PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION JUNE 2014

MEMORIAL CEREMONY HONORS USAID FSO

REVAMPING THE SAT EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT

FOREIGN DIPLOMATS ON DIPLOMACY

FOREIGN June 2014 SERVICE Volume 91, No. 6

AFSA NEWS FOCUS OTHER COUNTRIES’ DIPLOMATIC CORPS The Foreign Service Remembers Antoinette “Toni” Tomasek / 43 A Legal Alien: Working at State As State VP Voice: Post-Benghazi Security / 44 a Turkish Diplomat / 21 FCS VP Voice: Reflections A Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellow from Ankara discovers more on the Past Year / 45 similarities than he expected when he spends a year in Foggy Bottom. AFSA Welcomes First APHIS BY ÖMER MURAT Governing Board Rep / 45 Agreement on Ambassador Certificates / 46 The Indian Foreign Service: The Glass Gets Fuller / 24 FSPS Annuity Supplement: Global winds of change are sweeping through the corridors of A Reminder / 46 India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Foreign Service, Retiree VP Voice: On WAEs / 47 opening up the process of foreign policy delivery. USAID Honors Antoinette BY KISHAN S. RANA “Toni” Tomasek / 49 USAID 2014 Survey / 50 AFSA Leaders Meet Life and Work in the Romanian Foreign Service / 30 Secretary Kerry / 53 A former Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellow reflects on the similarities AFSA On the Hill: Happy 90th from and differences between the Romanian and American diplomatic corps. the Virginia General Assembly! / 54 How to Reduce the Public BY DIANA TASE Diplomacy Deficit / 55 Book Notes: Diplomacy From Finland with Warmth / 34 in the Information Age / 56 Revision of FAM Regulations / 56 A Finish FSO explains some of the unique features of the Finnish Foreign Service, including “sauna diplomacy.” AFSA President Speaks in Austin and NYC / 57 BY AARETTI SIITONEN New TLG Intern Comes to Washington / 57 FEATURE COLUMNS Our Woman in Havana / 39 President’s Views / 7 Even in hostile environments, FSOs effectively represent U.S. interests through Telling Our Diplomacy Stories open communication. Here is one case study. BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN BY VICKI J. HUDDLESTON Letter from the Editor / 8 Diplomats of the World, Write! BY SHAWN DORMAN EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT Speaking Out / 16 Publishing in the Foreign Service The Revamped SAT: A Much-Needed Overhaul BY YANIV BARZILAI or Cosmetic Surgery? / 59 Reflections / 93 Shirley Temple Black: The SAT is being overhauled. What does it mean? A Natural Diplomat BY FRANCESCA HUEMER KELLY BY TED WILKINSON

DEPARTMENTS When School Is Hard / 64 Letters / 9 What do you do when your child is struggling in school? This primer Talking Points / 12 can help get you started on identifying and solving the problem. Books / 81 BY MICHELLE GRAPPO Local Lens / 94

Schools Charts / 75, 76 MARKETPLACE Marketplace / 15 On the cover: At AFSA’s May 2 Memorial Ceremony at the State Department another name was Classifieds / 83 added to the plaques honoring members of the Foreign Service who lost their lives while on active Real Estate / 87 duty. Antoinette “Toni” Beaumont Tomasek, a USAID FSO, died on June 26, 2013, in Haiti. Photo: Bob Index to Advertisers / 90 Burgess.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 5 FOREIGN SERVICE

Editor Shawn Dorman: [email protected]

Managing Editor Susan Brady Maitra: [email protected]

Ad & Circulation Manager Ed Miltenberger: [email protected] CONTACTS AFSA Headquarters: LABOR MANAGEMENT Art Director (202) 338-4045; Fax (202) 338-6820 General Counsel Caryn Suko Smith State Department AFSA Office: Sharon Papp: [email protected] Editorial Intern (202) 647-8160; Fax (202) 647-0265 Deputy General Counsel Bret Matera USAID AFSA Office: Zlatana Badrich: [email protected] (202) 712-1941; Fax (202) 216-3710 Labor Management Specialist Advertising Intern FCS AFSA Office: James Yorke: [email protected] Yuting “Cibil” Lu (202) 482-9088; Fax (202) 482-9087 Senior Staff Attorney Neera Parikh: [email protected] Contributing Editor GOVERNING BOARD Staff Attorney Steven Alan Honley: [email protected] President: Raeka Safai: [email protected] Robert J. Silverman; [email protected] Editorial Board Staff Attorney Secretary: Angela Dickey: [email protected] Andrew Large: [email protected] Jim DeHart, Chairman Treasurer: Hon. Charles A. Ford; [email protected] Labor Management Counselor Hon. Gordon S. Brown State Vice President: John Long: [email protected] Stephen W. Buck Matthew K. Asada; [email protected] Executive Assistant Ruth Hall USAID Vice President: VACANT Maria C. Livingston Sharon Wayne; [email protected] USAID Senior Labor Management Adviser Richard McKee FCS Vice President: Douglas Broome: [email protected] Beth Payne Steve Morrison; [email protected] USAID Staff Assistant John G. Rendeiro Jr. FAS Vice President: Chioma Dike: [email protected] Duncan Walker David Mergen; [email protected] Tracy Whittington Retiree Vice President: MEMBER SERVICES Clayton Bond (AFSA Governing Board liaison) Lawrence Cohen; lawrencecohenassociates@ Member Services Director hotmail.com Janet Hedrick: [email protected] State Representatives: Deputy Director, Member Services and Events THE MAGAZINE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS Clayton Bond Kristy Pomes: [email protected] PROFESSIONALS Todd Crawford Coordinator, Retiree Counseling The Foreign Service Journal (ISSN 0146-3543), 2101 E Chuck Fee Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20037-2990 is pub- Todd Thurwachter: [email protected] lished monthly, with combined January-February and Ken Kero-Mentz Associate Coordinator, Retiree Counseling July-August issues, by the American Foreign Service Elise Mellinger and Legislation Association (AFSA), a private, nonprofit organization. Nancy Rios-Brooks Matthew Sumrak: [email protected] Material appearing herein represents the opinions of the Sue Saarnio Administrative Assistant and Office Manager writers and does not necessarily represent the views of Lillian Wahl-Tuco the Journal, the Editorial Board or AFSA. Writer queries Ana Lopez: [email protected] and submissions are invited, preferably by e-mail. The David Zwach Journal is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, USAID Representatives: COMMUNICATIONS photos or illustrations. Advertising inquiries are invited. Andrew Levin Director of Communications The appearance of advertisements herein does not imply Jason Singer Kristen Fernekes: [email protected] endorsement of the services or goods offered. Journal FCS Representative: Director of New Media subscription: AFSA member–$20, included in annual Ásgeir Sigfússon: [email protected] dues; student–$30; institution–$40; others–$50; Single Barbara Farrar issue–$4.50. For foreign surface mail, add $18 per year; FAS Representative: Mark Petry Publications Manager foreign airmail, $36 per year. Periodical postage paid BBG Representative: Andre de Nesnera Shawn Dorman: [email protected] at Washington, D.C., and at additional mailing offices. APHIS Representative: Mark C. Prescott Online Communications Specialist Indexed by the Public Affairs Information Services (PAIS). Retiree Representatives: Jeff Lau: [email protected] Special Awards and Outreach Coordinator Email: [email protected] Marshall Adair Perri Green: [email protected] Phone: (202) 338-4045 Hon. David Greenlee F. Allen “Tex” Harris Speakers Bureau Director Fax: (202) 338-8244 Hon. Edward Marks Thomas Switzer: [email protected] Web: www.afsa.org/fsj STAFF ADVOCACY © American Foreign Service Association, 2014 Executive Director Advocacy Director PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. Ian Houston: [email protected] Javier Cuebas: [email protected] Executive Assistant to the President Senior Legislative Assistant Postmaster: Send address changes to Patrick Bradley: [email protected] David Murimi: [email protected] AFSA Attn: Address Change BUSINESS DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS 2101 E Street NW Director of Finance Scholarship Director Washington DC 20037-2990 Femi Oshobukola: [email protected] Lori Dec: [email protected] Controller Scholarship Assistant Kalpna Srimal: [email protected] Jonathan Crawford: [email protected] Assistant Controller Cory Nishi: [email protected] www.afsa.org

6 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL PRESIDENT’S VIEWS

Telling Our Diplomacy Stories

BY ROBERT J. SILVERMAN

FSA celebrates our annual ment database. I have been at many posts between her and Malala of Maiwand, a award winners on June 18, in where the need for a missionwide contact young Afghan heroine killed in battle in the State Department’s ornate database was frequently invoked, but no the 19th century. In fact, Malala of Swat’s A Benjamin Franklin Room. I one had the time or expertise to take own- parents had named her after Malala of hope you will come. For those who can- ership of it. In Ankara, Ms. Backman did, Maiwand, hoping she would be equally not attend, the September Foreign Service and it is now being relied on for July Fourth brave. Addleton believed the link to the Journal will provide full coverage. invitations and other events. famous figure would inspire courage and As usual there will be two broad catego- We had other strong OMS nominations. advance the cause of female education. ries recognized, outstanding performance Carol Johnson in Embassy Accra exempli- Addleton’s op-ed was “spiked” in and constructive dissent. I am always on fies the senior OMS in the front office who Washington, ostensibly out of concern that the look-out for good Foreign Service sto- projects the professionalism and com- it could strengthen conspiracy theorists ries, and this year’s nominations yielded a petence that sets the tone for the entire claiming that the U.S. government was bumper crop, so I decided to tell a couple embassy. In Embassy Baghdad, Mariam behind the attack on Malala of Swat. of them in this column. Abdulle helped manage the termination of After Secretary Kerry addressed a Office management specialists are the police training program with great sen- town hall with Embassy Kabul via video, often unsung heroes of the Foreign Ser- sitivity and skill, enhanced by her knowl- encouraging the audience to speak can- vice. They support others in the mission, so edge of Arabic and understanding of the didly and promote outreach, Addleton that their outstanding work underlies the local culture. Her nomination highlights sent in his dissent message. Reflecting on achievements of others and often gets sub- why AFSA advocates expanding language the story of the two Malalas, he criticized sumed. AFSA is proud to offer the annual and areas studies training to include OMSs our risk-averse public diplomacy policy: award for OMS achievement to Carol and other specialists. “A control-oriented approach not only Backman of the Management Section in There are many ways of recogniz- makes it difficult to respond quickly when Embassy Ankara. ing outstanding performance, but the outreach opportunities arise; it also breeds Reading her nomination, one thing only celebration of dissent in the federal a tendency for officers to avoid any media jumps out—computer innovation. This government is the AFSA awards. This year exposure.” year Mission Turkey handled nearly 100 the Christian Herter Award for dissent by Addleton followed up the dissent cable applications for new positions, many of a member of the Senior Foreign Service with advocacy in Washington that, in con- which involved Syrian transition issues, goes to USAID’s Ambassador Jonathan cert with ongoing AFSA efforts and with tours of differing durations, new locations Addleton. As senior civilian representa- support from the Public Affairs Bureau, in country and a variety of sponsoring tive in Kandahar, he argued for a “bolder, will result in new regulations liberalizing federal agencies. The embassy nimbler” approach to public publication clearances in many cases. needed a tracking device for diplomacy in a dissent cable in He continues to believe in outreach and the approval and assignment February 2013. Here is his case. joined dozens of trips “outside the wire” processes. Following the terror attack throughout southern Afghanistan. Ms. Backman developed a on Malala of Swat, the young girl Be well, stay safe and keep in touch, SharePoint site, and worked who championed female educa- Bob with the alphabet soup of agen- tion in Pakistan, Addleton wrote [email protected] n cies to ensure everyone used an editorial drawing parallels it. Then she cut the Gordian Knot of the contact manage- Robert J. Silverman is the president of the American Foreign Service Association.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 7 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Diplomats of the World, Write!

BY SHAWN DORMAN

his month members of other ance requirements. As the Journal aims to countries’ diplomatic corps be a welcoming place for members of the offer an inside look at what it’s U.S. Foreign Service (and other countries’ T like to be part of the Foreign diplomatic corps) to share their experi- Service of their countries. We hope to ences and perspectives, we are keenly bring in more voices from other countries aware of the barriers that a clearance through occasional articles from foreign process can create. diplomats in the future. In an up-close look at Foreign Service To kick off this series, we bring you writing, FSO Yaniv Barzilai tells of his diplomats from four countries: Turkey, adventures in publishing, and offers India, Romania and Finland. Three served advice and encouragement for others as Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange considering going down this road, as well Fellows in a program that brings diplo- as suggestions for how to make the pro- mats from NATO and European Union cess work better. We hope it will inspire. countries to work at the State Department FS writing might just get easier soon, for a year, and sends U.S. diplomats to as AFSA has been negotiating with the those foreign ministries. State Department on updates to the regu- Turkish diplomat Ömer Murat tells lations on the publication. Look for good about how the Turkish Foreign Ministry news on that in the July-August issue. handled tensions between generalists and Already inspiring others to write is specialists that was leading to special- former FSO and Army veteran Ron Capps, ist resignations. In “The Indian Foreign whose new book, Seriously Not All Right: Service: The Glass Gets Fuller,” Ambas- Five Wars in Ten Years, is reviewed by sador Kishan Rana writes that the Indian FSO Douglas Koneff in this issue. Finding Ministry of External Affairs is inviting strength through writing, Capps now younger officers to bring forward reform helps others do the same through the ideas, with the notion that the “young- nonprofit Veterans Writing Project. sters” have the biggest stake in reform In AFSA News, you’ll find the inspir- and the freshest thinking to offer. ing and tragic story of Antoinette “Toni” In “Life and Work in the Romanian Tomasek, a USAID Foreign Service officer Foreign Service,” Diana Tase explains how and beloved wife, mother, friend and Romania chooses its diplomats. Finally, colleague. “She was driven by the pas- Aaretti Siitonen explains that most Finnish sionate belief that individuals can make diplomats also do development work; the a difference,” said USAID Administrator foreign aid agency was merged with the Rajiv Shah. “Her inspiration will be felt for foreign ministry in the 1990s. decades to come.” When diplomats write, Toni’s name is inscribed on the AFSA they must consider carefully Memorial Plaque, unveiled during the what they say, given clear- AFSA Memorial Ceremony on May 2. n

Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal.

8 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTERS

Identifying Talent awards committee, or seen how various Before claiming that we have a “bro- Sorry, Tyler Sparks, but I am not accolades are handed out, and to whom, ken evaluation and promotion process,” among the “practically everyone” you in the State Department, honestly critics should first come up with a better assert subscribes to your view of how the believe there could be a fair way to one. State Department should identify talent decide which 12 or so mid-level officers S.R. Hankinson (“Bring Back the Powell Fellows Pro- out of thousands are the “star achievers,” FSO gram,” Speaking Out, April). deserving of special access to a patron- Embassy Lome In the diplomatic service of many age network and private perquisites that countries, unless you attended the right would favor them over their peers? The Social Media Emperor elite school, you’re doomed to Mr. Sparks claims Hallelujah! Someone has finally had the slow track from the start. that the military the good sense to point out that the What’s great about the U.S. identifies people “with emperor has no clothes. Bob Silver- Foreign Service is that it pro- the potential to rise man’s critique in his March President’s vides opportunities for officers through the ranks” Views column of the use of social media to demonstrate ability at all early on. I would argue in diplomacy (“Are Social Media Over- stages of their careers. that grooming an (to rated?”) certainly struck a responsive Trying to identify pre- some extent, self-iden- chord with me. cocious talent based on tified) elite of neophytes It could well be argued that Twitter, academic provenance, is just as likely to give Facebook, et al. are virtual communica- personal connections and you General George tion platforms, insofar as largely vacu- early assignments (particu- McClellan—second in ous information thrown to the electronic larly in Washington, where his class at West Point four winds is no more a genuine form one can hitch one’s wagon to high flyers) and plenty smart, but lacking the grit of communication than fast food is real would disadvantage those who, through to engage General Robert E. Lee in the food. no fault of their own, got a boring job, a early stages of the Civil War—as Ulysses But these so-called media do weak boss or no support during an early Grant, who labored long in obscu- accomplish one thing: They are a way tour. rity after leaving West Point to conduct enough America is the land of second (nowhere near the top of his outreach to satisfy chances, and multiple careers. Some class) before proving that he had the bean counters of our best diplomats graduated from the right stuff to grind the South in Congress and undistinguished universities or started into surrender. elsewhere, without in completely unrelated occupations, My point is, you never know spending the time and not all were instant successes once what people can really do until and money neces- they joined the Foreign Service. It takes they have been tried out, in vari- sary to do real, seasoning to show true mettle. ous jobs, over time. That’s how extensive evaluation When I read phrases like “the best real leaders should be identified, of the impact of the of the best,” I am reminded of the “whiz and that’s the right way to “pick full range of State kid” label given to Robert McNamara winners.” Department com- and other commercial geniuses in the Having recently spent six munications. Kennedy administration who were weeks on a promotion panel, I found the Social media might yet prove to be young and smart, and were identified process to be fair, balanced and largely a useful tool in efforts to reach foreign as having high potential early in their effective, though I freely admit that it audiences. But the redirection of consid- careers. They also took us into, and has flaws and (to paraphrase Winston erable resources to a largely unproven failed to extract us from, Vietnam—and Churchill’s comment about democracy) “tech-tool-of-the-day” seems short- we all know how that turned out. is the “worst system … except all the sighted and overly optimistic, at best. Does anyone who has been on an others that have been tried.” Until the time comes when evaluat-

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 9 ing the impact of department outreach 800 officers, it was a small enough fra- is as important to the powers that be as ternity that everybody knew everybody, the volume of such outreach, the ques- and officers in Europe would telephone tions Mr. Silverman asks will continue to each other to offer birthday greetings. be relevant. Ms. Harvey’s entire oral history William J. Millman merits reading because, in addition to FSO, retired her “nefarious life,” she recounts being Kyiv, Ukraine interned at Vichy after the Nazis took over the unoccupied region of south- An Unvarnished Look ern France. The remarkable ways the It was great to see that The Foreign diplomats devised to occupy their time Service Journal will remain in good during the endless days of detention hands after the transition to a new edi- speak volumes to the mettle of these

Moving? tor. brave individuals. The Journal is one of the few maga- Equally interesting were the many zines that I read almost cover-to-cover, obstacles she encountered as a woman because I welcome its unvarnished look attempting to carve out a career in a at developments and its willingness to man’s world. She would be astounded, examine received wisdom. For example, but I think gratified, that of the six oral I appreciated Robert Silverman’s Presi- history excerpts you selected, three are dent’s Views column on social media in by women. the March issue. Years ago she generously set aside Robert E. Patterson an entire weekend for me to record her Ambassador memories and was enthusiastic, wry and Embassy Ashgabat witty, not afraid to tell it like it was. She even gave me a photograph of herself Telling Our Stories receiving the Medal of Freedom, now in Congratulations to the new Journal my archive at the Sophia Smith Collec- editor, Shawn Dorman, for the fascinat- tion at Smith College, Northampton, ing March issue, and to Managing Editor Mass. Take AFSA Susan Maitra for her masterful editing of The archive includes taped oral histo- the oral histories selected to represent ries of female ambassadors, their family With You! six decades (“Telling Our Stories”). members and friends, as well as reflec- I was particularly gratified to see the tions by those who either served with Change your address online, excerpt from Constance Harvey, repre- them or were their superiors. You can senting the 1940s. Selections from her find them at www.smith.edu/libraries/ visit us at www.afsa.org/address oral history also appear in my book, Her ssc (the Ann Miller Morin Collection). Or Excellency, An Oral History of Women The director is Sherrill Redmon. Send changes to: Ambassadors (Twayne, 1994). Ann Miller Morin AFSA Membership Although Ms. Harvey was not an ADST Fellow (ret.) ambassador, she did achieve the rank of Women Ambassadors Project Department consul general. She and Frances Willis Charlotte, N.C. 2101 E Street NW were the only two female FSOs through- Washington, DC 20037 out most of the 1930s, and Harvey pro- Inspired to Publish vides a unique perspective on what the I always love the Journal’s annual edi- old Foreign Service was like. With about tion that highlights and promotes books

10 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL by Foreign Service authors about them. (“In Their Own Write”). Rather than fret over In reading the Novem- what others think of our ber 2013 edition, I noticed role as trailing spouse, that several of the authors we can instead thank our used a self-publishing lucky stars for having service called CreateSpace. landed in a unique and I researched the option interesting position that and then used it to publish provides us with end- my new book, Acciden- less opportunities to tal Patriot: A Diplomat’s learn new languages and Journey in Africa Rediscovering America. explore many different places in the Although I had secured a literary agent world. (and also the required State Department Qani Belul clearances), I was unable to interest a Embassy Manila publishing house in the project. Thank you for leading me to Create- Inherent Conflict Space so that I could realize my goal of I congratulate AFSA on the March becoming an author. issue of the Journal. I spent a whole eve- Kirsten Bauman ning reading it, something I don’t recall FSO ever doing before. Embassy Seoul AFSA’s Governing Board and employ- ees have attenuated as much as possible Millennial Spouses, Relax! the inherent conflict between AFSA’s roles As a trailing spouse myself, I’d like to as both a labor union and a professional respond to the March article by Jessie organization. My compliments on that. Bryson (“A ‘Trailing’ Spouse?”). It seems I would like to see AFSA set up an to me that many Foreign Service spouses online “Speaking Out” forum where spend a lot of time trying to justify their members and guests can post and existence. This is unfortunate, consid- debate their views on foreign policy ering all the fascinating opportunities issues in real time. I don’t think the available to us. AFSA Facebook site fills that need. First, we have the luxury of time to Carl Bastiani study the local language and to go out FSO, retired and practice it in our neighborhood. McCormick, S.C. n Not good at learning languages? Neither am I, but it’s still fun to try, and good exercise for the brain. Regardless of proficiency level, one will inevitably pick up cultural insights through language Share your study. thoughts about Also, we have the opportunity to read this month’s issue. up on the history of the city, country and Send your letters to region of the world in which we happen to be living at any given time, explore [email protected] those places, and photograph and write

