent still do — by Avis devices amplify the voice of the person treatment was an omen of my future in Rent-A-Car’s motto: “We’re number who is speaking to you, they also am- the Foreign Service. two, so we try harder.” Granted, a psy- plify the sounds of the truck going by, chologist might say that seeing yourself the printer spitting out pages, and the Reasonable Accommodations as second-best is not the healthiest people in the hallway talking and lis- At that time, the State Department mindset, but it has enabled me to com- tening to music. had just one employee tasked with pro- pete on an extremely uneven playing Moreover, when someone uses a viding “reasonable accommodations” field. And the same is true for any dis- hearing aid it takes time for the brain for disabled employees. What made abled applicant. to acclimate to the new sounds and, this office special was the man who ran My journey as one of the first hear- more importantly, interpret them. it, whose sensitivity was only matched ing-impaired members of the Foreign Amplification is always paired with dis- by his proactive approach. He would Service began in August 1990, when I tortion — try turning your TV volume sometimes call to tell me that he had reported for an accelerated Polish-lan- up all the way to see what I mean. It found a new device that might help me guage course for my assignment to makes everything loud but not clear, and wanted me to try it. He truly knew

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what the concept “reasonable accom- A year ago John Robinson, director of pervisor why he ignored me and only modation” meant. His office was later the Office of Civil Rights, co-hosted a talked to my subordinate, he responded taken over by the Human Resources town-hall meeting that was broadcast — in front of others — that he found Bureau — which placed it with the to many embassies without closed cap- my need to read lips annoying. One of same unit in charge of child care serv- tions. Ironically, the subject of this my subordinates was so shaken when a ices. That seemed to indicate the low broadcast was diversity in the work- deputy chief of mission ranted to her priority State placed on its function. place — yet I was unable to watch, let that a deaf person should not be in the More than once, it’s taken more alone participate. Foreign Service that she reported him than a year to get a telephone amplifier. Most of the shows broadcast over to the State Department’s Office of Even at my present assignment, I State’s BNET closed-circuit television Civil Rights. waited more than a month to receive system, which is available through the And I will never forget the co- one. I wonder how a newly hired dis- Opennet network, are still not closed- worker who responded, “What part of abled employee would carry out a first captioned. Ensuring this medium is the sentence do you want me to re- assignment without being able to com- available to all viewers does not require peat?” when I requested that some- municate on the telephone for a month any new technology; captioning has thing be repeated. Then there was the — let alone repair any damage done to been available for more than 30 years person who pantomimed and shouted his or her credibility. Yet there seems and is required by law in all television one-syllable words in response to a sim- to be a lack of understanding among sets manufactured since 1993. The ilar request. Perhaps they had no ma- many Foreign Service personnel of just only thing State has to do is hire a com- licious intent, but such treatment was how vital such devices are. pany to do the work. very hurtful nevertheless. Having a disability does not simply In Poland, and other countries In two decades of attending country limit your ability to function; it changes where I’ve served, I have received out- team meetings with an entire room of your entire method of dealing with the standing ratings on my performance people who could tell I was struggling world. I do not speak American Sign evaluations. This is true despite the fact to hear, not one colleague has ever Language, so I read lips. Having to that picking up peripheral auditory in- asked if I would like to sit up front in- focus entirely on the lips and body lan- formation (e.g., overhearing a conver- stead of off to the side. After a while, I guage of each person speaking to me is sation or taking notes while lip reading) just stop attending. exhausting — so much so that I am fa- is beyond my abilities, so I have always What is even more disturbing is the tigued at the end of the day. After been at the mercy of others for help. department’s ambivalence about this many years of practice, I read lips well; Fortunately, most Foreign Service problem. Whereas those charged with in fact, I was once asked to assist in a personnel, like the general population, security violations face specific penal- hostage situation in Iraq due to the util- are sensitive, kind and quick to offer ties including dismissal, those who en- ity of this learned skill. But make no help when they see someone strug- gage in insensitivity or overt discrimina- mistake: a disability places you at a dis- gling. I cannot count all the people tion — whether it is promotions, the advantage when you are competing who have privately taken me aside and bidding process or just lack of accom- with the non-disabled in a system that is invited me to sit next to them while modation in the work environment — not well equipped (or inclined) to level they took notes to aid my participation effectively face no penalties. The only the playing field. in a meeting. To me, these people are means of charging a co-worker with dis- Up until very recently, none of the angels in the making. crimination against an employee with a department’s training videos for world- However, there are also some not- disability is to file a formal Equal Em- wide distribution included closed cap- so-kind colleagues. Unfortunately, they ployment Opportunity complaint, which tioning — subtitles that deaf and are significant in number, mainly be- is usually a long, drawn-out process. hearing-impaired viewers like me de- cause the Foreign Service seems to tol- pend on. That meant that presenta- erate their behavior. One consular Making the Employee Review tions on how to structure your em- officer volunteered the belief that the Process Truly Fair ployee evaluations and how promotion disabled should not serve in the For- Then there is the particularly insid- panels work were not available to us. eign Service. And when I asked a su- ious procedure that institutionalizes

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many of the problems faced by the dis- review to that hardship post, someone Agencies. After a useful meeting with abled in terms of career advancement had written something to the effect that Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Tal- in the Foreign Service: the 360 review “Michael is quite deaf and needs assis- bott, we sent a follow-up letter asking in the bidding process. Unlike tradi- tance at meetings.” for the appointment of a special liaison tional Foreign Service evaluations, Twice I have asked S/OCR to inves- on the seventh floor to assist with dis- which are vetted by a group of people to tigate the inherent unfairness of the ability problems, so that EEO com- ensure that inappropriate comments are 360 review. While this office truly at- plaints would be a last resort. not included, the 360 review has no such tempts to improve the situation for dis- We also sought recognition of Amer- safeguards; co-workers can write about abled employees, its authority is ican Sign Language and its teaching at colleagues without any restriction. constrained by the fact that it is part of the Foreign Service Institute, to ensure During one bidding cycle, I bid on the State Department rather than an that a deaf American who requires eight overseas assignments, with only independent watchdog agency. Al- assistance in an embassy would be able one hardship post in the 20- to 25-per- though the office has created a Dis- to communicate, and such mundane cent differential range; all the others abled Working Group, it is limited in its things as ensuring hallways are kept free were non-hardship posts. I received functioning in a manner analogous to of clutter and posting tactile signs in the expressions of interest in my candidacy the management of an auto company hallways (in Braille) during construc- for every assignment except the hard- creating its own workers’ union. tion for blind employees. Every item ship post — which normally would In 1998, I helped formed an em- on our list was flatly turned down and, have been especially quick to respond. ployee association in the State Depart- needless to say, the organization fell Only later did I discover that in my 360 ment, Disabled in the Foreign Affairs apart soon thereafter.

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Not Yet Ready for Prime Time With all that in mind, I would tell worth to the organization. An even bigger problem is the re- any disabled individual considering a To borrow the famous line from the quirement in each Employee Evalua- career in the Foreign Service that it is early days of “Saturday Night Live”: tion Report that the reviewer com- an adventurous life, offering not only When it comes to accommodating the ment on relations between rater and the opportunity to meet fascinating disabled, the Foreign Service is not yet employee. Should a disabled em- people, but also to be part of history. ready for prime time. However, I look ployee protest unfair treatment by a However, they need to know that forward to the day when the Foreign supervisor to the next-higher level, the struggling to overcome the limitations Service will be more comparable to an- situation may be remedied but, in all of their particular disability, coupled other show: “Happy Days.” ■ likelihood, it would create animosity. with the department’s hesitance in tak- Moreover, come EER time, the re- ing a leadership role in making the Michael Bricker, an FS-1 information viewer is obligated to report that the working environment equitable, will management officer currently serving relationship with the supervisor is cause them disappointment and frus- in Vienna, joined the Foreign Service in troubled. Realistically, that negates tration. 1990. His previous assignments include any chance of a promotion. For all They also face the risk of being Warsaw, Monrovia, Seoul (twice), Lon- these reasons, that particular require- pushed aside while watching their non- don and New York. The views ex- ment should be removed or expanded disabled colleagues get plum assign- pressed here are those of the author to include an assessment of the rated ments and career advancements. only and do not necessarily reflect those employee’s relations with subordi- Unlike employees in the private sector, of the Department of State or the nates. there is no bottom line to prove their United States government.

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

BY STEVEN ALAN HONLEY

appy New Year! Once again receive submissions for focus sections it’s time for my periodic invi- There are many ways at least three months (and preferably Htation to take advantage of you can share your longer) prior to the issue’s release date. the many opportunities to contribute insights in our pages. Thus, we have already lined up au- to the Journal. Let me begin by not- Let us hear from you. thors for the January, February and ing the author guidelines on our Web March themes, but there is still time site (www.afsa.org/fsj), which describe to submit manuscripts for later the various departments in the maga- months. Submissions should generally zine and give the basic requirements be about 2,000 words long, though (length, format, etc.) for each. All sub- shorter pieces are always welcome. missions to the Journal must be ap- Because of our lead time for publi- If none of the focus choices grab proved by our Editorial Board and are cation, and the requirement for Edi- you, or if you feel we have not devoted subject to editing for style, length and torial Board approval, we need to enough space to a professional con- format. Most issues feature a focus section examining various facets of an issue re- 2011 EDITORIAL CALENDAR for the FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL lated to the Foreign Service, diplomatic practice or international rela- JANUARY 2011 Cover story: Microdiplomacy in Afghanistan (plus feature articles tions. (You’ll find a list of the topics our on Libya, China and Haiti) Editorial Board has identified for the FEBRUARY 2011 Economic Function/Trade & Economic Issues (PLUS AFSA Tax coming year on this page.) Such list- Guide) ings are a guide to what’s coming up in MARCH 2011 Cover Story: AFSA Annual Report our pages, but are not set in stone. APRIL 2011 Women in Security and Development This month, for instance, we had in- MAY 2011 FS Work-Life Balance (e.g., family issues, spousal/partner tended to offer a set of perspectives on employment, Members of Household, single employees) “Foreign Service values and core JUNE 2011 Latin America (PLUS semiannual SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT) skills,” but decided to postpone that issue until the results of the American JULY-AUGUST 2011 Dissent in the Foreign Service (PLUS AFSA Awards coverage) Academy of Diplomacy’s assessment of SEPTEMBER 2011 Ten Years Later: How 9/11 Has Changed the Foreign Service professional education become avail- (+ article(s) on Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary) able. (We still welcome submissions OCTOBER 2011 Cover story: “In Their Own Write” addressing that subject.) In its place, (annual roundup of books by FS-affiliated authors) as you’ll see, we are offering a cover NOVEMBER 2011 Foreign Service Nationals/Locally Engaged Staff story on “Microdiplomacy in Afghani- DECEMBER 2011 20th Anniversary of the Soviet Union’s Dissolution stan” and a variety of feature articles (PLUS semiannual SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT) for your reading pleasure.

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L ETTER FROM THE E DITOR

We take seriously our mission to give you “news you can use.”

cern or functional issue, please con- foreign affairs agencies, especially sending us a comment for our Let- sider writing a feature article (also when you are trying to resolve a prob- ters department. Just bear in mind generally 2,000 words long, though lem; and updates on how AFSA is that, as with all periodicals, the briefer shorter entries are welcomed) about it working to improve working and liv- and more focused your letter is, the for us. Although we will not be hold- ing conditions for Foreign Service more likely we’ll be able to print it in ing our annual fiction contest this year, employees and their families. full. (In general, 200 to 400 words is you are always welcome to submit Much of that coverage is found, of a good target.) short stories with a Foreign Service course, within the pages of AFSA The Speaking Out department is theme or setting for publication as News. That section offers many dif- your forum to advocate policy, regu- feature articles. ferent ways for members to share latory or statutory changes to the For- We invite those of you who expect their experiences, thoughts and con- eign Service. These columns (approxi- to publish a book between now and cerns regarding professional issues. mately 1,500 to 2,000 words long) can next fall to send us a copy (along with AFSA News Editor Amy McK- be based on personal experience with promotional materials), for inclusion eever is particularly interested in a professional injustice or present in our annual compilation of recently hearing from members about lessons your insights into a foreign affairs-re- published books by Foreign Service- they’ve learned at post, retirement is- lated issue. affiliated authors, “In Their Own sues, family member matters and Our Reflections department pres- Write.” Because that issue will run in other topics, including any bureau- ents short commentaries (approxi- October this year rather than Novem- cratic mysteries you’d like to see un- mately 600 words long) based on ber, Aug. 1 is now the deadline for a raveled in our pages. (See her own personal experiences while living or listing in the roundup. For more in- “Letter from the Editor” on p. 50.) traveling overseas. These submissions formation, contact Senior Editor For more information, please contact should center on insights gained as a Susan Maitra at [email protected]. Amy at [email protected]. result of interactions with other cul- We continue to welcome submis- Another place to look for such tures, rather than being descriptive sions for our FS Heritage department, items is our periodic FS Know-How “travel pieces.” We are also pleased which spotlights past U.S. diplomats department. We welcome contribu- to consider poetry and photographs (either famous or obscure), as well as tions on topics ranging from manag- for publication, either in that section issues related to the evolution of the ing one’s career and cutting red tape or as freestanding features. Foreign Service as an institution. to parlaying one’s professional skills in Finally, if you have any questions retirement, as well as financial infor- about the submission process, need to Share Your Insights mation and guidance for Foreign change your mailing address, or want We take seriously our mission to Service personnel. to give a subscription to a friend or give you “news you can use”: infor- There are many other ways you family member, please contact us at mation about how to advance your ca- can contribute to our pages, of course. [email protected] and we will be de- reer; tips on dealing effectively with Please share your reactions, positive lighted to respond. the bureaucracy at State and the other and negative, to any of our content by Let us hear from you. I

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MICRODIPLOMACY IN AFGHANISTAN Jim DeHart

THE EXPERIENCE OF A PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM WORKING IN KAPISA PROVINCE SHOWS THE GREAT POTENTIAL OF LOCAL ENGAGEMENT.

BY MATTHEW B. ARNOLD AND DANA D. DEREE

.S. counterinsurgency doctrine, familiarly known as “COIN,” emphasizes “the people,” almost to the point of cliché. In Afghanistan the challenge for the United States and its allies on the ground is how to engage an exceptionally complex, ever-changing milieu of local leaders and communities. This means acting in a mannerU that effectively separates the population from the insurgency and strengthens the government in the process.

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The diplomacy required to successfully partner with plagued valleys several times over the years, and spent local Afghans — such as village leaders and community tens of millions of dollars on development projects, the councils — in the context of a COIN campaign can be insurgency has proven highly resistant to coalition efforts understood as ‘microdiplomacy.’ While the U.S. has long to win over the local populations and strengthen the experience working with formal government entities, the Afghan government. Task Force La Fayette and PRT challenge of engaging local, informal actors is something Kapisa have therefore begun to use the microdiplomacy at which we have not always been adept. principles described in this article to change that situa- This article will present some of the microdiplomacy tion. strategies used in Kapisa province to focus on strategically important communities, and their formal and infor- Obstacles to Successful mal leaders. Most notably, the French military (Task Community Engagement Force La Fayette) and the American Provincial Recon- Before proceeding to describe solutions, it is neces- struction Team which supports it, have sought to improve sary to outline several basic challenges to successful com- the consistency, unity of effort and productivity of part- munity engagement on the ground in Afghanistan. The nerships with local Afghan actors through dedicated “en- first is inconsistency in the coalition’s efforts at building gagement strategies” for local communities. Our analysis relationships with local Afghan leaders and communities. reflects the situation on the ground in Kapisa as of the The primary cause of this inconsistency is the sheer mul- summer of 2010. titude of coalition actors working on the ground, ranging Kapisa province is located on the strategic approaches from brigade teams such as Civil Affairs, Psychological to both Kabul and Bagram and has been on the front Operations and Information Operations to platoons of lines of every conflict since the Soviet invasion. Its deep combat troops. The PRT, for its part, has an eclectic mix valleys and high mountains proved impenetrable to the of civilian representatives from the Department of State, Russians and continue to offer sanctuary to various in- U.S. Agency for International Development and the De- surgent and criminal groups. The Tajik-dominated partment of Agriculture, as well as military civil affairs provincial government has a reputation for corruption, and civil engineer teams. and the minority Pashtun and Pashai’i communities com- In addition to this multitude of actors, there are mul- plain bitterly about the lack of social services from the tiple “lines of effort”: development, security and gover- government in the provincial capital at Mahmood Raqi. nance. In theory these ought to be building off one As one village leader confided, “You know and we another, but in practice they can sometimes lead to di- know the government [here] is weak.” Although various vergent efforts. The challenge of coordinating so many U.S. and French units have cleared the most insurgent- internal actors is incredibly difficult, especially within the context of a violent combat zone and an incredibly com- Matthew B. Arnold recently completed a year as a social plex local sociopolitical situation. scientist on the Human Terrain Team with Task Force La A related challenge is overcoming perceptions that Fayette, the French brigade in Kapisa province, Afghani- coalition forces are unreliable — the result of multiple bu- stan. He has extensive experience working in conflict zones reaucratic contraints. As a village leader once lamented to and will soon be on the ground in Sudan. us, “Be serious if you start something; you must be consis- Dana Deree, a Foreign Service officer currently serv- tent.” Sharing the sentiment, another added, “I am a man. ing as deputy principal officer in Auckland, was the senior When I shake hands, I will do what I said I would. So civilian representative on Provincial Reconstruction Team should you.” Kapisa. He has previously served in London, Managua, Compounding this problem is the relatively quick ro- Tijuana and Washington, D.C. He is also a Marine Corps tation of coalition forces. This means a local leader or combat veteran and a Navy Reserve public affairs officer. community cannot be sure that their PRT counterparts The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of will stick around long enough to make a difference. One the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the De- villager told us, “The problem is, I make friends and then partment of State, the Department of Defense or Task they leave.” Many Afghans would like to support the Force La Fayette. coalition and the central government, but stay on the

