The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2009

A F S A N E W S J U L Y - A UGU S T 2 0 0 9 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 51 2009 AFSA CONSTRUCTIVE DISSENT AWARD WINNERS (By Francesca Kelly with input from Dante Paradiso and John Wysham) M ichael Gonzales’ understanding of Ethiopia comes from four years of work covering the region. Before assuming the post of political/economic counselor at Embassy Addis Ababa in 2007, Gonzales served as the Ethiopia desk officer/Horn of Africa unit chief in the Office of East African Affairs inWashington from 2005 to 2007. This four-year period coincided with an outbreak of political violence in Ethiopia that has starkly contradicted the prevailing U.S. view of the nation as the only stable, democrat- ic country in the Horn of Africa. ThoughWashington has relied on Addis Ababa for its peacekeeping mis- sions throughout Africa, regarding it as a partner in counterterrorism initiatives, Gonzales was troubled by the ruling party’s stifling of political dissent. In addition, Ethiopia’s ill-conceived eco- nomic policies have led to chronic and widespread food insecurity and hyperinflation. Gonzales courageously pointed out the risks and regional instability posed by these dynamics. He worked diligently, with- in the proper channels, to rebalance U.S. foreign policy toward Ethiopia to better advance long-term interests in the region. By systematically documenting events on the ground, Gonzales made the case toWashington that broader engagement at higher levels was needed to address more than the limited scope of security issues. Because these issues were sensitive to Ethiopia and the U.S., Gonzales was unwaveringly cautious in his approach, ensuring that all his reporting cables, from bothWashington and Addis Ababa, were cleared and endorsed by his entire chain of com- mand before he sent them. Yet he still encountered great resis- tance from senior officials. While still inWashington, Gonzales picked up leads from the press, NGOs and other sources and pursued themwith col- leagues at post, in other agencies and even other governments to get more complete information than that included in reports released by the embassy. He used these insights to inform his chain of command and interagency Ethiopia watchers. Gradually, he became a primary contact for those who wanted “the whole story.” Once in Addis Ababa, Gonzales led the political/economic section in thor- ough reporting and strong analysis of the implications of in-country dynamics for U.S. interests. During a severe drought in the Ogaden region affecting millions of Ethiopians, Gonzales provided critical assessments to interagency colleagues, who used them to craft talking points for their principals. Those principals, in turn, pressured Ethiopian officials to resolve the crisis. Gonzales also urged the ambassador to lobby Washington for help. Ultimately, the USAID Administrator visited the Ogaden and succeed- ed in getting Ethiopia’s permission for the U.S. to deploy Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance teams to open humanitarian assistance channels. Finally, Gonzales produced numerous official/informal cables and talking points that argued passionately for addressing Ethiopia’s internal policies, and laid out a road map for rebalancing the bilateral relationship to bolster regional stability and achieve bilateral objectives. While senior State Department officials ignored these messages, Gonzales’s reports and policy recommendations, above and beyond his assigned duties, ultimately formed the basis for the embassy’s recommendations to the transition team and may be incorpo- rated into the new administration’s policy toward Ethiopia. Throughout the process, Gonzales had to overcome dismissal of his reports by topWashington officials and even faced efforts to remove him from his desk and political counselor positions. For his courageous and constructive dissent, he has received the 2009 William R. Rivkin Award. Before entering the Foreign Service in 2000, Gonzales was an economic analyst in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He has also served in Dhaka and Kampala. He is the recipient of one Superior Honor Award and five Meritorious Honor Awards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in diplomacy and world affairs fromOccidental College and a master’s degree in international development from American University. Gonzales speaks Spanish, Bengali, French and Italian and is married to USAID FSO Carol Jenkins. They have one daughter, Kaitlyn. William R. Rivkin Award FOR A MID-LEVEL FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER Michael C. Gonzales Michael Gonzales (center) discusses economic conditions with a graduate of the U.S.-supported Productive Safety Net Program in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, June 2008. At home in Ethiopia with his wife, USAID FSO Carol Jenkins, and daughter Kaitlyn, Sept. 2008. YACOB WONDIMKUN MICHAEL GONZALES