The Foreign Service Journal, February 2007

sources,” “Pets and International Tra- vel,” “Cross-Cultural Adjustment” and “Top Ten Topics” — which includes allowances, family member employ- ment, housing in Washington, D.C., insurance and widgets & gizmos. Among the most interesting offer- ings, however, is “Personal Insights,” a growing database of more than 1,200 anonymous opinions on overseas posts ( www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/c18823. htm ). The commentary covers hous- ing, schools, spouse employment, con- siderations for singles, transportation, special advantages of each post and more. The “insights” database is the prod- uct of a questionnaire, which can be accessed at the Web site. Anyone can fill it out and email it to OBC at FSIOBCUInfoCenter@state.gov, or complete the form on the intranet at http://tinyurl.com/y4b2uk . Results are available in hard copy from the OBC at FSI’s Arlington, Va., Shultz Center campus, on the intranet or — for those without access to the State Department intranet — by e- mail per instructions on the “Personal Insights” Web page. — Susan Maitra, Senior Editor New Focus on the Horn of Africa Ethiopia’s invasion of Somalia to reinstall the failing, Western-backed Transitional Federal Government in the capital, Mogadishu, brought the Horn of Africa into the spotlight again at year-end. The TFG’s rival, the radical Islam- ist Union of Islamic Courts (known as the ICU), had seized the capital last June and consolidated its hold over much of the southern part of the country, bringing what many Somalis 14 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 0 7 C Y B E R N O T E S Site of the Month: www.usdiplomacy.org U.S. Diplomacy: An Online Exploration of Diplomatic History and Foreign Affairs , launched at the end of the year, is a project of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training. While primarily designed to assist entry-level practitioners of diplomacy, it is also aimed at providing more general audiences with reliable information on U.S. diplomatic history, specific dimensions of contemporary diplomacy and the domestic and foreign activities of the State Department. The site brings together a wealth of interesting and informative material relating to the early and more recent history of the State Department. The material is organized into four areas: Historical Setting, Dimensions of Diplo- macy, State Department and International Setting. A Resources page offers links to the Oral History Project, a list of acronyms and abbreviations, a bibli- ography and relevant Web sites. In “Professional Service,” one focus in the Historical Setting section, one finds examples of outstanding personnel who have faced mortal challenges in carrying out their mission and an interesting discussion of the China hands and Arabists, as well as a review of the long struggle of women and minorities for equitable entry and advancement opportunities within the State Department. The International Setting section offers a very useful set of links to the Web sites of foreign ministries around the world. Tastefully designed, if somewhat static, this site is a valuable addition to the resource base on foreign affairs and an important contribution to raising the profile of American diplomacy. — Susan Maitra, Senior Editor