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fence because the level of trust Focusing the coalition’s In Kapisa the coalition has es- required for that is simply not at- tablished a Positive Forces Net- tainable. Overcoming such issues efforts on communities that work, a long-term strategy to is imperative when local leaders draw together the assorted lines and communities are literally are supportive of the Afghan of effort — development, secu- risking their lives simply by talk- rity and governance — and the ing to us. government sends a strong various coalition actors. It then The most obvious solution is focuses their efforts on specific to focus the efforts of the various message about the benefits leaders and communities that coalition actors on strategically are strategically significant both important locales and resident of cooperation. to the COIN campaign and communities. This means craft- broader efforts to strengthen the ing engagement strategies that Afghan government. allow us to improve our own unity of effort so we can This involves coordinating the following objectives, partner more productively with local leaders. consistently and for the long term, under the framework of an “engagement strategy” for a particular community: Microdiplomacy in Kapisa • Development projects For the past nine years, the coalition’s efforts to en- • Key leader engagements with community councils gage the Afghan population have focused on undertaking and local leaders governance and development programming. While • Security initiatives much has been achieved, some of the most insurgent- • Interface with the government. plagued locales have been marginalized by a lack of pro- The PFN has prioritized the district of Tagab, notably ductive interaction with the government and access to because of its detachment from the government and the international development aid. In Kapisa, this led to an endemic strength of the insurgency there. The insur- overemphasis on the more-secure western half of the gents had been able to exploit the exceptionally fractured province, at the expense of communities in the region sociopolitical life in the district by consistently killing or where the insurgency has been most concentrated. As a chasing out alternatives to their own local leadership. result, the insurgents have largely been free to dominate This, in turn, meant that there was a pressing need for local communities where there is little to no government the coalition to engage local leaders while they were still control, notably in the southern district of Tagab. present. As one leader asked last autumn, “Right now Against this background, since the autumn of 2009 the Taliban are chasing out all the leaders. What are you coalition forces have pursued holistic attempts to engage going to do when there are no leaders left?” strategically important leaders and communities. The goal has been to build solid relationships with specific in- Building Local Ties dividuals and groups that can be entrenched, show posi- Coalition forces initially dismissed the area’s Safi Pash- tive results and then be leveraged to spread stability tun population as “pro-Taliban.” But a dedicated, con- further out. This need has become especially pressing sistent effort to engage local leaders and their home because the insurgents have been able to consistently communities has shown strong results as the area has in- pressure local leaders and communities to disengage creasingly turned against the insurgents. At its simplest, from the coalition and the government. this is because the coalition, the government and locals all The simple reality is that 30 years of war have left share hopes for improved security and development. Kapisa, especially the Tagab district, socially fractured. Given that, as one local leader explained, “We have a Building stronger relationships must start from the bot- common problem and we have a common interest, so we tom up, building the social coherence of communities should work together.” and working to increase the stature of local leaders. As The initial focus of the Positive Forces Network has one village leader explains, “Strong people can help you, been on consistent engagement of the Safi Pashtun com- but if I am weak, then I can’t help you or the people.” munity of northern Tagab (along the major road that runs

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through the north-south axis of the The quick rotation of our USAID-funded juicing company in district) in order to build a solid, Kabul and buyers in Dubai and long-term relationship linking the forces means a local leader India. community with the government Forced to contend with compe- and coalition forces. The PRT and or community cannot be tition for the first time, the Pakistani other coalition actors had been seen traders tripled the prices they paid as highly unreliable partners in sure that PRT counterparts for Tagab pomegranates in the 2009 Tagab in the recent past. This harvest. From a COIN perspective, began to change with the develop- will stick around long even more important than the eco- ment of the PFN and its focus on nomic benefit of the pomegranate northern Tagab. enough to make a difference. cooperative were the relationships We started with an emphasis on it fostered between the coalition and agricultural development. The pro- local leaders and communities. As vince is blessed with high-quality pomegranates, but its these relationships grew, the coalition became able to re- farmers have historically had a hard time getting a good spond more nimbly to events on the ground and price for their produce. This was because the only buyers strengthen the ties. were Pakistani traders who purchased from individual One example comes from a tragedy. On Nov. 16, 2009, farmers in a manner that drove down prices. Beginning in the French commanding general held a large meeting in September 2009, the PRT worked with local leaders to es- the Tagab District Center with tribal and government tablish a farmers’ cooperative and linked the farmers to a leaders to discuss the new focus on cooperation with the

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people of the province. The Taliban In addition to promoting example for other Safi Pashtun fired two rockets at the gathering, communities in central and south- but they fell short, landing in a neigh- economic development and ern Tagab. This strategy takes ad- boring bazaar. Sixteen Afghan civil- vantage of the fact that local ians died and 37 were seriously disbursing humanitarian leaders who are able to procure de- wounded. velopment projects for their areas U.S. and French medics re- aid, PRT Kapisa has been see their stature rise and hence sponded immediately and were able their positive influence. Focusing to save many lives. The PRT’s partnering with local efforts in locales supportive of the USAID officer, with support from government and coalition also en- U.S. and French civil affairs staff, communities and leaders sures that a consistent message is quickly organized substantial hu- sent regarding successful coopera- manitarian aid packages for the sur- to improve security. tion: long-term positive relation- vivors and the families of the dead. ships are possible because the This assistance was followed up soon coalition is a reliable partner. after with measures designed to provide long-term eco- In northern Tagab the coalition has worked with local nomic benefits for the rocket victims. All the while, the leaders to build a courthouse, sports facility, clinic and coalition continued to manage the responses through the wells; refurbish mosques; and clean irrigation canals. leaders of the villages that had suffered casualties. Much of this has been done through cash-for-work projects that ensure local villagers have access to the imme- Signs of Progress diate benefits of such efforts and directly participate in In addition to economic development and humani- bettering their own communities. tarian aid, another major effort has been partnering with While these programs are still at an early stage, con- local communities and leaders in northern Tagab to im- sistently engaging the communities of northern Tagab prove security. The villages along the major road through has proven that direly insecure locales can be turned the region had been plagued with improvised explosive around. There has been a significant reduction in insur- devices and ambushes on coalition forces and the Afghan gent attacks along the road through northern Tagab. Sig- police and army. These attacks left local communities nificantly, other communities in neighboring districts caught in the crossfire. have asked for similar levels of engagement and inclu- In response, the local Afghan National Police com- sion in efforts like the Road Maintenance Initiative. The mander, a brave and effective leader who has been shot consistency of the effort has encouraged local leaders three times by the Taliban, organized two teams of men who were previously hesitant to interact with the coali- from local villages to improve security along the road. tion to step up. The coalition and PRT encouraged these efforts, known For example, one elected official who had been highly collectively as the Road Maintenance Initiative, by pay- reluctant to meet with coalition forces as recently as De- ing teams of 15 to 20 local men to clean up debris and fix cember 2009 is now a close partner who cooperates reg- potholes (taking away IED hiding spots) and maintain a ularly on a host of issues. While coalition members have presence on the main road. initiated many of these relationships, local officials have In addition, the ANP partnered with U.S. special stepped up and furthered them. forces to train the men on how to report IEDs and am- This has been especially true of the district’s subgov- bush sites. Through such cooperation, the two teams ernor, who had suffered from a “siege mentality” and was have effectively eliminated attacks on the road and de- left isolated in the district center. With improved secu- nied freedom of movement to insurgents. This, in turn, rity and a more consistent coalition presence, he has been improved overall security in the villages, and extended able to further his own engagement with local commu- the reach of governance and rule of law. nities in tandem with our efforts. As the Tagab repre- The coalition has complemented these efforts by fo- sentative for the provincial government commented, cusing development resources in the area to serve as an “Thanks to the improved security, the people finally be-

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lieve they have government.” As these relationships grew, nities in Kapisa province. (Other All too often, coalition efforts PRTs elsewhere in the country may have been spread too thin for local the coalition became able be pursuing similar strategies, but communities to be comfortable sup- we are not in a position to comment porting our efforts, given the risks to respond more nimbly on that.) they run by doing so. So the most The challenges of effectively important aspect of the coalition’s to events on the ground working with and through the peo- efforts in northern Tagab is that we ple of Afghanistan are profoundly have sought to consolidate assorted and further cement the difficult, but microdiplomacy of- lines of effort — development, se- fers great potential. As the Tagab curity and governance — in a man- ties it had painstakingly chief of police says, “Security has ner ensuring a critical mass of improved a lot in the last year. engagement that leads entire com- built with local leaders. People are looking to the govern- munities to stop sitting on the fence ment with good eyes for the first and start actively supporting their time. This comes from the coali- government. Undertaking consistent, focused microdiplo- tion projects like the road and pomegranates, and the road macy is essential to this outcome. teams. The enemy still attacks but the people turn away The recent successes in northern Tagab are tentative, from them, so they are not earning anything with their at- but the methodology is being expanded to other commu- tacks.” I

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THE U.S. AND LIBYA: NORMALIZATION OF A STORMY RELATIONSHIP

THE RECENT IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS WITH TRIPOLI SUGGESTS SOME LARGER FOREIGN POLICY LESSONS.

BY DAVID L. MACK

elations between Libya and the U.S. return for an annual U.S. government payment, the Tripoli- have a turbulent history: War at the be- based corsairs, who had preyed on U.S. shipping, guaranteed ginning of the 19th century; U.S. gov- its free passage. Along with being a military hero, President ernment support for Libyan indepen- George Washington was a foreign policy realist. He correctly dence after World War II; official and assessed that it was hard enough to maintain land forces and private-sector American engagement in a modest navy to deal with the British, French, Spanish and the development of the country’s oil other threats, and he warned against entangling alliances even wealth and human resources in the mid-20th century; Libyan with states that could have defended our commerce in the Rterrorism and U.S. military retaliation in the 1980s; U.S.-en- distant Mediterranean. gineered economic sanctions and isolation in the late 20th The second U.S. policy emerged in 1801. Thomas Jeffer- century; and restoration of diplomatic relations in 2006. son’s administration decided to establish a naval presence in Hopefully the 21st century will continue to feature positive the Mediterranean, so it halted payments to the bey and spent interaction between Libya and the United States. But for the money on beefing up the U.S. Navy. That led to our first that to happen, both sides must build on shared interests with foreign war, which started badly with the Libyan capture of serious diplomacy and mutual respect. the U.S. frigate Philadelphia and incarceration of its crew in 1803. Two years later, William Eaton, the U.S. naval agent for Early History of Bilateral Relations the Barbary States, led a detachment of eight U.S. marines Our first policy toward Libya was appeasement. The and a much larger foreign mercenary force overland from young United States established relations with the Bey of Alexandria to seize Derna, a port in eastern Libya. Eventu- Tripoli in 1796 and signed a treaty of peace and friendship. ally, the Ottoman Empire reasserted direct rule in Tripoli and Behind the fancy diplomatic language, the reality was that in agreed with the United States and European nations that state-licensed piracy should no longer be an acceptable tool David L. Mack, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer, is an of national security. adjunct scholar at the Middle East Institute and honorary For the next century or so, the U.S. had minimal dealings chairman of the U.S.-Libya Business Association. He served as with Libya. We were of little significance in the Mediter- deputy assistant secretary of State for Near Eastern affairs, ranean, compared to the Ottoman Empire, Britain, France U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, and a political and Italy. In 1911, Italy invaded Libya and established a officer and Arabic-language instructor in Tripoli, among colony. Completely shut out of business, the U.S. closed the many other Foreign Service assignments. The assertions and consulate in Tripoli in 1916. Especially after the advent of opinions in this article are solely those of the author and do not fascism, Italian colonial rule proved brutal and racist. The necessarily reflect those of MEI or USLBA. Arab population in Libya actually decreased between 1922

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and 1943, and very few Libyans benefited from modern agri- Henry Kissinger, who was President Richard Nixon’s national culture, education or health care. security adviser, claims in his memoirs that he favored a covert After U.S. forces landed in French North Africa in 1942, action program to overthrow the new Libyan leaders and our diplomats gained a place at the table for postwar plan- keep the airbase, but yielded to the State Department view of ning. In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt began a new the primacy of the oil interests and declining value of our mil- policy toward Libya when he opposed plans for further Eu- itary base. Much later, during the Reagan administration, the ropean agricultural settlement. At the 1945 Potsdam Con- U.S. supported and provided some military training to Libyan ference, President Harry Truman declined to take a émigré opponents of the Qadhafi regime. They proved un- trusteeship for Libya, and in 1949 we supported a United Na- reliable. tions resolution for Libyan independence. Ambassador Joseph Palmer left Tripoli in 1972, as U.S.- Libyan diplomatic relations were becoming more troubled. The Importance of Oil Not until 2009 did a U.S. ambassador return to Tripoli. The new U.S. policy was cradled in the rhetoric of moral- Nonetheless, the volume of U.S.-Libyan trade grew until ity dear to Americans: self-determination and independence 1979, and large numbers of Libyan students received higher of colonial peoples. It also reflected the power politics of the education in the United States. But after a Libyan mob Cold War. With its vast spaces and sacked the U.S. embassy in 1979, we year-round flying weather, Libya was withdrew our remaining official per- the perfect place for an air base. sonnel from Tripoli and gave Libyan Moreover, Libyans were among the Even before Libya achieved diplomats in Washington their walk- poorest people in the world, with an ing papers. Once Libya was placed annual per capita income of less than independence in 1951, on the terrorism list, the flow of busi- $50. Their postwar economy was ness people and students between based on subsistence agriculture, the Washington started an aid the two countries ground to a near export of esparto grass for fine paper halt. and scrap metal from the battlefields. program focused on secondary Between 1980 and 1992, several So rental paid by the U.S. and British acts of terrorism dominated the U.S. governments for air bases looked like education, English-language image of Libya. U.S. policy toward a good deal to a Libyan government Libya featured military pressure, with few options. and vocational training. diplomatic isolation and unilateral Even before Libya achieved inde- sanctions. By 1992, we were able to pendence in 1951, Washington start- make our punitive policy more effec- ed an aid program emphasizing sec- tive with the passage of U.N. sanc- ondary education, English-language and vocational training. tions. Libyans began to feel the economic and political While foreign assistance was desperately needed during this weight of being a pariah state. period, by the 1960s it was dwarfed in economic importance by the investments and training programs of foreign oil com- Movement Toward Reconciliation panies, especially the American ones. Libya’s first oil ship- Starting in 1992, Libya took initiatives for secret talks to ment was in 1961, and its oil income expanded rapidly during improve relations. After years of U.S. rebuffs, the Clinton the decade. administration joined Great Britain in secret talks with Tripoli By 1969, the U.S. and British air bases in Libya were of in 1998. The George W. Bush administration continued the declining strategic importance, but Tripoli had become a pro- dialogue. The combination of this diplomatic framework with ducer of energy vital to the economies of our Western Euro- well-crafted and nearly universally applied U.N. sanctions led pean allies and profitable for American companies. Although to the Libyan decision to change course. Washington still enjoyed a cozy relationship with an aging The Libyan government took steps to end support for ter- monarch and his sclerotic political system, Libyan popular at- rorism and cooperate with the Scottish court established to titudes were not isolated from the rest of the Arab world. The prosecute the 1988 bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, war of June 1967 had left Arabs everywhere with a feeling of Scotland. Nearly all of the families of the victims of Libyan- humiliation and a conviction that Washington had aided Is- linked terrorism eventually accepted its offer of compensa- rael’s victory, achieved in large part by its devastating surprise tion. By December 2003, Washington, London and Tripoli attack on the Egyptian Air Force. This set the stage for the were ready to formalize changes in Libyan foreign policy that Libyan Revolution of Sept. 1, 1969. were already evident. Libya’s full implementation of the Eventually, U.S. policy adapted to these new realities. agreement to rid itself of chemical and nuclear weapons pro-

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grams accelerated the positive trends. and Americans are eager for expanded Since then, the U.S. government business and tourism and a resumption has followed a gradual process of nor- The Obama of the educational exchange that char- malizing our relations. For some, the acterized U.S.-Libyan relations in the process has been too fast. This is true administration is 1950s and 1960s. Recent steps by both of many families of American victims governments to normalize visa issuance of terrorist acts connected to the broadening bilateral and travel are overdue and popular. Libyan government, for instance. Cov- The strategic benefits to the United erage of Libya in the U.S. mass media relations on many fronts. States of Tripoli’s current posture are is sporadic and tends to focus on the immense. Libya is no longer an adver- personality of its leader, Muammar al- sary state located on the Mediter- Qadhafi. Human rights groups and ranean Basin. Instead, it can be a some Libyan émigré personalities em- positive example to the North Koreas phasize Libya’s lack of internal politi- and Irans of the world of how to come cal reforms. Ambassador Gene Cretz, whose nom- in from the cold and become a re- Others believe normalization has ination was held up by the Senate for spectable member of the global com- been too slow. Libyan government of- more than a year, did not arrive in munity. To be blunt, there are too ficials, business people and educators Tripoli until 2009. As the result of many bad governments seeking bad all make this complaint. It is also the pressure from impatient U.S. compa- weapons for the United States to bomb view of most American companies, nies and universities, full consular serv- them all into submission. who have been at a competitive disad- ices returned to Libya’s capital after The Bush administration needed an vantage in Libya due to the years of some months. alternative paradigm for international sanctions. They point to the speed In September 2010, Secretary of cooperation, and diplomatic engage- with which European governments State Hillary Rodham Clinton met ment with Tripoli also fits well with the normalized relations with Tripoli start- with her Libyan counterpart, Foreign overall foreign policy of the Obama ad- ing as early as 1999 with the suspen- Minister Musa Kusa, in New York on ministration. Normalization on a basis sion of U.N. sanctions. the margins of the United Nations of mutual respect, including intelli- Within a short period, most of our General Assembly session. A State gence exchanges on terrorist threats, close allies had opened full embassies Department spokesperson indicated serves the security needs of both states. in Libya, and many established direct the conversation focused on regional Economically, Libyan oil and gas re- airline links. The process of normal- issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli serves offer diversification of supply in ization accelerated after December talks and the situation in Sudan, mat- a world of tight energy resources. 2003, with visits to Tripoli by top lead- ters where the U.S. government seeks A major incentive for the Libyans ers of countries like Britain, France, Libyan support. has been full international acceptance. Italy and Germany, just to name a few, Restoration of diplomatic relations often with delegations of businessmen Cautious Re-engagement with the U.S. made it possible for on their coattails. There have also The Obama administration is in the Libya to be elected to the U.N. Secu- been return visits to West European process of broadening bilateral rela- rity Council. Its record over the course capitals by Qadhafi, illustrating the re- tions with Tripoli, especially in the of two years was generally responsible. ality that Libya was no longer isolated. areas of economic and scientific coop- Despite its own bad memories of U.N. It was Washington that was out of step eration and expanded person-to-per- sanctions, Libya voted for enhanced with the rest of the world, and we no son contacts. Despite the recent sig- measures against Iran, and hosted the longer had international leverage to in- nature of a Trade and Investment recent Arab League summit meeting fluence Libyan behavior. Framework Agreement, the priorities that supported a resumption of Pales- In contrast to our allies and com- of U.S. policy remain strategic, not tinian-Israeli negotiations. petitors, the highest-level U.S. official commercial. Qadhafi, who recently concluded a to visit Libya was Secretary of State In this respect, the U.S. differs from year as chairman of the African Union, Condoleezza Rice, and that did not nearly every country in the capitalist has cooperated with other African happen until the very end of the Bush world, whose governments tend to states and with the United States to administration, in December 2008. make winning business contracts the ameliorate the Darfur problem and to (Her Libyan counterpart had visited principal measure of their relations. prevent the growth of ungoverned Washington in January 2008.) U.S. However, growing numbers of Libyans spaces in the Sahara and Sahel regions,

