THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 63 The Road to 2026 I will not miss 2025. Sadly, many of our political “leaders” today will look back and consider it a “success.” In my view, they caused physical pain and emotional distress for dedicated public servants, destroyed U.S. institutions, devastated American livelihoods and families, bankrupted U.S. small businesses and farms, and caused severe, irreparable harm globally, including the deaths of thousands of children. As 2026 begins, I am looking forward to how we can stop the harm and reverse the damage caused by the wanton abuse of power and inhumanity of our “leaders.” The movement that began last year protesting our dismissal and the destruction of our beloved agency grew as the attacks and damage inflicted by this administration on federal institutions, public servants, and our country expanded. Those seeds, planted in early lawsuits and demonstrations against the unconstitutional power grab, have brought a large cross section of Americans into the fight. The “No Kings!” movement mobilized more than 7 million people to protest the government’s actions. Other protest actions defending the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights continue to grow and attract supporters across the political USAID VP VOICE | BY RANDY CHESTER AFSA NEWS Contact: chester@afsa.org | (202) 712-5267 spectrum, from coast to coast, the upper Midwest to the heart of the South, and around the globe. A month after the No Kings! October protest—one of the largest single-day protests in U.S. history— disparate groups came together in opposition to the government’s actions in off-year elections, sweeping elections across the U.S. in a resounding manner, proving that your vote counts and your voice matters. The work ahead will not be easy. It will take sustained effort to rebuild a government that serves more than the billionaire class, one that protects all people, regardless of heritage, origin, citizenship status, religion, gender identity, income, or geography, and that advances a humane, just foreign policy rooted in U.S. values of equality, peace, and shared prosperity. As individuals, we need to make our voices heard by donating our time as well as demonstrating and exercising our individual power of the purse. As civil rights icon the late John Lewis (D-Ga.) said: “Make good trouble.” We must engage and advocate within our local and national community organizations, churches, temples, mosques, and labor unions. We must exercise the power of the purse with greater precision. Some time ago, I stopped going to Starbucks. I avoid Uber and Walmart, and I refuse to support other non–labor friendly companies. It’s hard to be a labor leader and support major antiunion businesses. Sure, it’s a small individual gesture, but if more people actively look at how and where they spend their money, those companies supporting the current regime might change. Economic boycotts and protests work: Just ask Disney, Sinclair Broadcasting, or Budweiser. Admittedly, I struggle daily with what I can and will commit to. I’m not a natural organizer, but I am a committed participant and advocate—in public, with the media, openly in my local community groups, and behind closed doors with leaders. I am not yet leading my local party chapter or heading up the next No Kings! protest in my community, but I am turning out and raising my voice. Last, I fully understand the limitations of the power of the purse. Many can’t simply avoid shopping because of geography, availability, or need. I live in a small mountain community, but I am fortunate to have choices: between Starbucks and the locally owned coffee shops, between the Raley’s and small natural grocery store, and between our locally owned small brew pub and the giant corporate Hyatt sports bar. There can be choice. I am heartened that, for now, the push for change from that cross section of Americans seems to be increasing. Complacency now would minimize these recent gains and prolong any return to a country based on the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the speech JFK gave launching USAID in November 1961. I hope I will not miss 2026. n CALENDAR Please check afsa.org/events for the most up-to-date information. January 19 Martin Luther King Jr. Day AFSA Offices Closed January 21 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting February 18 12-1:30 p.m. AFSA Governing Board Meeting I’m not a natural organizer, but I am a committed participant and advocate.
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