The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2017

38 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Protect Human Rights at Home Countries around the world, their governments and people, pay attention to what is happening in the United States. It will be incredibly difficult to promote an agenda of diversity, equality, tolerance and human rights overseas if we do not practice them at home. Please protect the rights, safety and health of women, LGBTQI persons and people of color in the United States so we may continue to do so abroad. Katherine Tarr FSO U.S. Embassy Tegucigalpa, Honduras We Reassure Allies and Communicate with Adversaries Do not write off the entire Foreign Service as politically biased against you and not to be trusted. There is a wealth of expertise in the State Department that will make your foreign policy more effective. We each take seriously our responsibility to the U.S. Con- stitution, the American people and the president. You could have the most brilliant game plan in the history of mankind, but if you do not put your whole teamon the field you are going to struggle. We have a tradition of constructive dissent, which we will continue to exercise through appropriate channels, perhaps with historic frequency. A reasoned challenge to one of your policy pro- posals is not a personal attack on you; it is an argument in defense of the national interest. We probably will not change your mind often, but your effectiveness is certain to suffer if you disregard our counsel completely. Your election has created tremendous uncertainty around the world, because this is your first public office and your style is … unique. If you want to reassure allies and communicate clearly with adversaries, you are going to need the Foreign Service. Modern threats to U.S. interests are too dangerous for any of us with any sense to wish for your failure. Your goal is to be a states- man. What possible purpose would it serve the Foreign Service to embarrass or undermine you? A safe and strong United States must have a successful president, and we will do our duty to sup- port you. Brian T. Neubert FSO Director, Africa Regional Media Hub Johannesburg, South Africa We Understand Other Countries Foreign Service officers are seasoned professional listeners paid to interpret words, gestures, actions and the sometimes unstated messages behind these and other kinds of communications. Sure, we also speak and deliver clear messages of our own— about the way we see the world, what we want to achieve and what we hope to avoid. We are and represent the American people, the United States of America, the U.S. government, the current administration and—bottom line—the principles embodied in the U.S. Constitution. (Our oath is to nothing else.) In delivering messages, we try to say exactly what we mean—no more, no less—to maintain focus on the issue at hand and to avoid unnecessary problems. Some problems are unavoidable, of course, which is why we are paid to listen. Other countries and peoples don’t always agree with our views. At a minimum, listening enables us to understand the reasons why. More broadly, a clear under- standing of differences is the seed of any possible solution; and generating solutions—limiting disagreement and finding areas of agreement—is the purpose of diplomatic work. So let us speak freely, including in communicating the con- trary views of other countries or peoples. In doing so, whatever your view of issue X, you will be giving room for potential solu- tions and keeping at bay the kinds of problems that might be avoided. We have enough unavoidable problems as it is. Alexis Ludwig FSO Bethesda, Maryland Consider History’s Judgement As a retired Foreign Service officer, I would like to tell you that the Foreign Service is proud of its profession and dedicated to the proposition that, to quote Churchill, “Democracy is the worst form of government except all others that have been tried from time to time.” The Foreign Service must continually ask how his- tory will regard what it tried to accomplish. Peter F. Spalding Senior FSO, retired Washington, D.C. Appoint Professional Ambassadors The one thing I would like to see the new administration focus on is to appoint only professional diplomats as American