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 11 TALKING POINTS

A Tale of Two Strikes: ent process that takes into account the of the Canadian Professional Associa- “Warriors Abroad” cost of living in foreign countries. tion of Foreign Service Officers (AFSA’s n April 2, Haaretz reported that The agreement also compensates dip- equivalent). Othe yearlong labor dispute by the lomats for being on call and reimburses Much of Mr. Edwards’ “Post-Mortem,” Israeli Foreign Service was settled, after them for their children’s educational reflecting on last year’s strike by Cana- an unprecedented 10-day general strike expenses, and shortens the time junior dian diplomats, which the Journal cov- closed the Foreign Ministry and all of diplomats must serve before promotion. ered in its October edition, will resonate Israel’s 103 embassies, consulates and Finally, it upgrades the pensions of loudly for many AFSA members. Here are missions abroad. Israeli envoys and their partners, who some excerpts: Though the 1,200-strong Foreign will also receive job retraining Bout: In essence, Service had waged an effective Facebook and other compensation for what was this strike campaign, “Save Israel’s Foreign Service,” damage to their careers caused about? the turning point came in early March by their relocation overseas. TE: At its core, when a seven-month mediation process The Jerusalem Post quotes this strike was about led by the former Chief Justice of the Foreign Minister Avigdor equal pay for equal Labor Court collapsed in the face of the Liberman, who has hailed the work. We wanted Ministry of Finance’s intransigence. settlement for creating “a new to eliminate salary In early March the diplomats began work model that provides for the gaps of $3,000 to implementing a series of measures professional needs of the For- $14,000 between that included such things as no longer eign Ministry, and an economic diplomats and other engaging with foreign representatives, model that provides for the federal professionals no longer taking care of official visits of needs of the workers at all pay doing the same or and no longer issuing visas, all to “raise grades in the ministry.” similar work in Ottawa, often in neighbor- awareness, both domestically and inter- For its part, the Foreign Ministry ing offices. The latter include economists, nationally, of the dire situation of Israel’s Workers’ Committee commented: “The lawyers, policy analysts and commerce hard-working diplomats,” as the Foreign uniqueness of the diplomats’ work officers. Service Workers’ Association put it in a is reflected in the [newly agreed] pay The gaps were most acute at the FS-2 March 3 statement. scales, which bring them a little closer to level (the second step in our four-level Representatives of the Histadrut their colleagues in intelligence and the ranking system), our largest cohort of (Israel’s organization of trade unions), military, though a large gap remains that members. They first appeared in 2005 the Foreign Ministry Workers’ Commit- will have to be bridged in the future. We and were exacerbated by the influx of tee and the Finance Ministry signed a are pleased that the state of Israel under- hundreds of non-FS professionals into the memorandum of understanding that is stood the difficulties that its warriors Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and the basis of a collective labor agreement. abroad have to face, and we regret the Development over the last decade to com- The pact gives the Israeli government unnecessary damage that has resulted. pensate for chronic under-recruitment of “industrial peace” for several years, dur- Tomorrow we will return to serving the Foreign Service officers. ing which foreign ministry employees country on the global front.” Bout: What was the point of no return will be barred from going back on strike. —Steven Alan Honley, in the negotiations that prompted the The ministry will also be empowered to Contributing Editor strike? determine its emissaries’ second foreign TE: On Jan. 31, 2013, we conceded to postings according to its preferences, Strike Two: the Treasury Board’s two key demands. not just those of the emissaries. The Canadian We accepted annual increases of 1.5 per- In return, the pact creates financial Foreign Service cent per year—well beneath inflation and incentives for service at hardship posts recent issue of Bout de Papier (Vol. wage growth in the wider Canadian econ- and, for the first time, ensures that dip- A27, No. 4) features a fascinating omy—and the elimination of severance lomatic salaries will be set by a transpar- interview with Tim Edwards, president pay for a one-time salary boost of 0.75 per-

12 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL SITE OF THE MONTH: www.thediplomat.com

s its subtitle “Read The Diplomat, Know the Asia- public policy and A Pacific” suggests, The Diplomat specializes in cover- media organiza- age of developments and trends in the Asia and Pacific tions, including region. Based in Tokyo, the online magazine gives excellent the global news insight on domestic and foreign policies of key regional aggregator Real- players from an Asian perspective. ClearWorld, the The Diplomat also hosts an active and lively Facebook Environmental page, “The Diplomat Magazine,” that shares non-main- News Network, stream coverage of the region and has some 256,000 likes. the U.K.’s Foreign Policy Center, India’s Institute It also offers a weekly newsletter, “The Diplomatic Brief.” for Defence Studies and Analysis, Danwei, China Hush, Aus- From Australia to Japan, India and Iran, The Diplomat tralia’s Lowy Institute, the U.S. East-West Center in Hawaii has access to in-country writers reporting from more than and others. 20 nations in the Asia-Pacific, offering local perspectives The site is fantastically easy to navigate, with headline and valuable insights on politics, international relations, stories covering a slew of relevant topics across five major defense, economics, business and culture. It also draws on regions of Eastern Asia, as well as topical sections. To cover a team of award-winning analysts and writers based across this fast-growing region, The Diplomat makes creative use the globe. of interviews, podcasts and videos. The publication has partnerships with a range of —Susan B. Maitra, Managing Editor

cent. In exchange, we asked the employer that only a strike mandate could give us damage to the economy, PAFSO formally to address our longstanding wage gaps, the leverage we needed to have our griev- proposed to Treasury Board President which we saw as unfair, demoralizing and ances addressed. Tony Clement that we take our dispute to a serious threat to retention. Bout: What prompted the call for bind- binding arbitration (which would allow us We were told on the spot there was no ing arbitration in July 2013, a key turning to immediately suspend strike measures). reason to offer Foreign Service officers point in the strike? We stressed that if he was so confident his one cent more than what had been tabled TE: By mid-July, we had been con- longstanding pay offer was “fair and rea- the first day of negotiations 18 months ducting targeted withdrawals of service sonable,” he would not hesitate to submit earlier. At that point, it was clear to us for about eight weeks, including at some it to third-party scrutiny. of Canada’s largest Bout: Can the damage to relations visa-processing centers between the government and its diplomats abroad. Media reports soon be healed? were suggesting that TE: To the extent that salary is a barom- the economic impact of eter of the value and respect accorded a these walkouts on the profession, this strike’s outcome—notably tourism and education the elimination of wage gaps at the FS-2 sectors, as well as on and FS-4 1evels—suggests that the govern- industries which rely on ment ultimately recognized (if grudgingly) temporary foreign work- the excellent return on investment it gets ers, was significant and for every Foreign Service officer. would grow in severity if Now that we are back at work, mem- PAFSO Canadian FS members picket in front of Prime Minister the strike persisted. bers are doing everything in their power Stephen Harper’s office in Ottawa in 2013. To prevent further to ensure a swift recovery and minimize

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 13 the strike’s long-term impact on Canada’s continue building a community of inter- hashtag #AskIraq, hundreds of Twitter reputation as a destination for travel, est and presenting a current image of life users sent in questions for the ambas- study, employment and immigration. We in the Foreign Service. sador covering a wide range of topics, also continue to enthusiastically supply the —Steven Alan Honley, though most of the questions centered on same loyal, fearless and expert advice on Contributing Editor declining security in Iraq. which successive governments have relied Twitter users pestered Ambassador to achieve their international priorities. #AskIraq—But Don’t Faily throughout the session to comment But in a competitive global arena, a Expect Many Answers specifically on the December 2013 attacks country with Canada’s footprint, ambi- n April 16, Iraq’s ambassador to the on Iranian dissidents living in Camp tion and scope of interests demands a OUnited States, Lukman Faily, held Liberty, which left multiple members of motivated and well-resourced Foreign his third Twitter Q&A, moderated by the Mujahideen-e-Khalq group wounded Service. A productive relationship Josh Rogin of The Daily Beast. Using the or killed. He responded: “We urgently between government and its diplomats over the long run will require not just 50 Years Ago one favorable contract, but a reversal of the systematic nickel-and-diming of our colleague of mine, having spent many a winter Sunday watching profes- conditions of service and the essential Asional football on television, recently mused: “There’s nothing wrong with the tools of our trade in recent years—includ- country team concept, except that it’s not up-to-date. Every embassy should have ing travel, hospitality, training and public two country teams, one for offense and one for defense. diplomacy budgets. It has struck me that this idea could be played for more than a laugh, and I Bout: What more needs to be done to have found myself, furthermore, pondering other unexplored analogies. No pro- get the Canadian public to appreciate the ducer in his right mind, for example, brings a straight play or a musical into New value of the Foreign Service? York City without at least one out-of-town tryout. Out-of-Washington tryouts for TE: One of the collateral benefits of new policies would similarly make a lot of sense. job action is that it gave us a podium While it might, admittedly, be something of a shock at first, we should probably to counter many of the negative myths become accustomed to reading headlines like these: “New China Policy a Real Tur- associated with diplomatic work and key, Closes in Philadelphia.” “Alliance for Progress Shift Shows Promise in Chicago.” the circumstances under which it is The possibilities inherent in a two-country team arrangement are limitless. … performed. We were able to tell our story The dilemma of the football coach faced with the decision as to whether to have and control our narrative, offering an his team try for that extra two yards or kick on fourth down would, of course, be accurate and up-to-date picture of the as nothing compared to an assistant secretary’s moment of truth when he would professional and environmental chal- have to decide whether to leave the OCT in at the height of a crisis, or pull it out lenges we face. As the strike progressed, and send in the defense. Football fans and sportswriters could never begin to pro- it seemed that more Canadians—though duce Monday morning quarterbacks in the same league with those to be found certainly not all!—thought that equal among political commentators, congressmen or Washington taxi drivers. pay was not such an outlandish request Morale and performance would certainly be improved when, say, American by those tasked with defending and Embassy X could trade to Embassy Y an experienced but unneeded political offi- promoting Canada overseas. cer and a green but promising cultural attaché for a shrewd economic counselor Although it was never PAFSO’s aim and a shifty public affairs officer, throwing in some cash (in counterpart funds, of to carry the day in the court of public course). And instead of the present haphazard method of assigning new FSO-8s, opinion (we simply wanted to be ready we could look forward to the more sensible—and vastly more exciting—prospect to rebut government messaging as of assistant secretaries participating in an annual draft of these newcomers to the needed), media coverage turned out to professional diplomatic game. be broadly sympathetic. PAFSO intends —From “The Young, Intellectual, Overseas Chinese Trade Union Leader and His to use this attention, momentum and Piano-Playing Student Wife,” by S.I. Nadler, FSJ, June 1964. our well-oiled advocacy machine to

14 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Contemporary Quote

This unconscionable act was committed by a terrorist group deter- mined to keep these girls from getting an education—grown men attempting to snuff out the aspirations of young girls. AFSA Scholarship —First Lady Michelle Obama on the kidnapping of Nigerian girls, delivering the AFSA.org/Scholar president’s weekly radio address on May 10. Clements Worldwide clements.com

Diplomatic Automobile seek relocation of MEK members to third Here in Washington, Secretary of State diplosales.com countries. We are working closely w/U.N. John Kerry tried to keep barking from and U.S. on this resolution.” degenerating into biting by having a single Embassy Risk Management The discussion then turned to the pooch on stage: Ben, a yellow Labrador embassyrisk.com recent arrests of prominent opposition retriever. Sec. Kerry noted that State’s figures by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri new top dog was named for Benjamin The Hirshorn Company al-Maliki, which Amb. Faily dismissed by Franklin, America’s first diplomat, and is hirshorn.com/USFS asserting that the “judiciary in Iraq is inde- affectionately known as “Diplomutt.” pendent of executive. We are still working As Colby Itkowitz reports in the April McGrath Real Estate Services to strengthen the professionalism of our 24 Washington Post, Kerry’s best friend homesdatabase.com/jimmc- judiciary.” celebrated his first birthday in style grath Asked whether Iraq believes that Syrian on April 22. Sec. Kerry set up a Twitter PROMAX Management Inc. President Bashir al-Assad “must go,” the account for the pup (@DiploMutt), and promaxrealtors.com ambassador would only say: “We believe promptly tweeted him a “happy birthday” in a democratic resolution to conflict. A message. No sooner had the tweet gone St Martin’s Press primary objective of Iraqi people is to stop live than Ben had 615 followers; by May us.macmillan.com/ameri- bloodshed.” He added: “Serious dialogue 15, he had 1,516. canstatecraft/jrobertmoskin must take place btwn Syrian stakeholders. Two days later, Ben’s dad brought him Otherwise war of attrition btwn them will to a “Take Your Child to Work” event at Stanford Online High School never lead to peace.” the State Department. The pup behaved ohs.stanford.edu To read the full conversation, follow @ himself for most of Kerry’s brief remarks, FailyLukman on Twitter, or search for the though he did jump on the female sign Trinity Christian School hashtag #AskIraq. language interpreter. (Bad dog!) tcsfairfax.org —Bret Matera, Editorial Intern The official State Department tran- WJD Management script of the April 24 event includes the wjdpm.com Happy Birthday, Ben! following ad-lib from the Secretary: n the June 2013 edition of Talking Points “Whoops. Sit, sit, sit, sit. He’s learning. I(“Diplomacy Goes to the Dogs“), we He’s 1 year old yesterday, two days ago. spotlighted Australian artist Bennett Mill- Whoops. (Laughter.) Sit. He’s learning, er’s “Dachshund U.N.” show, which posed slowly. He’s getting there.” 36 adorable dachshunds as United Nations Itkowitz concludes her report by ask- Human Rights Commission delegates. ing, “Should Kerry consider trying some Salon.com reviewer Allison Meier of those obedience techniques on [Rus- noted that the show had plenty of barking sian President Vladimir] Putin?” n and biting, and sometimes the “del- —Steven Alan Honley, egates” even lunged at each other. Contributing Editor

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 15 SPEAKING OUT

Publishing in the Foreign Service

BY YANIV BARZILAI

t almost goes without saying that Since then, I have held public events at In general, however, the U.S. govern- members of the Foreign Service have the Brookings Institution and the Johns ment has a keen interest in encouraging a lot to share. Hopkins School of Advanced Interna- its employees to engage in a dialogue I Whether through incredible stories tional Studies, spoken on National Public with the American people and the world of adventures abroad, personal accounts Radio, and published articles in national at large. Such exchanges are not only of years spent in war zones, memoirs of and international news media—all with an important element of a functioning a life in government service or poignant the approval of the State Department, democracy, but an essential part of rep- analyses of foreign policy and history, the and all while serving as an FSO. resenting the United States abroad. men and women of the Foreign Service And if I can do it, so can anyone else The rules and regulations for publish- are in an extraordinary position to share in the Foreign Service. ing in the Foreign Service can be found in valuable personal insights and contribute the Foreign Affairs Manual at 3 FAM 4170. to national and global debates. A Win-Win Proposition All current and former State Department Unfortunately, most Foreign Ser- Publishing is not only good personal employees who want to publish or speak vice and State Department employees career development; it is important for publicly should review the document in perceive such vast bureaucratic barriers American society. Historical and foreign its entirety. to publishing while in the Foreign Service policy scholarship is a universal good that they determine it is not worth the that can inform leaders about difficult How the Process Works effort. To be sure, those obstacles are decisions and help them avoid the mis- The first determination that must very real and very frustrating. I person- takes of the past. And personal stories be made is whether your material is “of ally experienced practically every one of about life in the Foreign Service help official concern.” The FAM defines official them in publishing as a State Department educate the American people about a concern as any material that relates to employee. It often felt like I was a first- type of public service that is often over- “any policy, program or operation of time athlete trying to run a marathon looked and underreported. the employee’s agency or to current U.S. with no end in sight and high jumps at As an American diplomat, I strongly foreign policies, or reasonably may be every turn. believe in the obligation to protect all expected to affect the foreign relations But I made it through the process. My classified information. There are simply of the United States.” In other words, it is book, 102 Days of War—How Osama bin things that cannot be discussed in the entirely a judgment call. Unless it would Laden, al Qaeda & the Taliban Survived public domain, which can often include be utterly preposterous to mark your 2001, was released in January with only current, unresolved issues in interna- material “of official concern,” you can a small amount of information redacted. tional relations. safely assume which verdict the State Department will give. Yaniv Barzilai, a State Department Foreign Service officer serving in Baku on Personal judgment plays a role. Tech- his first overseas posting, is the author of 102 Days of War—How Osama bin nically, “Materials that do not address Laden, al Qaeda & the Taliban Survived 2001 (Potomac Books, 2013). The matters of official concern need not be views expressed in this article are his alone and do not necessarily represent submitted for review” (3 FAM 4172.1-1a). those of the State Department or the U.S. government. You may make that determination as an Author’s Note: This article has been reviewed by the State Department, Central Intelligence individual, but if you possess any doubt Agency and Department of Defense in order to prevent the disclosure of classified information. about meeting the threshold, forgoing

16 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The first determination that must be made is whether your material is “of official concern.”

the clearance process altogether is quite risky and generally not advisable. The second determination is whether you are acting in a private or official capacity. The latter term implies that an action is part of one’s official discharge of duties on behalf of the State Department. It is important to note that the presump- tion of private capacity can be overcome by a number of factors, including rank, relationship to the subject matter or the potential for harm to foreign affairs (see 3 FAM 4172.1-6(B)). Individuals who have put together materials in their private capacity that are “of official concern” are required to submit them for clearance. For cur- rent employees in the United States, the reviewing office is the Bureau of Public Affairs ([email protected]). For current employees stationed overseas, the point of contact is the chief of mission. And for all former employees, the review- ing office is within the Bureau of Adminis- tration’s Office of Information Programs, A/GIS/IPS/PP/LA to be precise. The purpose of the review is solely to “ensure that classified material and other material protected by law are not improperly disclosed and that the views of employees are not improperly attributed to the U.S. government” (3 FAM 4172.1-1a). The review should not address any other issue.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 17 In a democratic society with a very years or decades ago difficult and sub- jective. It is unfair to put desk officers in active and capable press, many pieces such a position, and equally unfair to the of information may be publicly available prospective authors who are only seek- but remain sensitive or classified. ing an objective process. One of the worst-case scenarios is that the reviewing office determines that interagency clearance is necessary. Not surprisingly, that process is a black hole Hurry Up and Wait the information disclosed by WikiLeaks where acquiring information is practi- The duration of the review remains or Edward Snowden? When does an cally impossible and each agency uses one of the largest problems in the pro- event transition from a current issue to a different—and often conflicting—pro- cess. According to 3 FAM 4172.1-5, the historical case study? cesses and standards to determine if review process is “not to exceed 30 days.” In an open, democratic society with material is classified. The State Depart- But in reality, neither the Bureau of Pub- a very active and capable press, many ment’s 30-day rule also gets thrown out, lic Affairs nor the Bureau of Administra- pieces of information may be publicly even though no regulatory foundation tion adheres to that regulation, although available but remain sensitive or classi- exists for ignoring it. they often try to act in good faith on it. fied. There are no easy answers to these Unfortunately, once the State Depart- In cases where State does not get questions, and they often need to be ment distributes the material to other back to the employee within that addressed in context on a case-by-case agencies, it voluntarily gives up its time frame, 3 FAM 4172.1-7 says: “An basis. authority to make a final judgment on employee may use, issue or publish what is classified, even though it still materials on matters of official concern The More, the Merrier technically “owns” the process. And that have been submitted for review, Once the material is submitted, the if some other agency determines that and for which the presumption of pri- reviewing office distributes it to other something is classified—even if that vate capacity has not been overcome, offices and internally clears on it. Who notion is completely ridiculous—the upon expiration of the designated gets to clear the material is solely within State Department will not overrule it. period of comment and review regard- the purview of the reviewing office, but it less of the final content of such materials is in this exercise of authority where the My Experience so long as they do not contain infor- most can go wrong. In addition to being cleared in a num- mation that is classified or otherwise Within the State Department, the ber of offices at the State Department, exempt from disclosure as described in process for clearance typically falls to my manuscript was sent for clearance 3 FAM 4172.1-6(A).” the regional desk and other offices with to the Central Intelligence Agency, the Nonetheless, if you do publish mate- “equities”—a purposefully imprecise Department of Defense and the National rial before the review is complete, you and vague term that can be bent to mean Security Council. The CIA utilizes a Pub- must be absolutely sure that no piece of anything. In other words, no clear and lication Review Board, while the Defense information can be interpreted as classi- specific guidelines exist that specify who Department has an Office of Security fied—and be aware that you proceed at has the authority to determine whether Review; each has its own guidelines and your own (potentially great) risk. information is classified. appeals processes. It is important to note that deter- More often than not, the desk officer Getting through the interagency and mining whether material is classified reviewing the material did not work on State Department pre-publication clear- is often not as clear-cut as it may seem. the issue being evaluated and therefore ance processes took me a full year: from Fifteenth-century European history is does not have the information to make Oct. 22, 2012, to Oct. 23, 2013. My manu- clearly not classified, while the location a well-informed judgment. Desk tours script came back after months of delay of U.S. nuclear weapons unequivocally typically last just two years, which makes with hundreds of redactions from the CIA is. But what about drones? What about determinations on issues that occurred and DOD. I appealed every redaction and

18 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL DOD redacted a map that is in a published, My only recourse was to sue the U.S. government, which I declined to do. official departmental history and was DOD refused to provide explanations provided to me by the Special Operations for their redactions. And, unfortunately, Command history office for republication. State never pushed back or advocated on my behalf within the interagency to challenge some of the more absurd redactions. It was a failure to protect my rights as an American citizen and a gov- provided extensive lists of my sourcing to lished, official departmental history and ernment employee. Luckily for me, the prove that all information was acquired was provided to me by the Special Opera- material that was redacted was not vital from publicly available sources. tions Command history office for republi- to my book, but that is not necessarily To their credit, the CIA ran a clear cation. Other redacted materials included going to be the case with other reviews. and transparent process and withdrew common unit names and the title of one The good news is that most clearance practically all objections in response to SOCOM component command listed on requests take just a few weeks and do my appeal. the www.socom.mil website. DOD denied not entail interagency review. In fact, for In contrast, the Defense Department’s my appeal even when confronted with straightforward materials like op-eds, or process was opaque and problematic. clear and convincing evidence that none time-sensitive situations like interview DOD redacted a map that is in a pub- of the material was classified. requests, State can often act in days or

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 19 hours. (It has done so for me on several is often engaged and provides consistent occasions.) Ultimately, the State Depart- oversight of the review process for cur- ment approves almost every request it rent employees. This bifurcation not only receives for publication. creates unnecessary bureaucratic layers My main advice for anyone embark- and redundancies, but places additional ing on this process is to work cordially burdens on former employees trying within the system, know your rights to do the right thing by clearing their and the State Department’s regulations, manuscripts. This discrepancy should be and thoroughly cite your sources. If you rectified. do, you should feel confident that your These short-term fixes would go a long material will be cleared for publication way toward improving the pre-publica- and that the State Department will sup- tion clearance process for employees. In port you. the long term, however, the State Depart- ment should consider establishing a Fixing the Process publication review board modeled on the There is plenty of room for improve- CIA’s Publication Review Board. ment in the pre-publication clearance A State Department PRB would codify process. First and foremost, State must do a transparent, objective and fair process a better job of adhering to the regula- that minimizes the need for interagency tions it has set forth in the Foreign Affairs clearance, ensures proper and consistent Manual. Anything short of that standard determinations on what material should is unfair to everyone involved. be classified, and reduces the strain on Second, the department should estab- the State Department at large, and its lish clear guidelines on how it distrib- employees in particular. utes material internally and across the Ultimately, State needs to strike interagency community. That threshold a better balance between protecting should have nothing to do with terms as information and encouraging activities in vague as “equities.” Instead, offices and the public domain. The pre-publication agencies should have the opportunity review process remains too arbitrary, to clear on material only if that material lengthy and disjointed for most govern- is the result of “privileged information”: ment professionals to share their unique information that employees acquire dur- experiences and expertise with the ing the discharge of their duties that is American public. not otherwise available. Still, despite the bureaucratic chal- Third, State needs to ensure that lenges I faced, it is pretty incredible that former employees receive treatment the U.S. government allowed a young comparable to current employees. A sig- diplomat to write a detailed—and some- nificant gap exists between the attention times critical —narrative about sensitive given to current employees by PA and military and intelligence operations that that former employees receive from A/ occurred only 12 years ago in an ongoing GIS/IPS/PP/LA. conflict. In fact, I do not think that any As that lengthy acronym suggests, other government in the world would former employees are relegated to an allow that sort of liberty. obscure office in the Bureau of Adminis- But that is the United States of Amer- tration when they seek pre-publication ica at its best, and just one more reason I clearance. In contrast, the PA leadership am so proud to represent it. n

20 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FOCUS OTHER COUNTRIES’ DIPLOMATS

A LEGAL ALIEN Working at State As a Turkish Diplomat A Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellow from Ankara discovers more similarities than he expected when he spends a year in Foggy Bottom.

