The Foreign Service Journal, January 2007

tate Department members of the Foreign Service worldwide harbor strongandoftendiverse opinions about their careers and lifeoverseas. They sharemany serious con- cerns about Iraq, unaccompaniedpostings, political appointees, family-friendliness and the futureof ourdiplomaticprofession, and very much want their voices heard. These are among the clear messages that emerge from a comprehensive electronic surveyof theactive-dutyStatemembership, which AFSA conducted in November. More than3,400ForeignServicemem- bers completed thepoll, anastonishing fig- ureconsidering that theentireStateFSwork force only numbers around 11,000. Con- sidering that most reputable opinion polls of theAmericangeneral populationrequire only 1,500 respondents, this is comparable to a poll of American public opinion that I nthese timesof challengeandchange for the foreign affairs agencies, it is vitally important to recognize the traditions of excellence, courageand integrity that are the hallmarkof the ForeignService andexem- plify our contributions to our country. Weurgeyou toprocrastinateno longer, and submit your nomination for one of AFSA’sConstructiveDissentAwardsor for one of the awards for exemplary perfor- mance. Help us continue AFSA’s proud tradi- tion of recognizing and honoring those members of the Foreign Service who have takenanunpopularstand,goneagainstcon- ventional wisdom and challenged the sta- tus quo for what they believe, regardless of the personal consequences. The Foreign Service is a corps of pro- fessionals in diplomatic affairs whose expertiseintheconductofourcountry’sfor- eign policy is needed as never before. No other government-related organization recognizes those among its membership who are willing to speak out and disagree with their superiorsbecause theirprinciples and belief in their professional training demand it. AFSA offers four separate awards for constructive dissent: • The Tex Harris Award for Foreign Service Specialists • The Averell Harriman Award for Entry-Level Officers (FS 6-4) WE ASKED, YOU ANSWERED State Members Respond to Opinion Poll ... en Masse! BY STEVE KASHKETT, AFSA STATE VICE PRESIDENT AFSA DISSENT AND PERFORMANCE AWARDS Last Call for Nominations for the 2007 AFSA Awards BY BARBARA BERGER, PROFESSIONAL ISSUES COORDINATOR American Foreign Service Association • January 2007 AFSA NEWS LAST CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Join the AFSA Governing Board I f you’ve ever considered getting more involved inAFSA, helpingAFSA repre- sent youandall yourForeignService col- leagues, then this is the time to raise your hand and run for a position on the 2007- 2009 AFSA Governing Board. Or, nomi- nate a colleague. There are 24 positions on the AFSA Board, from the full-time president to the constituent vice presidents and the volun- teer representative positions. The new boardwill takeoffice July15, 2007, andserve for two years. Consider your options for joining the AFSA team and submit a nomination today. Inside This Issue: BRIEFS: DONATIONS, TRANSPORTATION OFFICE MOVE?.58 VP STATE: THE ISG & THE FS..........59 VP RETIREE: YOUR INSURANCE POLICY .........................60 VP FCS: FUNDING COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY..............61 CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT...........64 VOLUNTEER WINNERS....................65 S J A NU A R Y 2 0 0 7 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 57 Continued on page 62 Continued on page 61 JOSH NominationDeadline: Feb. 1 Details at www.afsa.org/elections/