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which could harbor terrorist organiza- ments as arbitrary and unfair.) Tripoli’s lations invites attention to a larger for- tions. Tripoli has also made useful con- actions, however, have followed a gen- eign policy lesson, as well. Neither tributions to the development of erally prudent course in recent years, government advanced its interests African economies. so three successive U.S. administra- greatly by the use of military power in Internally, Libya is introducing cau- tions have steadily pursued closer ties, isolation from other forms of persua- tious economic reforms, but thus far it recognizing that it was a good idea to sion. Indeed, overt or covert violence has not initiated a process of political bring Libya in from the cold. Without was often the prelude to setbacks for or constitutional change. The country false optimism or illusions, we should both sides. This was true from the has an elaborate formal structure of di- try to maintain the relationship and ex- early 19th century through the 1980s. rect democracy, but non-Libyan ob- pand it where we can. Beginning in the 1990s, both gov- servers view the current political After all, the principal rationale for ernments employed a wider range of system as authoritarian. The most U.S. diplomatic relations is not to cel- the tools of statecraft. Latent military meaningful civil society institution in ebrate friendships with ideal democra- force for purposes of deterrence Libya is the weak but ambitious private cies blessed with free-market econo- played a role, as did international sector. Over the long term, interaction mies. The real diplomatic challenge, sanctions. But it was essential to con- between Libyan and U.S. companies, and the one that offers the most bene- struct a diplomatic framework to and the reopening of American uni- fit, is moving countries from the status make such measures effective. Diplo- versities to Libyan students, can do far of adversaries to former adversaries to macy allowed policymakers in both more to encourage reforms than lec- partners, to deal with a world of global Washington and Tripoli to reconsider tures by human rights organizations. threats and cultivate common inter- their respective interests and seek to The country’s leaders sometimes ests. Washington and Tripoli can take advance them in a coolheaded way. make unpredictable, even disturbing, pride in having moved this process for- Such an approach has applications statements. (For their part, Libyans ward. in the resolution of other interna- often regard Washington’s public state- The history of Libyan-American re- tional conflicts. ■

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A TALE OF TWO PARKS

A RETIRED FSO AND NATIVE NEW YORKER TAKES THE MEASURE OF A BUSTLING PROVINCIAL CAPITAL IN MODERN CHINA THROUGH THE PRISM OF CENTRAL PARK.

BY RICHARD L. JACKSON

s a native New Yorker, I have always nature lotus blossoms, osmanthus and mume — or weeping thought of Central Park as an oasis. I’ve willows lining the shore. Walking paths wind through the sur- often returned to it over the years, even rounding 19 square miles of emerald hills and rolling park- running through it in the 1982 New York land, yielding up sights like the Baochu, Liuhe and Leifing City Marathon (time: 3:38). Its reser- pagodas, where elderly Chinese practice tai chi at sunrise. voir, model sailboat pond, Sheep The surrounding city, whose name became Hangzhou Meadow, zoo and statue of Balto, the only in 589, is small by Chinese standards, with only 6.6 mil- heroic Alaskan sled dog, fired my imagination as they have lion residents (compared to two or three times that in neigh- Amillions of other city kids. As the most-visited park in the boring Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou). And yet, United States, its 843 acres, landscaped in 1873 by Frederick viewed at sunset from the Wulin Hills, its expanse of modern Law Olmsted, always seemed to me the epitome of an urban skyscrapers, stretching as far as the eye can see on both sides park, open to all. of the Qiantang River, appears at least equal to that of New Arriving in Hangzhou for a month’s stay in June 2010, I York. The capital of Zhejiang, one of the country’s richest was unprepared to find at its center West Lake Park, dating provinces, Hangzhou is a bustling, vibrant metropolis with all from the 7th-century Tang Dynasty and surpassing Central the contradictions of modern China — though not necessar- Park in natural beauty, scale, upkeep and design. Surrounded ily an accurate mirror of the country as a whole. by mist-shrouded hills dotted with Buddhist pagodas and tea But to form a first impression of the People’s Republic of plantations, it has an indescribable, evanescent beauty. China — the largest U.S. creditor, a complex nation that ac- Causeways and dragon boats crisscross its 2.4 square mile sur- counts for 20 percent of the world’s population and is a criti- face, connecting to dreamlike islands. The 9.3-mile path cir- cal player today in saving the planetary environment — one cling the lake passes pagodas, museums, tombs, carp ponds, has to start somewhere. botanical gardens, caves, waterfalls and strutting peacocks. Everywhere one sees constant reminders of China’s an- My Point of Entry cient heritage. Thousands of Chinese people stroll its vast The choice of Hangzhou as my point of entry flowed from expanse, contemplating nature — whether Hangzhou’s sig- my son Richard’s faculty assignment at the Wall Street Insti- tute, whose school network in China serves the largest Eng- Richard L. Jackson, a Foreign Service officer from 1965 to lish-language market in the world today. WSI’s Hangzhou 1999, served as president of Anatolia College from 1999 to branches teem with young professionals. I was regularly ac- 2009 and of the Association of American International Col- costed there by dozens of students, determined to practice leges and Universities from 2007 to 2009. He is the author of rudimentary and, in a few cases, advanced English. They in- The Non-Aligned, the United Nations and the Superpowers variably started and ended with “Have you visited West Lake (Praeger, 1983). Park?”, “Was it beautiful?”, “What did you see there?”,

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“Would you return?” and “Were the lotus in bloom?” Never consume. In small streets and alleys, daily card games rage in New York City was I so thoroughly interrogated about Cen- from morning until night with the same single-minded play- tral Park. West Lake is clearly millennia ahead in its hold on ers, surrounded day after day by crowds of idle spectators. So the imagination and civic pride of Hangzhou’s citizenry. great is their concentration that even a waiguoren (foreigner) As father of a faculty member and revered for my age (70), passes unnoticed. Here and in adjacent “wet markets” offer- I had a ready-made circle of friends including middle man- ing a greater array of unidentifiable foods than I have seen in agers, housewives, doctors, engineers, lawyers, chauffeurs and any supermarket or other region of the world, faces betray an university students, all struggling with English. Interestingly, unmistakable dignity and quiet will to survive, as well as the female outnumbered male students by as much as 10 to 1. striking ethnic diversity of the PRC. All had adopted new English names, in addition to their Chi- Obesity is rare, but joy in food is everywhere, and every- nese given names, to complement their new language per- one seems to be eating all the time. This is true at West Lake, sonas. Hillarys, Chelseas, Shelleys and Joyces abounded. too, where families stroll, eating sweet black rice from tiny But there was also a scattering of Crazies, Daisys, Lazys and woven baskets or downing blackened eggs. Despite appear- Solvents, the last undoubtedly selected for its connotation of ances, all are delicious. Even with the undervalued renminbi, well-being and wealth rather than as an emulsifier. yuan or kuai, as China’s currency is variously known, prices Once out on the street, however, it’s a different story alto- are absurdly low, and a full meal for two prepared to order gether. The eager-to-please students on the street comes to about $1.50. are nowhere to be seen, and no one (One can hire a cleaning lady once a appears to speak a word of English. week for $3.) Traditional massages are Taxis require full addresses written out Hangzhou’s West Lake is also a very affordable luxury, unrelated in Chinese characters, and streets look to the widely advertised “happy end- so much alike that even the shortest clearly millennia ahead of ing” variety. walk becomes a critical test of visual Pushing out from Hangzhou’s cen- memory. The Chinese language, with Central Park in its hold on the ter, I saw further vestiges of ancient its tones, characters, dialects and alien China: fishermen poling along canals vocabulary, is a lifetime pursuit, far be- imagination and civic pride of with captive cormorants to dive for the yond reach of the casual visitor. catch, and mountain tea villages where Even in a relatively smaller provin- the local citizenry. time stands still and revered kung fu cial city like Hangzhou, one is struck masters practice traditional medicine. by the rampant consumerism and the PRC’s raw economic power. The rush Energy and Optimism is clearly on to make up for past deprivation, and every high- My June visit coincided with the World Cup in South end Western brand from Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton Africa. Although China is not a soccer power, failing even to to Ralph Lauren is present on the main avenues in emporia qualify this time around despite its immense athletic poten- larger by far than those in Europe or the United States. In- tial, the place went wild. Many games, including the final, side, Chinese customers, mostly women, are buying, and on were broadcast at 2:30 a.m. local time, and bars with huge crowded sidewalks bulging shopping bags are loaded into screens were packed with smoking, beer-swilling young peo- waiting limos. In the automobile department, Rolls Royce, ple. Their energy, optimism and passion for this un-Chinese Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche showrooms compete for place sport were electric, despite a brutal job market for university with new four-door saloon cars specially designed for the Chi- graduates, which forces many to work, at least for now, in nese market. shops, taxis or clothing repair. Going downscale, huge malls with every manner of prod- While laborers are in short supply in factory hubs like uct and multistory electronics centers are thronged with fam- Guangzhou or Shenzhen, hiring notices for white-collar jobs ilies, students and shopgirls. Of course, everything from and the occasional employment fair attract literally thousands knock-off computers to phony Vuitton bags can be had for al- of applicants for each position. Curious about higher educa- most nothing. Yet the status of being able to own and flaunt tion, I visited two stunning Hangzhou campuses of the Chi- the real thing is so prized here that the two sectors appear to nese National Academy of Fine Arts, one urban and one more co-exist. The former are obviously making money hand over rural. fist and appear reluctant to rock the boat with the govern- I was impressed by their inspiring modern architecture, ment on trademark protection. using all Chinese designs and materials, state-of-the-art facil- Beneath the veneer of the malls, however, one gradually ities and motivated, inquiring students, who filled a multi- detects an older China, unaffected by the headlong rush to story library at 9:30 p.m. With 50,000 applicants for its

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freshman class, the academy accepts achieved. Clearly, the new lifestyles on only one out of every 50 — making it display and access to previously un- five times more competitive than the Beneath the veneer of imagined fashion, cars and consumer top Ivy League schools, which boasted goods trump the past, and the young only a 10:1 ratio last year. the malls, however, one are eager to make the most of them. As a casual visitor coming to grips Still casting a long shadow over with China, I was advised to avoid the gradually detects an older everything is the late Chairman Mao three Ts — Tibet, Taiwan and Tianan- Tse-tung, whose likeness stares back men — and, in any case, I had no reason China, unaffected by the from all paper money. Though he is to probe in sensitive areas. In wide- revered as the father of modern China ranging conversations, however, I found headlong rush to consume. and admired for his military brilliance, the younger generation to be self-confi- citizens openly and hotly debate his re- dent and thoughtful on most subjects. sponsibility for the excesses and fitful They are genuinely trying to make sense stop-and-start cycle of reforms during of their turbulent recent history, from his tenure. I heard such arguments the Communist Revolution, Great Leap prized heirlooms out of plain fear dur- voiced in public and without apparent Forward, Cultural Revolution and Tian- ing the Cultural Revolution. What sur- fear. In fact, while the state is every- anmen Square massacre to the pre- prised me most, however, was the where and, most concede, observes and sent economic boom. impact on this narrative of the PRC’s presumably knows everything, I did not History was brought home to me in contemporary economic miracle. I en- myself experience such security as op- wrenching personal stories of confis- countered no sense of bitterness or vic- pressive. cated family properties, parents forced timization, at least among the burgeon- Admittedly, I never fell afoul of the to inform on grandparents, forced re- ing middle-class Chinese I met in law. On the contrary, I was reassured education through labor in the coun- Hangzhou, but rather boundless opti- by the presence of laidback police tryside, and even families pulverizing mism and pride in what they have agents as concierges at residential buildings and by gates manned by un- armed police at the end of each residential street or alley. In West Lake Park, for example — unlike in Central Park — artistic lighting and ubiquitous security cameras allow visitors to stroll safely through its vast grounds all evening long. The nexus of privacy, security and individual rights in a country of 1.3 billion obviously has many dimensions. But as a casual visitor two decades after the crackdown at Tiananmen Square, I did not necessarily feel that the balance was skewed. Certainly, in the area of religion, the presence of Christian churches with active parishes alongside the prevalent Buddhist temples impressed me, as did gospel singers at public gatherings I attended.

What Lies Ahead? The unanswerable question, of course, is how long can the PRC manage the present, precipitous rate of change? In New York City, stores van- ish and are reborn, but in Hangzhou

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such change occurs virtually overnight. In China proper, however, the one- The elaborate corner barbershop that I child policy — initially applied in 1979 patronized on a Monday, for example, In wide-ranging to head off a Malthusian population ex- was gone by week’s end, occupied by plosion — has over three decades laborers working and sleeping there to conversations, I found the changed the basic social fabric. While transform it into an instant showroom. draconian family planning, with its un- All the barbers and staff had vanished younger generation to be derside of forced abortion and even fe- without a trace. male infanticide, has not necessarily On a visit to nearby Fuyang, billed self-confident and thoughtful produced a generation of pampered in a 2006 guidebook as a bucolic river “little emperors,” it has certainly accel- town of 250,000 and seat of the 3rd- on most subjects, genuinely erated the rate of social change. century Wu Kingdom, I found instead However, an unintended conse- a sprawling city of two or three million trying to make sense of their quence of the one-child policy in people. In the hills of its beautiful China’s cities, where it was most rigidly riverside park with its Buddhist shrine, turbulent recent history. applied, was an obsession with change ubiquitous amplifiers disguised as in all forms. Today’s generation of only rocks incongruously blasted the latest children are outward-looking, focused American rap and hip-hop. on individual wants and open to any- As elsewhere, tradition has always thing new. Some, caught in arranged been based on family, which has as- ilies and communal compounds remain marriages, rebel against parental pres- sured its transmission and continuity the rule. Visitors from the PRC remark sure to produce even a single child, through the millennia. Curiously, this how much more conservative overseas preferring a life of greater independ- remains especially true in Chinese Chinese in Malaysia or Singapore are ence. communities abroad, where large fam- than mainlanders. With urban professionals as the cat-

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alyst and cities leading the way, hu- industries will be lured away to coun- tongs (alleys formed by lines of tradi- tries like Bangladesh and Vietnam. tional courtyard homes) are giving way The unanswerable Also critical — and not just for to mass housing, transforming the China — will be how it manages soar- landscape at a dizzying rate. question, of course, is how ing energy consumption and an in- Sparked by the World Expo in creasingly polluted environment. Its nearby Shanghai and a prevailing long can the PRC manage total consumption of 2.3 billion tons of boomtown mentality, business leaders all forms of energy last year surpassed and investors, eager for a piece of the the present, precipitous that of the United States by 4 percent. action, are still piling in. The talk in the While some expatriates complain of expatriate watering holes continues to rate of change? corruption at all levels, the determina- be of more high-end hotel openings and tion and creativity of China’s leaders in stratagems to exploit dollar-renminbi tackling these problems — a magnitude fluctuations in repatriating salaries. never faced before — are, I submit, ac- Much will depend on China’s ability tually grounds for guarded optimism. to stimulate domestic consumption to I hope, however, that as the coun- offset expected export losses if the ren- the horizon. Among them will be try’s bureaucrats increasingly take de- minbi is revalued, a herculean task for meeting rising worker and consumer cisions affecting the whole planet, planners in Beijing. Nevertheless, the expectations. Suicides at the huge Fox- West Lake Park’s exquisite natural energy, scale and can-do spirit I en- conn plants, strikes at Honda and acute beauty will serve as a reminder of tra- countered make me optimistic that the labor imbalances may all be sympto- ditional China and a symbol of hope PRC will continue to grow well beyond matic of what lies ahead. There are al- worth preserving intact — as Central the current recession. ready signs that once Beijing gives Park in its own way remains for New Still, world-class problems loom on ground to worker demands, lower-end Yorkers. ■

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HAITI: STRENGTH AMID DESOLATION

A YEAR AFTER THE JAN. 12, 2010, EARTHQUAKE, HAITI CONTINUES TO ENDURE MORE THAN ITS SHARE OF HARDSHIPS. BUT EFFORTS TO REBUILD CONTINUE, AS WELL.