BY ÖMER MURAT

owever long my career as a Turkish especially those who had never before met a Transatlantic Dip- diplomat lasts, I will always cher- lomatic Fellow. ish my year (2011-2012) at the U.S. Department of State with the Trans- Stumbling into Insights atlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fel- I quickly realized that the Harry S Truman Building is a very lowship Program. This unique pro- serious and complicated place—even more so than Americans gram allows diplomats from NATO themselves. I was on the verge of having a surreal experience and the European Union to work at every time I roamed its long corridors trying to find a room. I kept State for a year. The Turkish Foreign wondering, “Where are all the people?” Ministry highly values this opportunity for its diplomats to expe- Once I realized I’d lost my way, I had to ask other people how Hrience the U.S. foreign policymaking process from the inside, and to get back to my suite, without letting on my concern that they to facilitate better relations between our two countries. thought I was a stranger or not meant to be here. And I had to do Excited as I was to be assigned to such an important program, this with proper manners. I must confess that I had no real idea just how challenging— Of course, they were never, ever suspicious of me, but always and rewarding—an experience it would be. It took longer than smiling and helpful. Some told me it was a more gruesome feel- I expected to overcome a difficult-to-explain sense that I was ing to walk around the building before the posters of world cities some sort of impostor—a feeling exacerbated whenever I met were mounted on the walls. I salute those who had this brilliant someone who treated me as one of his or her “ordinary” Ameri- idea, which makes the experience of navigating the building can colleagues. In fact, many of my State Department colleagues much less claustrophobic. were genuinely surprised to learn I am a Turkish diplomat, After these initial “stumblings,” it did not take long to see that there are more striking similarities than differences between Ömer Murat is a counselor at the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. the Turkish Foreign Ministry and State Department, and also Since joining the Turkish Foreign Service in 2001, he has also served between American and Turkish diplomats. Chief among these in Tripoli, Brasilia and Baku. He wishes to thank Ambassador Bonnie are never-ending clearances, and the use of acronyms that are Jenkins, Margo Squire and Mahvash Siddiqui for their support during only meaningful to those within the building. (As a graduate of his time at the State Department. a State Department program, I am proud to announce that I will

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 21 Cemil Erdem Ömer Murat at work in the Embassy of Turkey in Washington, D.C. employ TFM as the acronym for the Turkish Foreign Ministry for tise, and delivery systems, is a pre-eminent challenge to Ameri- the rest of this article.) can national security. ISN leads the State Department’s efforts to Even perceptions of the rivalry between each country’s capital combat this grave threat, and prevent terrorists from acquiring and largest city (Washington versus New York, Ankara versus WMD, through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. Istanbul) are similar. And yes, those of us in the TFM regard I had an extensive portfolio, but my main responsibility was Ankara as one of the “least preferred” places to be assigned, due to support Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, the coordinator for to long, stressful working hours and lower pay. threat reduction programs. She is also the U.S. chair of the Group Another thing American and Turkish public servants have of Eight’s Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and in common: The vast majority of us are dedicated and hard- Materials of Mass Destruction, and the Department of State lead working. We are not primarily motivated by material satisfac- for planning the G-8’s annual Nuclear Security Summit. tion, but by the genuine pleasure that comes from contributing Because the United States was the host for the 2012 summit, to the well-being of our respective nations, and promoting their the Department of State needed to set up a website and outreach national interests. However, I would observe that State has much tools. Among other tasks, I developed and managed the Internet more highly developed mechanisms than TFM for rewarding portal that promoted the United States’ chairmanship, facilitated exceptional individual contributions. several Global Partnership conferences, hosted meetings and reached out to foreign diplomats to further GP collaboration. Opening Portals At the risk of immodesty, I am delighted to say that the web- During my fellowship I was based in the Bureau of Inter- page we designed to advance U.S. public diplomacy for the 2012 national Security and Nonproliferation, which is responsible Nuclear Security Summit, which we kept current throughout for managing a broad range of U.S. nonproliferation policies, the summit and its immediate aftermath, received rave reviews programs, agreements and initiatives. The spread of weapons from the National Security Council staff and from across the U.S. of mass destruction, whether nuclear, biological, chemical or government for being comprehensive and user-friendly. I also radiological, and of related materials, technologies and exper- had the pleasure of addressing a group of students to discuss

22 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL the State Department from ing on the Balkan desk. This the perspective of a foreign The tension between the usually means that within a diplomat. Foreign Service and Civil Service few weeks of starting your new job, you are obliged to “The Face of at State reminds me of a similar be fully in command of the Your Country” predicament pitting generalists situation there, and able to Having strong links with present talking points with the continental European against specialists at TFM regard to that specific coun- tradition, the Turkish Foreign a few years ago. try and region. Ministry might be a little more formal than the State Specialists and Department, but State is Generalists certainly no less serious about foreign policy. Still, as a huge The tension between the Foreign Service and Civil Service apparatus trying to manage the broadest range of crises and at State reminds me of a similar predicament pitting generalists problems covering the whole world, convenience has to prevail against specialists at TFM a few years ago. But unlike in your over formality. system, Turkish specialists were losing influence and relevance Moreover, bureaucracy is not (and could certainly not have within the ministry. As a result, many of them left TFM because been) an American invention. But even if it were, American they felt they didn’t have good career prospects. practicality would make it more palatable. To address that problem, a reform process initiated by That said, my time at State has reinforced the impression that Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu several years ago, and now career diplomats as a group tend to be a little bit reserved. We overseen by Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru, has created a also do not approach the task of drafting a cable that analyzes second career track for specialists. (I am honored to have been the politics of a country as we would an academic or news part of that process while working in the Human Resources article. Instead, we try to get above the current atmosphere to Department in Ankara before I came to Washington.) So it is recognize weaknesses in policymaking that could lead to serious now possible for specialists to be appointed as consuls general mishaps, mindful that there is always another side of the story, (albeit not chiefs of mission), although it takes much longer for and any policy is likely to fail if it doesn’t carefully take that side them to achieve that status than it does generalists. into account. The heavy responsibility of crafting foreign policy I am well aware that there is no simple way to manage usually results in recommendations that reflect strong realism this tension. But I also tend to doubt there is a way to create and cautiousness. a professional diplomatic service without making generalists I remember that during my orientation at the TFM Acad- the backbone of it. If the current State Department personnel emy, a retired Turkish ambassador described being a Foreign system was intended as a deliberate answer to these chal- Service officer with these words: “You are the face of your own lenges—rather than as an ad hoc structure that encompasses country; people like you are called statesmen.” This is not an many different priorities and impulses—I must say that it is not easy task, of course. You are expected to be ambitious but not a very convincing one. aggressive, purposeful but not obstinate, coolheaded but not dispassionate. Building Bridges You have to be a master of good rhetoric and writing to be The State Department represents the multicultural facet of a successful diplomat. You also need to know that most of the the American political system, both at home and abroad, and time, you will be expected to explain your country’s position the Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellowship Program without revealing many of the facts to which you are privy, faithfully reflects this trait, as well. It is not based on reciprocity, but not authorized to disclose. Your loyalty is always to your but has the sole purpose of building more bridges to, and under- own country, but a good diplomat has manners that earn the standing of, other nations. respect of diplomats, politicians and leaders of other countries. I am proud of having had the unique experience of serving as You might have been assigned to an African country for the a Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellow, and hope that I contributed to last three years, but in the capital back home you could be work- that goal during my time at State—and through this article. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 23 FOCUS OTHER COUNTRIES’ DIPLOMATS

THE INDIAN FOREIGN SERVICE The Glass Gets Fuller

Global winds of change are sweeping n New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs and the through the corridors of India’s Indian Foreign Service have long been seen as silos, sometimes criticized at home as aloof and elitist. Ministry of External Affairs and the Yet peers view the IFS as among the best diplomatic Indian Foreign Service, opening up services. Foreign embassies in New Delhi sometimes the process of foreign policy delivery. find MEA exasperating. How does one explain such paradoxes? BY KISHAN S. RANA Global winds of change now sweep through the corridors of South Block—and Jawahar Bhavan, the new second home of MEA—in effect opening up the process Iof foreign policy delivery. This is the result of several elements: complexity and new issues in international dialogue; a larger role played by both the head of government and by functional min- istries; the expanded activities of non-state actors; the ubiquity of electronic and social media; as well as increased volatility of foreign affairs. The same change is transforming diplomacy the world over, forcing foreign ministries to scramble in response. The Indian Foreign Service is an “integrated” service, designed Kishan S. Rana was a member of the Indian Foreign Service from from its 1946 creation to handle political, commercial, consular 1960 to 1995, serving as ambassador to Algeria, Czechoslovakia, and all other external tasks. So, for example, some 70 of the 121 Kenya, Mauritius and Germany. He was also joint secretary in Indian embassies worldwide have commercial sections that Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s office from 1981 to 1982, and are staffed by the Ministry of External Affairs but funded by the later headed personnel administration in the Ministry of Exter- Department of Commerce. Unlike the American system, the IFS nal Affairs. Ambassador Rana now teaches, writes and advises has no separate commercial service or even a specialist “cone.” other governments on diplomatic practice. He is the author of In this “holistic” approach, the IFS is responsible for all politi- 21st Century Diplomacy: A Practitioner’s Guide (Bloomsbury cal, economic, public affairs and consular work, though some Academic, 2011) and The Contemporary Embassy: Paths to embassy jobs go to officials from outside the IFS (that number Diplomatic Success (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). is now set to increase, as we see below). In my view, this leads to

24 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL efficient handling of political, economic and other branches of external work, giving IFS per- sonnel broad skill sets that help when they rise to head embas- sies. It also leads me to conclude that integrated diplomatic services are more effective than those that separate political, commercial and public affairs work. However, no comparative study exists in support of this contention, perhaps because there are too many variables Rana S. Kishan Jawaharlal Nehru Bhavan is the new home of India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The red sandstone involved. structure with a built-up area of nearly 60,000 square meters is state-of-the-art and has many green features. It is the first government building that is compliant with the country’s 2007 A Tiny Cadre Energy Conservation Building Code and is LEED-certified. The main characteristics of the IFS juxtapose strengths and weaknesses, much like the glass growth, MEA faces a personnel shortage of its own, with just 400 of water that can be seen as both half-full and half-empty. First executive-level personnel in New Delhi. The “headquarters-to- and foremost, the IFS is miniscule, both in comparison with missions” staff ratio (a useful indicator of efficacy) has improved other major players and in terms of its functional responsibilities. from about 1 to 4.3 in 1999, to around 1 to 2.7 today. (Empirical Despite slow expansion since 2007 (when it numbered 650), the research has shown that an optimal ratio is around 1 to 1.5 or 2, “A Branch” (executive level, third secretary and higher) stands at defining a middle path between a foreign ministry that is rela- just 850. At the current rate, it may take another 10 years to reach tively too large—which tends to micromanage overseas posts— the announced goal of 1,300. and one that is too small to digest embassy output or guide them This is much below the Brazilian diplomatic service, even adequately.) though the latter contends with a smaller number of overseas posts. But looking more closely, the situation is not so dismal; we Capacity Issues should factor in the 250 Grade I officials of the “B Branch” of the To bolster its capacity, MEA now accepts officials from other IFS, since they hold diplomatic rank (as first or second secretar- government agencies, as subject experts (e.g., in disarmament ies). Include also the 30-odd interpreters and about 25 of the or aid management) and as providers of administrative services. legal and treaties cadre, who mainly work as desk officers and as Plans to induct officials from Commerce and other ministries to first and second secretaries in embassies, and the total strength work in embassies are now moving forward, overcoming some of the Indian diplomatic corps rises to about 1,200. resistance from the IFS. But many MEA officials continue to But this is still a tiny cadre to staff 121 embassies, five perma- refuse deployment to other ministries, even though such assign- nent missions and 53 consulates, as well as MEA. At the core, ments are essential both to widen their skills, and to improve manpower is a major issue, but there is an important flip side inter-ministry relations. to the manpower shortage: most Indian embassies have ample The staffing shortage also means that just a few officers can be room for local initiative. Enterprising officials, not afraid to take spared for academic sabbaticals, which are vital for developing calculated risk in the advancement of bilateral relations, can domain expertise in key and emerging subjects in fields ranging undertake local actions without New Delhi peering over their from climate change to international economics. (In contrast, the shoulders. Ergo, small also equates with nimble; it helps Indian Chinese foreign ministry annually sends 120 mid-level officials diplomacy to punch far above its weight. to the world’s leading universities; these opportunities are keenly Nonetheless, because of the small size of the IFS, a shortfall contested.) in diplomatic capacity remains a major issue. Despite recent MEA faces another peculiar capacity problem, a legacy issue

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 25 that has now become acute in this age of fast- end, MEA recently held its paced diplomacy. At its apex, the ministry is first-ever meeting with the headed by at least four civil servants of the chief secretaries (heads of highest rank (“secretary to the government”); administration) of all 28 but the foreign secretary, their equal and yet Indian states, to bring them the uncontested leader, bears an impossible into the foreign policy pro- burden. As “head of the IFS cadre,” this official cess—particularly in regard must combine four major roles: principal of to regional and neighbor- the foreign policy apparatus; administrative hood issues. head of the IFS; direct supervisor of relations New thinking is needed with a dozen or more key partner countries; to bring Indian states into the foreign policy process, and the adviser who accompanies the prime while reaffirming the exclusive role of the central minister and external affairs minister to regional government in the delivery of the country’s foreign policy, as the and global summits and major bilaterals. In contrast, though Indian Constitution mandates. Beyond turf issues and contes- heading sizable MEA divisions, the other secretaries are relatively tation with other ministries lies the elusive goal of a “whole of underworked. government” policy. Regrettably, institutional practices and personal agendas have No less crucial is outreach in the form of regular, structured blocked attempts to rectify this over the years. A direct conse- dialogue with domestic non-state entities such as academia, quence is a shortage of top management capacity to undertake, business, media, science and technology agencies, and think- for instance, implementation of decisions on important bilateral tanks—all key stakeholders in what is now being called the and regional issues that entail protracted domestic inter-ministry “national diplomatic system.” MEA has no unit to oversee this as dialogue. External negotiation capacity is similarly handicapped, a continual task, though domestic public diplomacy has been as former State Department analyst Dan Markey noted in a July pursued actively since 2010, with some success. The recent visa 2009 Asia Policy study, “Developing India’s Foreign Policy ‘Soft- imbroglio involving Devyani Khobragade, deputy consul general w a r e ’.” in New York, showed that domestic support for MEA remains Further, many foreign diplomats in New Delhi find it difficult brittle, however. to meet their MEA counterparts; they feel that the ministry’s overriding preoccupation is with Pakistan, China or the United Progress on Personnel Issues States. Mindful of this, it now conducts monthly briefings for Human resource management has undergone needed trans- foreign embassies on key issues, led by the foreign secretary or formation, but still faces challenges. An equitable bidding system another secretary and typically attended by 100 or more, to pres- for overseas assignments is now in place and works well—volun- ent the Indian view on key issues. teers are available for the tough posts, such as Baghdad or Kabul, without any rotation diktat. When it comes to promotions, how- Crafting Domestic Consensus on Foreign Policy ever, MEA (like the rest of the Indian civil service) emphasizes As in every country, crafting domestic consensus on foreign seniority over selectivity out of deep distrust of how the merit policy issues has become hugely important for New Delhi. This principle might work. entails sustained dialogue with official partners, be it in relation Selection to senior grades takes place on the basis of the to foreign trade agreements or World Trade Organization issues, official’s year of entry. But within each “batch,” or cohort, greater or on energy policy, or development aid projects in neighboring selectivity is now the norm, partly as a natural consequence of countries that must link with home regions. On some issues the growth. On only two occasions (in 2005 and 2007) the foreign prime minister’s office is an ally in this coordination task, but secretary was appointed via “deep selection,” bypassing an entire MEA has to work on its own and reach out to the relevant minis- batch and choosing a person from the following year’s list. That tries. led to court appeals and a few resignations. The foreign secretary is the only one with the needed clout to Subsequent appointments have reverted to selecting the engage the economic ministries and other official stakeholders most competent officers, but strictly from the senior-most batch. in such domestic diplomacy along multiple tracks. Toward that Contrast this with the method in most other major diplomatic

26 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Small also equates with nimble; it helps Indian diplomacy to punch far above its weight.

services, where appointment to high rank is decoupled from length of service, and is contingent on performance. Japan’s service shares India’s attachment to seniority. Indian ambassadorial appointments are almost exclusively from the Indian Foreign Service cadre. Even the few “politi- cal” nominees are drawn mainly from among retired officials, whether IFS or the armed services. Still, the distribution of senior (equivalent to secretary or additional secretary) ambassadors does not quite match the relative importance of foreign capitals, as seen from New Delhi. We find senior ambassadors at locations of obvious impor- tance, be it London, Moscow, Paris or Washington, D.C., but once in a while, Beijing, Berlin, Colombo, Dhaka or Islamabad receives a specially chosen Grade II ambassador. We also find some Grade I diplomats heading consulates in the United States or second- tier embassies; conversely, MEA sends those who are competent to other key locations, even if they happen to be in Grade II or III. Further, a few young officers with barely 15 years of service are now appointed as ambassadors. In a situation where even the best cannot get “fast track” promotions, this indirectly restores equity. IFS morale is relatively high overall, helped by new practices such as annual conferences of ambassadors. But no system of grievance redress, much less a dissent mechanism, exists. As for professional recognition, in 2012 the family of the outstanding diplomat, S.K. Singh, put forward an annual “diplomat of the year” award, wisely conferred on young or mid-level officials.

Increasing Professionalization MEA has implemented incremental reform, but now needs action across a broad front to derive full potential from latent strengths. To that end, it recently invited young officers to come up with ideas, and is now studying their reports. This is the same method that the United Kingdom and Germany successfully used some 10 to 15 years ago, on the premise that it is the “youngsters” in the Service who have both the biggest stake in reform and the freshest thinking to offer.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 27 Indian ambassadorial appointments are almost exclusively from the Indian Foreign Service cadre.

Happily, MEA has never adopted such buzzwords of corpo- rate management as “balanced score-cards,” “key performance indicators” and “performance contracts,” which unfortunately blight some diplomatic services in developing countries like Botswana, Kenya, Malaysia and Tunisia. But it does need to set up permanent machinery for inspections of embassies and rigorously enforce procedures, whether they involve develop- ment of “annual plans” by missions or ‘“handing over notes”’ by ambassadors at the end of their term. Under MEA’s “Development Partnership Administration” process (an umbrella unit established in 2012 to implement an expanded aid program that now takes India’s external aid contribution to around 0.2 percent of gross domestic product), embassies also manage aid and have responded well to the new responsibilities. Training processes at the Indian Foreign Service Institute have expanded and improved, driven by reform across the entire civil service—especially a decision that all officials must attend special courses before they cross career milestones. But more focused training for the IFS is still needed to strengthen profes- sional competence; and this requires MEA to develop its own course materials, simulations and scenarios. At heart this involves MEA closely managing its Foreign Service Institute, tuning management of the FSI more closely to the ministry’s functional needs. Language training also needs to be strengthened to develop specialized skills in such languages such as Arabic and Russian, to match the inter- preter-level expertise that has been developed in recent years in Chinese.

The Future Retired officials are given to nostalgia and easy prognostica- tion on what they often see as declining standards in the institu- tion where they had worked. I was closely involved with training IFS recruits from 1996 to 2008, and saw in the new entrants

28 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL As in every country, crafting domestic consensus on foreign policy issues has become hugely important for New Delhi.

greater diversity in terms of the disciplines studied at university, regions represented and family backgrounds than ever before. Those who have not studied at English-medium universities start their careers with a significant drawback. But the Foreign Service Institute addresses this gap with special English courses. This also needs strong professional focus so that at conference drafting groups and in negotiations, all officials have fluent English-language mastery. While greater diversity is a trend in most diplomatic ser- vices, in India, expanded affirmative reservations in favor of the underprivileged seemingly lead to varying standards within each cohort. But through their performance, most young officials have shown themselves to be highly competent and dedicated. In the two decades since I retired, this impression has been reinforced during visits to Indian embassies in different countries, where I encounter confident young officials who are articulate and have mastery of their dossiers. The current generation is equal to the best. Going forward, however, the IFS clearly needs more man- power and a more systematic approach to administration (in place of the tendency toward ad hoc-ism), as well as greater enforcement of accountability, better institutional capacity and improved home connections, including domestic public diplo- macy and strong leadership. In Asia and in almost all the developing world, exchanges do not take place among diplomatic services as they do, for example, within the European Union and in a wide cluster of Western countries through an annual process initiated by Canada a decade ago. Nor do we find any bilateral or regional dialogue among foreign ministries of developing countries on professional issues, be it in Africa, Asia or Latin America. Such conversations have obvious value, since foreign ministries confront similar circumstances in dealing with the international system. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 29 FOCUS OTHER COUNTRIES’ DIPLOMATS

LIFE AND WORK IN THE Romanian Foreign Service

A former Transatlantic Diplomatic y diplomatic adventure Exchange Fellow reflects on the began eight years ago when I similarities and differences between the joined the Romanian Foreign Service. I have served with Romanian and American diplomatic corps. enthusiasm and passion both within the Romanian BY DIANA TASE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest and overseas, in Prague, Rome, Brussels and Washington, D.C. MBeing a diplomat is a career like no other. Where else can you change your job, the focus and location of your work every few years, without actually changing employers? Where else are you constantly encouraged to broaden your expertise and knowledge as well as develop your personal skills, both at home and overseas? Diplomacy is much more than a job; it is a unique way of life, and I love it.

Diana Tase is a member of the Romanian Foreign Service. She cur- rently serves as a legal adviser in the Directorate of International Law and Treaties in Bucharest. Ms. Tase joined the Foreign Service in 2006 and has previously served in Prague, Rome and Brussels. She was a Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellow at the State Department from October 2012 until September 2013.

