September-October 2026
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 now published bimonthly by the American Foreign Service Association.
The September-October issue focuses on a world without USAID.
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FOCUS ON A WORLD WITHOUT USAID
The Aid Transition Alliance: Running Toward a Disaster
When DOGE struck in January 2025, USAID officers mobilized, providing peer support, challenging misinformation, and rescuing the agency’s knowledge infrastructure for the future.
The USAID Community Steps Forward
The closure of USAID is not the end of the story. Efforts by the USAID Alumni Association (UAA) are underway to preserve the agency’s intellectual and historical legacy.
Rebuilding After Crisis
As USAID was dismantled, these agency employees banded together to build a support network for their entire community. This is what they learned along the way.
Collateral Damage: The Human Cost of Dismantling USAID
A survey conducted by a USAID alumna found the agency’s closure had a profound professional, financial, and emotional impact on its Foreign Service members.
USAID Coaches Continue Their Mission
Coaching, a recent addition to USAID’s professional development offerings, took on new significance when disaster struck the agency.
They Left Nothing
As administration officials were busy dismantling USAID back in Washington, one USAID family was under attack in DR Congo, their home overrun by rioters.
RETIREMENT SUPPLEMENT
Curiosity Never Retires: Why Lifelong Learning Should Be in Your Future
Continuing education courses offer Foreign Service alumni the opportunity to learn, teach, and make new friends in retirement.