BY CHRISTOPHER E. GOLDTHWAIT

s we walked through Port-au-Prince’s on the other side. When two of former President Jean- filthiest and most dangerous slum, Little Bertrand Aristide’s thugs had escaped prison and were rob- Haiti in Cité Soleil last April, a mob of bing and terrorizing the neighborhood, one local leader had children pressed against us, grabbing our finally had enough and killed them both with a machete. He hands. Our group included a German left the bodies under the tree to be eaten by the pigs. physician whom we all called Dr. Bar- Did we want to see the interior of one of the huts? A par- bara. She heads her own tiny non- ent made way for us, pulling back the filmy cloth door so we governmental organization that serves the health needs of could peer into the windowless interior. About the size of Achildren at Silesian mission schools, Les Petites Ecoles. Many my master bathroom, the hut held two double beds, and a of the students hail from this neglected neighborhood, and rack of shelves stacked with clothing and cooking utensils. she provides the only medical help they or their families ever Six people lived here. It was tidy and as clean as possible get. under the circumstances. As we exited, another woman The dilapidated, fungus-stained and broken concrete hov- pulled at my arm, urging us to look at her hovel, too. It was els gave way to shacks of rusty tin as we continued through the same. These people took pride in making a life from so the slum. Ironically, the January 2010 earthquake had done little; they were flattered, not embarrassed by our visit. less damage to Port-au-Prince’s worst housing than to its Heading back to our vehicle — Dr. Barbara’s mobile clinic taller, fancier structures. Or perhaps the structures are so — I looked at the crowd around us. I felt less nervous now flimsy that it had been easy to put them back together again. about being here. They wore the old garments that we in the At least they weren’t heavy enough to have crushed anyone. United States give away to charities, which bundle and sell We made our way along the narrow dirt paths, with pre- them by the pound to brokers for eventual sale in the market earthquake rubble pressed into them to make them passable or on the streets. The clothes were torn and worn, but not despite the previous evening’s rain. The stench of urine was rags — manmade fibers have their virtues. Dr. Barbara ever present. Dr. Barbara led us along byways to an open area greeted a little boy who looked 5 or 6, but was probably 9 or that edged into a salt swamp, which housed the communal 10. He had a severely burned arm, which she treated before garbage dump and toilet. She pointed at a single scrawny tree we drove off. In the mobile clinic, we squeezed by a water truck that Christopher E. Goldthwait was the first career Foreign Agri- had just pulled up. It cost two gourdes, about five cents, to culture Service officer to be named an ambassador, serving as fill a pail or other container. A few hundred meters along to- chief of mission in Chad from 1999 to 2004, among many ward the main road, the driver pulled over and we saw the re- other assignments during a 30-year career. After retiring from construction of one school that was under way: a simple the Foreign Service in 2004, he became an independent con- wooden frame for two or three classrooms, waist-high ply- sultant. wood panels for walls, and a corrugated tin or aluminum roof.

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The school director who was supervis- where you should stay when doing de- ing the work came over to greet us. velopment work. Two stars, maybe. Dr. Barbara smiled, shook his hand Most of the buildings The public areas were nice, if down- through the car window; then off we right funky, with an odd array of small went. It was he, she noted in her im- looked fine — but how 18th-century cannons, 19th-century perfect English, who had killed the iron industrial implements and mod- two thugs. to tell which ones were ern iron sculptures of people and birds — all strewn through the courtyard, First Impressions in danger of collapse? open-air lobby and a charming patio/ My first impression of Port-au- bar encircling the pool. Prince a few days before had been con- The hotel seemed to be an array of fused: instantly recognizable in many a half-dozen houses, walled into a sin- respects, yet different in some. The sengers. (In the Philippines they’re gle compound and subdivided into sin- traffic on the airport road was the jum- called jeepneys.) These are Port-au- gle hotel rooms and small apartments ble familiar to me from countless de- Prince’s only public transport; a ride for short-term rental. The restaurant veloping countries I’d worked in or costs 10 gourdes, about a quarter. was on the second floor, again open on visited as a Foreign Agricultural Service I was trying to help the schools run two sides, filled with the fragrances of officer. Once the piles of rubble began by the Salesian Fathers and Sisters of flowering tropical trees. The food was to appear, it seemed the entire area was St. John Don Bosco. Working with satisfactory: ample servings of meat, a patchwork of blue-and-white tent their New York fundraising office, I rice and beans or plantains (but cities, interspersed with the blocks of was putting together a proposal for skimpy on vegetables), accompanied concrete buildings in pastel colors school meals to be funded by the U.S. by delicious, spicy sauces of doubtful you’d see anywhere in the tropics. Department of Agriculture, where I healthiness due to high salt and oil Despite the country’s reputation for used to work. content. abject poverty, before the earthquake The plan centers on Les Petites The room was another matter. Very it had more paved roads, electricity Ecoles, 100 schools that are privately poor lighting made it hard to read, but and other infrastructure than Chad or run (like 90 percent of primary schools it wasn’t dim enough to hide the dingi- Liberia, countries I know well. As in in Haiti). Aside from two government ness, poor workmanship, broken tiles Africa, there was plenty of life in the schools, they offer the only education and chipped baseboards. The closet streets, with merchants selling all kinds available in La Saline and Cité Soleil, was ample but lacked poles and hang- of goods in their shops. But there was the poorest slums in the city. Before ers. There was a small living room and a more concentrated range of goods the earthquake, these 100 schools had poorly equipped kitchen downstairs, here: food, clothing, building materi- at least 25,000 pupils all together, aged while the bedroom and bathroom als, auto supplies, but fewer household 3 to teens. Our proposal envisions 20 were above. The patterned bedspread goods. schools run by the Salesian Sisters in and elaborate set of five matching pil- Many of the buildings looked fine other poor neighborhoods scattered lows were an odd stab at elegance. I’d — but how to tell which were still in- around the city, teaching another 5,000 have preferred hot water. habited, which not? Which were sta- kids. As I tried to go to sleep each night, ble and which were in danger of After the government, the Salesians I’d hear the bark of a dog or a rooster’s collapse? are the second-largest providers of ed- crow, along with people’s voices. On Everywhere there were tents — in ucation in Haiti. Adherents take vows Saturday nights the loud dance music parks, sports grounds, yards and the of poverty and service — no chiefs of struck my untrained ear as a Carib- streets themselves. There were no- party with $125,000 salaries, Western- bean version of the popular musical tably few dogs, cats and small rumi- style houses and private cars and driv- genre known as Highlife. nants. ers here! The priests and nuns I met Traffic was frenetic, augmented by here during my brief visit are ab- A Memorable Mass sports utility vehicles from NGOs, the solutely dedicated to their order, On my last morning in Haiti, I at- United Nations and diplomatic mis- which operates in some 130 countries tended Mass at the Salesian Church of sions. Lots of local cars and tap-taps, and has the reputation of providing the St. John Don Bosco. I’d been told it gaily painted little pick-up trucks best vocational education in the devel- was quite close, but it took a long time whose cargo platforms were covered oping world. to make our way around the piles of and lined with benches to haul pas- Our hotel was the kind of place rubble and over the deep potholes of

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numerous streets. We eventually Communion was wafer-only, placed climbed into Petionville, one of the on the tongue by the priest. While better districts in the hills, where the The traffic on the waiting my turn, I pondered the con- main streets were lined with typical trast between the hopefulness and op- concrete buildings that seemed to airport road was the timism of the congregation and the have suffered little damage. But then destitution of the slum I’d visited the would come a pancake, or a ruin with jumble familiar to me day before and the still-fresh tragedy weirdly skewed slabs of floor or wall of the earthquake. I’ve never taken a and a fan of twisted rebar. from countless countries more moving communion. Turning, we were in the middle of a I hadn’t expected the attitude I lively street market with more people I’d worked in or visited as found among the Haitians. In 2008 than vehicles. We edged along, the Father Zucchi Ange Olibrice nearly church tower now within sight. The an FAS officer. died when an assassin shot him in the driver made to turn right alongside it head at point-blank range. During the even though the entire narrow alley earthquake he narrowly escaped being was occupied by street vendors. crushed by jumping out his office win- Undaunted, he edged further in and dow. Undaunted, he continues to lo, the waters parted. Clothing sellers ole. I’d follow for a few sentences and work 14-hour days to get Les Petites with wares spread on plastic sheets hur- then lose the drift. It was a very musi- Ecoles back into operation. riedly pulled them into bundles and cal service, thanks to a band of three Then there was Marie J., locally sacks to make way. This I’d never seen electric guitarists and two drummers employed at the U.S. embassy. She before. who played many interludes. The lost her house and car in the earth- Mass, including a long sermon, was church overflowed with people cleanly quake and lives in a tent in her back conducted in a mix of French and Cre- and neatly dressed, devout and joyous. yard. But she smiles: “I’m lucky. I’d

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even as thousands of people continue You Are Our to make do in their tent cities. And the Eyes & The church overflowed country’s outlook is so dire that it was recently designated as a priority recip- Ears! with people cleanly and ient in the Obama administration’s “Feed the Future” global food security neatly dressed, initiative. The path for our school-building Dear Readers: devout and joyous. proposal has also been rocky; initially In order to produce a high- rejected, it has been resubmitted, and quality product, the FSJ depends on we do not yet have a definitive answer. the revenue it earns from advertising. In the meantime, more of the Petites You can help with this. Ecoles have been repaired or rebuilt Please let us know the names left the house 15 minutes before, or I’d and are back in operation, a small but of companies that have provided have been killed. I’ve gotten my 88- encouraging improvement. good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto dealership, year-old mother into the countryside I’ve worked with other develop- or other concern. and my 19-year-old son to Miami. And ment groups to assist Haiti, as well. I’ve got a job.” Studying the country’s agricultural de- A referral from our readers velopment plans, for example, I can is the best entrée! True Grit say that they make sense. But most of Ed Miltenberger A year after the earthquake, Haiti all, I continue to be encouraged by the Advertising & Circulation Manager continues to endure more than its determination shown by the Father Tel: (202) 944-5507 share of hardships. There have been Zucchis and the Maries of Haiti. It’s E-mail: [email protected] tropical storms and a cholera outbreak, their grit that will yield progress. ■

Help AFSA Go Green and Save Some Green t Please make sure we have your e-mail address!

As AFSA prepares to institute more environmentally friendly practices, significantly reducing our consumption of paper, we are asking our members to please ensure that we have their valid e-mail addresses on file. This will allow us to contact you by e-mail rather than cluttering up your home with paper mail, and it also leads to significant savings in postage.

We ask our active-duty members to give us their “.gov” e-mail addresses, as those are unlikely to change throughout your career. For all others, any valid e-mail address works! American Foreign Thanks for helping us go green — and save some green! Service Association You can submit your e-mail address either by sending it to [email protected] or visiting www.afsa.org www.afsa.org/addresschange.cfm. Art: iStockphoto.com

38 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 26-41_FSJ_0111_feature:ship 12/10/10 10:39 AM Page 39

APPRECIATION A VISIONARY AND ACTIVIST FOR THE FOREIGN SERVICE STEPHEN LOW 1927-2010

BY KENNETH L. BROWN

he foreign affairs community suffered the loss of a true friend and staunch advocate with the death of Ambassador Stephen Low, 82, on Nov. 5 at his home in Bethesda, Md., of congestive heart failure. Steve was not only an accom- plished scholar and Foreign Service officer. He was an activist and visionary who sought to improve Ttraining for America’s diplomats and to expand understanding and appreciation of their history and contributions. During a 31-year career, Steve distinguished himself in numerous Foreign Service assignments, including service as a senior staff member at the National There has always been a problem Security Council, in our Service about training. It has ambassador to Zam- never been considered the best rec- bia and Nigeria, and ommendation for promotion, but that director of the For- is starting to change … eign Service Insti- tute for five years. — Amb. Stephen Low, from the He was best known cover-story interview, “Charting for his role in the FSI’s Future,” in the May 1986 FSJ mediation process of the late 1970s that led to an independent Zimbabwe in 1980.

A Permanent Home for FSI In his greatest contribution at home, Steve initiated and led the struggle — and a struggle it was — to create

Ambassador Kenneth L. Brown is president of the Asso- ciation for Diplomatic Studies and Training.

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a dedicated site for FSI. The result is Service in 1987, Steve continued his seen today in the beautiful campus of You have to have a lot of persist- advocacy for a stronger foreign affairs the George P. Shultz National Foreign ence. It isn’t enough that you have an community. He served as director of Affairs Training Center in Arlington, idea, tell somebody “let’s do it,” and the Johns Hopkins University Gradu- Va., where the library bears his name. then go about your business. You’ll ate School in Bologna for five years, In pursuing the new campus, Steve never get there unless you’re prepared then as president of the Association for was fond of declaring that if McDon- to make it a priority in almost every- Diplomatic Studies and Training for ald’s could have a Hamburger Univer- another five. thing you do every day. You push very sity (a photograph of which he kept in Steve had founded ADST, which is hard in every possible direction, and his office), surely the U.S. foreign af- located on the NFATC campus, while when you can’t succeed one way, you fairs community should have its own serving as director of FSI to act as the find another. institute. institute’s channel to the private sector Steve valued cooperation and rec- — Amb. Stephen Low and help tell the Foreign Service story ognized that it was only through the through oral histories, books and ex- support and collaboration of others — hibits. He used his management skills such as Ron Spiers, George Shultz, clared, “I vote against, and the nays and personal financial support to en- Brandon Grove and Representatives have it.” sure its growth and success. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and John Spratt, Similarly, in rejecting a proposal to D-S.C., to name but a few — that a locate the new campus at the north Telling the FS Story permanent home for FSI could be- end of the Pentagon parking lot, he Today ADST has 1,650 interview come a reality. noted that he did not want his name to transcripts in its growing collection on But he could also hold his ground come up in the future when planes the Web site of the Library of Con- out of deep conviction. When, for in- from National Airport took off over gress (www.frontiers.loc.gov/ammem/ stance, at the end of an early discus- the site and students wondered, “Who collections/diplomacy/index.html) and sion on relocating FSI he was was the bright guy who chose this idi- has published 50 books, with more in outnumbered in opposing a move to otic location?” production. Steve continued to be ac- another leased building, Steve de- After retiring from the Foreign tive on the association’s board for the

The National Museum of American Diplomacy n November 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright presided over a groundbreaking ceremony at the Department of State for a museum of American diplomacy, to be located in the newly renovated part of the headquarters on 21st Street NW. Am- Ibassador Stephen Low and Senator Charles (Mac) Mathias, R-Md., were both there to witness this milestone in their effort to raise the profile of U.S. diplomacy. In an article for the September 2004 FSJ, Amb. Low explained his motivation for pioneering this project. “Of all the memori- als and historical museums in this country, including some 220 administered by the federal government alone, not one focuses on our relations with the rest of the world or describes the proud record of American diplomacy. This sad situation reflects the fact that in our country diplomacy is neither highly valued nor well understood, and its contribution to the development of our modern nation is unappreciated,” he wrote. Turning to his vision for the museum, Amb. Low wrote: “In a city of museums, ours has to be compelling, first-class and state- of-the-art. I am convinced it will be among the finest. Through interactive media, the visitor center will spotlight the work of the Secretary of State and American diplomacy, and will explore the role of American diplomatic posts abroad. The public will learn what the Department of State and the other foreign affairs agencies have done and continue to do for the nation every day in helping to maintain security, promote prosperity, seek peace and expand American ideals.” The United States Diplomacy Center office at State was established in 2000 to oversee the project — known as the Depart- ment of State Visitor Center and National Museum of American Diplomacy — and has already collected 5,000 noteworthy arti- facts and created exhibitions that have toured the country. State, which will contribute space, staff and security for the center, has formed a public-private partnership with the nonprofit Foreign Affairs Museum Council, founded by Sen. Mathias, Amb. Low and others to realize the project, which has been endorsed by every living Secretary of State. The FAMC has raised an initial $1.25 million, and the next phase of the capital campaign to raise $50 million is under way. — Susan Brady Maitra, Senior Editor

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rest of his life. A special Stephen Low small craft from one grass landing strip Memorial Fund has been created at to another to refuel from jerry cans. ADST to continue his important work. Low led the effort to At one point the pilot declared, Steve was also dedicated to the idea “Lady, when you finish diapering the of creating a center and museum for create such a center and baby, we’re ready to go.” Helen was a U.S. diplomacy. There were many steadfast partner in diplomacy and a museums for branches of the military museum as chairman and leader in the efforts of the Associates and other organizations all over the of the American Foreign Service country, he pointed out, but none for chief fundraiser of Worldwide to strengthen and protect diplomacy. the rights and interests of Foreign He took up the challenge and, with the Foreign Affairs Service spouses. the help of the late Senator Charles Steve was a devoted family man, ar- (Mac) Mathias, R-Md., led the effort Museum Council. dent lover of music and talented wood as chairman and chief fundraiser of craftsman. He was much loved by his the Foreign Affairs Museum Council. family, friends and colleagues, as was Today Ambassador Bill Harrop and abundantly evident at the Nov. 11 me- others continue that mission and are ternational affairs in her own right, morial service attended by more than on the way to making Steve’s dream a whom he married in 1954 and who 200 people. reality. survives him. Helen proved her For- Stephen Low will be greatly missed eign Service mettle from the begin- as an individual, and his impact in A Devoted Family Man ning. On the way with Steve and their favor of American diplomacy and its Throughout his remarkable career, newborn son to their first post to help practitioners will long be felt. (An Steve Low was fortunate to have at his open the new U.S. consulate in Kam- obituary will appear in the February side Helen (Sue) Low, a scholar of in- pala, their bush pilot had to fly his FSJ.) I

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BOOKS

A New Breed Copeland describes this new breed Guerrilla diplomats as nimble, innovative and culturally aware, able to maximize use of mod- Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking are at their best as ern technological and media tools. International Relations political counter- Daryl Copeland, Lynne Rienner insurgents — “high- Far from being stovepiped by bureau- Publishers, 2009, $25, paperback, cracy, guerrilla diplomats are at their 320 pages. functioning, street- best as political counterinsurgents — smart, Renaissance “high-functioning, street-smart, Ren- REVIEWED BY EDWARD SALAZAR humanists with well- aissance humanists with well-devel- developed instincts, a oped instincts, a BlackBerry and, when Daryl Copeland has been a Cana- BlackBerry and, necessary, a Kevlar vest.” dian diplomat for almost 30 years, with when necessary, a But are they the answer to what ails broad experience in strategic policy, diplomacy? Or would they simply be planning and communications. So it Kevlar vest.” Don Quixotes, pursuing the impossi- is refreshing to see an author with ble dream of a “human-centered de- practitioner credentials employ a velopment” utopia? After all, if one scholarly approach to reinvent the accepts the conventional wisdom that craft of diplomacy to meet contempo- displacing defense as the centerpiece globalization is eroding the relevance rary challenges. of international policy and global rela- of the nation-state — a view Copeland And make no mistake: Copeland’s tions. endorses — then how could guerrilla critique of the failures of modern-day In the post-9/11 era, this argument diplomats become effective agents of diplomacy, supported by vivid vi- is a familiar one, but Copeland draws change? gnettes, should hit all of us close to on historical trends and the mechan- The author draws heavily on his home. ics of globalization to make the case professional experience to offer tangi- While Copeland stops short of ask- for diplomacy to regain the promi- ble suggestions on how diplomats can ing diplomats to trade in their pin- nence it has lost to defense. succeed in this new environment. He stripes for camouflage, he makes a Perhaps influenced by Canada’s argues that globalization is creating a strong, unapologetic case for a new, “human security” agenda, Copeland larger, more level playing field for civil holistic “diplomatic ecosystem” that is argues that development must be- society groups of all sizes, including more open, accountable and relevant come the new driving force of West- philanthropists and charitable founda- to the realities of globalization. He ar- ern engagement with the world. This, tions, universities and think-tanks, and gues that diplomats must be empow- in turn, will empower the new “guer- even corporations. Today’s diplomats ered to become the managers and rilla diplomat” to become an agent of must learn to work closely with these integrators of globalization and that transformational change to promote new players, perhaps even taking on our profession must be “reimagined peace, justice and development in the their roles and adopting their agendas. and linked integrally to development,” places where they are most needed. Although guerrilla diplomacy is

42 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 42-47_FSJ_0111_BKS:ship 12/10/10 10:41 AM Page 43

BOOKS

strikingly similar to “transformational diplomacy,” at least in terms of its as- pirations, Copeland argues that the new approach must do more than re- tool outdated national security pos- tures to meet new threats. It must also look at the sources and drivers of those threats and focus on the deeply rooted ills, not the symptoms. As he explains, the pace of globalization is accelerating the fragmentation of the international system into four different “worlds”: the politically and economically advantaged; the fragile and partially developed; the completely dependent; and the entirely excluded. Within this framework, Copeland’s analysis leads to the inescapable conclusion that “persistent insecurity” is the only thing these globally interde- pendent worlds have in common. What is missing, alas, is any intercon- necting fabric of peacebuilding to re- verse or minimize the process of fragmentation. Copeland acknowledges that a complete makeover of our profession may not be feasible, particularly given the institutional resistance to such sweeping change. But he is absolutely right that 21st-century diplomats cannot escape the need to operate more effectively in a world dominated by news and information on demand.