30 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Talking the Talk Last year, my path brought me to Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Depart- ment of State with the Transatlantic Exchange Diplomatic Fellowship Program. It was my first time traveling outside Europe, and the experience was fascinating and enriching. The excellent TDF program offers mid-career diplomats from NATO coun- tries the chance to work closely with their American colleagues at the State Department, and for U.S. diplomats to work as TDFs with their diplomat-col- leagues in those countries. I vividly remember my first encoun- ter with the State Department system during my first staff meeting in the Office of Iraq Economic and Assistance Affairs, my host office for the year. I was amazed by the “DOS-lish” language. It was something special: about 45-per- cent English and the rest ... acronyms. Seeing my puzzled face, one of my friendly new colleagues reassured me that this happens to all newcomers, and that I’d get used to it. I did. In fact, by the end of the year, my DOS-lish was not bad at all. Working at the State Department led me to discover amazing, dedicated people. I learned a lot, and feel inspired to continue to build bridges between the Romanian Foreign Service and the U.S.

Foreign Service. Georgiadis Andreas Diana Tase in front of the Central University Library of Bucharest in Revolution Square, where the 1989 Romanian Revolution against communism began. Two Faces of the Same Coin Similar to the American system, between assignments at missions overseas Romanian diplomats serve in the Ministry of Where else can you change Foreign Affairs headquarters in Bucharest. I envision working your job, and the focus and at headquarters and overseas as being two faces of the same coin. One face, diplomatic work in Bucharest, is similar to that location of your work every done by other civil servants throughout the Romanian govern- ment. We serve as desk officers and work on different projects. few years, without actually The other face might be seen as the unique one: perform- changing employers? ing diplomatic responsibilities overseas. At larger missions,

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 31 Bogdan Banu Bogdan Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellows with Deputy Secretary of State William Burns at the 2013 TDF graduation ceremony. From left: Olivier Gauvin (France), Diana Tase, Petr Michalek (Czech Republic), Deputy Secretary Burns, Aaretti Siitonen (Finland), Claude Veron-Reville (European Union) and Arif Yeter (Turkey). a Romanian diplomat might foreign languages; and spe- manage responsibilities The “DOS-lish” language was cific skills, abilities and per- related to one of the three something special: about sonal qualities like judgment, major categories: political, adaptability and communica- consular and trade services. 45-percent English and the tion and organizational skills. In smaller missions, one offi- rest ... acronyms. All those require- cer might do work in all three ments were tested during categories. an extended process that included several stages: the writing test, where knowledge Joining the Corps of specific world events had to be expressed in two foreign I joined the Romanian Foreign Service in 2006 following languages; an interview to evaluate oral communication and a hiring process that lasted several months. It was an open networking skills; and screening processes, consisting of contest, and the competition was fierce. The exam was one of physical and psychological tests, and a background check for the toughest I ever took. There were only a limited number of the security clearance. positions available, after several years with no openings. The baseline requirements were strict: a university degree Building a Career (any subject is acceptable, making the career available to those After completing the admission process, I joined the corps with all kinds of backgrounds and abilities); command of two as a diplomatic attaché and was accepted into the political

32 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL career path. The other path For Romanian diplomats, the retary, third secretary and that our system generally diplomatic attaché) and four offers is the consular path. foreign language classes are consular ranks (consul gen- Unlike the American sys- generally taken after work, eral, consul, vice-consul and tem, one can easily “cross” consular agent). the tracks during a Foreign during one’s free time. One climbs the diplomatic Service career by following a career ladder by participat- relatively simple procedure. ing in the annual promotion During my first year with competition when the time the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, work as a desk comes. I have been through two competitions during the last officer was blended with professional diplomatic training. The eight years. After the fulfillment of the mandatory requirement six-month mandatory basic orientation program—similar to of years of service, I submitted an individual written request the American A-100 class—was intense. Training is run by the for promotion (allowed for just one step up the grade scale), Romanian Diplomatic Institute, attached to the MFA. Those with a self-evaluation and a director’s evaluation each time. classes brought together new and enthusiastic diplomats in Once the submission is made, the nervous waiting begins in learning and friendship. After that, supplementary short, skill- anticipation of the Promotion Commission’s assessment. based courses followed. This year I will undertake this exercise again, in hopes of Despite the general similarities in continued learning pro- being promoted from second to first secretary, after four years cesses between our systems, learning additional foreign lan- of service since my last promotion. guages is different in Bucharest. Romanian diplomats gener- ally take foreign language classes after work, during one’s free Work-Life Balance time and without a compulsory linkage to the further selection Every diplomat has personal motivations that lead him or for overseas posting. Only some languages—such as Arabic, her to embrace diplomatic work. My biggest motivation comes Russian, Turkish or professional French—are offered through from feeling like my efforts help improve policy or open new diverse programs developed with private-sector or specialized doors in Romania’s relationship with a given country. Despite institutes, such as the French Institute in Bucharest. the engagement needed to do your job as well as you can, an important challenge remains: how to achieve a good work-life Preparing for a Posting balance. Generally, the first two years as a member of the corps Aiming for such balance is essential when moving around are spent with the MFA in Bucharest. This is the usual step the world every couple of years, which can take a toll on fami- required to become eligible for the annual selection process lies. Spouses face challenges maintaining their own careers for overseas posting. As in the American system, the period while moving the family and having the kids jump from school between the posting of open positions and the actual decisions to school. There is no recipe for achieving the needed balance is quite intense. and, definitely, a case-by-case approach is needed. However, Everyone who chooses to participate in this contest decides the bidding process for overseas postings plays a very impor- on their top choices and submits a three-bid short list to the tant role. Posting Committee. Overseas postings can last from six months I hope these glimpses of the way the Romanian diplomatic to four years. The candidate’s experience, expertise, diplomatic system works will help create new bridges and spark interest in rank, personal skills and knowledge of a rare foreign lan- discovering more about us. Those of us representing Romania guage are assessed by the Posting Committee and everyone is and its citizens are fully committed to getting to know you bet- engaged, aiming to emphasize their best qualifications. ter, and to being strategic partners and friends of the United States. Climbing the Ladder I have enjoyed sharing these thoughts about our diplomatic The Romanian system recognizes eight diplomatic ranks careers and lives that, in spite of certain differences, are so (in descending order: ambassador, minister-plenipotentiary, similar—whether one is working near the Potomac River in minister-counselor, counselor, first secretary, second sec- Washington, D.C., or the Dâmbovita River in Bucharest. n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 33 FOCUS OTHER COUNTRIES’ DIPLOMATS

FROM FINLAND with Warmth

A Finnish FSO explains some of the unique features of the Finnish Foreign Service, including “sauna diplomacy.”

BY AARETTI SIITONEN

34 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Courtesy Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland of Affairs Foreign of Ministry Courtesy Above, Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki. At left, Aaretti Siitonen visiting a Finnish-funded literacy, women’s empowerment and anti-female genital mutilation project near Burao, Somalia. Timo Behr Timo

uring my year as a Transatlantic multiple time zones and wildly different environments; and we Diplomatic Fellow at the State both strive to balance diplomatic careers with personal lives. Department (2012-2013), I was As a result, we can also find common solutions. completely immersed in the work of Now that six months have passed since I returned to work my bureau, advancing United States at the Finnish Embassy, however, the time is right for a more goals in South and Central Asia. systematic comparison. (By the way, our chancellery on Massa- I even had the chance to travel to chusetts Avenue, the first LEED-certified embassy in the United the region, visiting U.S. missions to States, was prominently featured in the April Foreign Service exchange views between posts and Journal.) Even though the trip from Foggy Bottom to Observa- Main State. It was a roller-coaster year of briefing checklists, tory Circle isn’t long, it does give some perspective. Dannotated agendas and interagency coordination. I wouldn’t trade a minute of it for anything. Differences in Scale, but Not Purpose When colleagues ask me to describe the differences Just like the State Department, the Finnish Foreign Ministry between the Finnish Foreign Service and its American coun- aims to advance national interests. Thankfully, that term is no terpart, I always respond that it’s far more interesting to notice longer narrowly defined. Strengthening international stability, how much we have in common. We share values and face security, peace, justice and sustainable development across similar challenges, such as the ever-present problem of differ- the planet are all part of our portfolio. Similarly, promoting the ing viewpoints at post and headquarters. We both operate in rule of law, democracy and human rights is as integral to our

Aaretti Siitonen, a Finnish Foreign Service officer since 2010, is currently a political officer at the Finnish Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was a Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellow in the regional affairs office of the State Department’s South and Central Asian- Af fairs Bureau from September 2012 to August 2013. Mr. Siitonen previously managed post-conflict development cooperation in Somalia, Nepal and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and worked as a Kosovo Force peacekeeper. He has also authored studies and articles for academic and other publications on transnational democracy, European enlargement and civil society empowerment.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 35 The Finnish foreign aid agency scale tends to mean assuming more responsibility, faster. Many of my colleagues who joined the service at the same time as I, was merged with the foreign four years ago, are already serving as deputy chiefs of mission ministry in the 1990s. across the globe. To put it another way, we are larger parts of a smaller machine. This difference in perspective, combined with the values we share with our American peers, can make for many fruitful conversations between our diplomats in third countries. diplomatic work as representing Finland in foreign capitals and Foreign assistance is another case in point. The Finnish international institutions. Sound familiar? foreign aid agency was merged with the foreign ministry in the The most obvious difference between the Finnish Foreign 1990s; since then, most Finnish diplomats can also expect to Service and that of the United States is the scale of the opera- take part in development work at some point in their careers. tion. Our foreign ministry employs about 2,500 individuals, Considering the fact that the State Department also controls of whom a thousand are local hires; just 570 or so are Foreign the foreign aid budget, this is not such a big difference. But it Service officers, about half of whom serve abroad at any given does means that Finnish diplomats need to speak the language moment. The State Department is roughly 20 times larger, and of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as manages more than 250 overseas posts, whereas the Finnish that of State, if we hope to be truly effective in Washington. Foreign Ministry runs 93. That said, operating a small No Cones, No Line post requires many of the same There is no formal “cone” ingredients as a larger one, rang- system in the Finnish Foreign ing from administrative functions Service. Officers do specialize to the actual meat and bones of to some extent, but we’re still diplomacy. Benjamin Franklin all expected to be jacks-of-all- may have kept a household in trades, as well. To help balance Paris, and John Adams originally this, the Finnish Foreign Ministry lodged with a landlady in Amster- employs experts, much like the dam; yet both dealt with the high- State Department’s many highly est authorities in their respective qualified and professional civil host countries. servants and contractors, for A smaller scale can make it particular tasks that require more easier to set priorities: Rather specialized skills. than try to do or follow every- The clearance system, the mul- thing, we sharpen our focus. tiple layers of staffers and “the Yet even in a small and nimble Line” are conspicuously absent service like Finland’s, it is easier from the Finnish Foreign Service. said than done. Every function of We do have equivalent arrange- a bureaucracy tends to find a way ments, but our structure is much to justify its existence, often with less formalized than State’s. very good arguments. Messages My colleagues in SCA might cannot go unanswered for long, make fun of me for saying this, and once we take on a challenge, but I actually enjoyed the clear- we don’t just do an adequate job. ance process at State (most of the We aspire to be exemplary. time!). It makes collaboration the Ahu Yigit From an individual diplomat’s Aaretti Siitonen enjoying cherry blossom season in norm, and brings everyone up to perspective, the difference in Washington, D.C. speed on the department’s mul-

36 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Finnish diplomats need to speak the language of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as that of State, if we hope to be truly effective in Washington.

tifaceted agenda. Taking an axe to the something-for-everyone Christmas tree that the process sometimes produces takes guts; but when used correctly, it is an effective system.

Longer Postings and More Women Finnish Ambassador Antti Sierla once observed: “The personnel structure of the Foreign Ministry resembles an aged sherry. Every year a new batch with singular characteristics is added, but the preceding vintages continue to tenaciously affect both the hue and aroma of the whole.” Our foreign postings tend to be three or four years long, and typically a Finnish diplomat will spend the first two years of his or her career at the ministry in Helsinki, gaining experience in different departments. For my part, after having had a new work environment every year for five consecutive years, this posting in Washington, D.C.—hectic and demanding as it may be—feels like a calm haven. The median age of Finnish diplomats entering the service hovers around 30, so for many it is a second career. The Finn- ish Foreign Service is also increasingly female. The female to male ratio is set to reach 60/40 by the end of the decade, though the upper echelons are not yet quite as far along on the path to becoming more gender-balanced. The present Finnish ambassador to the United States is the first woman to head our mission here, and it is inspiring to be at the forefront of gender equality in this field of international relations. To keep in step with the times, the diplomatic corps of all nations also need to become more ethnically diverse. During my year as a TDF, I was impressed by how the State Depart- ment is increasingly able to draw on the richness of Ameri- can society in this regard, as well. Finland is becoming more diverse with every generation, and we will do well to learn from the experience of our American friends.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 37 Sauna Diplomacy The clearance system, the It has been great to share Speaking of warm relations, this and other facets of Finnish there simply is no substitute multiple layers of staffers and culture with American friends for what we Finns call “sauna “the Line” are conspicuously and colleagues during my time diplomacy.” Some even argue at State and later, just as my that it helped keep Finland, absent from the Finnish wife and I have been welcomed which borders modern Russia Foreign Service. into the homes and lives of the and shared a long border with people here. We’ve become the Soviet Union, safe during addicted to turkey with stuffing the Cold War. at Thanksgiving, and find it The only loanword the English language has taken from hard to imagine a Nats game without half-smokes from Ben’s Chili Finnish, a sauna is a space to share one’s thoughts in a setting Bowl. The dynamism, honesty, openness and warmth we’ve found of trust. The aim of sauna diplomacy is not to make anyone in Washington have simply blown us away. uncomfortable, but to hit “pause” for a while, reveal the think- The natural ease of our countries’ cooperation, both during ing behind different perspectives, and find common ground. the fellowship and in my current position back at the embassy, A sauna is always the first building that Finnish peacekeep- has been truly remarkable. I felt like a part of the team ever since I ers in Kosovo, Afghanistan or elsewhere set up within their first stepped into the Harry S Truman Building, and my colleagues perimeters, and it is an integral part of Finnish social life. This at the embassy and I look forward to helping our countries work past winter, it was especially popular here in D.C.! together on the issues that shape our common future. n

38 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FEATURE OUR WOMAN IN HAVANA

Even in hostile environments, FSOs t would be an understatement to say that my three effectively represent U.S. interests years (1999-2002) as principal officer of the U.S. through open communication. Interests Section in Havana were full of ups and downs. At one point, Fidel Castro threatened to Here is one case study. designate me persona non grata for distributing AM/FM/shortwave radios. Yet some years later BY VICKI J. HUDDLESTON Ricardo Alarcon, then president of the Cuban National Assembly, told a forum of American, Canadian and Cuban scholars that I had done a good job there. IAnd while I became the darling of Miami’s Cuban-American community for strongly defending the country’s internal human rights groups, they sharply criticized me for my role in resolving the Elian Gonzalez saga. What my various critics either didn’t see, or didn’t accept, was that I consistently sought to cultivate a professional relationship Vicki J. Huddleston, a retired Senior Foreign Service officer, is currently of trust and respect throughout my time in Havana, even when chief of party of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Local our bilateral relations were in conflict. Admittedly, it helped that Enterprise and Value Chain Enhancement Project, which builds jobs I liked everything about Cuba: the people, the place and the and capacity in Haiti’s private sector. Prior to that, she was deputy as- officials with whom I dealt. But even if I hadn’t enjoyed my time sistant secretary of Defense for African affairs from 2009 through 2011. there, I had no doubt that my job was to represent the interests of Highlights of her Foreign Service career (1976-2005) include assign- my government through open, continuous communication and ments as a deputy assistant secretary of State for Africa (1997-1999); compromise. ambassador to Madagascar (1995-1997) and to Mali (2002-2005); Toward that end, I accepted the Cuban government as legiti- and principal officer of the U.S. interests section in Havana (1999- mate. After all, it is a voting member of the United Nations. And 2002). Ambassador Huddleston was also a visiting fellow at the more governments have diplomatic representatives resident in Brookings Institution and co-director of the Brookings Project on U.S. Havana, a leader of the developing world, than in Mexico City or Policy toward a Cuba in Transition from 2007 to 2009. Brasilia.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 39 which had been closed since 1961. President Bill Clinton and his advis- ers selected me to lead the U.S. Interests Section in 1999 with the expectation that my years of experience working on Cuba equipped me to improve relations. I had been deputy director and subsequently director of the Office of Cuban Affairs at the State Department from 1989 to 1993. I had also been an ambassador to Madagas- car, so we hoped that title might indicate that we were serious about change. We also knew that Fidel preferred to deal with women. But just two months after my arrival in Havana in September 1999, the miraculous rescue of a 6-year-old child in the Florida Straits put our countries on a collision course.

The Elian Gonzalez Saga Fleeing Cuba in an unseaworthy boat, Elian Gonzalez’s mother had tied him to an inner tube before losing her own life. Days later, he was rescued by a fisherman, taken to a Miami hospital by the Coast Guard, and then turned over to relatives who, despite his father’s pleas, refused to return him to his family in Cardenas, Cuba.

Reuters/Rafael Perez/Hulton Archive Perez/Hulton Reuters/Rafael Over the next six months, the Elian Vicki Huddleston, at right, and other U.S. diplomats on a balcony of the U.S. Interests saga dominated U.S.-Cuban relations, as Section that overlooks the “Jose Marti Open Court,”a huge outdoor amphitheater used for political rallies, five floors below. This photo was taken on June 29, 2001, Fidel and Raul Castro led “million man” when 30,000 Cubans led by President Fidel Castro rallied to protest the jailing of marches demanding Elian’s immediate five Cuban agents in Florida on spying-related charges. return. When a State Department spokes- man said that the United States I also made it a rule never Soon after my arrival in would hold Cuba responsible to personally insult or deni- for the safety of its personnel in grate Fidel Castro. After all, if Havana, the miraculous rescue Havana, Fidel sent schoolchil- I incurred his enmity I would of a 6-year-old child in the dren arrayed in their Pioneer no longer be able to effectively uniforms to “protect” us. Hand represent my country. Florida Straits put our in hand they surrounded the I was honored to be the countries on a collision course. Interests Section, making the eighth principal officer sent to United States look like a help- Havana after President Jimmy less giant. Carter reopened diplomatic relations in 1977, and both gov- Next, in just three months Castro turned the overgrown and ernments opened interests sections in their former embassies, neglected area in front of the chancery into a giant outdoor

40 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL amphitheater: the Jose Fidel Castro was not pleased We were such a close and Marti Tribuna Abierta trusted enemy that Cuba’s (open court), built to con- with our outreach, to put it mildly; leadership sat below with- demn the United States for he hated my little radios. out ever imagining that we allegedly “stealing Cuba’s might pose a danger. child.” In fact, our two coun- Ironically, during the construction one of our Cuban guards tries are not real enemies, though it serves the interests of some found buried in the rubble a bronze plaque commemorating people to pretend we are. The Cuban-American community the dedication of the “Fourth of July Park.” We hung it on the continues to seek retribution for Castro’s takeover more than a outside wall of USINT facing the Tribuna Abierta, where a once- half-century ago, while Havana uses U.S. sanctions as a scape- close friendship had dissolved into bitterness over the embargo, goat for its multitude of homegrown ills. migration policy and Guantanamo Base. The professional relationship that we fostered with the For their part, Cuban-Americans were equally adamant that Cubans during the Elian saga built good will. It may even have right was on their side. Not only was Elian Gonzalez entitled to contributed to Fidel Castro’s decision to cooperate with the U.S. remain in America; Washington had no right to send him back. military at Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Base. In their eyes, the boy couldn’t possibly be returned to that In early 2002, my bosses at State told me that we would begin “prison island,” even if it was into the arms of a loving father, for imprisoning illegal combatants from the war in Afghanistan at he was an embodiment of themselves, their dreams and hopes. Guantanamo Bay. I immediately informed Alarcon, who com- Even worse, his repatriation would be a victory for their nemesis, plained that it was clear that his government had no say in the Fidel Castro. But in the end, Elian did return, giving Cubans a matter. I replied that while that might be true, public objections younger and more modern hero than bearded revolutionaries of would make many people think that Cubans were on the side of the past and present. the terrorists who had perpetrated the tragic 9/11 attacks. Castro bought the argument. He not only refrained from A Peaceful Resolution Pays Dividends criticizing our actions, but ordered the Cuban military to help us Meanwhile, behind the scenes my staff and I worked quietly ensure that the base was secure from outside attack. They even with Ricardo Alarcon and the head of the North American divi- turned over a portion of Cuban airspace to U.S. air controllers. sion of the Cuban Foreign Ministry, Dagoberto Rodriguez. With the White House’s blessing, we agreed on a strategy that would Little Radios, Big Symbols return Elian to Cuba. USINT personnel would visit his father, In late 2000 my staff and I created an outreach program Juan Miguel Gonzalez, to determine whether he had a strong designed to empower the Cuban people and, particularly, the bond with his son. If so, then Washington would uphold in state dissidents. We distributed hundreds of thousands of books and and federal courts the father’s right to be reunited with Elian. radios all over the island to libraries run by the Catholic Church, The Cubans remained suspicious and uneasy. Elian and the the Masons and independent journalists. We also invited dissi- dysfunctional relatives with whom he was living were constantly dents into our homes so they could meet with other activists, as in the public eye. As some members of Congress considered well as visiting members of Congress and journalists. introducing legislation to make the boy an American citizen, The most important visitor was former President Jimmy Elian’s rather unpleasant grandmothers visited him in Miami. Carter, who courageously endorsed Osvaldo Paya’s Project Throughout a process that took much longer than either capital Varela (advocating democratic political reforms) in a speech at anticipated, my job was to keep relations on an even keel. the University of Havana. Fidel Castro and the Cuban hierarchy When Elian finally returned to Cuba in June 2000, Fidel sitting in the front row were dismayed when he recommended Castro and his seldom-seen spouse, Dalia, joined Juan Miguel that they allow a vote to change the constitution, as Project Gonzalez and his family in the front row of the Tribuna Abierta. Varela called for. They were there with most of the Cuban hierarchy to watch Since so many Cubans had heard Carter’s words on radio and schoolchildren stage a production welcoming the boy home. television, Fidel chose to counter them by organizing his own From our office balcony, my staff and I also enjoyed the spec- nationwide petition. He succeeded in making the Cuban Con- tacle, but no one acknowledged our presence five stories above. stitution immutable by ordering block committees to go door to

