THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026 7 Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. Looking to the Year Ahead BY SHAWN DORMAN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the new year. Despite all the challenges facing AFSA and its members, the entire FS community, and the country, we look ahead to 2026 with hope and resolve. The value of the Foreign Service is in its people, on the front lines of diplomacy around the world 24/7. Members of the Foreign Service swear an oath to the Constitution and are duty-bound to speak honestly and dissent (within the system) when necessary. But today, the freedom to provide honest input and constructive dissent is threatened. If we lose the space for principled dissent and erode the protections that allow FS members to speak truth to power, we will lose not only good policy—we will lose the very character of the Service. AFSA’s unique awards program has been honoring dissent from within the system for more than 50 years. In this edition, we are delighted to celebrate the Foreign Service members and champions who received the 2025 AFSA awards, not only for constructive dissent, but also for outstanding performance and lifetime contributions to American diplomacy. May these stories, beginning with the interview with Lifetime Contributions recipient Ambassador Linda ThomasGreenfield, serve as an antidote to the barrage of disturbing news that will likely continue into 2026. While the FSJ is in leaner times, publishing six bimonthly editions this year with a reduction in staff time, we will home in on what matters most to the foreign affairs community at this time. We will continue to publish strong voices on big topics, because that’s what the Journal does. One primary issue of concern is the politicization of the Foreign Service. When the administration prioritizes “loyalty” and “fidelity” above all else, publicly goes after members of one political party, and denigrates public service and the federal workforce, this is not business as usual. See the AFSA president’s column, “Above and Beyond Partisanship,” for the latest on how AFSA is engaging on this. AFSA’s “State of the Foreign Service” survey and resulting report, “At the Breaking Point,” illuminate a Service in crisis. See State VP Ro Nepal’s column and Director of Professional Policy Issues Lisa Heller’s article in AFSA News for more. As we go to press in mid-December, the survey report—released December 3 —is still getting attention and inspiring reporting and responses in The New York Times, Axios, NPR, CNN, and elsewhere. May this attention raise awareness of the realities facing federal employees in 2026 and spur action to protect the professional, nonpartisan Foreign Service. This edition includes two Speaking Out articles. Troy Fitrell and Jamie Bay Nishi outline “State’s Opportunity Ahead for Global Health,” and John Fer writes on “Measuring and Mitigating Cognitive Dissonance in Public Diplomacy.” In this month’s Service Disrupted collection, find FS voices on “The Costs of the Government Shutdown,” for the record. And Ambassador Stephen McFarland illustrates the value of understanding your enemy in his feature story, “Like Lightning from a Clear Sky: Watching Guerrillas Recruit in Peru.” In FS Know-How, Eileen Smith offers tips and resources on “Turning Your Favorite FS Skills into Your Next Career.” FSO Noah Rose takes us “Off-Road with the Foreign Service: A First-Tour Foray into Eastern Türkiye.” For those of you thinking ahead to summer, Melissa Mathews offers the inside scoop on summer camps abroad in “International Summer Camps Take an American Tradition Overseas.” In Reflections, Dick Virden tells his story of “Logrolling in Rural Thailand.” And in the Local Lens, FSO Julia Wohlers shares a Lunar New Year dance from Datong, China. We want to hear from you. Please consider writing for the Journal in 2026. Send a letter to the editor (journal@ afsa.org). Review the Focus topics for inspiration (see box) or send a pitch or article on another relevant topic. Stay in touch and be well. n March-April Nuclear Diplomacy May-June AI, Tech, and Diplomacy July-August Celebrating 250: The U.S. in the World September-October USAID: One Year Later November-December FS Writing and Publishing 2026 Focus Topics
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