Edward Salazar is a retired Foreign Service officer whose last assignment was as senior adviser in the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. Now an international affairs consultant, he has been working part-time at the Foreign Serv- ice Institute to prepare the Intera- gency Policy Seminar.

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Speaking Truth from 1987 to 1991 — as well as his havior: President Ronald Reagan’s ne- work on Soviet affairs back in Wash- gotiating from a position of strength to Power ington. He also participated in 14 of and not insisting on “regime change.” the 15 U.S.-Soviet summits between The author admires Reagan, who Superpower Illusions: 1972 and 1991. knew what he didn’t know, asked ques- How Myths and False Ideologies The book is divided into three sections and learned from others’ exper- Led America Astray — and tions. The first is titled “Getting His- tise and experience. How to Return to Reality Jack F. Matlock Jr., Yale University tory Right,” which Matlock empha- The second section is bluntly called Press, 2010, $30, hardcover, 344 tically believes America has not done. “Missing the Point: Sixteen Misdi- pages. He supports his belief by explicating rected Years,” a wasted period charac- four American myths and a half-truth. terized by Bill Clinton’s and George W. REVIEWED BY The myths center around the idea that Bush’s shared “unipolar delusion.” ERNEST H. LATHAM JR. America outgunned the Soviet Union Matlock faults Clinton for his indiffer- and caused its collapse, while the half- ence to foreign policy and disarma- Ambassador Jack Matlock brings to truth is that America won the Cold ment, which led him (despite George his chosen theme, American foreign War — to which the author replies that Kennan’s advice) to disregard Russian policy errors of the past 20 years, un- everyone won. sensitivities about NATO’s eastward paralleled experience and insight Countering the myths, Matlock creep, among other mistakes. gained from four Foreign Service tours identifies two realities that helped If Matlock finds the Clinton admin- in Moscow — the last as ambassador Mikhail Gorbachev modify Soviet be- istration lackluster, he views the George

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W. Bush administration as virtually from Middle Eastern wars, by per- criminal for ignoring repeated warn- suading the Palestinians to elect and ings of an impending attack by al- Eschewing jargon and support honest politicians and con- Qaeda. After 9/11, President Bush was vincing the Israelis that time is running right to invade Afghanistan, but by no cant, Matlock has given against them. The spread of nuclear means justified in his methods. Mat- weapons and ancillary worries about lock speculates that Bush “had been us a book accessible Iran, Pakistan and North Korea will thinking of invading Iraq from his first also remain on the agenda, of course. Cabinet meeting.” to anyone seeking Superpower Illusions also contains The third section, “The Tasks essays on topics ranging from the na- Ahead,” is the shortest, but arguably information on recent ture of empire to the pernicious influ- the most important. In it Matlock de- ence of neoconservatives, as well as scribes an agenda compatible with U.S. foreign policy. capsule descriptions of such intellectu- President Barack Obama’s mandate for als as Francis Fukuyama and Sam change. Admittedly, all the items will Huntington. All are delivered in crisp, be difficult, starting with straightening fluent prose, which can be pungent out the multidimensional financial cri- and better utilize the State Depart- when necessary. Eschewing jargon sis. Then we must refine the tools used ment and, in place of arrogance, con- and cant, Matlock has given us a book to implement foreign policy, reduce sult and share decisions with our allies. accessible to anyone seeking informa- the size of the armed forces, expand Next, we should extricate ourselves tion on recent U.S. foreign policy.

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To be sure, not all the book’s in- denburg’s India, Pakistan and Demo- sights are original; William Pfaff and cracy: Solving the Puzzle of Divergent Peter Beinart, among others, have ex- Paths, a tightly-argued, richly-detailed, pressed similar concerns. But what cool-headed and well-grounded study sets Matlock apart and raises him to by a respected South Asia hand. Its the heights of a George Kennan is the bibliography alone is worth the price of fact that he is not just an external ob- admission. server. His is the view of a practitioner Modern India and a brand new, who knew the players and was in the largely Muslim Pakistan were born game. when England terminated its shape- Alas, like Kennan, Matlock’s wis- shifting, three-century-old mercan- dom may also be ignored or misunder- tile/colonial/imperial enterprise in stood — the customary fate of Cassan- South Asia. The two countries shared dras. Rudyard Kipling’s poem “Reces- much at independence. They still do, sional,” which similarly preached mod- but their political trajectories have esty and restraint to a world power and been dramatically different. probably cost him the poet laureate- Neither initially rejected the legal ship of England, comes to mind: system, civil service or military traditions “If, drunk with sight of power, we loose that evolved under British rule. Eng- Wild tongues that have not Thee lish continues to be the language of in awe — their governing elites, and both are af- Such boasting as the Gentiles use, flicted with caste or caste-like social di- Or lesser breeds without the law — visions, vast income disparities and Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, culturally homogenous subdivisions, Lest we forget, lest we forget. analogous to countries in other parts of the world. Indians and Pakistanis also Ernest H. Latham Jr. is a retired For- share food, dress and gesture, plus eign Service officer who served in genes, thanks to millennia of interaction Beirut, Jeddah, Vienna, Nicosia, Ber- before the latest boundary-drawing. lin, Bucharest, Athens and Washing- Neat as it would be to cite a Mus- ton. He lives in Washington, D.C. lim-Hindu divide to account for divergent degrees of democratization, India contains the world’s third-largest Mus- What Makes a lim population, and Islam as practiced Democracy? in Pakistan is hardly homogenous. But a superficial contrast between the two societies masks a structural similarity: India, Pakistan and Democracy: a seething diversity of religious inclina- Solving the Puzzle of Divergent tion in both countries. Paths Philip Oldenburg, Routledge, 2010, Probing on a more subtle level, $39.95, paperback, 273 pages. Oldenburg speculates that Pakistan’s lag in democratization may reside, at REVIEWED BY PATRICIA LEE SHARPE least partly, in the fact that India could build on an existing bureaucracy and Looking for case studies to illustrate army, while Pakistan had to build insti- the complications of democracy-build- tutions almost from scratch. The na- ing? The book you need is Philip Ol- tion did inherit civil service and military

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personnel from the well-established, alternatives. colonial cadres. However, something In short, as other political analysts even more important was lacking: a suf- Civilian politicians, have also noted, founding political ficiency of well-seasoned politicians. choices have consequences. Accord- As Oldenburg points out, the In- not the military nor the ingly, Oldenburg sees little prospect of dian National Congress had evolved convergence between India and Pak- into an all-India mass movement with unelected bureaucracy, istan in the foreseeable future. leadership depth well before becom- Meanwhile, the message to U.S. ing the ruling party of independent dominated India policymakers is this: there are no quick India under Prime Minister Jawahar- and easy recipes for cooking up demo- lal Nehru. Civilian politicians, not the from day one. cracy. I military nor the unelected bureaucracy, dominated India from its very Patricia Lee Sharpe was an FSO with beginning. the U.S. Information Agency (and then By contrast, not only did Pakistan’s State) from 1978 to 2001. A longer Muslim League lack the long history of within a few years General Zia-ul-Haq version of this review appeared on the Congress, but its leader Moham- had deposed Prime Minister Zulfiqar WhirledView, the world politics, public mad Ali Jinnah opted to become pres- Ali Bhutto. By contrast, after suffering diplomacy and national security blog ident instead of assuming the challen- through two years of Indira Gandhi’s she co-writes with former FSO Patri- ges of parliamentary leadership. Demo- imperious emergency rule, Indian vot- cia H. Kushlis (http://whirledview.type cracy has played second fiddle to gen- ers tossed her out of office. They had pad.com). erals and bureaucrats ever since; military coups are all but institutionalized in Pakistan. Fear of India, understandable but often exaggerated, also enhanced the power of the military in Pakistan. One solution to this longstanding “security situation” was to seek an alliance with the United States. The U.S., alarmed by India’s closeness to Cold War Moscow, happily sealed the deal, with consequences that should be noted carefully by U.S. policymakers seeking to strengthen Pakistan’s democracy today. As Oldenburg writes, although Washington has supported Islamabad’s efforts to institutionalize democracy, those efforts do not come close to matching the support the military has received. And this contradictory pol- Application Deadline February 6, 2011 icy continues. In 1971, both India and Pakistan faced existential crises. Pakistan’s eastern wing rebelled and became Bangla- desh. The army was humiliated, but

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AFSAAmerican Foreign ServiceNEWS Association • January 2011

Ambassador Jack Matlock Jr. Discusses Distortions of Cold War History BY ASGEIR SIGFUSSON, MARKETING AND OUTREACH MANAGER

hen the Soviet Union col- lapsed, it was entirely because “Wof internal pressure, not U.S. pressure.” With that provocative statement, Am- bassador Jack F. Matlock Jr. began the discussion of his new book, Superpower Illusions: How Myths and False Ideologies Led America Astray — and How to Return to Re- ality, during an appearance at AFSA headquarters on Nov. 4.

Amb. Matlock, currently an adjunct AMY MCKEEVER professor at Columbia University’s School Amb. Jack Matlock Jr. makes the case that Cold War history has been distorted in his Nov. 4 presen- of International and Public Affairs, was in tation at AFSA headquarters as part of the Book Notes lecture series. Washington to participate in the fifth event in AFSA’s new fall of the Soviet Union, which he contends are not the same Book Notes series. thing at all. In fact, according to Matlock, the Cold War ended Before an audience of 60 or so history enthusiasts, Matlock well before the disintegration of the USSR, brought on by the presented his view of the end of the Cold War and the down- Continued on page 54

A Q&A with OPM Director John Berry BY FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL STAFF resident Barack Obama appointed John Berry as director Throughout my career in government, I’ve had the pleasure of the Office of Personnel Management in January 2009. of interacting with Foreign Service members. This includes the PLast fall, Berry took time to answer some of AFSA’s ques- 10 years that I served as Representative Steny Hoyer’s legislative tions about his ideas for working with Foreign Service employ- director, my years as assistant secretary of the Interior for pol- ees. icy, management and budget, and other jobs. In those interac- Q: You have established a welcome tone by recognizing the sac- tions, I’ve been extremely impressed with the dedication, the rifices that civilian employees make for our country. Have you had professionalism, the breadth of knowledge and the instincts opportunities to interact with members of the Foreign Service to they bring to the job. It’s hard to overstate the difficulty or the gain a deeper appreciation for the unique challenges and dangers importance of the work they do each day for our country. they face? There’s no doubt that Foreign Service members and other A: I have tried to set a different tone, and I’m glad to hear it’s federal civilians working in violent areas abroad face unique resonating. We focus on the Civil Service, since that’s the OPM challenges and dangers and deserve to be compensated fairly. director’s job, but everything I say about the passion and sacri- That’s why OPM is trying to level the playing field among civil- fice of federal workers applies to the Foreign Service as well. Continued on page 55

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A F S A AFSANEWSBRIEFS N E W State Department Unveils Dear AFSA Readers, S New Plaques The Bureau of Human Resources unveiled I’ve only been AFSA News editor for a few months, but I’ve had a great time get- two new plaques honoring those who have lost ting to know our readers and finding out what issues matter most to you. AFSA their lives overseas at the State Department News has always been about that — making sure you have the information you Awards Ceremony on Nov. 3, 2010. need and want about what’s going on in the Foreign Service. My goal for this year, though, is to bring your voices to the forefront of the discussion. You’re the ones A Locally Employed Staff plaque honors 19 dealing with Foreign Service life, after all. individuals from countries as diverse as Saudi That’s why I’m looking for new writers who can share their perspective, advice Arabia, Haiti and Pakistan, who lost their lives and, most importantly, their stories about Foreign Service issues. These can be seri- in the line of duty due to terrorism, in an act of ous or hilarious tales that relate to topics that you all know about better than most. heroism or in other compelling circumstances Things like corridor reputation, raising third-culture kids, being a Third-Culture while serving the foreign affairs agencies. In Kid, all that interminable waiting (for flag day, bid lists, UAB…), and degrees of honoring their sacrifice, the State Department separation among FS members — all would make for great topics. testifies to the importance of locally employed You can write about your culture clashes as Melanie Harris Higgins did in the staff in the United States’ ability to conduct October 2010 issue, or you can discuss what it’s like to be an EFM when your diplomacy. spouse is on an unaccompanied tour. Retirees can share how they decided where An Eligible Family Member plaque remem- or when to retire. bers those who have lost their lives due to ter- Columns should be about 600-700 words long and written in your own voice, rorism, in an act of heroism or in other as if you’re talking to a friend (not writing a cable). There should be a point to the compelling circumstances while accompanying story — i.e., a lesson learned, a decision made, an obstacle overcome … any kind an employee serving overseas with a foreign af- of denouement to satisfy your narrative arc. fairs agency. In honoring the five individuals Another new feature in the works for AFSA News is “Photos from the Field.” who lost their lives in Pakistan, Kenya and Haiti I’d like to invite any amateur photographers out there to submit a great shot they’ve to terrorism, murder and natural disaster, we taken while at post, along with a short caption. One photo will be featured in each are reminded of the sacrifices made by our issue of AFSA News. family members. Please get in touch with me at [email protected] or (202) 338-4045, ext. 516, Both plaques, which cover the period from if you’re interested in writing or if you have any suggestions as to what we can 1999 to the present, will be affixed to the wall in provide you within these blue pages this year. I look forward to hearing from you. the C Street entrance of the department near Happy New Year! AFSA’s Memorial Plaques honoring our fallen Sincerely, Foreign Service officers. Amy

AFSA HEADQUARTERS: (202) 338-4045; Fax: (202) 338-6820 Staff: Governing Board: STATE DEPARTMENT AFSA OFFICE: (202) 647-8160; Fax: (202) 647-0265 Executive Director Ian Houston: [email protected] PRESIDENT: Susan R. Johnson USAID AFSA OFFICE: (202) 712-1941; Fax: (202) 216-3710 Business Department STATE VP: Daniel Hirsch Director of Finance Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] USAID VP: Francisco Zamora FCS AFSA OFFICE: (202) 482-9088; Fax: (202) 482-9087 Controller Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] FAS VP: Henry Schmick Assistant Controller Cory Nishi: [email protected] PRESIDENT: [email protected] FCS VP: Keith Curtis Labor Management STATE VP: [email protected] General Counsel Sharon Papp: [email protected] RETIREE VP: Robert Houdek RETIREE VP: [email protected] Deputy General Counsel Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] SECRETARY: F.A. “Tex” Harris USAID VP: [email protected] Labor Management Specialist James Yorke: [email protected] TREASURER: Andrew Winter FAS VP: [email protected] Senior Staff Attorney Neera Parikh: [email protected] STATE REPS: Carleton Bulkin Ako Cromwell FCS VP: [email protected] Staff Attorney Michael Willats: [email protected] Office Manager Christine Warren: [email protected] Mary Glantz USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Douglas Broome: Mike Haughey AFSA News [email protected] Les Hickman Editor Amy McKeever: [email protected] USAID Staff Assistant Patrick Bradley: [email protected] Bruce Matthews (202) 338-4045, ext. 516; Fax: (202) 338-8244 Member Services Raymond Maxwell Member Services Director Janet Hedrick: [email protected] Joyce Namde Foreign Service Journal Member Services Representative Richard Buscemi: [email protected] Lynn Nelson FSJ: [email protected] Administrative Assistant and Office Manager Ana Lopez: [email protected] Sharon White Editor Steven Alan Honley: [email protected] Communications, Marketing and Outreach USAID REPS: Michael Henning Senior Editor Susan Maitra: [email protected] Retiree Counseling & Legislation Coordinator Bonnie Brown: [email protected] Glenn Rogers Associate Editor Shawn Dorman: [email protected] Director of Communications Thomas Switzer: [email protected] FCS REP: Stephen Morrison Ad & Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger: [email protected] Legislative Director Casey Frary: [email protected] FAS REP: Melinda Sallyards Art Director Caryn Suko Smith: [email protected] Executive Assistant to the President Austin Tracy: [email protected] IBB REP: Al Pessin Scholarship Director Lori Dec: [email protected] RETIREE REPS: Janice Bay On the Web Scholarship Program Assistant Jonathan Crawford: [email protected] Robert (Bill) Farrand AFSA WEB SITE: www.afsa.org Road Scholar Administrator Bernard Alter: [email protected] Mary Ellen Gilroy How to Contact Us: to Contact How Marketing & Outreach Manager Asgeir Sigfusson: [email protected] FSJ: www.afsa.org/fsj and www.fsjournal.org Molly Williamson Special Awards & Outreach Coordinator Perri Green: [email protected]