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 41 door collecting signatures of Castro was so shocked ists—with maintaining a every adult in the country. professional and productive But we didn’t have to be I attended the rally that, for the relationship that gained successful; we simply had to first time ever, he did not speak Fidel Castro’s cooperation do what we could to support even though he was on stage. with our military at Guan- the activists and give them tanamo Base. I am not sure hope for change. how much longer we could Fidel Castro was not pleased with our outreach, to put have maintained this delicate balance. But one thing is certain: it mildly; he hated my little radios. But Cubans loved them it did not last long after my departure. because for the first time in decades, they had access to Although President George W. Bush had initially main- information not controlled by the state. They now had a choice tained and even expanded the Clinton measures that allowed between tuning into Fidel’s speeches, or the BBC or Voice of people-to-people travel, the policy had already begun to America. Dissidents could also listen to Radio Marti simply by change as Jeb Bush sought the support of the Cuban-American taking the portable radios to a location where jamming was community for a second term as governor of Florida. My suc- ineffective. cessor as principal officer was encouraged to publicly confront Castro demanded that we cease distributing the radios. the Cuban government, even as the administration began to When I refused, he retaliated by gathering some 20,000 reduce travel licenses to Cuba. Hostile rhetoric from both sides people together at Miramar—a large public housing complex increased. on the other side of Havana Bay—to condemn our actions. The distribution of radios and books was significantly Undaunted, I attended the rally alongside the chief of the reduced when the Cuban government curtailed travel by U.S. consular section and our human rights officer. Castro was so diplomats to Havana, in response to our government’s decision shocked that for the first time ever, he did not speak at the rally to restrict Cuban diplomats to within 25 miles of Washington, even though he was on stage. D.C. Then, as tensions heightened, the Cuban government When I returned to the office after the event, which was car- jailed 75 committed human rights activists, independent jour- ried on Cuban radio and TV, prominent human rights activist nalists and trade unionist. Felix Bonne was waiting for me. Bonne had been a professor of Bilateral relations did not begin to thaw until after the engineering at the University of Havana before being fired for Obama administration took office in 2009, when Havana views incompatible with those of the Communist Party hierar- began releasing some of the human rights activists who had chy. He was then sent to jail for writing and publishing, along been detained. Currently, our relationship is constructive, and with three other well-known, respected Cuban dissidents, a travel to Cuba by Americans exceeds the levels reached during book titled La Patria Es de Todos (The Country Is for Everyone). the Clinton administration. But we have never regained the Felix began with praise and then delivered a warning. He momentum that led to the Cuban Spring of 2002. told me that though I seemed to him like a colonel leading her troops, I had better be sure I had chosen a battle I could win. An Amazing Job He reminded me that I must protect our bilateral relationship. I consider myself very fortunate to have been selected to I knew that he was right. If the Cuban government closed manage our relations with Cuba in Havana 15 years ago. While USINT, as Fidel had threatened, we could no longer speak on leading the interests section was an adventure, and great fun, behalf of the dissidents. Nor would we be able to effectively it was also frustrating and infuriating. Yet the assignment advocate for them if they were abused or jailed. So, to defuse afforded me opportunities to make difficult decisions, and to the conflict, I lowered my profile. But we continued distributing make a real difference. our “little radios”—just more quietly. It also taught me—and perhaps some Cubans and Cuban- Americans, as well—that despite our fundamentally different Bilateral Relations Today points of view on many topics, there was no reason we could My team and I successfully balanced doing things the not work together to resolve some of our differences. Cuban government disliked—handing out radios and books All in all, it was an amazing job—the best of my Foreign around the country, and supporting human rights activ- Service career. n

42 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN SERVICE ASSOCIATION

AFSA MEMORIAL CEREMONY The Foreign Service Remembers CALENDAR

Antoinette “Toni” Tomasek June 4 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing The Foreign Service family Board Meeting came together in remem- brance of USAID Foreign Ser- June 8-13 AFSA Road Scholar Program vice officer Antoinette “Toni” Chautauqua, N.Y. Beaumont Tomasek during this year’s AFSA Memorial June 11 Ceremony on May 2 at the 12-1:30 p.m. Luncheon: 177th A-100 Class State Department. A community health spe- June 18 cialist at the USAID mission in 4-6 p.m. Port-au-Prince, Ms. Tomasek Annual AFSA Awards Ceremony died on June 26, 2013, from injuries sustained in a car July 2 accident during a medical 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing supply delivery to a local Board Meeting clinic. She is survived by her husband Adam Tomasek and July 4 their two children, Amelie (7) Independence Day:

BOB BURGESS BOB AFSA Offices Closed and Alexandre (9). After joining USAID in August 4 2009, Ms. Tomasek was 2-3:30 p.m. AFSA Book Notes: posted to Indonesia, where More Than Just Diplomacy she was a principal author of its Global Health Initia- August 6 tive, which guides the work 12-2 p.m. AFSA Governing of USAID’s mission in the Board Meeting country. Prior to joining the agency, August 27 she had worked on health and 3:30-5 p.m. Adair Lecture at development issues both at American University: home and abroad, and served Ambassador Thomas Miller as a Peace Corps Volunteer in

Paraguay. BURGESS BOB Facing the Armed Forces Color Guard from the Military District of AFSA President Robert Washington, AFSA President Robert J. Silverman leads the Pledge of J. Silverman opened the Allegiance (above) during the AFSA Memorial Ceremony at the State ceremony with a tribute to Department on May 2 to honor USAID FSO Antoinette “Toni” Tomasek, whose name was added to the memorial plaques (below). Ms. Tomasek Ms. Tomasek and her family. died while on duty in Haiti. He called it his solemn honor to add her name to the list of USAID Administrator Rajiv for Toni, but just in case 244 others on the memorial Shah, participating in the things got tough, she always plaques that bear witness ceremony for the first time, kept a bowl of chocolates on to the many sacrifices made spoke of Ms. Tomasek’s life her desk for her colleagues. by members of the Foreign and service: “No challenge She designed groundbreak- Service. was too big or too complex Continued on page 48

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 43 STATE VP VOICE | BY MATTHEW ASADA AFSA NEWS

Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA State VP. Contact: [email protected] | (202) 647-8160 | @matthewasada (Twitter)

Post-Benghazi Security

I am concerned. Not so much was appreciative of the front ously COM decisions. For to engage and advocated for by the world, and the events office’s efforts to educate instance, travel requests that the language and security of Sept. 11—2001 and 2012— employees on the current previously could be approved awareness training to safely but by our institutional threat environment, accom- in the field now require do so (see the December response to them. President modate their travel and approval from Washington’s 2013 FSJ). The administra- Franklin D. Roosevelt once movement requests, and 7th floor. The “value added” tion and Congress have said, “The only thing we have ensure the mission was suffi- of this “non-tariff” travel rightly improved the “hard” to fear is fear itself.” Today I ciently resourced to manage barrier should be examined security of our diplomatic worry about how the State the security programs. and better communicated to facilities overseas. However, Department’s fear of another Employees and supervi- those on the ground. more needs to be done on Benghazi is impacting the sors found the Regional Housing. Kabul and “soft” security (i.e., engage- Foreign Service. Security Office’s section- Islamabad are the depart- ment and training). I recently attended two specific outreach briefings ment’s two largest overseas This year, for the first events featuring Cameron especially useful in helping to building projects. They time, the State Depart- Munter, our former ambas- develop, evaluate and priori- include new embassy office ment authorized posts to sador to Pakistan, and tize their own travel requests. buildings, annexes and resi- language-designate positions Gerry Feierstein, our former A New Normal? At the dential housing. for personal security reasons. ambassador to Yemen (April same time, several employ- While there is universal Efforts are also under 7 Open Forum, on bnet: 1.usa. ees expressed concern about support for residential hous- way to provide more Foreign gov/1n40K0U; and AFSA’s the increasing “militariza- ing in Kabul, not everyone Service employees with March 25 event: bit.ly/AFSA tion” of our diplomatic pres- is convinced of the wisdom language training, especially Mar25). ence, reflected in everything of on-compound housing in specialists, in accordance Both presentations are from the language used Islamabad. with Benghazi Accountability worth viewing as we think to describe travel (Is this Does it make sense from Review Board recommenda- about this question: Does mission-critical? or mission an operational and policy tion #15. our collective response to essential?) and the equip- standpoint, as Cameron AFSA is excited about the Benghazi threaten to make the ment used to do it (armored Munter asks, to introduce additional training capacity Service less knowledgeable vehicles with Blue Force a “membrane” of concrete and possibilities offered by a about the world, less effective Trackers) to the Tactical and barbed wire between the new Foreign Affairs Security on the ground and, ultimately, Operations Center monitor- diplomats and the popula- Training Center site in Ft. less influential with the host ing of employee movements. tions they are sent overseas Pickett, Va. The proposed country and the United States Several senior officers to engage? eligibility expansion and government itself? wondered about the long- The policy of transition- curriculum revision of the Earlier this spring I visited term effect on the Service ing to off-compound group department’s signature colleagues serving in Kabul of a generation of officers housing and, ultimately, on- counterterrorism course and Islamabad. It had been and specialists who have compound housing in Islam- (FACT–OT-611) and the three years since I last vis- grown up knowing nothing abad is worth discussing. development of a new course ited, and several more since I other than this “new security The security concerns may focused on “doing diplomacy served there. I wanted to see normal.” indeed outweigh professional in tough places” are more current conditions and hear Chief-of-Mission Author- concerns, but we need to steps in the right direction. from members about the ity. I left both countries have such a discussion—and Together we will need to effect of the security environ- thinking more about the we need to have it with AFSA, work through these tough ment on their professional question of chief-of-mission the employees’ representa- questions. I look forward and personal lives. authority. One of the effects tive, at the table. to engaging with you in the Front Office Leader- of Benghazi seems to be Training. Since Benghazi, discussion. ship. In both posts I found increased departmental AFSA has focused on pro- Next Month: Bidding and an employee workforce that reach into what were previ- tecting the employee’s ability 360s

44 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL FCS VP VOICE | BY STEVE MORRISON AFSA NEWS

Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA FCS VP. Contact: [email protected] or (202) 482-9088

A Positive Force

Commercial Service Represen- employees (including FCS) small about our new organi- change in our organization. tative Barbara Farrar will step were held up for more than zational structure, language Serving as an AFSA rep down from the AFSA Governing a year due to the impasse. training, moving, selection has enabled me to make my Board this summer for a new Steve and I personally boards, security clearances, own contribution while hav- job as assignments officer. brought home the impor- reviews and more. ing an extraordinary profes- Before turning this column tance of this issue with Capi- I am happy to report that sional development experi- over to her for some parting tol Hill staff during AFSA’s when FCS officers come to ence. Thank you again for thoughts, I know you all join recent Advocacy Day. AFSA for assistance, we are putting your faith in me. me in thanking Barbara for her Legislative affairs has usually able to help them. I Please stay involved and service and wishing her well in been at the forefront of hope AFSA will continue to keep making your voices her new position. AFSA activity this year, and assist members effectively heard! n —Steve Morrison your FCS reps were actively and be a positive force for –Barbara Farrar engaged in these efforts. As I am honored to fill Vice we raised issues of interest President Steve Morrison’s to the entire Foreign Service, AFSA Welcomes First APHIS spot in this issue to thank such as Overseas Compa- Governing Board Representative you for electing me and rability Pay, I was pleased to allowing me to serve as the learn that Hill staff do under- At its April meeting, the Governing FCS representative on the stand and care about what Board appointed Mark C. Prescott as the AFSA Governing Board. Let we do. Our AFSA VP’s regular first board member to represent AFSA’s newest constituency: the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service at the I was pleased to learn that Capitol Hill Department of Agriculture. staff do understand and care about what APHIS, which joined AFSA’s bargaining unit in Janu- we do. Our AFSA VP’s regular contact with ary 2013, works to safeguard the health of animals, plants and ecosystems in the United States; facilitate congressional staff has a lot to do with safe agricultural trade; ensure effective, efficient man- that. agement of internationally based programs; and invest in international capacity-building through training programs abroad to enhance technical, administrative me take this opportunity to contact with congressional and diplomatic skills and competencies. reflect on the highlights of staff has a lot to do with that, Mr. Prescott’s current position is assistant director the last year and, especially, as does the grassroots work for international technical and regulatory capacity- to thank Steve for his hard of our domestic field. building. A graduate of the University of California/ work in representing officers’ Back in the building, we Berkeley with a degree in English literature and for- interests. established a constructive estry, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho Starting with the most dialogue with management from 1993 to 1995. He joined APHIS in the spring of recent highlight, AFSA was and shared officer concerns 2002 as the veterinary medical officer for the state of largely responsible for break- biweekly with the Office of New Hampshire and parts of Massachusetts. ing an impasse between the Foreign Service Human Capi- In 2006, Mr. Prescott was selected as APHIS’ atta- Senate Foreign Relations tal and quarterly with our ché for a three-year assignment developing and negoti- Committee and the State deputy director general. ating new protocols for the expansion of the export of Department over the vet- Special thanks to Steve U.S. agricultural products to Japan. From 2009 to July ting process of officers up for so diligently following up 2013, he headed up the agency’s office in Brasilia.n for tenure and promotion. on each and every question The career advancements posed by officers. This year, of 1,800 Foreign Service we raised issues big and

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 45 AFSA NEWS

revised documents will draw Agreement on Ambassador Certificates on the AFSA guidelines to illustrate nominees’ experi- As most members recall, AFSA’s goal was to craft a set of chief- ence in the four key areas: AFSA unveiled new guide- of-mission guidelines that were broad, leadership, character and lines for ambassadorial proven interpersonal skills; qualifications in February. general and positive, yet specific enough understanding of high-level Our goal was to craft a set of to hit the main areas of expertise. policy and operations; man- chief-of-mission guidelines agement; and understanding that were broad, general of host country or relevant and positive—yet specific tificates of demonstrated to write the certificate to international experience. enough to hit the main areas competence”—a document address specific qualifica- Certificates for sub- of expertise needed by required under the Foreign tions, would open up the sequent ambassadorial both career and non-career Service Act of 1980. The process to the public and nominees have, in fact, been nominees to be able to lead State Department’s positive address the issue of qualifi- posted online before each an embassy or mission response to that request cations for all nominees. individual’s Senate Foreign effectively. offered a window into this AFSA proposed to the Relations Committee hear- A working group of 10 process. administration that going ing. You may find the certifi- former ambassadors drafted We concluded that more forward—as part of the cates on the department’s the guidelines and AFSA’s transparency would benefit Transparency in Government website, www.state.gov/m/ Governing Board adopted everyone involved. Publica- initiative and a forward- dghr/coc. n them in January. tion of the certificate of looking legacy—the State –Ásgeir Sigfússon, As part of this project, demonstrated competence Department will publish Director of New Media AFSA filed FOIA requests prior to a nominee’s hear- more detailed certificates for nominees’ “cer- ing, together with an effort online in real time. These

FSPS Annuity Supplement: A Reminder $20,000 divided by 40, times 20: $10,000. The Foreign Service Pension tant is 62 and fully eligible annuity, the department The FSPS annuity supple- System annuity supplement to receive SSA benefits on estimates what his or her ment is subject to an earn- can be confusing. It is a bene- the day of actual retirement. full Social Security benefits ings test that begins after a fit payable to certain employ- The payment is subject to an would be. Then it calculates retiree reaches the minimum ees who retire before age 62, annual earnings test similar the amount of are in the “new” FSPS retire- to the one applied to Social service under ment system and are entitled Security benefits. the FSPS, and What Is Your Minimum to an immediate annuity. The An employee with at least reduces the esti- Retirement Age? purpose of the supplement is one year of FSPS service and mated full Social If you were born… Your MRA is… to provide a level of income who retires (voluntarily or Security benefits Before 1948 55 years 1948 55 years and 2 months before age 62 similar to that involuntarily) is eligible for an accordingly. For 1949 55 years and 4 months an annuitant would receive immediate annuity. Employ- example, if an 1950 55 years and 6 months at age 62 as part of Social ees who retire at their mini- estimated Social 1951 55 years and 8 months 1952 55 years and 10 months Security benefits. mum retirement age (see Security ben- 1953-1964 56 years The annuity supplement table) with at least 10 years efit at age 62 is 1965 56 years and 2 months is payable from the date of of service or employees who $20,000 and the 1966 56 years and 4 months 1967 56 years and 6 months retirement until the month retire on disability or deferred number of years 1968 56 years and 8 months prior to the one in which the retirement are not eligible for under the FSPS 1969 56 years and 10 months annuitant reaches age 62. It the annuity supplemental. is 20 years, the 1970 or later 57 years is calculated as if the annui- To calculate a retiree’s formula would be

46 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL RETIREE VP VOICE | BY LARRY COHEN AFSA NEWS

Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA Retiree VP. Contact: [email protected] or (703) 437-7881

How Is “When Actually Employed” Working?

AFSA receives many mes- process takes a phone call personnel from the wid- should utilize it, as well. sages from annuitants and a few minutes of time. est population of potential We appreciate that regarding the Department What the process does WAE candidates in a timely bureaus may still identify and of State’s When Actually not include is a searchable, fashion, while minimizing approve candidates for posi- Employed program. We keyword-driven resumé or operational costs. tions through a process no appreciate the feedback profile system like those For WAE annuitants, it different than that used for provided by our member- used in the HR divisions of should inform, provide flex- active-duty assignments. But ship about their experiences corporations, multilateral ibility and be as transparent in the interest of ration- with the WAE process, and institutions and nongov- and fair as possible. alization, WAE appointment especially suggestions for its ernmental organizations To achieve these goals, authority and paperwork pro- improvement. everywhere. AFSA recommends that cessing, even payroll, could Most responses concern Nor are bureaus under HR introduce an electroni- become an HR function. the current system’s lack any obligation to utilize the cally searchable, Internet- The department may also of clarity regarding pos- HRSC list. As far as we can accessible CV and/or EP+ wish to consider central- sible opportunities and ascertain, the system does (Employee Profile Plus) izing the clearance process confusion as to how to get not create any efficiencies database; maintain a list of and modifying cap rules on a bureau’s WAE registry. or reduce costs. Nor does available positions, including that frustrate both bureaus Annuitants who have com- the process do a better job deadlines; and designate a and annuitants. In addition, municated with AFSA gener- of informing annuitants of senior officer to manage liai- we encourage other foreign ally appear to favor a less bureau needs. son with bureaus and annui- affairs agencies to introduce fragmented approach than For all these reasons, tants. HR could also take on WAE-type programs. the current system. as presently designed, the routine paperwork normally AFSA recommends that Last August, the depart- central registry does not yet done by the bureaus. annuitants continue time- ment’s Human Resources function as hoped. To take on new responsi- honored networking with Service Center in Charleston AFSA believes the WAE bilities, including an upgrade bureau coordinators, utilize launched a WAE central reg- registry/hiring process ought of its IT capabilities, HR may RNet services, contact the istry. Annuitants interested to accomplish specific goals. require additional resources. HR Service Center to show in possible WAE assignments For bureaus, it should ease As it moves toward “shared interest in a centralized regis- may provide HRSC with con- the process of bringing on services” and an improved try, and keep their skills sharp tact information. The sign-up board the best available central registry, other bureaus and resumés current. n

retirement age. The earn- reinstatement of benefits will The department then a reduction or termination ings test is similar to the one become effective on Jan. 1 of determines whether the goes into effect the follow- applied to Social Security the year following the year of annuity supplement should ing year, the department will benefits and uses the same income reported. be reduced or terminated. ask for repayment of this annual exempt amount, as At the end of each cal- To assure noninterrupted amount. required by 5 U.S.C. Section endar year, the department annuity supplement pay- This information, along 8421a. The current exemp- asks FSPS annuitants who ments, it is important that with a detailed guide to tion amount for 2014 is have reached their minimum the DS-5026 be submitted determining your earned $15,480 of earned income. retirement age to submit an promptly in January. income, can also be found Your annuity supplement FSPS Annuity Supplement The department attempts on the AFSA website on the will be reduced by $1 for Report (DS-5026). To show to assure that no overpay- Retiree Services page, and every $2 by which your cal- continuing eligibility for the ment is included in the in the resource pages of the endar year earnings exceed annuity supplement, annui- February annuity payment. annual Retiree Directory. n the exemption amount. The tants declare their earned However, if an annuitant –Matt Sumrak, Associate reduction, termination or income for that year. receives excess funds before Retiree Coordinator

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Continued from page 43 DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF DEPARTMENT Following the ceremony, Willie Beaumont, Ms. Tomasek’s brother, points out her name to the children.

devote herself to aid- “Toni is in our thoughts, ing the poor and needy every single day,” Amb. White around the globe, to told the family. Assuring them saving lives, to giving that she spoke on behalf of DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF DEPARTMENT hope. Her commit- Before the AFSA Memorial Ceremony, the Tomasek family and AFSA President every single member of the Robert J. Silverman met with Deputy Secretary of State for Management and ment to helping others embassy staff, Amb. White Resources Heather Higginbottom and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. From left inspires us.” declared that Ms. Tomasek to right: Pres. Silverman; Administrator Shah; Marilyn Beaumont, Ms. Tomasek’s Following the mother; Adam Tomasek, Ms. Tomasek’s husband; and Deputy Secretary of State had left a lasting legacy in Higginbottom. In front are Amelie and Alexandre, Ms. Tomasek’s children. ceremony, Ms. Toma- Haiti. sek’s family mem- You may watch a recording ing programs to work directly brimming with news of their bers participated in a video of the ceremony on the AFSA with local organizations, and swim meets. And they spoke teleconference with Ambas- website at www.afsa.org/ served as principal author for of her generosity—how Toni sador Pamela White and staff video. n a new Global Health Strat- learned to knit so she could members of Embassy Port- –Ásgeir Sigfússon, egy to guide our work with make handmade gifts for her au-Prince. Director of New Media greater focus. ‘I never saw her friends.” without a smile on her face,’ Deputy Secretary of Foreign Affairs Day Reception at AFSA one friend remembered.” State for Management and Addressing Ms. Toma- Resources Heather Higgin- sek’s family, Administrator bottom also spoke, focusing Shah continued: “Over the on the sacrifices inherent last several months, I have in a Foreign Service career: heard from Toni’s colleagues “This ceremony is a poignant around the world who wanted reminder that this vital work to share their memories of does not come without her compassion, vitality and danger. The names on these humanity. They spoke of plaques represent coura- her love of running and her geous women and men who wellspring of energy as she volunteered to serve their SIGFÚSSON ÁSGEIR competed in ultra-marathons country abroad.” On May 2, AFSA threw open its doors for the traditional Foreign Affairs Day reception. A large crowd of retirees participating in the day’s from Asia to North America. Higginbottom continued: activities attended, as did many active-duty members. Members of the Her friends spoke of her deep “Today, we pay tribute to a AFSA Governing Board and professional staff welcomed the attendees, pride in Alex and Amelie—and woman whose love of coun- who enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres. During the reception, local winners of AFSA’s art and academic merit awards were honored, as described how she would try, love of humanity and love were some local scholarship donors. arrive at work in the morning of service to others led her to

