The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2014

8 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL appy New Year! And a happy 90th birthday to AFSA, The Foreign Service Journal and the Foreign Service itself, as all three institutions reach that milestone in 2014. Reflecting on that auspicious confluence of anniversaries, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Roman god Janus would have made a fine patron for our celebration. Here’s why. First and foremost, Janus presided over the beginning and ending of conflict—and hence war and peace. The doors of his temple were open in times of war, and closed to mark the end of hostilities. Second, as a god of transitions, Janus was in charge of all functions related to births, journeys and exchanges. (Perhaps he issued the original Consular Report of Births Abroad?) And in his association with Portunus, a less powerful harbor and gateway deity, he was also concerned with travel, trading and shipping. (Felicitations, ye muse of the Foreign Commercial Service and General Services Officers everywhere!) In the spirit of full disclosure, I should acknowledge that Janus is traditionally depicted as having two faces, since he looks simultaneously to the future and to the past. (Insert your own joke here.) But notwithstanding that tendency to be duplicitous, indecisive or both, it’s still fitting that the Romans named the month of January after him. Time for a Change Even in the unlikely event that I’ve won anyone over to my quixotic campaign to adopt Janus as a Foreign Service mascot, I suspect many of you are wondering why I’ve begun this column with an arcane exploration of ancient mythology. On the most basic level, it’s a natural outgrowth of my long- standing practice of using this space each January to unveil our new Editorial Calendar, and spark your interest in the many opportunities to contribute to The Foreign Service Journal . I’ll do that in a moment. But first, I’d like to claim personal privilege to make an announcement. To wit: I have relished the opportunity this job has afforded me to promote discussion and debate of issues related to foreign affairs and the Foreign Service, an institution I’ve been privileged to be associated with in various capacities for nearly 30 years. Nev- ertheless, after a great deal of soul-searching, I have decided to step down frommy position, effective Jan. 31. Coincidentally or not, my 12½ years in the editor’s chair is almost the same length as my Foreign Service career—which perhaps signifies that instead of a seven-year itch, I get a hanker- ing to move on professionally every eighth of a century or so! To say this was not an easy decision would be a massive understatement, but I truly believe it is the right one—and not just for me, but for the magazine and AFSA. Whether at work or pursuing an avocation, I’ve never been very good at pacing myself, and I can tell that it is taking more and more energy these days to do this job right. In fact, there is no way I could have managed this long without the support and friendship of my amazing Journal col- leagues: Senior Editor Susan Maitra, Associate Editor Shawn Dorman, and Advertising & Circulation Manager Ed Milten- berger. They are truly a dream team, and I will miss them per- sonally and professionally. But the knowledge that I am leaving the magazine in their capable, experienced hands also eases my mind about the impending transition. (Unfortunately for them, it also illustrates the truth of one of my favorite quotes: No good deed goes unpunished!) The Show Goes On Speaking of change, many of you have undoubtedly already noticed that this issue says J anuary-February. Though we have LETTER FROM THE EDITOR All Hail Mighty Janus! BY STEVEN ALAN HONL EY H