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A F V.P. VOICE: STATE I BY DANIEL HIRSCH S A N E Protecting Your Rights While Maintaining W High Standards S

s Foreign Service members, we take justifiable pride burden of proof to establish the facts, identify a nexus be- both in serving our nation and in belonging to an elite tween the facts and the efficiency of the Service, consider mit- Agroup of talented and professional people. We seek to igating factors, and apply a penalty proportionate to the uphold the highest standards of integrity, productivity and alleged infraction. They may not act arbitrarily or capri- patriotism throughout the Foreign Service. If colleagues do ciously, or in violation of any law; they must follow their own not measure up to the highest stan- rules; and they may not discrimi- dards, we want them gone. Employees are often unaware nate against employees based on In this vein, I occasionally hear age, sex, race, religion, ethnicity, from employees who allege that of their rights or of the seriousness of sexual orientation or disability, AFSA impedes the proper purging their situation until after the process among other things. Title 22 in- of bad employees from the Service. cludes the Foreign Service Act, and I would like to set the record has turned against them. contains additional rules specific to straight. the Foreign Service. AFSA shares a common desire not only to maintain high Many issues handled by AFSA’s Labor Management staff standards, but to elevate them. We are, however, committed involve an agency action contrary to the agency’s own rules, to obliging the foreign affairs agencies to maintain the same one which fails to meet the burdens of proof described above, high standards that they expect from their employees. Our or which appears disproportionate to the issue of concern. role is to ensure that employees are treated fairly, that allega- It is important to understand that administrative actions tions are backed by evidence, and that decisions and actions such as disciplining an employee, revoking a security clear- are balanced and based on consideration of all factors re- ance, or recommending an employee for selection out are not quired by law or regulation. While many of our clients have constrained by the same safeguards that protect Americans erred, many have done so unwittingly; some have simply from improper actions in a judicial setting. Cases can be de- found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Oth- cided by officials invested in a particular outcome. Processes ers have made mistakes due to compelling personal reasons are not always transparent, subject to case-level oversight, or or a medical problem, such as alcoholism, depression or Post- even fully recorded. An employee is seen as guilty until Traumatic Stress Disorder. These are often one-off events proven innocent, with the burden of proof usually placed on and should be addressed with those factors in mind. him or her. Employees are often unaware of their rights or of We also push to ensure that the processes used are appro- the seriousness of their situation until after the process has priate to the concern — that disciplinary matters are treated turned against them, when AFSA’s ability to help has been di- through disciplinary procedures, security through security minished. procedures and performance issues through performance as- With regard to performance, until this year when an sessment processes. There is a tendency for the department agreement between AFSA and State lowered the quota to 2 to lock onto a certain desired outcome and improperly mix percent, the State promotion boards had to meet an arbitrary and match processes, such as using the security clearance or 5-percent quota of low rankings. Many perfectly satisfactory low-ranking system to purge the agency of employees when employees were low-ranked, facing possible selection out, there is insufficient evidence to separate them for cause. On solely because the boards had to fill that quota. In some cases, occasion, employees accused of an act of misfeasance receive alleged poor performance turns out to be a failure by the no discipline but instead face clearance revocation or low- agency to provide training or resources or an attempt to ranking simply because those processes require less evidence. blame a lower-ranking employee for a superior’s mistakes. If an employee is to be fired, suspended without pay or have Like all FS members, we want to see the Foreign Service be a clearance suspended, we want to ensure that due process the best it can be, and we have no sympathy for those who has been followed. abuse their positions. But AFSA wants to ensure that adverse We are guided by a number of principles, particularly actions are reserved for those who deserve them, and that those laid out in Titles 5 and 22 of the U.S. Code. Under Title good or innocent employees are not unfairly included in that 5, agencies may not take adverse actions without meeting a category. J

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A F S V.P. VOICE: RETIREE ■ BY ROBERT G. HOUDEK A

N What’s Ahead in 2011 E W he midterm elections are now behind us and the lead- budget. Promising targets for the Hill S ership changes for both the majority and the minority carving knife are the intake of new of- Tin the House of Representatives are now settled. I think ficers and training. it is time for a little prognostication and constituency-sound- From the retiree perspective, I ing. Your comments on the following ideas are solicited. don’t see a serious threat to our pension benefits; tinkering I see a period of serious fiscal restraint ahead. For an in- with the system would affect our elected representatives. stitution like the State Department, which has little in the way Many Foreign Service retirees don’t have Social Security ben- of domestic constituency other than FS retirees, it will be an efits. But those who do, increasingly the younger ones, should especially difficult period. The serious commitment of Sec- be concerned about the prospect of means testing, and, in retary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the White House most cases, a reduction in payments. Similarly, an effort by to strengthening our diplomacy and reinvigorating the For- the new Congress to apply the brake on the increasing costs eign Service with new officers and enhanced training will be of Medicare entitlements could result in a means-testing re- in peril. With little in the way of discretionary spending to at- duction of benefits for upper-income retirees. tack, the State and USAID budgets will be especially vulner- Defending our earned pension and health care benefits able. will remain our number-one retiree objective. Lifting the cap Dramatically compounding the problem are the funding on hours and pay for When Actually Employed employees is requirements for our presence in Iraq after the expected end a close second. A more liberal, transparent and creative use of our formal military engagement next year. The Bureau of of our retiree talent would go a long way to relieving the lack Diplomatic Security is being called on to form what amounts of mid-level officers in the department and help avert pro- to a mini-Army and Air Force to protect our State Depart- posals for a new mid-level entry program into the Foreign ment personnel. The cost will be in the billions, and while I Service. In contrast to such a program, intelligent use of the doubt Congress would deny “force protection” for our diplo- WAE mechanism can save money, provide critical mentor- mats, they will play the old fungibility game and bleed the ing for new entry-level officers and foster professionalism in necessary appropriations out of other parts of the State the Foreign Service. ❏

Thursday Luncheon Group VP Celebrates 15th Anniversary at State BY AMY MCKEEVER

t was in 1996, his first year of grad- Now executive secretary in the Of- uate school at Southern University, fice of the Haiti Special Coordinator Iwhen Stacy Williams met Russell and vice president of the Thursday Taylor. Luncheon Group, Williams knows a “If you’re interested in an exciting thing or two about international af- career, the State Department is where fairs. And this year he celebrates his you should be,” Taylor, a recruiter vis- 15th anniversary of working for the iting the Baton Rouge, La., campus, Department of State, starting first as told Williams. an AFSA-TLG intern. Williams had never given much Williams came to Washington, thought to the State Department. D.C., excited to learn about the For- The plan had been to become a law- eign Service through his placement in AMY MCKEEVER yer. Plus, working overseas had al- Stacy Williams, vice president of the Thursday Luncheon Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Tal- ways seemed to him to be the mili- Group and executive secretary in the Office of the Haiti Spe- bott’s office, where he assisted the tary’s domain. The idea of embass- cial Coordinator, celebrates his 15th anniversary of joining speechwriter. But beyond his job du- State as an AFSA/TLG intern this year. ies and diplomats intrigued Williams, ties, Williams learned what it was like though, and so he took Taylor’s advice to apply for an intern- to work in Washington, which seemed to the Shreveport, La., ship. native like the center of the world.

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A F I “There was always a Foreign Service V.P. VOICE: FCS BY KEITH CURTIS S or Civil Service person inviting me to A lunch, to church, to dinner and, as an intern, you like that attention you’re get- N ting,” he recalls. That initial positive experience as an E AFSA/TLG intern led Williams further The Good and the Bad W down the path that would eventually be- S come his career. The following summer he interned at the embassy in Zambia, returning to Washington in the fall to serve in the Office of the Inspector Gen- eral as a Presidential Management In- s the old joke goes: Do you want the good news or the bad news first? tern. The answer: Tell me the good news first; the bad news will refuse to leave. That two-year program gave Will- AWe have one of the best director generals we have ever had in Suresh iams a breadth of experience. He help- Kumar, the first true international businessman (which should be a basic re- ed coordinate the U.S. and international quirement of the position). We have the best deputy DG we have ever had, response to Y2K, and he studied the se- Chuck Ford (though, of course, there’s still time for him to mess up). And we curity procedures of embassies world- have a president who, with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke’s backing, is re- wide. The latter job permitted him to questing the largest budget increase in travel the world, which is what he de- our history via the National Export scribes as “the most valuable piece to Initiative. this whole thing.” At the conclusion of The bad news was Nov. 2 — Elec- his fellowship, however, he decided to tion Day. Coming into town soon are This might be the time for continue in the Civil Service rather than possibly the biggest group of budget each of us to think of how join the Foreign Service. cutters we have ever seen. With a little “I had a passion for being here in luck, the lame duck session will pass to remind incoming members Washington and being able to travel the our NEI funding before they get here. of Congress that the best world and come back,” he said. But don’t hold your breath; we may be Williams’ passion has never waned. on a continuing resolution for the rest way to help our economy During the past year, as he worked on of the year. That would be bleak, in- grow is through exports. humanitarian response and reconstruc- deed. Our hope is that both sides of tion issues following the Jan. 12, 2010, the aisle understand the NEI’s impor- earthquake in Haiti, Williams says that tance to the economy. CNN’s depiction of life on the ground This might be the time for each of gave him the inspiration and motiva- us to think of how to remind incoming members of Congress that the best way tion to come in and work longer hours. to help our economy grow is through exports. I know that is what AFSA will be Working as Haiti policy adviser “was doing. I had a meeting in November with Representative Frank Wolf, R-Va., a very valuable, rewarding experience,” who was a great help to us last year and now appears poised to become the chair he says. “And that really gets to the heart of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science in the House of Repre- of what public service is.” sentatives. Many of our members in Northern Virginia may well have him as Throughout his experiences, Will- their representative. Those in Maryland have Senator Barbara Mikulski, chair of iams never lost sight of what got him the Senate’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science. this far in Washington. Almost imme- Dare I ask what happens if the bad news refuses to leave? Well, you can spec- diately after concluding his internship ulate for yourselves — and I encourage you to let me know what you envision. 15 years ago, Williams took on the vol- We might just thin down and focus on 50 top-priority markets — consoled that unteer role as AFSA/TLG internship co- at least we can have the resources to get the job done there. But that reminds us ordinator that he continues to fulfill of the downward spiral that got us where we are in the first place. today. We might seriously consider a list of all the things that we are not going to do “And to me that’s what it’s all about,” — maybe market research (the Internet does it) or Invest in America (nice, but it he said. “How can you not only gain has been an add-on in the last three years). Or maybe we charge more for every- from an experience but also invest in it thing. Or … no, I am not going to go there yet, but they do say that history repeats later and empower it and expand it and itself. We do have to be thinking hard and preparing for tough decisions. We need encourage other people to see the value to know where you think AFSA should position itself on these issues and what di- of the program?” J rection FCS should take. Please get in touch at [email protected]. J

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A F S Matlock • Continued from page 49 A new policies of Soviet President Mikhail ers, the possible rise of dangerous na- racy is a fairly new idea to Russians, he Gorbachev. Glasnost (openness) and tionalism, and the strong likelihood of said, and they don’t always know what N perestroika (restructuring), as well as the new states reverting to authoritar- to do with it. Democratic institutions E Gorbachev’s public statements re- ian rule. Matlock points to President did not exist in 1991, and simply hold- W nouncing the bulk of Marxist ideology, George H.W. Bush’s famous 1991 ing elections does not mean democracy S signaled the Cold War’s end. It was only “Chicken Kiev” speech in the Ukraine, has triumphed. The average Russian, later, faced with significant internal dis- where he warned that freedom and in- however, has a much better life today sension and the inability of the Com- dependence were not the same thing. than during Soviet times, with greater munist Party to maintain control, that In Matlock’s view, the mistaken idea freedom of expression and religion. the Soviet Union fell apart. that the Soviet Union’s demise meant Pressed on the issue of free speech that the U.S. had “won” the Cold War by an audience member, Matlock con- and was therefore the world’s sole, demned the disturbing murders of undisputed superpower has led to seri- journalists and human rights activists Matlock argued forcefully ously flawed foreign policy approaches in Russia. While suggesting that organ- for ratification of the in Washington during the past two ized crime has diminished since its peak New START treaty, decades. in the 1990s, having since then been During the extensive question-and- largely absorbed into the bureaucracy, suggesting that political answer session, Matlock fielded a vari- Matlock said that only external con- pressures and posturing ety of questions from the audience. demnations and involvement by such Many focused on current U.S.-Russian bodies as the European Court of Justice are the only reasons relations, in particular the fate of the could help stem this tragic trend. for its delay. New START Treaty in Congress. Mat- Finally, Matlock was asked about the lock argued forcefully for ratification of status of Ukraine and Georgia, and the treaty, suggesting that political pres- what U.S. diplomatic strategy toward sures and posturing are the only rea- the two countries should be. Matlock Matlock suggests that the U.S. role sons for its delay. He believes that warned against pressing for NATO in defeating communism was smaller President Ronald Reagan would be membership for either, because doing than conventional wisdom would have strongly in favor of the treaty, which so would adversely affect relations with us believe. In fact, he says, it was never follows a tradition his administration Russia. Moreover, neither state would U.S. policy to bring down the Soviet embraced in the 1980s and adheres to make a strong U.S. ally due to internal Union. On the contrary, the U.S. gov- his maxim, “trust but verify.” problems. He also suggested that the ernment was worried about the possi- When asked about the situation in diaspora was much more in favor of ble consequences of the USSR’s dis- Russia today, Matlock agreed that there NATO membership than the average integration: Twelve new nuclear pow- are many lingering problems. Democ- Ukrainian. Amb. Matlock, who served four times in the Soviet Union during his Foreign Service career, including four years as ambassador, revealed that his original choice for the book’s title was Distorting History. Only opposition from his publisher persuaded him to change to the current wording. It is clear from his discussion, however, that Amb. Matlock’s original title would have been very apt. The Book Notes program is made possible by tax-deductible donations to AFSA’s 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the Fund for American Diplomacy. This event, like other AFSA events, is available for online viewing at http:// AMY MCKEEVER Amb. Jack Matlock (right) talks with retired FSO and colleague Kempton Jenkins (center) and AFSA forum-network.org/partner/american- Director of Communications Tom Switzer (left) before diving into his lecture on Cold War history. foreign-service-association. ❏

54 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/20/10 1:26 PM Page 55

A F OPM Dir. Berry • Continued from page 49 world must leave post six S ians from different agencies working in weeks before her due date A zones of armed conflict. and cannot return until six weeks afterward. N Q: Do you see a need for OPM to have A: The Obama admin- a better understanding of the Foreign Ser- istration supports paid E vice’s culture? maternity and paternity W A: Yes. I admire the traditions and leave. Supporting families S esprit de corps of the Foreign Service. strengthens our commu- Your system and culture provide many nities and our nation. It’s useful contrasts with the Civil Service also good business. Many system. We’ve cast a wide net as we’ve leading private-sector em- looked for new ideas to revitalize our ployers provide this benefit TIMOTHY GRANT TIMOTHY work force, and the Foreign Service sys- OPM Director John Berry poses with members of a Canadian del- because it helps them keep tem has influenced our thinking. For- egation to Washington, D.C. on Nov. 9, 2010. some of their best workers. eign Service members and their families While we don’t have set a sterling example of the dedication to learn how OPM can better serve separate parental leave, we do have other and commitment we’re looking for. them, and I’d like to do the same with options. In addition to sick leave, which government workers abroad. That’s the can build up over the years, most em- Q: Do you have regular conversations best way to learn more about the obsta- ployees also earn 13 to 26 personal and with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham cles they face and the resources they vacation days each year, and they may Clinton, Deputy Secretary Jack Lew or need to carry out their mission on be- carry up to six weeks of annual leave other senior management officials at State half of the American people. into the next year. and USAID? We also have flexible work schedules A: Secretary Clinton and I worked Q: Do you think that the Foreign Serv- and telework options. While these are together on extending benefits to do- ice rank-in-person system might be a not best for the first few weeks when a mestic partners of Foreign Service model for some or all of the Civil Service newborn requires round-the-clock at- members and the Civil Service as well. I or other parts of the federal work force? If tention, they can help a new parent re- look forward to continuing the conver- so, what are the main reasons? If not, why turn to the work force sooner and still sation about improving our personnel not? spend a lot of time with their babies. policies and ensuring that we’re provid- A: We looked at your rank-in-per- I am concerned for the new employ- ing the benefits that both Foreign Serv- son system, and it has many positive ees who do not have the opportunity to ice and Civil Service workers want and qualities. However, we may not have the accrue sufficient leave to cover those need. need for such a system governmen- first few weeks — the time they need to Jack Lew is a friend, and we talk from twide, and we note it takes a lot of sen- be the best new parents they can be. time to time. I’m thrilled and happy for ior staff time to run that system. While There are informal leave donation pro- him for his appointment to the Office it enhances a smaller work force with grams that help new employees in this of Management and Budget. I know he similar functions at numerous locations situation. There have also been past ex- will be deeply missed at State, and I look worldwide, like the Foreign Service, it plorations of short-term disability in- forward to working with his successor. would be very difficult and expensive to surance that employees would pay for I also meet regularly with Director Gen- apply to the full two-million-person that could be used to address this cir- eral Nancy Powell and her deputies and Civil Service. cumstance. interact with Under Secretary of State Pat Kennedy. Q: What are your feelings about cur- Q: As you know, the Civil Service and rent benefits for paid maternity and pa- Foreign Service have separate retirement Q: Would you find it useful when you ternity leave for federal employees? The systems that are governed by USC Titles 5 travel overseas to have opportunities to sit Foreign Service is particularly interested and 22, respectively. The systems conform down with Foreign Service employees to in this, as are many junior-level federal in large part, but there are differences that hear from them directly about the cir- employees, because they have not accrued reflect the special nature of the Foreign cumstances and challenges they face? Or much annual or sick leave and can’t af- Service; for example, in salary limitations have you already done that? ford Leave without Pay under the Family on re-employed annuitants. How does A: Yes, I would love to sit down with Medical Leave Act. Currently, employees OPM take into consideration these differ- FS members at post, although I haven’t must use annual and sick leave to cover ences when formulating regulations and had the pleasure to do so yet. I’ve vis- maternity leave because an expectant legislative proposals? ited federal workers around the country mother who resides in the developing Continued on page 62

JANUARY 2011/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 55 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 3:08 PM Page 56

A F S 2010-2011 AFSA Financial Aid Scholars A

FSA is awarding $145,000 in undergraduate need- AFSA also provided $35,700 in Academic and Art N based scholarships in the 2010-2011 academic year Merit Awards to 26 students in May 2010. These one- E Ato 71 children of Foreign Service employees. In ad- time-only awards reward the academic and art accom- W dition to the AFSA Financial Aid Scholarships, AFSA ad- plishments of Foreign Service high school seniors. The S ministers the DACOR Bacon House Scholarships and winners of the AFSA Merit Awards were recognized in also awards scholarships in other organizations’ names, the July-August issue of the Foreign Service Journal. In such as the Associates of the American Foreign Service all, AFSA has provided aid to 99 students totaling Worldwide and Public Members Association of the For- $180,700 during the current school year. eign Service. These groups, along with the past and pres- Students who submitted photos are listed below in al- ent individual donors, provide valuable support to the phabetical order. Each listing includes the name of the scholarship program. recipient’s mother and father, the university the student

Financial Aid Scholarship Recipients

Helene Andang — Daughter Paul Armstrong — Son of Lovinda Badinga — Daughter of Erika Barnes — Daughter of of Catherine and Guy Alina and John Armstrong. Leslie-Ann Burnette-Badinga. Kiyomi and William Barnes. Andang. Recipient of the Recipient of the DACOR Recipient of the Louis C. Boo- Recipient of the DACOR Betty Carp Memorial Bacon House Foundation chever Memorial Scholarship, Bacon House Foundation Scholarship and the Evelyn Heyward G. Hill Memorial the Ernest V. Siracusa Memorial Heyward G. Hill Memorial K. and Horace J. Nickels Scholarship. He is currently Scholarship, the Louise Holscher Scholarship. She is currently Memorial Scholarship. She attending the University of Memorial Scholarship and the attending Eastern is currently attending John St. Thomas. Julius C. Holmes Memorial Washington University. Carroll University. Scholarship. She is currently attending California State University–East Bay.