48 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

USAID Honors Antoinette “Toni” Tomasek

On May 1, the United States Agency for International Development held a service to honor the life of Antoinette “Toni” Beaumont Tomasek, a former Peace Corps Volun- teer and USAID Foreign Ser- vice officer who died last year while serving her country in Haiti. Held in the main lobby of the Ronald Reagan Building, the memorial was attended by 13 of Toni’s family mem- bers and her friends and former colleagues, as well as AFSA President Robert Silverman and Acting Director USAID General of the U.S. Above, Marilyn Beaumont and Adam Tomasek help the Tomasek children to place the memorial tile for their mother Foreign Service Hans on USAID’s wall of fallen officers. At left, USAID Counselor Klemm. Susan Reichle opens the USAID memorial for Ms. Tomasek USAID Coun- on May 1 at the Ronald Reagan Building. selor Susan Reichle opened with a tribute to Toni and her work, She served as ment leadership initiative honoring her as a a community officer in Indonesia, where “wonderful embodi- health specialist she helped to establish an ment of what USAID USAID with an exper- innovative program that is all about” and tise in water, offered grants to local orga- challenging the audience to was then added to the sanitation and cross-cultural nizations working to prevent emulate her. memorial wall of fallen offi- education, and was fluent in and treat tuberculosis. After Maria Marigliano cers by Adam and Toni’s two Spanish, Indonesian, French, Arriving in Haiti last May sang the national anthem, children, Alexandre and Ame- Guarani and, as her husband to begin her second tour, she Adam Tomasek, Toni’s lie. The Beaumont-Tomasek put it, “the universal lan- quickly established herself husband of 12 years, rose to family was then presented guage of compassion.” as a valuable member of speak stoically of her life and with two memorial tribute Her professional career the mission, and was soon how her “enduring smile” will wreaths and the condolences took her across Latin Amer- consumed with helping the be remembered by all. of a long line of bereaved ica, the Caribbean, Africa and Haitian people—especially USAID Administrator Rajiv guests. Asia, garnering her a wealth children—to live better lives. Shah also spoke, recalling Toni received a bachelor’s of experience and making her Tragically, on June 26 of last Toni’s warmth and inspiring degree in environmental a highly respected member year, Toni was involved in character and concluding engineering from California of USAID at the young age a car accident and passed that she would always be Polytechnic State University of 41. away three days later from remembered by the “whole at San Luis Obispo, and a Toni joined the Foreign complications of the crash. U.S. Foreign Service family.” master’s degree in sociology Service in 2009, completing –Bret Matera, A tile bearing her name from American University. her first tour as a develop- Editorial Intern

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 49 AFSA NEWS

AFSA USAID Survey: Taking the Pulse of USAID FSOs

Thanks to all of you who the agency overall. A majority produce a negative effect services that were previously completed the recent USAID of respondents (77 percent) on morale and overall job provided by USAID itself. AFSA survey. This 23-ques- are assigned overseas. satisfaction. The trend of the tion, electronic survey Fifty-one percent are male, results suggests that these Support Offices focused on concerns, com- and 49 percent are female. concerns will only intensify. Three offices—Human mendations and assess- Approximately 50 percent of For example, in the responses Resources, Financial Man- ments related to the USAID respondents have been with regarding the inequalities agement and Travel and FSO experience in calendar the agency for less than five in benefits between agen- Transportation—have now year 2013. years and are at the FS-4 and cies, 77 percent of those in been tracked over several Its purpose is to assemble FS-3 pay levels. Almost 50 the 18-31 age group rated years. a picture of the impact of percent of respondents have the “equalizing of benefits” Human Resources. The recent changes in the agency, minor children residing with a high priority, compared to overall score for the Human take the pulse of FSOs striv- them, and another 3 percent just 54 percent of respon- Resources Office dropped in ing to carry out the agency’s report that they are expect- dents 45 and older. this survey. Its “poor” rating initiatives, and obtain rel- ing a child. Agencies and the private increased from 49 percent evant data validating current Overall, USAID FSOs sector alike appear to be (2012) to 55 percent (2013). working conditions. are currently trending to a at or near a juncture where Its “good” rating dropped In editing the survey ques- younger cohort, with 56 per- they need to re-evaluate from 49 percent (2012) to 43 tions, I wanted to encourage cent of respondents 45 years past employment practices. percent (2013). as many comments and sug- old or younger. In regard to Our survey confirms outside Although the 2012 AFSA gestions as possible. Those diversity, 80 percent classify research suggesting that the survey showed that hopes who provided comments themselves as Caucasian. millennial generation’s “soft” were rising among some that added valuable depth to the When compared to needs of flexibility, transpar- the change in the HR leader- raw data, helping facilitate national civilian labor force ency, collaboration, supervi- ship structure in early 2013 more meaningful discussions levels, the most under- sor appreciation and support would facilitate improve- with agency management. represented ethnic groups are now becoming top priori- ments, this survey indicates We intend to present in the USAID Foreign Service ties for most members. that such hopes have been the results of the survey are still Hispanic Americans dashed. and collaborate on action at 6 percent (14 percent in Issue at Post Most respondents plans for improvement with the national labor force) The only issue at posts reported that, to date, there the Employee Labor Rela- and African-Americans at 8 that received a high “not sat- was no improvement in tions Office and the Human percent (12 percent in the isfied” rating (55 percent) is responsiveness and very Resources and Management national labor force). “Consolidation of Administra- limited communication. Bureaus. The survey results tive Services” under ICASS Financial Management. will also be discussed with Labor Management (International Cooperative The Office of the Chief USAID Administrator Rajiv Respondents consider Administration Support Ser- Financial Officer improved its Shah and Special Represen- three labor management vices). The ICASS consolida- rating from last year. Respon- tative for the Quadrennial issues to be high priorities tion has had enough time to dents who consider its per- Diplomacy and Development for USAID FSOs. They are: correct previously identified formace “good” rose from 48 Review Tom Perriello to help “assure equal benefits with problems; however, USAID percent (2012) to 56 percent in the formulation of USAID State” (63 percent); “improve FSOs have yet to recognize (2013). They praised the priorities. supervisory skills of FS significant benefits. smoothness of payments to supervisors” (61 percent); Major complaints remain those on ordered departure. Profile of Respondents and “increase transparency regarding its high cost to Frustrations were expressed, The profile of the survey in the assignments process” USAID and the continued however, on state tax with- respondents closely coin- (60 percent). poor and unequal customer holding and new time-and- cides with the profile data for These issues combine to service in comparison to the attendance software.

50 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

Travel and Transporta- tion. Survey results for the Travel and Transportation Division did not reveal any significant change from last year. Although its “poor” rating decreased from 15 percent (2012) to 11 percent (2013), its “good” rating also decreased from 48 percent (2012) to 45 percent (2012) during the same time period.

Staff Morale The agency morale rating has dropped significantly. Thirty-seven percent of respondents rated agency morale “poor” in 2012; in 2013, 47 percent of respon- dents rated morale “poor.” The “good/fair” rating shows a corresponding drop, from 61 percent in 2012 to 51 per- cent for 2013. A wide range of concerns were shared by respondents, such as: tension between more seasoned USAID employees and those who have entered within the last five years; an overburdened system with too many “initia- tives;” lack of transparency and support from HR; and slow encroachment by State. In a cross-comparison between questions on the new HR leadership and agency morale, a similarly high percentage of employ- ees (61) rated the new HR leadership “poor” and also determined that morale had dropped.

USAID Administrator JEFF LAU JEFF The “poor” rating for the Administrator (question 20) increased from 23 percent in

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2012 to 41 percent in the 2013 generations. The different survey. His overall approval characteristics of this new rating (“fair, good, excellent”) generation of workers are for 2013 stands at 58 percent, increasingly being discussed also a significant drop from in the media. 2012 (78 percent). This In terms of numbers, the decline is disturbing and will millennials are the largest be pointed out to his office. generation in American his- Many FSOs originally liked tory and, with USAID’s recent the new initiatives. However, mass hiring, the majority of the prevailing sentiment now our workforce now fall into is that they are too numerous this category. to coordinate and accurately Thus, a bonus of the report on, and many do not Development Leadership Ini- come with funding. The com- tiative program is that USAID ments also reflect a recurring has a unique opportunity to theme that work outside of be a leader in this regard, Africa appears to be a lower simply by virtue of its large priority for the Administrator. population of millennials. If we focus on their primary Working Conditions concerns—such as corporate The survey indicates a culture, work-life balance, significant perception that workplace flexibility, making overall conditions at work a difference and being appre- are worsening (42 percent). ciated—we realize that they This is not as bad as it was value the same things that in 2011 (46 percent) or 2010 are important to everyone! (55 percent); neverthe- The difference is that less, it is a setback since millennials are more likely to 2012, when only 36 percent voice their thoughts and to thought conditions at work change jobs if their needs are were deteriorating. Pay and not fulfilled. How the agency bonus freezes, work space handles this will determine concerns due to consolida- whether USAID emerges as tion and micromanagement a government leader in such of the field by Washington issues as work-life balance, were some of the concerns as well as how it fares in highlighted this year, and are employee retention. possible explanations for the Next, after a brief upturn, increased rating. morale has taken a slide back down. Comments suggest Concluding Analysis that this is related to various Several important issues factors, including the sense have been illuminated in this of a disconnect with signifi- survey. cant guidance related to HR First is the tendency for processes, and a feeling that more recent employees Washington does not under- in the workforce to have stand the challenges that different views than their FSOs face daily. colleagues from previous Inequalities in benefits JEFF LAU JEFF

52 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

AFSA Leaders Meet Secretary Kerry

On April 14, AFSA leaders both overseas and in the Finally, the met with Secretary of State department. AFSA team John Kerry to discuss AFSA While on the subject of noted the priorities and areas of mutual Congress, they reiterated launch of the concern. AFSA’s desire to achieve 2014 Quadren- AFSA officials began by permanent congressional nial Diplomacy thanking Secretary Kerry authorization of Overseas and Develop- for his efforts to ensure that Comparability Pay. Sec. Kerry ment Review; nearly 1,800 Foreign Service said he supported that effort. the Secretary employees recommended Next, the AFSA team said he wel- DEPARTMENT OF STATE OF DEPARTMENT for promotion, tenure and stressed the importance comed AFSA’s AFSA President Bob Silverman talks with Secretary of appointment were finally of fully funding language input into the State John Kerry. confirmed by the Senate. instruction and security conversation. They noted that AFSA looks awareness training, both to AFSA President Silver- with Sec. Kerry and his senior forward to working with his enhance professionalism man was delighted with leadership as we continue to team to advance the nomina- and to keep Foreign Service what he called a positive celebrate the 90th anniver- tions of those career officers employees safe overseas and and productive meeting. He sary of the Foreign Service still awaiting Senate confir- protect their ability to engage added: “AFSA looks forward and AFSA.” n mation to senior positions, with host-country contacts. to continuing our partnership –Julian Steiner, AFSA Staff

averages came in at 3.6, Commerce at 3.5 and Agri- culture at 3.8. USAID FSOs need to keep this in mind for the next ICASS survey. If anyone believes the ICASS survey needs readjusting to ensure it captures accurate USAID feedback, please send suggestions to my attention ([email protected]). Leadership sets the tone of any organization. As the “Voice of the Foreign Ser- vice,” AFSA will continue to

JEFF LAU JEFF engage management on these issues. It is my hope between USAID and State USAID needs. investigate further to find out that current leadership will further exacerbate the Looking into this issue, what the threshold for cor- choose to accept these problem. we found that the worldwide rective action is. results for what they are: There were also a signifi- ICASS surveys do not show The ICASS survey is valuable feedback on which cant number of complaints USAID’s reporting of dis- based on a 1–5 rating scale. to act to make this agency from FSOs overseas that the satisfaction to be significant Generally, State custom- better. n ICASS consolidation system enough to trigger corrective ers ranked everything 4.1 –Sharon Wayne, is highly unfavorable toward actions. However, we will or better, whereas USAID AFSA USAID VP

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 53 AFSA NEWS

AFSA ON THE HILL Happy 90th from the Virginia General Assembly!

As part of our efforts to Ebbin, Edwards, Favola, Gar- States Foreign Service Day.” D-N.Y., and Rep. Tulsi Gab- celebrate the 90th anniver- rett, Howell, Marsh, Puckett, As we went to press, the bard, D-Hawaii. sary of AFSA and the Foreign Saslaw, Wagner and Wexton. measure had five co-spon- We will keep you updated Service, we have worked We are appreciative of sors: Rep. Alan Lowenthal, on progress in both cham- collaboratively with elected Delegate Lopez’s leadership D-Calif., Rep. Karen Bass, bers. n and appointed officials to and offer this success story D-Calif., Rep. Grace Meng, –Javier Cuebas, educate the American public as another example of how D-N.Y., Rep. Gregory Meeks, Director of Advocacy about the contributions of AFSA works diligently to Foreign Service employees to promote public understand- national security, economic ing of the many outstanding prosperity and job creation. contributions of Foreign Ser- “Return to Homs” Screening at AFSA With almost 3,000 vice employees to American members of the Foreign society. Service domiciled in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Foreign Service Day we are proud to report that On March 4, Senate the Virginia General Assem- Foreign Relations Committee bly has passed House Joint Chairman Robert Menen- Resolution No. 406, which dez, D-N.J., introduced S. was offered on Feb. 28, com- Res. 369, a resolution to mending the American For- designate May 22 as “United eign Service Association and States Foreign Service Day” honoring the Foreign Service in recognition of the men and on its 90th anniversary. women who have served, or The resolution, which are presently serving, in the received bipartisan sup- U.S. Foreign Service, and to port in both the House of honor those members of the Delegates and Senate, was Foreign Service who have introduced by AFSA’s friend given their lives in the line of and supporter, Delegate duty. Alfonso Lopez (49th District), Co-sponsors as of May with the backing of 36 mem- 14 were Senators Sheldon bers of the Virginia General Whitehouse, D-R.I., Ben Assembly. Cardin, D-Md., Mark Warner, Our supporters in the D-Va., Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Assembly were delegates Richard Durbin, D-Ill. Lopez, Bulova, Carr, Cole, In the House of Represen- Dance, Davis, Helsel, Herring, tatives, House Committee K. FERNEKES K. Hester, Hope, James, Keam, on Foreign Affairs member Orwa Nyrabia, producer and filmmaker, takes questions from the Kory, Krupicka, LeMunyon, Representative Juan Vargas, audience after a screening of his award-winning documentary Morrissey, Plum, Rasoul, D-Calif., a member of the “Return to Homs” at AFSA headquarters on April 22. The film follows two young Syrian men as their lives are upended by the Sickles, Simon, Stolle, Surov- freshman class of the 113th brutal conflict engulfing their country. Mr. Nyrabia, a native of Homs ell, Tyler, Ware and Watts. In Congress, introduced H. Res. himself, was in town for screenings of the film at FilmFest DC. The the Senate, we received the 528 on May 9, supporting event was organized with the help of the Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations. support of senators Barker, the establishment of “United

54 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

AFSA-PDAA Partnership Event: How to Reduce the U.S. Public Diplomacy Deficit

On April 16, AFSA and the taken. “When you put Public Diplomacy Alumni everything together, we are Association welcomed admired throughout the former Assistant Secretary world for who we are,” Crow- of State for Public Affairs P.J. ley explained. “But the world Crowley to AFSA headquar- does not like, and in many ters. cases does not understand, A professor and fellow what we are trying to do.” at the Institute for Public Furthermore, he observed, Diplomacy and Global Com- foreign policy decisions are munication at The George often made without consider- Washington University, ing their implications for pub- Mr. Crowley served at the lic opinion. “Just as we have Department of State from lawyers at the table to weigh JULIAN STEINER P.J. Crowley, speaking at AFSA on April 16. 2009 to 2011. He frequently the legal implications of our appears as a commentator in actions, we need to have social media, Crowley noted, Richard Stengel, Crowley print and on television. public diplomacy experts to it is necessary to engage, declared: “In the 21st cen- After AFSA President make sure that the policy connect with and understand tury, the one with the best Bob Silverman and PDAA and operational benefits the broader public, not just story wins. And we do have a Vice President Joe O’Connell outweigh the public conse- world leaders. great story to tell.” delivered opening remarks, quences of those actions.” Citing the former dean of To view the entire event Crowley addressed what Because public opinion the Harvard Kennedy School, online, please visit www.afsa. he calls the “say-do gap” is becoming increasingly Joseph Nye, and Under org/video. n between U.S. foreign policy important for the conduct of Secretary of State for Public –Julian Steiner, AFSA Staff rhetoric and the actions foreign policy in the age of Diplomacy and Public Affairs

AFSA Welcomes Summer Interns studies and minoring in Spanish and economics. She is origi- nally from Princeton, N.J. This semester, we welcome a new group of interns Advocacy and Government Affairs: Timothy Schoonoven to help out with AFSA’s operations. Our interns is a junior political science major at The Master’s College in always make an immense contribution to our work, Santa Clarita, Calif. Originally from Glendale, Calif., Timothy and we hope they learn as much from us as we do previously spent a semester as an intern for the House Com- from them. Here is the summer roll call. mittee on Foreign Affairs. Communications: Two interns will assist the Awards: Evan Bulman will come on board as awards intern. NEWS BRIEF communications department. Julian Steiner will He is from Barrington, R.I., and is a rising junior at Bowdoin continue from the previous semester; he is a College, where he studies economics and political science. graduate student at The George Washington University. In Evan was initially drawn to AFSA by his long-term interest in addition, Cecilia Daizovi joins the team. She is a rising senior the Foreign Service. at Purdue University studying public relations and strategic Executive Office: Kristen Ricca is studying for a master’s communications. She has a strong Foreign Service connec- degree in politics at New York University, where her concen- tion, as her father is a political officer who recently com- tration is in international affairs. She has an undergraduate pleted his first overseas tour in the Dominican Republic. degree from James Madison University, and studied abroad in The Foreign Service Journal: Aishwarya Raje is a rising Italy. At NYU, she is a member of the Women’s Foreign Policy junior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in international Group and the NYU International Relations Association.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 55 AFSA NEWS

AFSA BOOK NOTES The Importance of Diplomacy in the Information Age

On April 29, AFSA welcomed asking the questions. retired Ambassador Lau- During his 31-year rence Pope to speak about Foreign Service career his new book, The Demilitar- (1969-2000), Laurence ization of American Diplo- Pope served as U.S. macy: Two Cheers for Striped ambassador to Chad Pants (Palgrave Pivot, 2014). from 1993 to 1996 Both in that volume and among other senior posi- his prepared remarks at AFSA tions. From 2012 to 2013, headquarters, Amb. Pope viv- he served as chargé idly described what he sees as d’affaires in Tripoli. He is the growing marginalization of also the author of Letters the State Department and its (1694–1700) of François Foreign Service. de Callières to the Mar- Among several trends SIGFÚSSON ÁSGEIR quis d’Huxelles (Edwin converging to intensify those Ambassador Laurence Pope, speaking at AFSA on April 29. Mellen Press, 2004). problems, according to Pope, To view the event online, are the downgrading of pro- government diplomacy. with his enthusiastic audi- please go to www.afsa.org/ fessional diplomats in favor Following his presenta- ence. He wryly noted that he video. n of non-career appointees, tion, Amb. Pope engaged in had few solutions to offer, but –Steven Alan Honley, and the migration of policy an extensive Q-and-A session hoped that there was value in Contributing Editor functions to the White House and the National Security Council staff. The ambassador also Revision of FAM Regulations on Public Speaking and Writing deplored the growing vogue Many members enjoy speaking and writing in a professional and personal capacity. within State for elevating (Have you thought about contributing to The Foreign Service Journal?) Developing networking with civic and these skills is important to an employee’s professional development (see promo- nongovernmental actors, at tion precepts). AFSA is particularly interested in protecting the employee’s ability to the expense of dealing with do so in a private capacity. nation-states. For more than a year AFSA has been negotiating a revision to the current Foreign All these trends are Affairs Manual regulations governing public speaking and writing (3 FAM 4170). As reflected in the 240-page mentioned in our 2013 Annual Report, our focus has been to accommodate the rise report issued following the NEWS BRIEF of social media and protect the employee’s ability to publish. We have emphasized 2010 Quadrennial Diplomacy the importance of a State Department response to clearance requests within a and Development Review, defined period of time (30 days or less). For those items requiring interagency review, our which only mentions the goal is to increase transparency, communication and oversight. Foreign Service a few times. We look forward to finalizing the negotiations on the FAM chapter soon—stay tuned for Amb. Pope expressed the its release. n hope that the new QDDR pro- cess, now underway, will do a better job of empowering the career Foreign Service to deal with the world as it is, utiliz- ing creative government-to-

56 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS

AFSA President Speaks in Austin and New York City

On April 7, AFSA President Robert J. Silverman shared perspectives on diplomatic careers with a class of Pickering and Rangel Fellows at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin. Many of the 20-plus students expressed keen interest in the Foreign Service and other international careers. The next day, he briefed an overflow crowd of Foreign MEMBER TFSG A AFSA President Robert J. Silverman addresses the Texas Foreign Service Group at a luncheon in Austin on April 8. Service retirees on AFSA pri- orities before delivering a talk that the Egyptian political briefed students at the to “opinion leader” groups on “Diplomatic Possibilities landscape is quite complex, School of General Studies around the country, which in the Middle East: Impacts but that makes it all the more at Columbia University in deepens public under- on the Foreign Service.” In it, vital for American diplomats New York on Foreign Service standing of diplomacy and he declared that the United to engage widely with many careers and U.S. diplomacy. development and keeps our States has no choice but to segments of the population, The school’s dean said the members updated on AFSA stay engaged in the Middle so we can understand and program went over extremely programs and priorities. n East, despite setbacks and influence developments. well, citing the enthusiastic –Tom Switzer, Speakers dangers to our Foreign Ser- A wide-ranging Q-and-A questions from students. Bureau Director vice personnel at all levels. session followed. Both visits were part of Silverman acknowledged On April 17, Silverman AFSA’s ongoing outreach

New TLG Intern Comes to Washington summer internship at the State Department. We look As we have done every year is Jayson Douglas, a Bal- Service officer. Following forward to introducing the since 1992, AFSA is col- timore native. A junior at his upcoming internship on first HECFAA intern in next laborating with the Thursday Bethune-Cookman Univer- the India desk in the Bureau month’s issue. Luncheon Group to support a sity in Daytona Beach, Fla., of South and Central Asian AFSA greatly values our minority college student dur- Jayson is majoring in political Affairs, he will participate in strong relationship with TLG ing a 10-week internship at science with a dual minor the fall 2014 education voy- and HECFAA. Special thanks the Department of State. in international affairs and age with the Semester at Sea go to their respective leaders, One of those students, public administration. An program. Stacy Williams and Fran- Stacy Session, later joined active member of the honors AFSA is also inaugurating cisco Palmieri, as well as the the Foreign Service. Another college, he is also president a collaboration with the His- very supportive staff of the intern, Stacy Williams, is the of his school’s Student Gov- panic Employees Council of State Department’s Office current president of TLG ernment Association. the Foreign Affairs Agencies. of Recruitment, Evaluation and a member of the Civil Jayson’s strong interest Modeled on the TLG pro- and Employment within the Service. in human rights and conflict gram, its goal is to support a Bureau of Human Resources. This year’s TLG intern, the resolution has given him a deserving Hispanic-American –Ásgeir Sigfússon, 24th AFSA has co-sponsored, calling to become a Foreign college student during a Director of New Media

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 57

EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT

THE REVAMPED SAT A MUCH-NEEDED OVERHAUL OR COSMETIC SURGERY?

The SAT is being overhauled. What does it mean?

