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October 2016

The Foreign Service Journal covers foreign affairs from an insider's perspective, providing thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. Including the AFSA News section, The Journal is published monthly (January-February and July-August issues combined) by the American Foreign Service Association.

The October issue covers living with air pollution and focuses on the U.S. election through a foreign lens.

We always welcome short, focused letters about FSJ content; please send them to journal@afsa.org.

COVER STORY: LIVING WITH AIR POLLUTION

The Air We Breathe: Living with Air Pollution

Many Foreign Service families spend a significant portion of their lives assigned to cities with unsafe air. What are the effects, and what can be done about it?

BY NICOLE SCHAEFER-MCDANIEL

Breathless in Jakarta—A Cautionary Tale

Pollution can lead to serious health issues, and dealing with that can be a bureaucratic nightmare.

BY DEBORAH LYNN

FOCUS ON THE U.S. ELECTION THROUGH A FOREIGN LENS

The U.S. Election Through Brazilian Eyes

The contest between two colorful personalities has drawn unprecedented attention and some concern here, but there is little fear of changes in the bilateral agenda.

BY CARLOS LINS DA SILVA

You Are Not Alone, Believe Me

Donald Trump might be uniquely American in his demeanor and rhetoric, but to Austrians the factors behind his startling success are not.

BY VERENA GLEITSMANN

How India Sees U.S. Elections

The old formula for evaluating the U.S. presidential contest has given way to complexities.

BY RUCHIR JOSHI

Mexico, NAFTA and Election 2016

Though it is not the first U.S. election that has really mattered to Mexico, there may be more at stake this time than ever before.

BY XENIA V. WILKINSON

FEATURES

Travels with The Champ in Africa, 1980

The late Muhammad Ali was a diplomat extraordinaire, as this firsthand account of a mission to Africa attests.

BY LANNON WALKER

An Invisible Tide: Undocumented U.S. Kids in Mexico

The problem of undocumented U.S. kids in Mexico is a facet of the immigration tangle that is putting pressure on both sides of the border.

BY AMELIA SHAW

PERSPECTIVES

President's Views

Forging Strategic Partnerships

BY BARBARA STEPHENSON

Speaking Out

Safeguarding a Nonpartisan Foreign Service

BY MATTHEW V. TOMPKINS

Reflections

Halloween at a Polish Cemetery

BY KELLY B. MIDURA

AFSA NEWS

State VP Voice

The Human Touch

BY ANGIE BRYAN