Jonathan Christensen — Nicholas Chung — Son of Christine Chung — Andrew Curry — Son of Fiona Davidson — Son of Margie and Casey Yongi and Michael Chung. Daughter of Yongi and Katherine Farrell and Mark Daughter of Mary Kate and Christensen. Recipient of Recipient of the Lowell C. Michael Chung. Recipient Curry. Recipient of the Robert Davidson. Recipient the Gertrude Stewart Pinkerton Memorial of the DACOR Bacon House George and Mattie Newman of the Cameron C. Turner Memorial Scholarship. He Scholarship. He is currently Foundation Heyward G. Hill Scholarship. He is currently Memorial Scholarship. is currently attending attending the University of Memorial Scholarship. She attending Indiana She is currently attending Brigham Young University. Washington. is currently attending the University. the National University of University of Ireland at Galway. Wisconsin–Madison.

56 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 2:40 PM Page 57

A F S A attends, and the name of the scholarship(s) the student is credited two- or four-year college/university in the U.S. or N receiving. Students who did not provide photos are listed overseas, and show need by completing the College subsequently. Scholarship Service PROFILE. (Unfortunately, grand- E It’s not too late to apply for an AFSA Financial Aid children of Foreign Service employees are not eligible for W Scholarship or even a Merit Award. Applications for the the program.) S 2011-2012 school year are being accepted until Feb. 6. Fi- Visit www.afsa.org/scholar/ for complete program de- nancial Aid Scholarships range from $1,500 to $4,000. tails and to download an application. If you have any To be eligible for an AFSA Financial Aid Scholarship, questions or are interested in establishing a scholarship in students must be tax dependents of Foreign Service em- your name, contact Lori Dec, AFSA Scholarship Director ployees, take at least 12 credits a semester, maintain at at (202) 944-5504 or 1 (800) 704-2372, ext. 504, or least a cumulative 2.0 grade point average, attend an ac- [email protected].

Elise Bliss — Daughter of Russell Charles — Son of Shandani Charles — Daughter Zachary Charles — Son of Anthony Charles — Son of Kristin and Mark Bliss. Rose and Cleveland Charles. of Rose and Cleveland Charles. Rose and Cleveland Charles. Rose and Cleveland Charles. Recipient of the DACOR Recipient of the Wilbur J. Recipient of the Prabhi G. Recipient of the DACOR Recipient of the George and Bacon House Foundation Carr Memorial Scholarship. Kavaler Memorial Scholarship, Bacon House Foundation Mattie Newman Scholarship, Heyward G. Hill Memorial He is currently attending the Everett K. and Clara C. Heyward G. Hill Memorial the James Bolard More Scholarship. She is the College of the Atlantic. Melby Memorial Scholarship, Scholarship. He is currently Memorial Scholarship and currently attending Old the Elizabeth N. Landeau attending the University of the Jefferson Patterson Dominion University. Memorial Scholarship and the Pennsylvania. Memorial Scholarship. Naomi Pekmezian Memorial He is currently attending Scholarship. She is currently the University of Virginia. attending Saint Joseph’s College of Maine.

Alexandra Dubel — Daughter Abigail Einhorn — Daughter Elizabeth Einhorn — Alexandra Einhorn — Emma Friedheim — of Janice and Jefferson of Joy and Norman Einhorn. Daughter of Joy and Daughter of Joy and Daughter of Julia Findlay Dubel. Recipient of the Recipient of the Barbara Bell Norman Einhorn. Recipient Norman Einhorn. Recipient and Daniel Friedheim Sr. Brockman M. Moore Black Memorial Scholarship, of the Elbert G. and Naomi of the Dorothy Osborne and Recipient of the John Memorial Scholarship, the the Harry A. Havens M. Mathews Memorial Theodore Xanthaky Campbell White Elbert G. and Naomi M. Memorial Scholarship, the Scholarship, the David D. Memorial Scholarship. Scholarship, the William Mathews Memorial Edward T. Wailes Memorial Newsom Memorial She is currently attending Leonhart Memorial Scholarship, the Albert E. Scholarship and the Dalton Scholarship and the Washington University in Scholarship and the Robert Carter Memorial Scholarship V. Killion Memorial Gertrude Stewart Memorial St. Louis. E. and Florence L. Macaulay and the David K. E. Bruce Scholarship. She is Scholarship. She is Memorial Scholarship. Memorial Scholarship. She is currently attending Purdue currently attending the She is currently attending currently attending Florida University. University of Notre Dame. the University of Virginia. State University.

JANUARY 2011/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 57 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 2:40 PM Page 58

A Financial Aid Scholarship Recipients F S A

N E W S

Daniel Friedheim — Son of Daniel Fritz — Son of Evan Fritz — Son of Jennifer Lara Garcia — Daughter of Trevor Gilbert — Son of Julia Findlay and Daniel Jennifer Grise and Karl Fritz. Grise and Karl Fritz. Kathleen and Rudolph Terri and Jeffrey Gilbert. Friedheim Sr. Recipient of Recipient of the Betty Carp Recipient of the George Garcia. Recipient of the Recipient of the Rose Marie the Gertrude Stewart Memorial Scholarship, the and Mattie Newman John M. and Anna B. Asch Memorial Scholarship Memorial Scholarship. He Howard Fyfe Memorial Scholarship. He is currently Steeves Memorial and the Selden Chapin is currently attending the Scholarship, the Arthur B. attending the University of Scholarship and the Janet K. Memorial Scholarship. He University of Virginia. Emmons Memorial Mary Washington. and Charles C. Stelle is currently attending Scholarship and the Suzanne Memorial Scholarship. She Northern Virginia Marie Collins Memorial is currently attending Pikes Community College. Scholarship. He is currently Peak Community College. attending Bucknell University.

Taylor Harley — Daughter Peter Harmon — Son of Fiona Hogan — Daughter of Kiernan Hogan — Son of Katherine Holtrop — of Caroline E Harley. Rana Oktay and William Abby and James Hogan Abby and James Hogan Daughter of Julie and Recipient of the DACOR Harmon III. Recipient of (deceased). Recipient of (deceased). Recipient of Daniel Holtrop. Recipient of Bacon House Foundation the George and Mattie the AFSA Foreign Service the DACOR Bacon House the DACOR Bacon House Heyward G. Hill Memorial Newman Scholarship and Retirees Association of Foundation Heyward G. Hill Foundation Heyward G. Hill Scholarship. She is the Betty Carp Memorial Florida Scholarship and Memorial Scholarship. He Memorial Scholarship. She currently attending Scholarship. He is currently the Martin G. Patterson is currently attending the is currently attending Calvin Northeastern University. attending James Madison Memorial Scholarship. University of Portland. College. University. She is currently attending the University of Florida.

Alexandra Kula — Ashley Kula — Daughter of Kelsey Landes — Daughter Brandt Lanzet — Son of Camila Liotti — Daughter of Daughter of Toni Lynn Kula. Toni Lynn Kula. Recipient of Lisa and David Landes. Teresa and William Lanzet. Akimi and David Rovinsky. Recipient of the Philip C. of the DACOR Bacon House Recipient of the Brockman Recipient of the Clarke Recipient of the DACOR Habib Memorial Foundation Heyward G. Hill M. Moore Memorial Winship Slade Memorial Bacon House Foundation Scholarship and the Memorial Scholarship. She Scholarship. She is Scholarship, the George Virginia Thurgood Bingham Associates of the American is currently attending currently attending Eastern Shultz Scholarship and Memorial Scholarship. She Foreign Service Worldwide American University. Mennonite University. the William P. and Adele is currently attending Scholarship. She is Langston Rogers Memorial Pennsylvania State currently attending Scholarship. He is currently University. American University. attending Virginia Tech.

58 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 2:40 PM Page 59

A F S A N E W S

Jordan Gilbert — Son of Elise Guice — Daughter of John Guice — Son of Norman Guice — Son of Therese Guice — Daughter Terri and Jeffrey Gilbert. Marie and Stephen Guice. Marie and Stephen Guice. Marie and Stephen Guice. of Marie and Stephen Guice. Recipient of the William Recipient of the Public Recipient of the Everett K. Recipient of the Sheldon Recipient of the DACOR Leonhart Memorial Members of the Foreign and Clara C. Melby Whitehouse Memorial Bacon House Foundation Scholarship and the Service Scholarship. Memorial Scholarship and Scholarship, the John C. Heyward G. Hill Memorial Francesca Bufano Lapinski She is currently attending the Stella Panagoulias Stutz Whitehead Scholarship and Scholarship. She is Memorial Scholarship. He Shepherd University. Scholarship. He is currently the Clare H. Timberlake currently attending is currently attending attending Shepherd Memorial Scholarship. Shepherd University. Northern Virginia University. He is currently attending Community College. Shepherd University.

Yun-A Johnson — Daughter Janelle Jorgensen — Patrick Keaveny — Son of Jeremy Keaveny — Son of Nova Kennett — Daughter of Mary and Michael Daughter of Susan and Martha and Michael Martha and Michael Keaveny. of Margaret and Peter Johnson. Recipient of the Mark Jorgensen. Recipient Keaveny. Recipient of the Recipient of the Charles B. Kennett. Recipient of the DACOR Bacon House of the Oliver Bishop Associates of the American Hosmer Memorial Scholar- DACOR Bacon House Foundation Harriet P. Harriman Memorial Foreign Service Worldwide ship, the Dorothy Osborne and Foundation Virginia Thurgood Memorial Scholarship. She is Scholarship. He is currently Theodore Xanthaky Memorial Thurgood Bingham Scholarship. She is currently attending the attending Creighton Scholarship, the Brockman M. Memorial Scholarship. currently attending University of Wisconsin– University. Moore Memorial Scholarship She is currently attending American University. Madison. and the AAFSW Scholarship. the University of New He is currently attending Mexico. Fordham University.

Ayele McCarthy — Son Patrick McGuire — Son of James McKnight — Son of Andrew McNeill — Son of J. Frederick Miller V — Son of Patricia M. McCarthy. Suzanne and John McGuire. Margaret and Alexander Anne and David McNeill. of Angela and J. Frederick Recipient of the Brockman Recipient of the Elbert G. Sokoloff. Recipient of the Recipient of the AFSA Miller IV. Recipient of the M. Moore Memorial and Naomi M. Mathews DACOR Bacon House Lawsuit over the Movie Gertrude Stewart Memorial Scholarship and the Elbert Memorial Scholarship, the Foundation Heyward G. Hill “Missing” Scholarship and Scholarship. He is currently G. and Naomi M. Mathews Robert and Evelyn Curtis Memorial Scholarship. He the Ruth Frost Hoyt attending the University of Memorial Scholarship. Memorial Scholarship and is currently attending Memorial Scholarship. Louisville. He is currently attending the Ambassador Rozanne L. Rollins College. He is currently attending Prince George’s Community (Roz) Ridgway Scholarship. Old Dominion University. College. He is currently attending Stanford University.

JANUARY 2011/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 59 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 2:40 PM Page 60

A Financial Aid Scholarship Recipients F S A

N E W S

Joshua Mines — Son of Jonathan Mines — Son of Daniela Naldoken — Fallon O’Dowd — Daughter Idra Pavin — Daughter of Cecile and Keith Mines. Cecile and Keith Mines. Daughter of Susanna and of Rhonda Brown and Sherril Pavin. Recipient of Recipient of the George and Recipient of the DACOR John Schuch. Recipient of Stephen O'Dowd. Recipient the DACOR Bacon House Mattie Newman Scholar- Bacon House Foundation the DACOR Bacon House of the Clarke Winship Slade Foundation Harriet P. ship. He is currently Virginia Thurgood Bingham Foundation Heyward G. Hill Memorial Scholarship, the Thurgood Memorial attending State University Memorial Scholarship. He Memorial Scholarship. Harriet Winsar Isom Scholarship. She is of New York–Maritime is currently attending the She is currently attending Scholarship and the Norton currently attending College. University of Edinburgh. Northern Virginia W. Bell Scholarship. She is Middlebury College. Community College. currently attending Harvard College.

Anastasia Rowland — Jae Sung Shrader — David Stuart — Son of Ellen Lillian Stuart — Daughter Marion Tilghman — Daughter of Pamela Aulton. Daughter of Sung Mi and Wilson and Steven Stuart. of Ellen Wilson and Steven Daughter of Christine and Recipient of the Elbert G. and Jeffrey Shrader. Recipient Recipient of the Col. Richard Stuart. Recipient of the Joseph Tilghman. Recipient Naomi M. Mathews Memorial of the Dorothy Osborne R. Hallock Memorial DACOR Bacon House of the DACOR Bacon House Scholarship, the Walter K. and Theodore Xanthaky Scholarship and the John Foundation Virginia Foundation Harriet P. Schwinn Memorial Scholar- Memorial Scholarship. Foster Dulles Memorial Thurgood Bingham Thurgood Memorial ship and the Harriet P. Culley She is currently attending Scholarship. He is currently Memorial Scholarship. Scholarship. She is Memorial Scholarship. She is the University of Miami. attending the Illinois She is currently attending currently attending currently attending Prince Institute of Technology. Wellesley College. American University. George’s Community College.

Paul VanKoughnett — Jordan Whitaker — Son of Cristina Wingerter — Erika Wingerter — Daughter Hannah Zix — Daughter of Son of Diane and Hale Jonita and Eric Whitaker. Daughter of Patricia of Patricia and Charles Elizabeth and James Zix. VanKoughnett. Recipient Recipient of the Beirut and Charles Wingerter. Wingerter. Recipient of Recipient of the Brockman of the William A. Cole Scholarship. He is currently Recipient of the Marcia the DACOR Bacon House M. Moore Memorial Memorial Scholarship and attending Syracuse Martin Moore Memorial Foundation Harriet P. Thur- Scholarship, the Adolph the Paris Scholarship. He is University. Scholarship. She is good Memorial Scholar- Dubs Memorial Scholarship currently attending Harvard currently attending the ship. She is currently and the Jacq Bachman College. University of San Francisco. attending the University of Siracusa Scholarship. San Francisco. She is currently attending Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne.

60 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/20/10 1:26 PM Page 61

A F Not Pictured: S (Alphabetical by Last Name) A Anna Berstein-Simpson — Daughter of Alexander Sokoloff — Son of Margaret and Rose Berstein and Peter Simpson Alexander Sokoloff. Recipient of the George (deceased). Recipient of the Rose Marie and Mattie Newman Scholarship, the Robert N Asch Memorial Scholarship and the Stephen Woods Bliss Memorial Scholarship and the E A. Hubler Scholarship. She is currently Susan Lowe Modi Memorial Scholarship. He attending Dartmouth College. is currently attending the University of W North Carolina–Wilmington. Caitlin O’Dowd — Daughter of Rhonda S Brown and Stephen O’Dowd. Recipient of Peter Tilghman — Son of Christine and the George and Mattie Newman Scholarship Joseph Tilghman. Recipient of the DACOR Caroline Perkinson — Philip Perkinson — and the Vietnam Scholarship. She is Bacon House Foundation Harriet P. Daughter of Laurel and Son of Laurel and Jeffrey currently attending Hamilton College. Thurgood Memorial Scholarship. He is Jeffrey Perkinson. Recipient Perkinson. Recipient of currently attending Dickinson College. of the Landreth M. Harrison the Brockman M. Moore Caitlin Sneff-Nuckles — Daughter of Wendy Memorial Scholarship, the Memorial Scholarship. Sneff and John Nuckles. Recipient of the Marc Grossman and Mildred He is currently attending Brockman M. Moore Memorial Scholarship Patterson Scholarship and the University of Virginia. and the George and Mattie Newman the Anthony G. Freeman Scholarship. She is currently attending Memorial Scholarship. She George Mason University. is currently attending Davidson College.