BY FRANCESCA HUEMER KELLY

f you’re a student, a parent or test preparation accessible to students of early 20th century—and which some even a grandparent, most likely all income levels. insist still exists today. you’ve encountered the SAT. In about 1900, professors from a For much of its century-long Behind the Changes dozen leading U.S. universities formed existence, this multiple-choice “It is time to admit that the SAT and the College Entrance Examination Board test that aims to assess readiness the ACT [American College Testing] have (later the College Board) and developed Ifor higher education has been one of the become far too disconnected from the a standardized entrance examination keys to college. work of our high schools,” College Board to level the playing field for college While a student’s high school grade- President David Coleman has said of the applicants. point average is still the most important planned changes. The early version of the SAT required part of the college application, colleges While this statement is probably true, simple essay-writing, but by 1926 the also use SAT results in evaluating appli- Coleman’s inclusion of the ACT college College Board had adapted psycholo- cants. readiness assessment test, the SAT’s gist Carl Brigham’s aptitude test for the Once called the Scholastic Aptitude biggest competitor, was no accident. military into a multiple-choice test for Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, Detractors claim that the much-heralded college applicants. it’s now simply the SAT™. For decades a SAT revamp is simply a profit-oriented For years, controversy has sur- two-part (Reading and Mathematics) test, response to the rapidly rising popularity rounded the SAT, with opponents the SAT incorporated a mandatory Writing of ACT. alleging that it is not a good predictor section in 2005. But Coleman stresses that the of college success and cannot measure Recently, the College Board, the restructured SAT with its increased important traits like creativity. The fact nonprofit corporation that oversees the accessibility is a game-changer in that a student can “prep” for the exam SAT, announced that the biggest revamp American higher education, and returns has also been a source of contention: in its history will be implemented in the to the original mission and purpose of rather than measuring material learned, spring of 2016. The SAT will reflect more of the SAT: to circumvent the “boarding detractors say, the SAT merely measures what is actually being learned in America’s school to Ivy League” system of college test-taking skills. schools, and the College Board will make admissions that was prevalent in the By 1959, SAT found itself facing a rival: ACT, a different sort of college Francesca Huemer Kelly is a Foreign Service spouse and freelance writer living in Highland entrance examination developed by the Park, Illinois. nonprofit American College Testing.

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In 2012, for the first time ever, more students chose to take the ACT than the SAT.

ACT has five sections: English, mathe- from using obscure texts, tricky questions Some experts feel that improving the matics, science, reading and an optional and unfamiliar vocabulary. This may well essay and making it optional at the same writing portion. In 2012, for the first time be tied into a desire to exercise more con- time sends a mixed message. And, in fact, ever, more students chose to take the trol over SAT prep, but it’s a positive step the College Board has revealed that its ACT than the SAT. regardless of motive. member admissions officers are divided • The writing portion will become on whether the essay is a useful portion What Exactly Will Change? optional, and scoring will return to its pre- of the test. The big picture on the changes is that 2005 potential total of 1,600 rather than • Vocabulary words will be more the SAT will reflect more of what is actu- 2,400. Each of the two required sections, familiar, less arcane. The College Board ally being learned in America’s schools, Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and stresses that the test will emphasize a and the College Board will make test prep Math, will offer the traditional score range student’s interpretation of the meaning accessible to students of all income levels. of 200-800. The optional essay score will of the word in context. As they put it, “No Now to the details: be added separately. The optional essay longer will students use flashcards to • The entire process will be more trans- will require more text-based analysis than memorize obscure words, only to forget parent. The College Board is moving away in the past. them the minute they put their test pencils

60 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL down.” Some experts feel this will result in the three subsections “Problem-Solving Khan Academy website, but the private “dumbing down” the test. and Data Analysis,” “The Heart of Algebra” educational prep companies and tutors • America’s important founding and “Passport to Advanced Math.” The are still the choice for those who can documents and meaningful texts will be focus will be on real-life math skills such afford them. And that points to a big issue used as a part of every SAT exam. While as calculating percentages and ratios, that the College Board seeks to address: the College Board’s efforts to engage along with a few representative geometry income disparity. students in analysis of documents such and trigonometry questions. Khan Academy founder Salman Khan as the Declaration of Independence are • Wrong answers will no longer be joined with Coleman in an April press laudable, this may put foreign students penalized. The ACT does not penalize for conference that made much of this initia- at a disadvantage. However, the revised wrong answers, and now the SAT will fol- tive as a way for low-income students to SAT reading portion will also include low suit. This means that students taking access formerly out-of-reach test “prep.” texts from “global conversations,” using the SAT starting in 2016 should fill in all But most experts believe that as long sources from Gandhi to Mandela. For blanks, even if they don’t know the answer as expensive, and therefore, exclusive Foreign Service applicants, that may be to a particular question. alternatives exist, wealthy families will a plus. Also included will be texts from • Free SAT test preparation will be continue to use them. literature, the arts and science. available immediately through a joint Still, Khan asserts that these courses • The Mathematics section will be more venture with the Khan Academy. Free will adhere to the highest standards, focused, drawing from fewer math sub- materials for SAT preparation have with the goal of being “the best thing out genres. The College Board has renamed always been available, including on the there—that happens to be free.”

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Time Will Tell NOTE: The 2016 changes do not affect the SAT 2 subject tests. These subject Is the College Board earnest in its com- tests are a good way to demonstrate knowledge in specific subjects, such as mitment to helping students of all income biology or psychology, and are best taken at the same time the student is fin- levels do better both on the SAT and in ishing up honors, Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate course- their college years? The answer is a quali- work in the same subject, while knowledge is still fresh. For more information fied yes. on the SAT 2 subject tests, go to www.collegeboard.org. “I believe that David Coleman is sincere in his attempt to construct a better SAT,” says Professor Les Perelman, a former ally employ writing skills in a Q-and-A who created the SAT, Carl Campbell director of writing at the Massachusetts format, would be a much better predictor Brigham, the secretary of the College Institute of Technology Department of of college success than either the SAT or Board in the early 20th century and a Writing and Comparative Media Studies. the ACT, however. professor of psychology at Princeton, repu- His published paper, “Mass Market Writing And that is perhaps the biggest ques- diated it in the 1930s.” Assessments As Bullshit,” detailed his own tion of all: Are these tests even necessary Bob Schaeffer, public education direc- students’ experiments with using “made- for college admission? After all, more than tor for the National Center for Fair & Open up facts” in their SAT essays and receiving 800 colleges do not require the SAT or Testing, believes the announced changes top scores. ACT from their applicants, and the list is are merely cosmetic. “Rather than improve Perelman believes an assessment test growing. the measurement quality of the SAT, similar to the British A-levels, which gener- As Perelman points out, “The person most of the upcoming adjustments seem

62 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Resources • College Board: www.collegeboard.org • College Board’s dedicated website on the revamped SAT www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity • Khan Academy: www.khanacademy.org/sat designed to win back market share from • Free SAT practice tests can be found online, such as at: the ACT and slow adoption of test-optional www.princetonreview.com/college/free-sat-practice-test.aspx policies,” he says. • The National Center for Fair and Open Testing’s list of SAT-optional colleges: Still, several college administrators, www.fairtest.org/university/optional including Harvard’s Dean of Admis- • “Delivering Opportunity,” March 2014 launch of SAT changes, sions William Fitzsimmons, welcome the featuring College Board President David Coleman: www.youtube.com/ changes. Fitzsimmons believes they send watch?v=MSZbPJbXwMI a message that “good hard work is going to • “Mass-Market Writing Assessments As Bullshit,”Writing Assessment in the pay off.” Many others are taking a wait- 21st Century: Essays in Honor of Edward M. White, Ed. Norbert Elliot and Les Perelman (Hampton Press, 2012). and-see approach. College of Wooster Senior Associ- ate Director of Admissions Cathy Finks Meanwhile, Finks echoes the senti- future, but the proposed changes appreciates “the willingness of the College ments of most college administrators do signify a realization that better Board to keep the SAT relevant to today’s when she says, “We have found the work assessment tools are needed. Time students and help it be a better predictor a student puts into their four years of high will tell if these changes will make a for higher education preparedness.” But, school—thus, the transcript —is the best difference in the application process. she adds, “As the changes have just been predictor for success and retention in the In the meantime, as always, the best announced, we look forward to learning Wooster classroom.” preparation for college is getting good more over the coming years.” The SAT is here for the indefinite grades in high school. n

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WHEN SCHOOL IS HARD

What do you do when your child is struggling in school? This primer can help get you started on identifying and solving the problem.

BY MICHELLE GRAPPO

orried about your student’s progress at fied?). Be wary of hodgepodge interventions by instructors who school? Whether your child is 6 or 16, it are not credentialed in the areas of reading or special education. can be difficult to know where to begin Writing. It is rare, in my experience, to receive a writing referral when he or she is struggling.. that is not connected with other concerns, such as reading, motor In the following, I outline an skills, speech or behavior. Writing referrals generally fall into two approach that can facilitate real categories: mechanical difficulties and production difficulties. Wchange, starting with an overview of some of the most common The former could include trouble with handwriting (e.g., hold- difficulties. The first step, however, is to have your child’s -hear ing the pencil, hand fatigue, forming letters, spacing). An occu- ing and vision checked. (Don’t forget to include testing for color pational therapist should evaluate these difficulties and develop blindness.) Sometimes a new pair of glasses solves everything! a treatment plan for anything related to the fine motor and visual skills involved in writing, including recommending technological Common Concerns accommodations. Reading. In the realm of academics, reading is the number- Production difficulties can consist of trouble developing ideas, one referral concern. It is a concern not to be taken lightly, either. putting them on paper and organizing them. Sometimes a child Researchers have found that after third grade, it becomes signifi- just needs help in the form of graphic organizers and idea genera- cantly more difficult to acquire basic reading skills. tion strategies; sometimes the issue goes deeper. Common problems include difficulty sounding out words and Math. Mathematical difficulties are also typically of two types: automatically recognizing common (e.g., “sight”) words. In high basic calculation and problem-solving. In truth, math difficulties school, comprehension is more frequently reported as a problem. often stem from complex patterns of weakness in visual-spatial In fact, comprehension may be compromised at any age if there is abilities, language development, abstract reasoning and/or a deficit in basic reading skills. memory. Interestingly, students who move frequently may seem If your child is receiving a reading—or any other—interven- to have a math disability, when the real issue is gaps in knowledge tion, ask whether it is research-based and targets the child’s due to varied curriculums and timelines. specific weaknesses (have specific weaknesses even been identi- A student who struggles with basic calculation will often struggle with higher-order problem-solving, as well. Just as in Michelle Grappo has worked in American International and state- reading, you have to have the fundamentals down so you can side private and public schools. She is a nationally certified school devote your cognitive energy to more advanced problems. An psychologist and now works as an educational and therapeutic experienced educational or school psychologist should assess true consultant. math disabilities.

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Non-Academic Concerns Most schools, including international schools, also have a variety of specialists on staff, or available on an itinerant basis, who deal with non-academic concerns. Speech and language. Common refer- ral concerns, in my experience, include deafness, stuttering (e.g., disfluency), lack of vocabulary development and diffi- culty generating and organizing speech. Because language development is so inte- gral to academics, it can be very beneficial to have a speech pathologist weigh in whenever a student is struggling academi- cally. For more information, please refer to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Occupational therapy. Frequently reported concerns include handwriting, visual tracking and visual-motor skills—all important to academics. Please see the American Occupational Therapy Asso- ciation’s page on Children and Youth for more information. Behavior. There is a wide spectrum of concerns in this area, but they tend to fall into two categories: externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Externalizing behaviors typically involve “acting out”—children may be described as hyperactive, aggressive, defiant or “out of control.” Internalizing behaviors are those exhibited by “quiet sufferers,” who may be seen as withdrawn, inattentive, anxious or depressed, and dif- ficult to engage. There are a myriad of factors involved in untangling a behavior issue, from neurological (e.g., executive functioning weaknesses, injury to the brain, develop- mental trauma) to environmental (e.g., response to a classroom management style). Often it is a combination of factors. In cases of mild to moderate behavior difficulties that continue for more than six weeks, it is strongly advisable to engage a

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mental health professional. school—not just to solve a problem, but to meetings? Because they probably should Finally, whether the referral concern is get key information to better understand be! academics or behavior, I strongly recom- your child. They see him or her every day Seek out the learning specialist or spe- mend getting a thorough evaluation by a and, whether they realize it or not, will cial educator even if your child presents licensed American psychologist. have observed what is and is not working. with a non-academic problem. School Everyone is there in the best interest of counselors, special educators and school How to Proceed the child (or so we hope), so it’s important psychologists all have training in behavior, In the school setting, a working to build an alliance conducive to coopera- social and emotional difficulties. Some relationship with the teacher, teacher’s tion. Also, you never know who your great- have more expertise than others, but we assistant, specialists and administration est ally may turn out to be. often have nuanced and sympathetic views will be paramount to your child’s suc- when kids are struggling. cess. You may be at the beginning of the Step One: Building Alliances Finally, if you are in a small inter- problem-solving process (“Why does my Take stock of potential allies. Perhaps national school, you may find that the child seem to be reading more slowly than you know the teacher and principal and lower school has certain specialists that his peers?”). Or you may be farther down have a good relationship with them. But the upper school does not have. Or vice the road (“Sally hit another kid—time for do you know the school psychologist or versa. You may be able to request a special our 10th meeting!”). learning specialist? The reading specialist? consultation from one of those specialists, No matter where you are in the pro- School counselor? Social worker? And are even if they do not technically serve your cess, it will be essential to work with the these individuals at your parent-teacher child’s grade level.

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Seek out the learning specialist or special educator even if your child presents with a non-academic problem.

Reach out, and build rapport. How do of the child. When approaching issues you approach the learning specialist or with school faculty and staff, try first to counselor? Don’t be shy! I recommend acknowledge the efforts of the school— stopping by their office at a non-hectic even if you don’t think it has done enough time to set up an appointment. Depending to help. For example, “Thank you, Ms. on the severity of the issues, the specialist Smith, for meeting me today. I really may already be involved and know about appreciate your time.” Be sure to cite any the situation. extra observations, testing or assessments They may invite you to meet on the performed. spot, or ask you to return at a mutually Be objective. Do your homework and agreeable time. Either way, be prepared to brainstorm objective language to describe give your impression of what’s happening, your concerns—language that reflects and let them know you would value their your observations, rather than your feel- opinion. ings. So for example, instead of “Tommy is If you are lucky, you will connect with a mess!” it would be more helpful to say: someone who understands school politics “We have noticed that Tommy is strug- and how to effectively pursue the best gling with chronic disorganization—the interest of your child. For example, there planner, the binder and the management have been times when I’ve spoken with of time and assignments.” a child or teacher at the parent’s request Most academic skills are easier to without mentioning that the parent had describe objectively than behavior. But sparked my concern. On other occasions, instead of “Jane is always throwing tan- I could conveniently arrange a meet- trums at home; she shows no respect,” try: ing with the principal because I heard “Jane has become very defiant at home, “through the grapevine” about a problem. mostly when we want compliance for basic family expectations. Last night we Step Two: Preparing for Your asked her to begin her homework, and First Meeting (Or Your Tenth) she burst into tears and retreated to her Recognize efforts. Sometimes tensions bedroom for hours.” are running high. The teacher seems Be specific and try to quantify. Parents averse to helping Tommy. Tommy seems (and schools) must also work to identify averse to working with the teacher. The the data points you believe are important counselor is concerned about Marie’s lack and how you are monitoring them. of interest in school. You are concerned You may have observed that your high about the school’s lack of interest in Marie. school daughter is struggling with reading, And so on. even though she is in numerous Advanced The point is, everyone must come Placement classes. But what have you together to resolve the issue for the sake noticed about this struggle? For example,

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she spends excessive time on her assign- like. Will there be daily notes home, Typically, if you and the school have been ments. Sometimes her comprehension weekly calls? working diligently and there is absolutely has holes, as seen on pop quizzes. As a Do not conclude a meeting without no change after that long, it may be time to child, you noticed she struggled with sight scheduling a follow-up session. Depend- be officially “concerned.” words but could sound out words. These ing on the severity of the situation, this Next, ask yourself (and your family), are all concrete and helpful observations. could be one week later or six. Meetings “Are we ready for alternatives?” It may Include your child. Consider including will serve to keep the situation on every- be time to consult with an educational/ your middle school or high school student one’s radar. therapeutic consultant or other expert in meetings. Students often have amaz- Sometimes nothing seems to work, who knows placements and understands ing insights into their own problems. At however. How do you know when you learning and behavior. the very least, including your adolescent have exhausted all the options at a par- Alternatives could be a summer read- provides them a sense of ownership over ticular school? You may wish to ask your ing remediation program or a summer their own education. school allies, perhaps privately, “Have we camp for kids with attention-deficit hyper- reached the end of the road? Do you think activity disorder or social skills deficits. Step Three: What Next? this school is the best fit for my child?” Or it could mean a boarding school that Explicitly outline how whatever plan Consider their opinions carefully—if you caters to learning differences, or a more you decide on will be monitored, and do not agree, that is okay. nurturing therapeutic school. make sure everyone shares the same My own rule of thumb is to allow The options vary as widely as children, expectation of what follow-up will look three months, depending on the issue. but they are out there. n

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74 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE Go to our webpage at www.afsa.org/fsj and search on “Schools”

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 75 SCHOOLS AT A GLANCE Go to our webpage at www.afsa.org/fsj and search on “Schools”

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80 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL BOOKS

It Gets Better Afghanistan, Iraq and Dar- one corpse too many that he requested fur. Shifting between Army medical evacuation from Darfur back to Seriously Not All Right: reserve intelligence assign- the States in May 2006. At that point, his Five Wars in Ten Years ments and Foreign Service recovery finally began. Ron Capps, Schaffner postings, Capps constantly Writing has always been an inte- Press, 2014, $25, deals with the victims of gral part of Ron’s life, and putting his hardcover, 248 pages. unimaginable suffering: gruesome visions on paper helped him Reviewed by rape, murder, immolation. control these painful memories. Cull- Douglas A. Koneff With the exception of a ing details from dozens and dozens of single breach of the “chain notebooks filled during a career spent in In Seriously Not All of command” in Darfur that violent places, he began to find peace. He Right: Five Wars in saved lives, Capps lacked the went on to create the Veterans Writing Ten Years, former FSO authority to stop the violence. Project, a nonprofit program that helps and Army veteran Ron Capps lays out in veterans, service members and their sometimes graphic detail his struggles This memoir shows us the families learn to write and, through writ- with post-traumatic stress disorder over ing, begin to heal and understand. cumulative effect of personal a 14-year Foreign Service career. It was This is not just a book for Foreign observations of human a journey spent nearly exclusively in the Service officers or military officers. It is most dangerous parts of the world, and tragedy in Central Africa, for everyone who has a family member, one that nearly ended in 2005 with a pis- Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq friend or colleague who has been affected tol to his head in East Africa. As he writes, and Darfur. by the ravages of PTSD. It will help us “I lost my sanity…and saw a successful understand them, and know that they career disintegrate along with a 20-year The result was a condition that Brett really can be “All Right.” marriage.” Litz, a Department of Veterans Affairs Capps’ journey raises two central psychiatrist, describes as “moral injury”: Douglas A. Koneff, a Foreign Service officer questions. The first is, “How did he reach the damage a person incurs when “failing since 1993, is currently deputy principal of- that point?” The answer is relevant to all to prevent, learning about or bearing wit- ficer in Ciudad Juarez. of us in the Foreign Service today. A 2007 ness to acts that transgress deeply held State Department survey revealed that 17 moral beliefs and expectations.” A Shining Example percent of FSOs serving in stressful envi- The second question a reader might of Dissent ronments acknowledged displaying some ask is, “Why did he continue taking these symptoms of PTSD. According to AFSA assignments, even after the emotional The Blood Telegram: Nixon, testimony before Congress the same year, effects became apparent?” The answer is Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide the real percentage might be closer to 40 deeply complicated. Of course, military Gary J. Bass, Vintage, 2014, $13.26/paper- percent. assignments (and Foreign Service assign- back, $14.99/Kindle Edition, 528 pages. Matters have not improved since then, ments, for that matter) are not always a Reviewed by Clinton S. “Tad” Brown for more of us are serving in this type of matter of choice, and Capps’ background environment than ever before: more than made him a natural choice for these When I arrived in Dhaka for my first 1,100 last year alone. Between 2003 and types of jobs. diplomatic posting 14 years ago, I was 2013, the department noted a fivefold Besides, as he notes, staff work in saddled with heavy baggage that was increase in FSOs serving in unaccompa- Washington, D.C., just did not hold his essentially invisible to me. Specifically, nied posts. interest. Capps believed he was at his I had no idea how prominent a role my PTSD often does not develop over- best when in the field, and whenever government had played in Bangladesh’s night. This memoir shows us the cumula- that option presented itself, he took it. struggle for independence from Paki- tive effect of personal observations of In his own words, he “wanted to be the stan—one of the 20th century’s bloodiest human tragedy in Central Africa, Kosovo, man.” It wasn’t until he realized he’d seen conflicts, which forced 10 million people

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 81 to flee into India in a span of less than one When the injustice they bloodshed continued in Bangladesh, and year. witnessed—and the silence Blood was quietly replaced with someone Princeton professor Gary J. Bass gives considered more dependable. Although from Washington—became us an authoritative, yet highly readable Blood eventually became deputy chief of too much to bear, the account of U.S. policy during this period mission in New Delhi, his Foreign Service in The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger consulate sent the first career never recovered. and a Forgotten Genocide. His title refer- cable to use the State When Bass spoke at the State Depart- ences the dissent cable Archer Blood, Department’s Dissent ment’s Ralph Bunche Library in Feb- then the U.S. consul general in Dhaka, Channel. ruary, he implored State sent to protest Washington’s mute reac- Department personnel to do tion to the bloodshed. Whereas Blood’s own more to honor the cour- Bass focuses on the refusal of Presi- memoir, The Cruel Birth of age and professionalism of dent Richard Nixon and National Security Bangladesh, provides an Blood, Butcher and their Adviser Henry Kissinger to rein in Paki- understated chronicle of colleagues. He is more stani strongman General Yahya Khan, events from his consulate’s restrained in his book, who was helping them lay the groundwork perspective, Bass has been which is a pity. for Nixon’s 1972 trip to China. The pair not able to draw on declassified As policymakers debate only ignored Blood’s analysis, but rebuffed diplomatic traffic between the peril of over-reliance domestic and international calls to act. Washington, Islamabad and on high-tech intelligence New Delhi, as well as audio- and social media out- tapes of Nixon and Kissing- reach, his reflections on er’s most frank conversations. the value of old-fashioned, The result is to place in even more stark loafers-on-the-ground diplomacy would relief the courage and professionalism of have planted the book firmly in the mid- Archer Blood and his team. dle of today’s foreign policy discussions. Despite physical danger and career Similarly, readers would have ben- risk, Blood and his staff continued to efited had Bass—who has written a good provide detailed reporting of events on deal elsewhere about humanitarian inter- the ground and solid analysis of the stakes vention and foreign policy—had shared You Are Our Eyes & Ears! for U.S. policy throughout the war. When his thoughts on this episode’s relevance the injustice they witnessed—and the today. He does make passing reference to Dear Readers: silence from Washington—became too the ongoing crisis in Syria, but stops short In order to produce a high-quality much to bear, first-tour political officer of drawing lessons relevant to America’s product, the FSJ depends on the Scott Butcher worked with his colleagues 21st-century diplomatic challenges. revenue it earns from advertising. to draft the first cable to use the State Nevertheless, The Blood Telegram is You can help with this. Department’s Dissent Channel (which an invaluable primer about a regrettably Please let us know the names of had been created with Vietnam policy in obscure period in U.S. diplomacy—and, companies that have provided mind). just as important, an inspiring account of good service to you — a hotel, insurance company, auto Although he was not one to rock the Foreign Service officers at their best. n dealership, or other concern. boat, Blood endorsed the cable, which A referral from our readers decried the U.S. government’s “moral Clinton S. “Tad” Brown began his Foreign is the best entrée! bankruptcy” in the face of genocide. The Service career in 2000 as a consular officer in Ed Miltenberger message attracted supporters from within Dhaka. He later served in Nairobi, Yaoundé Advertising & Circulation Manager the State Department and, once it leaked, and Kolkata, and is currently a senior watch Tel: (202) 944-5507 E-mail: [email protected] from Senator Ted Kennedy and others, officer in the Operations Center in Washing- but it had no effect on U.S. policy. The ton, D.C.

