The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2011

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 5 The impact of globalization and militarization is generating a pressing need to review and rethink the roles of diplomacy and development, both in sup- porting our foreign policy and national security and in advanc- ing American interests and values. Within the broad framework of this de- bate, a question arises: how can a pro- fessional association and bargaining unit such as AFSA contribute to strengthen- ing our diplomacy and development services as a tool of national power? There are three aspects of this issue on which I believe AFSA should con- tinue to focus its energies: (1) raising the profile and credibility of diplomacy; (2) enhancing the professionalism and quality of American diplomats and de- velopment experts; and (3) protecting and promoting the interests of each of our member agencies. (I will develop each of these objectives more fully in fu- ture columns.) I invite readers to share their thoughts on these goals to benefit the newly elected 2011-2013 Govern- ing Board, which will soon set priorities for the next two years. AFSA has welcomed the commit- ment of Secretary of State Hillary Rod- ham Clinton and outgoing Defense Secretary Robert Gates to diplomacy and development as critical tools of na- tional power, alongside defense. Equal- ly important, they have both consis- tently sought the resources and domes- tic political support those func- tions deserve. As part of this ef- fort, AFSA has strongly supported full implementation of the Diplomacy 3.0 hiring programand completion of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. As our recent annual reports docu- ment, AFSA has been investing in its own capacity building, starting with a renovated building, a modernizedWeb site and IT communications capacity. We have expanded professional staffing to deepen our bench in the areas of pol- icy, legislative work, labor management and retiree services, as well as targeted use of outside expertise. AFSA has begun a program to col- lect and present Foreign Service pro- files to demystify our profession and explain what our diplomats and devel- opment experts around the world actu- ally do, illustrating the excellent return on investment that diplomacy and de- velopment services offer the American taxpayer. We have also issued a new edition of our book, Inside a U.S. Em- bassy , expanded media outreach, sought out opportunities to testify be- fore Congress, and begun building a broader spectrum of alliances with other groups. In addition, AFSA continues to work to define and enhance professionalism in American diplomacy and develop- ment. We are pursuing this goal through coverage in the Foreign Service Journal , by expanding the quantity and quality of our programming, by partici- pating in the American Academy of Diplomacy’s project on diplomatic pro- fessional education and training, and working to formulate ethical standards and a code of conduct for today’s For- eign Service professionals. This de- mands more attention and closer coop- eration with management and the For- eign Service Institute, as well as with American diplomats who, as master practitioners now in academia, repre- sent a valuable resource. Effective promotion and protection of the interests of the Foreign Service requires broad understanding of what the key issues are and what strategies are most likely to be effective. Federal government employees across the board have been presented with un- precedented challenges, starting with questions about their relevance and role, but the largest proportional cut in the 2011 and 2012 budgets relates to in- ternational affairs. Challenges of this severity to the Foreign Service call for a collective response. As the 21st Century AFSA Slate’s campaign theme, “Moving Forward To- gether,” emphasizes, your support will strengthen our credibility and capacity to speak out on your behalf —whereas lack of interest will diminish our voice. Please share your thoughts at johnson @afsa.org. P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS Moving Forward Together B Y S USAN R. J OHNSON