AFSANEWSBRIEFS No Dues Increase in 2011 — Don't Delay, Please Consider Supporting the Apply Today! Fund for American Diplomacy The submission deadline For the second year in a row, AFSA has decided not to raise membership dues out of sensitivity to is Feb. 6 to apply for AFSA economic concerns. This does not, however, signal any cut or compromise in our services to you — on college scholarships for the contrary, we intend to deepen them in this new year. And so we ask you to consider donating to Foreign Service kids. one of the funds that support our mission, in particular the Fund for American Diplomacy. Each year, AFSA partners with our 501(c)(3) nonprofit Fund for American Diplomacy in an appeal for donations to a worthy cause. The Fund sponsors Foreign Service programs with AFSA and helps us tell the story of the Foreign Service to the American public in a variety of ways. Through a tax-deductible AFSA Names New donation to the Fund for American Diplomacy, you will be supporting: Governing Board • AFSA’s High School Essay Contest, where students can earn college scholarship money by writing an essay on a topic related to foreign affairs. Member • The AFSA Memorial Plaques, the centerpiece of an annual ceremony at the State Department to At their Dec. 1 meeting, the honor our colleagues who have died in the line of duty. AFSA Government Board ap- • Awards programs recognizing FS employee and spouse achievements, and particularly those who proved the appointment of have had the courage to dissent. Mary Ellen Gilroy to serve as • The AFSA/Thursday Luncheon Group Minority Intern Program, which places a deserving minority student in a summer internship at the State Department. retiree representative. Gilroy, • Inside a U.S. Embassy, our popular book providing insights into the Foreign Service to individuals who joined the U.S. Information preparing for the FS exam, students in college courses on diplomacy and international relations and to Agency in 1983, has served as FS family members and relatives, as well as military and corporate personnel interacting with our mis- a public diplomacy officer in sions abroad. A new edition will be published early this year. posts from Ottawa to Port-au- • Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) programs on foreign affairs for retired Americans. • AFSA’s Speakers Bureau, where FS retirees draw on their real-life experiences in addressing busi- Prince. She also served as a ness and community leaders and regular Americans across the country. senior inspector (class of Minis- • You may also support us through a CFC gift. We are CFC #10646 and are listed under the name ter-Counselor) for public diplo- “Diplomacy Matters – AFSA.” You can also donate securely online at www.afsa.org/fad. macy, political and economic No AFSA dues support FAD activities, so we rely on your direct donations to the fund in order to affairs, and equal employment allow these successful and vital programs to continue. For further information on the fund and its activities, please contact AFSA Director of Communications Tom Switzer at (202) 944-5501 or opportunity with the Office of [email protected]. the Inspector General.

JANUARY 2011/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 61 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/10/10 2:40 PM Page 62

A F S TRANSITION CENTER SCHEDULE OF COURSES for OPM Dir. Berry • Continued from page 55 A January 2011 – February 2011 A: It’s true: the Foreign Service is significantly more specialized and homo- geneous than the Civil and Excepted Jan. 3-4 MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar N Services, allowing for a more specialized Jan. 7 MQ950 High-Stress Assignment Outbrief E retirement system. The Civil Service Re- Jan. 12 MQ853 Rental Property W tirement System and Federal Employees’ S Jan. 19 MQ203 Singles in the Foreign Service Retirement System must cover far more Jan. 20 MQ703 Post Options for Employment and Training varied circumstances. We always try to Jan. 22 MQ116 Protocol be mindful of the provisions of the For- Jan. 24-25 MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar eign Service’s retirement systems, and Jan. 27 MQ119 Orientation to State Overseas we do our best to coordinate with the Jan. 28 MQ704 Targeting the Job Market State Department to avoid problematic Jan. 31-Feb. 1 MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar inconsistencies. Feb. 2 MQ302 Transition to Washington for Foreign-Born Spouses That said, I’m supportive, in limited Feb. 4 MQ950 High-Stress Assignment Outbrief circumstances, of rehiring annuitants. Feb. 7-8 MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar The most important thing is using this Feb. 9 MQ220 Going Overseas Logistics for Adults authority as part of succession planning, Feb. 23 MQ117 Tax Seminar not in place of it. Annuitants should Feb. 26 MQ116 Protocol only be rehired temporarily, and they Feb. 28-March 1 MQ911 Security Overseas Seminar must dedicate a set portion of their time to transferring knowledge and skills to a For further information, e-mail the FSI Transition Center at [email protected]. successor. ❏ CLASSIFIEDS

LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES LEGAL SERVICES

ATTORNEY WITH 30 years’ successful EXPERIENCED ATTORNEYS REPRE- experience SPECIALIZING FULL-TIME IN SENTING FS officers in grievances, per- FS GRIEVANCES will more than double formance, promotion and tenure, financial your chance of winning: 30% of grievants claims, discrimination and disciplinary ac- win before the Grievance Board; 85% of my tions. We represent FS officers at all stages clients win. Only a private attorney can ad- of the proceedings from an investigation, is- equately develop and present your case, in- suance of proposed discipline or the initia- cluding necessary regs, arcane legal ATTORNEYS EXPERIENCED IN REP- tion of a grievance, through to a hearing doctrines, precedents and rules. RESENTING FOREIGN SERVICE OFFI- before the FSGB. We provide experienced, Call Bridget R. Mugane at timely and knowledgeable advice to employ- CERS and intelligence community mem- Tel: (301) 596-0175 or (202) 387-4383. ees from junior untenured officers through bers in civil and criminal investigations, ad- E-mail: [email protected]. the Senior FS, and often work closely with ministrative inquiries, IG issues, grievances, Free initial telephone consultation. AFSA. Kalijarvi, Chuzi & Newman. disciplinary investigations, and security Tel: (202) 331-9260. clearance issues. Extensive State Depart- E-mail: [email protected]. ment experience, both as counsel to the IG and in L and in representing individual offi- WILLS/ESTATE PLANNING by attorney cers. We have handled successfully some who is a former FSO. Have your will re- particularly difficult cases confronting For- PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: $1.40/ viewed and updated, or new one prepared: eign Service and intelligence officers, both word (10-word min). First 3 words bolded No charge for initial consultation. before the Foreign Service Grievance Board free, additional bold text 85¢/word. M. Bruce Hirshorn, Boring & Pilger, P.C. and in the federal and local courts. We work Header or box-shading $11 each. 307 Maple Ave. W, Suite D, Vienna, VA closely with AFSA when appropriate and Deadline: 5 wks ahead of publication. 22180. cost effective. Doumar Martin PLLC. Adv. Mgr. Tel: (202) 944-5507. Tel: (703) 281-2161. Fax: (703) 281-9464. Tel: (703) 243-3737. Fax (703) 524-7610. Fax: (202) 338-8244. E-mail: [email protected]. E-mail: [email protected]. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.doumarmartin.com.

62 FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL/JANUARY 2011 48-64_FSJ_0111_AN:firstlook 12/20/10 1:26 PM Page 63

A F S A CLASSIFIEDS N E TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES TEMPORARY HOUSING TEMPORARY HOUSING W PROFESSIONAL TAX RETURN PREP- SHORT-TERM RENTALS FIND PERFECT HOUSING by using S ARATION: Forty years in public tax practice. the free Reservation Service Agency, Ac- Arthur A. Granberg, EA, ATA, ATP. Our TEMPORARY HOUSING commodations 4 U. Tel: (843) 238-2490. charges are $95 per hour. Most FS returns E-mail: [email protected]. take 3 to 4 hours. Our office is 100 feet from Web site: www.accommodations4u.net. Virginia Square Metro Station. Tax Matters WASHINGTON, D.C. or NFATC Associates PC, 3601 North Fairfax Dr., Ar- TOUR? EXECUTIVE HOUSING CON- lington, VA 22201. Tel: (703) 522-3828. SULTANTS offers Metropolitan Washing- FURNISHED LUXURY APARTMENTS: Fax: (703) 522-5726. ton, D.C.’s finest portfolio of short-term, Short/long-term. Best locations: Dupont E-mail: [email protected]. fully furnished and equipped apartments, townhomes and single-family residences Circle, Georgetown. Utilities included. All in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia. price ranges/sizes. Parking available. ATTORNEY, FORMER FOREIGN SER- In Virginia: “River Place’s Finest” is Tel: (202) 296-4989. VICE OFFICER: Extensive experience with steps to Rosslyn Metro and Georgetown, E-mail: [email protected]. tax problems unique to the Foreign Service. and 15 minutes on Metro bus or State De- Available for consultation, tax planning and partment shuttle to NFATC. For more info, preparation of returns: M. Bruce Hirshorn, Boring & Pilger, P.C. please call (301) 951-4111, or visit our ENJOY YOUR STAY in Washington in 307 Maple Ave. W, Suite D, Vienna, VA Web site at www.executivehousing.com. historic guest rooms just blocks from the 22180. Tel: (703) 281-2161. White House! Rooms available to DACOR Fax: (703) 281-9464. members and their guests, $99/night/sin- E-mail: [email protected]. 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Financial Forecasts Inc., Barry B. De Marr, Web site: www.piedaterredc.com. GSA small business and veteran-owned. CFP, EA, 3918 Prosperity Ave. #230, Fairfax, Tel: (202) 544-4419. VA 22031. Tel: (703) 289-1167. Web site: www.capitolhillstay.com. Fax: (703) 289-1178. E-mail: [email protected]. SERVING FOREIGN SERVICE personnel for 23 years, especially those with PETS. Selection of condos, townhouses and sin- ARLINGTON FLATS: 1-BR, 2-BR, and ROLAND S. HEARD, CPA gle-family homes accommodates most 4-BR flats in 4-BR flats in 2 beautiful build- • U.S. income tax services breeds and sizes. All within a short walk of ings 3 blks from Clarendon Metro. Newly • Practiced before the IRS Metro stations in Arlington. Fully furnished renovated, completely furnished, incl. all FIRST CONSULTATION FREE and equipped 1-4 bedrooms, within per utilities/internet/HDTV w/DVR. Parking, 1091 Chaddwyck Dr. diem rates. maid service, gym, rental car available. Athens, GA 30606 EXECUTIVE LODGING ALTERNATIVES. 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Evalua- w/ HBO, fitness center w/indoor pool, resi- diate availability in Dupont Circle area. tion, diagnosis and recommendations for dent business center, 24-hour reception Luxury 2-bedrooms with 1 bathroom (large services and accommodations in school and desk, full concierge service, secure parking marble shower) on 1506 P Street NW. standardized testing (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, available, controlled-entry building, 30-day Only 3 blocks to Dupont Circle Metro sta- LSAT, etc). Preschool through graduate minimum stay. Walk to Metro, FBI, DOJ, tion (Red Line); across the street from school. Weekend/weekday appointments. EPA, IRS, DOE, DHH, U.S. Capitol. Rates Whole Foods Market, banks, restaurants Office in McLean, Va. Will also travel to eval- within government per diem. Discount for and CVS. Will work with per diem. Ask for uate. Contact: Dr. Suzie Muir. government, diplomats. Visit our Web site Joiner Cruz. Tel: (703) 728-8676. at: www.TheLansburgh.com or call the leas- E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: www.testingld.com. ing office at (888) 313-6240. Web site: www.jccorporaterentals.com.

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A F S A CLASSIFIEDS N E W REAL ESTATE MORTGAGE FRENCH LANGUAGE HELP S PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE serv- BUYING OR REFINANCING A HOME? FRENCH LANGUAGE HELP Tutoring ices provided by John Kozyn of Coldwell Jeff Stoddard and his team have special- at all levels and expert translations by re- Banker Residential Brokerage in Arlington. ized in home finance for FSOs for more tired native French-speaking FSO. Need to buy, sell or rent? My expertise will than 10 years. The Stoddard Group is able Tel: (703) 237-3645, serve your specific needs and time frame. to provide FSO-specific financing and title E-mail: [email protected]. FSO references gladly provided. Licensed services in all 50 states and DC. in VA and DC. Tel: (202) 288-6026. Contact them at (703) 725-2455 or e-mail E-mail: [email protected]. at [email protected]. AUTO PARTS Web site: www.cbmove.com/johnkozyn. VACATION RENTAL

ISO: RETIRED FSO WITH 10 YEARS TWO-BEDROOM CONDOMINIUM at real estate experience seeks home buyers, the Sanctuary Resort, Sandbridge Beach, sellers and renters in Virginia. David Virginia Beach, Va. Low winter rates. Olinger, GRI Long and Foster, Realtors. Tel: Tel: (866) 933-4801. Web site: www.sanctuaryresortva.com: (703) 864-3196. U.S. AUTOMOBILE PARTS WORLD- (search: B-119 “Atlantic Dreamin”) E-mail: [email protected] WIDE: Express Parts has over 30 years’ experience shipping original and aftermarket parts for U.S. specification vehicles. Give us FINANCIAL AID/SCHOLARSHIP the year, make, model and serial number of SARASOTA, FL. PAUL BYRNES, FSO your car and we will supply the parts you retired, and Loretta Friedman, Coldwell AFSA FINANCIAL AID AND MERIT need. Banker, offer vast real estate experience in SCHOLARSHIP applications for the 2011- Tel: (440) 234-8381. Fax: (440) 234-2660. assisting diplomats. Enjoy gracious living, no 2012 school year are being accepted E-mail: [email protected]. state income tax, and a current “buyer’s through Feb. 6. Students must be tax de- Web site: www.expresspartsinc.com. market.” pendents of Foreign Service employees, Tel: (941) 377-8181. take at least 12 credits a semester, maintain E-mail: [email protected] (Paul) at least a cumulative 2.0 grade point aver- or [email protected] (Loretta). age, attend an accredited two or four year SHOPPING college/university in the U.S. or overseas, and show need by completing the College HORSE FARM FOR LEASE: 3-bed- Scholarship Service PROFILE. Contact Lori SHOP IN AN AMERICAN room, 2.5-bath house on a 10-acre horse Dec, AFSA Scholarship Director at (202) DRUG STORE BY MAIL! farm in Hamilton, Va. Includes a 5-stall 944-5504 or 1 (800) 704-2372, ext. 504, or Morgan Pharmacy barn, pool. Five miles to Loudoun County [email protected]. For more information, visit 3001 P St NW commuter bus. Contact Perri Green. Avail- www.afsa.org/scholar/. Washington, DC 20007 able Jan. 1. Tel: (202) 337-4100. Fax: (202) 337-4102. Tel: (703) 626-8939. E-mail: [email protected] www.carepharmacies.com E-mail: [email protected] TRANSPORTATION

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ADVERTISING INDEX When contacting one of our advertisers, kindly mention you saw their advertisement in the Foreign Service Journal.

CLASSIFIED ADS Pied-à-Terre Properties, Inside a U.S. Embassy — ANNOUNCEMENTS Classified Ads / 62, 63, 64 Ltd. / 33 New Edition / 6, 46 AFSA Fund for American Remington, The / 16 St. Mary’s University / 32 Diplomacy / Inside FINANCIAL, LEGAL AND Signature Properties, TetraTech / 2 Back Cover TAX SERVICES LLC / 37 UCSD Institute of CFC AFSA Scholarships Federal Employee Defense Suite America / 37 Americas / 4 2011 / 47 Services / 13 Foreign Service Youth MCG Financial Planning / 25 INSURANCE REAL ESTATE & Foundation / 44 Luxenberg, Johnson & AFSPA / 43 PROPERTY Marketplace / 12 Dickens, PC / 16 Clements International / 1 MANAGEMENT Shaw, Bransford & Roth, Hirshorn Company, The / 48 Cabell Reid, LLC. / 67 P.C. / 34 Executive Housing State Department Federal MISCELLANEOUS Consultants, Inc. / 67 Credit Union / 9 AFSA Tax Guide / 41 McEnearney Associates / 66 Atlas Corps / 41 Meyerson Group Inc., HOUSING Barrie School / 25 The / 67 AKA, Flexible Stay Hotel Diplomatic Automobile Peake Management, Inc. / 65 Residences / Inside Front Sales / Outside Back ProMax Management Cover Cover Inc. / 17 Attaché Property Family Liaison Office / 45 Property Specialists, Inc. / 65 Management LLC / 33 Fox Hill Club and CAS/Corporate Apartment Residences / 23 Stuart & Maury, Inc. / 66 Specialists / 34 Go Green / 38 Washington Management Georgetown Suites / 29 Homewood at the Services / 67 Shenandoah Valley / 43 WJD Management / 65

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JANUARY 2011/FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 67 65-68_FSJ_0111_RE:ship 12/20/10 1:27 PM Page 68

REFLECTIONS

Our Little Secret

BY REGINA LANDOR

y husband is gone again, the couple. I jump out of the car. this time to an undisclosed I’m just a mother “Where do we find Odon?” Eastern European country. We walk inside the building and M who’s tired, who We arrange to visit him one week- begin knocking on doors and open- end. Another couple wants to come made a mistake, ing doors that say “Stop! Do not along and are even willing to baby-sit who’s being honest, enter!” until, a few moments later, our two kids one night. Are they kid- Odon appears. He’s a tall man with a ding? “Come right along,” I say. and who needs kind face. There’s always hope in The weekend over, we leave my a break. kind faces. I explain what happened. husband and are soon well on our I don’t want to appear demanding way home. Rummaging inside my or too eager. I’m just a mother who’s purse I suddenly realize our pass- tired, who made a mistake, who’s ports are in the hotel, two hours be- being honest, and who needs a break. hind us. “Oh no,” I say. “S---! S---, vince the couple that we should keep I guess he sees that, because he looks s---, s---!” My 4-year-old in the back going. We drive until we reach the down at me and says, “I’ll make a seat mimics me. “S---, s---, s---,” he border. call.” Moments later he says we can says. I ignore him. “Our passports,” The guard looks at their passports, go through. But first he pretends to I wail. The wife of the couple, who is then wonders where ours are. “Oh zip his lips and lock them with a key. driving, exits the highway. yeah, ours. Well, the thing is…” I say We get into the car, leave that Experienced travelers, the couple in my best offhand manner, “they are country and prepare to enter the are calm. I’m not sure what to do: in the hotel room.” next. We don’t say anything to the cry, swear some more? What I want “Well then,” he says, “I can’t let guard when he approaches our car, to do is throw myself on the ground you leave the country. You have to but hand him the only two passports and tear out my hair. They say we go back to the hotel.” There is noth- we have. Does he even notice there have to go back. All I am thinking of ing he can do. After an awkward are three other people in the back is how I have outrageously inconven- pause, he says, “Look, I’ll call my su- seat? I’m not sure, but the bar of the ienced these people. pervisor.” He says something in an gate goes up, and we are free to leave. We are 10 miles from the border. indecipherable language into his As we sail back down the highway I have an idea. I say we risk it. I say phone, and then repeats, “You have toward home, I think of my dad, who we see what happens. Maybe they to go back to the hotel.” used to say: “Never take no for an an- will let us through. The couple is We contemplate this awful de- swer. Always speak to the supervisor.” doubtful. I persist. cree. Then he offers, “You can talk Remember: our little secret. ■ It’s been a two-hour challenge to my boss if you want, but…” and keeping the boys happy and feeding shakes his head sorrowfully. I ask, Regina Landor is a Foreign Service them every 10 minutes. I cannot tell “What’s his name?” spouse on her first tour in Belgrade another version of “Peter Pan.” I “Odon,” he says. with her husband, a USAID officer, don’t think I have it in me. So I con- “Let’s go,” I say to the male half of and two sons.

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