82 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS

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Fax: (703) 289-1178. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.FFITAX.com WILLS/ESTATE PLANNING by attorney who is a former FSO. Have your will reviewed and updated, or a new one prepared. No charge for initial TAXES FOR U.S. EXPATS: Brenner & Elsea-Mandojana, LLC, is a profes- consultation. sional services firm that specializes in U.S. tax, financial planning and M. Bruce Hirshorn, Boring & Pilger, P.C. accounting for expatriates and their businesses. Jim Brenner, CPA/ABV, 307 Maple Ave. W., Suite D, Vienna VA 22180 CGMA, has been a certified public accountant for over 30 years. He pro- Tel: (703) 281-2161. Fax: (703) 281-9464. vides U.S. individual tax planning and tax preparation services tailored Email: [email protected] toward individuals, partnerships, corporations, trusts and estates. Jim is also an IRS-certified Acceptance Agent for persons needing assistance ATTORNEYS EXPERIENCED IN representing Foreign Service officers with taxpayer ID numbers. His firm can e-file most tax forms, including and intelligence community members in civil and criminal investi- the Report for Foreign Bank and Financial Advisors Accounts (Fin- gations, administrative inquiries, IG issues, grievances, disciplinary Cen114), directly with the U.S. Treasury. investigations and security clearance issues. Extensive State Depart- Tel: (281) 360-2800. ment experience, both as counsel to the IG and in L, and in represent- Fax: (281) 359-6080. ing individual officers. We have handled successfully some particularly Email: info@globaltaxconsult difficult cases confronting Foreign Service and intelligence officers, both Website: www.globaltaxconsult.com before the Foreign Service Grievance Board and in the federal and local courts. We work closely with AFSA when appropriate and cost-effective. FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR FS FAMILIES. Carrington Financial Doumar Martin PLLC. Planning LLC of Arlington, Va., provides financial planning services Tel: (703) 243-3737. Fax: (703) 524-7610. to Foreign Service families worldwide. Principal William Carrington Email: [email protected] is a Foreign Service spouse with 19 years of FS experience. Web-based Website: www.doumarmartin.com process provides customized, collaborative, financial planning services. Specially approved to use Dimensional Funds. Fee-Only, Fiduciary-Stan- n TAX & FINANCIAL SERVICES dard, Registered Investment Adviser (RIA). Licensed and insured. Email: [email protected] DAVID L. MORTIMER, CPA: Income tax planning and Website: www.CarringtonFP.com preparation for 20 years in Alexandria, Va. Free consulta- tion. n SPEECH THERAPY Tel: (703) 743-0272. Email: [email protected] CANTO SPEECH THERAPY ONLINE. Anywhere in the world! Long Website: www.mytaxcpa.net established, well-known, widely respected. Tel: (971) 252-2062. IRVING AND COMPANY, CPA: Scott Irving, CPA, has more than 16 years Email: CantoSpeechTherapy.com of experience and specializes in Foreign Service family tax preparation and tax planning. n APPRAISALS Tel: (202) 257-2318. Email: [email protected] MANDEL APPRAISALS Website: www.irvingcom.com Personal property, antique and decorative arts valuation for insurance, estates and charitable donations, including inventories and consulta- tions. Contact retired FSO Pamela Mandel. Tel: (703) 642-2572. Email: [email protected] Website: www.mandelappraisals.com

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 83 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS n TEMPORARY HOUSING SERVING FOREIGN SERVICE PERSONNEL FOR 25 YEARS, ESPE- CIALLY THOSE WITH PETS. Selection of condos, townhouses and FURNISHED LUXURY APARTMENTS: Short/long-term. Best locations: single-family homes accommodates most breeds and sizes. All within a Dupont Circle, Georgetown. Utilities included. All price ranges/sizes. short walk of Metro stations in Arlington. Fully furnished and equipped Parking available. 1-4 bedrooms, within per diem rates. Tel: (202) 251-9482. EXECUTIVE LODGING ALTERNATIVES. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]

CAPITOL HILL, FURNISHED housing: 1-3 TURNKEY HOUSING SOLUTIONS: Experience working with Foreign blocks to Capitol. Nice places, great location. Well Service professionals on standard and distinctive temporary housing below per diem. Short-term OK. GSA small busi- solutions in the D.C. area’s best locations (NW DC, Arlington, Alexan- ness and veteran-owned. dria, Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland). Northern Virginia-based Tel: (202) 544-4419. company offers local customer service and a personalized touch. Email: [email protected] Tel: (703) 615-6591. Website: www.capitolhillstay.com Email: [email protected] Website www.tkhousing.com CORPORATE APARTMENT SPECIALISTS: Abundant experience working with Foreign Service professionals and the locations to best ARLINGTON FLATS: 1-BR, 2-BR and 4-BR flats in 2 beautiful buildings serve you: Foggy Bottom, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase, 3 blocks from Clarendon Metro. Newly renovated, completely furnished, Rosslyn, Ballston, Pentagon City. Our office is a short walk from NFATC. incl. all utilities/Internet/HDTV w/DVR. Parking, maid service, gym, One-month minimum. All furnishings, houseware, utilities, telephone rental car available. Rates start at $2,600/month. Per diem OK. Min. 30 and cable included. We work with per diem. days. Tel: (703) 979-2830 or (800) 914-2802. Fax: (703) 979-2813. Tel: (571) 235-4289. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.corporateapartments.com See 2-BR at website: www.dropbox.com/sh/6mkfwnz2ccrubv7/ FSM8fkHZz_ PIED-A-TERRE PROPERTIES, LTD: Select from our unique inventory of completely furnished & tastefully decorated apartments & townhouses, GREAT DC B&B. Visit www.bedandbreakfastdc.com. Otis Place NW, 4 all located in D.C.’s best in-town neighborhoods: Dupont, Georgetown, minutes walk from Metrorail. Foggy Bottom and the West End. Mother-daughter owned and operated. Tel: (202) 462-0200. Fax: (202) 332-1406. THE REMINGTON at Foggy Bottom will accept per diem. Pet friendly. Email: [email protected] Contact: Rosemary at [email protected] Website: www.piedaterredc.com LUXURY 2-BEDROOM, 2-bath home for rent in The Atrium, with gor- SHORT-TERM RENTALS • TEMPORARY HOUSING geous view of Georgetown. Walking distance to Rosslyn Metro station and FSI Shuttle stop. Use of swimming pool, tennis court, gym, Internet, WASHINGTON, D.C., or NFATC TOUR? EXECUTIVE HOUSING cable and parking included. $4,800/month; six months min., per diem CONSULTANTS offers Metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s finest accepted . Sorry, no pets or smokers. portfolio of short-term, fully furnished and equipped apartments, Tel: (703) 395-8683, (202) 679-0800. townhomes and single-family residences in Maryland, D.C. and Photos available at: [email protected] Virginia. In Virginia: “River Place’s Finest” is steps to Rosslyn Metro and Georgetown, and 15 minutes on Metro bus or State FOR RENT, NORTH ARLINGTON. 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, garage, fenced Department shuttle to NFATC. For more info, please call (301) yard, pets OK. 1 mile to FSI and Ballston Metro, 2 blocks to Safeway, res- 951-4111, or visit our website at: www.executivehousing.com. taurants and bike path. Furnished. $3,100/month, incl. utilities, TV and Internet. Available August; short-term lease negotiable. DC GUEST APARTMENTS: Not your typical “corporate” apartments— Email: [email protected] we’re different! Located in Dupont Circle, we designed our apartments as places where we’d like to live and work—beautifully furnished and TOP-FLOOR GARDEN-style apartment for rent. Near Silver Spring fully equipped (including Internet & satellite TV). Most importantly, we Metro. Pet friendly. Walk to shopping, restaurants, movie theaters, parks, understand that occasionally needs change, so we never penalize you if bus routes. Easy access to Northern Virginia and D.C. $2,000 a month you leave early. You only pay for the nights you stay, even if your plans includes parking and utilities. Contact Christine Sherrod. change at the last minute. We also don’t believe in minimum stays or Office: (301) 598-4222 x 105. extra charges like application or cleaning fees. And we always work with Cell: (301) 908-8747 you on per diem. Email: [email protected] Tel: (202) 536-2500. Email: [email protected] GLOVER PARK/GEORGETOWN 3-bedroom House For Rent. Contact Website: www.dcguestapartments.com Carl Becker. Tel: (301) 873-3221. FIND PERFECT HOUSING by using the free Reservation Service http://matrix.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?ID=57610923059 Agency, Accommodations 4 U. Tel: (843) 347-8900. Email: [email protected] Website: www.accommodations4u.net

84 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL n VACATION/HOME LEAVE ADVANCING TO MAIN STATE OR FSI? I offer FS personnel 28+ years of experience providing Exclusive Representation. My focused approach to UMBRIAN VILLA: Lovely 3BR/3BA stone country house with pool home buying/selling makes the transition easier for you and your family. located 1-1/2 hour’s drive north of Rome. Contact www.casa-sirena.com FS references gladly provided. for info and rates. Contact Marilyn Cantrell, Associate Broker, licensed in VA and DC. McEnearney Associates n PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 1320 Old Chain Bridge Rd., Ste. 350 McLean VA 22101. NORTHERN VIRGINIA PROPERTY MANAGEMENT. Are you look- Tel: (703) 860-2096. ing for a competent manager to take care of your home when you go to Email: [email protected] post this summer? Based in McLean, Va., Peake Management, Inc. has Website: www.MarilynCantrell.com worked with Foreign Service officers for over 30 years. We are active board members of the Foreign Service Youth Foundation and many WHAT ARE YOUR RETIREMENT/2nd HOME PLANS? We have a large other community organizations. We really care about doing a good job in buildable lot below market price for sale on the 15th hole of a Champi- renting and managing your home, so we’re always seeking cutting-edge onship Golf Course at The Resort at Glade Springs, W.Va. technology to improve service to our clients, from innovative market- Ray & Laurie Meininger. ing to active online access to your account. We offer a free, copyrighted Email: [email protected] Landlord Reference Manual to guide you through the entire preparation, rental and management process, or just give our office a call to talk to the FOR SALE: Elegant Lakefront Chalet, Lake Lure, NC (near Asheville). agent specializing in your area. Peake Management, Inc. is a licensed, In Golf Resort w/private dock on mountain lake, entertainment decks full-service real estate broker. with crafted stone outdoor fireplace, screened porches & gazebo-hot tub, 6842 Elm St., Suite 303, McLean VA 22101. landscape lighting; furnished (or unfurn.); 3BR, 2BA; Rental options Tel: (703) 448-0212. until sold. $429K. MLS #: WNCRMLS-551559. Keller Williams Realty. Email: [email protected] Tel: (828) 980-1535. Website: www.peakeinc.com Email: [email protected] Website: http://fusion.realtourvision.com/idx/16135 n REAL ESTATE SARASOTA, FLA. PAUL BYRNES, FSO LONG-DISTANCE REALTOR will make technology work for you when retired, and Loretta Friedman, Coldwell you’re ready to buy or sell a home, even from overseas. Banker, offer vast real estate experience in Foreign Service spouse. Licensed in DC, MD & VA with Real Living at assisting diplomats. Enjoy gracious living, no Home Properties, 11 Dupont Circle, Tel. (301) 652-0643. state income tax and an exciting market. Mary Lowry Smith, REALTOR® Tel: (941) 377-8181. Cell: (202) 247-5077. Email: [email protected] (Paul) or [email protected] (Loretta) Email: [email protected] Website: DCRedLineHomes.com BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOME SERVICES FLORIDA REALTY. Visit DC Red Line Homes Real Estate on Face Book If you’re considering retirement in the Sarasota area, contact Marian Walsh, Realtor and FSO spouse. LOOKING TO BUY, sell or rent property in Northern Virginia? This Tel: (941) 483-0803 or former SFSO with 12 years of real estate experience understands your Email: [email protected] needs and can help. References available. David Olinger, GRI Long & Foster, Realtors. n HOME REPAIRS Tel: (703) 864-3196. Email: [email protected] NOW IS THE TIME to think about getting your home in NORTHERN Website: www.davidolinger.lnf.com VIRGINIA ready to occupy or put on the market. Whether it’s a fresh coat of paint or a bathroom and/or kitchen remodel, Door2Door Designs will PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE services provided by John Kozyn of do the work for you while you’re away. We specialize in working with Coldwell Banker in Arlington, Va. Need to buy or sell? My expertise will Foreign Service and military families living abroad, and have many won- serve your specific needs and timeframe. FSO references gladly pro- derful references from happy families. Contact Nancy Sheehy. vided. Licensed in VA and DC. Tel: (703) 244-3843. Tel: (202) 288-6026. Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.DOOR2DOORDESIGNS.COM Website: www.cbmove.com/johnkozyn n INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION DC METRO AREA: Whether you’re buying, selling or leasing, Jack Croddy, a former Senior career FSO, will help you achieve your real ADOPT WHILE POSTED OVERSEAS! Adopt Abroad, Incorporated was estate goals. An expert negotiator, Jack is affiliated with W.C. & A.N. created to assist expatriates with their adoption needs. U.S.-licensed and Miller Realtors, a Long & Foster Company and exclusive affiliate of Hague-accredited, we conduct adoption home studies and child place- Christie’s Great Estates. ment services, using caseworkers based worldwide. Tel: (301) 229-4000, ext. 8345. Adopt Abroad, Inc. Cell: (301) 318-3450. 1424 N. 2nd Street, Harrisburg PA Email: [email protected] 4213 Sonia Ct. Alexandria VA Tel: (888) 687-3644. Website: www.adopt-abroad.com

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 85 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS n PROFESSIONAL OPPPORTUNITY n PHARMACY

DRAKE DIPLOMAT-in-RESIDENCE POSITION SHOP IN AN AMERICAN DRUG STORE BY MAIL! The Roland and Mary Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Morgan Pharmacy Affairs at Drake University (http://www.drake.edu/cgc/nelsoninstitute/), 3001 P St NW Des Moines, Iowa, seeks a Diplomat-in-Residence (DIR). Drake (www. Washington DC 20007 drake.edu/) is a medium-sized, private university preparing students Tel: (202) 337-4100. Fax: (202) 337-4102. to become global citizens. Ideal candidates have experience in diplo- Email: [email protected] macy and international affairs with a foreign ministry (U.S. Depart- Website: www.carepharmacies.com ment of State), an international organization (United Nations) and/or international nongovernmental organization. The committee will also n PET TRANSPORTATION consider diplomats from other countries and those with international organization or international nongovernmental organization experi- PET SHIPPING WORLDWIDE: ACTION PET ence. Candidates with advanced degrees and prior teaching experience EXPRESS has over 44 years in business. 24-hr. preferred. Starting date is January 2015, with initial appointment of one service, operated by a U.S. Army veteran, associate to three academic semesters, based on availability of the candidate, and member AFSA. Contact: Jerry Mishler. possibility of extension. Tel: (681) 252-0266 or (855) 704-6682. With an 80-percent FT, benefits-eligible appointment, a DIR is in a Email: [email protected] department appropriate to the individual’s interests, background and Website: www.actionpetexpress.com teaching areas. Duties include teaching, mentoring and advising stu- dents; giving public lectures on campus and in the community; assisting n ADVERTISE YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE with implementation of an annual undergraduate conference on global affairs; and providing advice on internationalization. Specifics will PLACE A CLASSIFIED AD: $1.45/word depend on individual interests and experience. (10-word min). Hyperlink $11 in online edition. Bold text 85¢/word. Applications should be submitted online through https://drake. Header or box-shading $11 each. Deadline: Five weeks ahead of publica- hiretouch.com/ and include a cover letter, resume and three letters of tion. Tel: (202) 944-5507. recommendation. Candidates with recent teaching experience should Fax: (202) 338-8244. submit sample course syllabi and teaching evaluations. Consideration Email: [email protected] begins July 15 and continues until position is filled. Please direct inquiries to: Professor David Skidmore, Department of Politics and International Relations, Drake University, Des Moines IA 50311. Email: [email protected].

86 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 87 REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

88 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 89 REAL ESTATE & PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

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90 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL CALLING ALL FS AUTHORS!

The November 2014 Foreign Service Journal will include a list of recently published books by Foreign Service-affiliated authors.

FS authors whose books have been published in 2013 or 2014, and have not been previously featured in the roundup, are invited to send a copy of the book, along with a press release or backgrounder on the book and author, to:

Susan B. Maitra Managing Editor Foreign Service Journal 2101 E St NW Washington DC 20037

Email: [email protected] Deadline for submissions is Sept. 5.

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 91

REFLECTIONS

Shirley Temple Black: A Natural Diplomat

BY TED WILKINSON

o matter how strongly I’ve railed deals and might defect on the “important Happily, one of the principals reappeared, in these pages about unquali- question” vote. A European neutral had and she didn’t have to make the fearsome fied political appointments as a socialist government sympathetic to trip to the podium. NU.S. chiefs of mission, I want to China’s aspirations, and might vote for Mrs. Black’s U.N. experience was only add a footnote now to cover the unique admission, but wouldn’t go so far as to the beginning of a 20-year span of public case of Shirley Temple Black. What an offend the U.S. with a “no” on the “impor- service. She soon learned her way around ornament she was for U.S. diplomacy! tant question” vote, etc. government as chief of protocol in the My first acquaintance with her was at Summing up, Amb. Yost said it looked Nixon administration, and impressed the United Nations General Assembly in like we might get through another year Secretary of State Henry Kissinger with her 1969, when she served as a public delegate (it turned out to be nearly the last one) intelligence and discipline. with the rank of ambassador. I remember of manipulating the General Assembly Before long she was training chiefs of one full staff meeting when Ambassador to avoid seating Beijing. He turned to the mission and their wives in the ambas- Charles Yost, taking pride in his team of public delegates for comment. sadorial seminar. Her assignment as expert advisers, called for a kind of show- Amb. Black showed no hesitation. President Gerald Ford’s ambassador in and-tell on the Chinese question for the “That was absolutely fascinating,” she said. Ghana followed and, later, she was chosen benefit of the public delegates. “Now I understand how we are keeping by President George H.W. Bush as ambas- The question came up annually Communist China out of the U.N. Would sador to pre-partition Czechoslovakia. whether to admit the People’s Republic someone please explain to me why?” When my predecessor as AFSA presi- of China to the U.N. to replace the exiled The group looked to Amb. Yost, and dent, Perry Shankle, made an inspection Chinese Nationalist government on Tai- you could see the ripple cross his face. visit to Prague, he was impressed with her wan. Wedded to keeping the Chinese seat Even at the U.N., he was more accustomed enthusiasm for on-the-scene reporting. on the Security Council out of communist to carrying out orders from Washington She had taken a short-term apartment hands, the U.S. tactic was to have the issue than defending the strategy behind them. rental on Wenceslas Square, where she declared an “important question” by a The delegates listened politely as Yost did could witness the “Velvet Revolution” as it simple majority vote, which would then his best to put U.S. policy in the global unfolded. mean that the PRC could only be admitted context. After hearing Perry’s report, I decided by a two-thirds majority vote. Despite her refreshing candor in it was high time to invite Mrs. Black to join Shirley Temple Black listened raptly as delegation meetings, Amb. Black found the professional association representing the designated contact officers ticked off the U.N. sessions more awesome than one U.S. diplomats. I wrote to her, and was reports. An African country was succumb- might have expected. During a plenary, delighted when she replied: “Your letter ing to Chinese offers of long-term trade Amb. Yost and his deputy had to leave the has won me over.” chamber for consultations, and a page It seems that Shirley Temple Black In his 35 years in the Foreign Service, Ted came to tell us that the U.S. was due to felt at home in the Foreign Service. Not Wilkinson alternated between assignments in speak in 10 minutes. Mrs. Black was the only does her website claim that she was Europe and Latin America and missions to only accredited U.S. representative pres- the “first-ever honorary Foreign Service represent the United States in international ent to deliver the prepared text. officer,” but she was quoted in one obitu- organizations. President of the American “I can’t possibly do that,” she said, seiz- ary (Pittsburgh Gazette, Feb. 11) as having Foreign Service Association from 1989 to 1991, ing my hand. How ironic, I thought, to be reminisced: “If I had had my druthers, I’d he served as chairman of the Foreign Service holding the hand of America’s best-known have joined the Foreign Service when I Journal Editorial Board from 2005 to 2011. actress as she fidgeted with stage fright. was 20.” n

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2014 93 LOCAL LENS

BY JANICE ANDERSON n KHUMBU KHOLA VALLEY, NEPAL

his view of Nepal’s Khumbu Khola Valley, at an elevation of about 14,500 feet, was Enter your favorite, recent photograph to be featured in recorded six days into the Everest Base Camp Trek my husband and I took recently. Local Lens. Images must be It was a beautiful day, and the colors struck me as absolutely amazing. Cholatse and high resolution (at least 300 Arakam are the two peaks visible; at this point Everest was still elusive. A couple of dpi at 8 x 10”) and must not T be in print elsewhere. Please days later, we reached Base Camp and a little beyond, finally climbing to 18,513 feet at Kala Pat- submit a short description of thar. The entire hike took 11 days, and we were fortunate (in late November/early December) to the scene/event, as well as your name, brief biodata and have few crowds and perfect weather. I took this photograph with a Canon PowerShot S100. n the type of camera used, to [email protected]. Janice Anderson joined the Foreign Service in 2006. Now in training for an assignment in Angola, she has served in Rwanda, India and Denmark. Her husband, Jerry, is the captain of an 800-foot commer- cial cargo ship that carries Christmas trees, pigs, cars, frozen food and anything else that will fit into a container back and forth from the United States mainland to Hawaii, Guam and China.

94 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL