The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2014

56 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS On Nov. 7, AFSA presented two Senior Foreign Service officers speaking on current foreign affairs trends affect- ing American diplomacy. With 35 American Uni- versity international affairs students in attendance, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, former ambassador to Yemen and current senior lecturer at Princeton University’s WoodrowWilson School of Public and International Affairs, started off the lecture by addressing the implica- tions of the “Arab Awakening” on the political evolution in the Middle East and on U.S. foreign policy. Noting that the current generation of young Arabs is better educated than their parents and more urbanized, globalized and tech-savvy, Amb. Bodine pointed to the role social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, play in the ongoing Arab revolutions. People are connected in ways never thought possible under dictatorships. Amb. Bodine warned that patience is required; history has shown that transfor- mational change can take generations. “Sometimes decades pass and nothing happens; and sometimes weeks pass and decades happen,” she said. Marshall Adair, a former AFSA president, Senior For- FS Experts Address American University Students on Trends Affecting U.S. Diplomacy BY TOM SWITZER, SPEAKERS BUREAU DIRECTOR eign Service officer and son of Ambassador Charles W, Adair Jr., shared his perspec- tives on what diplomats do and what life is like for FS members and their families. He went on to explain the dual role AFSA plays as a professional association and union for the Foreign Service. While advocating for a strong professional Service, AFSA also advocates for employ- ment policies and other work-life issues. Adair believes that the Foreign Service is being eroded by the ever-increasing “militarization of U.S. foreign policy.” This has resulted in a smaller corps of approxi- mately 12,000 members at a time when highly qualified and dedicated diplomats are needed. While acknowledging that Foreign Service careers can be increasingly difficult—sep- arations, isolation, disease, security, inadequate schools and lack of spousal employ- ment opportunities are common hardships—they are highly rewarding. Adair urged students to study hard, gain some “worldly experience,” and then take the Foreign Service exam. A lively question-and- answer period followed. This event is made pos- sible through AFSA’s partner- ship with American Univer- sity, intended to enlighten students about the role diplomacy and development play in advancing national interests around the world. n Claiming Workers’ Compensation In the November issue of The Foreign Service Journal , the “Speaking Out” column titled “Keeping Faith with State’s Wounded Warriors,” has generated a great deal of interest. Over the past several years, many members have contacted AFSA’s labor man- agement office for advice on how to navigate the work- ers’ compensation process. While each case is different, employees are generally required to follow the process described on the Department of Labor and State Depart- ments’ websites, and on AFSA’s website at www.afsa. org/member_guidance.aspx. BY JAMES YORKE, AFSA SENIOR LABOR MANAGEMENT ADVISER Additionally, OWCP has an office that deals exclusively with claims resulting from service overseas. The cost of long-term treatment of all civilian federal government employ- ees—including members of the Foreign Service—who are injured in the line of duty or suffer from a medical or psychiatric condition that can be attributed to govern- ment service domestically or overseas, is reimbursed through the Office of Work- ers’ Compensation, in the Department of Labor, and not through the foreign affairs agencies. We can provide our mem- bers with advice on the pro- cess and help in assembling the appropriate documenta- tion. Our goal is to work with the department and other stakeholders to make the process more transparent. If you have already gone through this process, we are most interested in hear- ing from you. AFSA’s labor management staff can be reached at (202) 647-8160 or afsa@state.gov. Department of State constituents are also welcome to write directly to AFSA State Vice President Matthew Asada at asadam@ state.gov with any concerns, suggestions or ideas for improvement. n