4 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 61 2025 AFSA Awards Celebrate Diplomatic Excellence 61 AFSA Conducts Global Survey on the State of the U.S. Foreign Service 62 State VP Voice—Breaking State? 63 U SAID VP Voice—The Road to 2026 64 R etiree VP Voice—A Growing Alumni Network 64 A FSA Essay Contest Goes Live 65 AFSA Dues Increase for 2026 65 AFSA Governing Board Meeting— October 15, 2025 65 AFSA Treasurer’s Report 66 AFSA Federal and State Tax Guides Now Online 69 Government Shutdown Harms Diplomacy 70 S ervice and Sacrifice: Memorial Project Expands Online 70 AFSA Welcomes Newest FS Orientation Class 73 A FSA Honors 2025 Sinclaire Language Award Recipients 73 A FSA Launches Lunchtime Listening Sessions 73 A FSA Hosts MSPB-Focused Webinars 74 A Fond Farewell to an AFSA Unsung Hero: James Yorke AFSA NEWS THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF AFSA ON THE COVER: Design by Caryn Suko Smith/Driven by Design. Photos courtesy of the award winners. PERSPECTIVES 5 President’s Views Above and Beyond Partisanship By John “Dink” Dinkelman 7 Letter from the Editor Looking to the Year Ahead By Shawn Dorman 14 Speaking Out State’s Opportunity Ahead for Global Health By Troy Fitrell and Jamie Bay Nishi 17 Speaking Out Measuring and Mitigating Cognitive Dissonance in Public Diplomacy By John Fer 93 Reflections Logrolling in Rural Thailand By Dick Virden 94 Local Lens Datong, China By Julia Wohlers FEATURES 47 Service Disrupted: The Costs of the Government Shutdown 49 Like Lightning from a Clear Sky: Watching Guerrillas Recruit in Peru By Stephen G. McFarland FS KNOW-HOW 54 Turning Your Favorite FS Skills into Your Next Career By Eileen Smith OFF-ROAD WITH THE FOREIGN SERVICE 57 A First-Tour Foray into Eastern Türkiye By Noah E. Rose SUMMER CAMPS SUPPLEMENT 75 International Summer Camps Take an American Tradition Overseas By Melissa Mathews DEPARTMENTS 8 Letters 9 Talking Points 79 In Memory 86 Books MARKETPLACE 89 Real Estate 91 Classifieds 92 Index to Advertisers 94 75
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