The Foreign Service Journal, February 2009

8 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 9 AFSA’s Dissent Awards Cited as Model in Kenya “Time to Reward Constructive Dis- agreement” is the title of Kenyan columnist Laila Macharia’s Dec. 17 of- fering in Business Daily Africa , the on- line version of the Nairobi-based Busi- ness Daily newspaper ( www.bdafrica. com ). In a call for her government to in- stitute an award for constructive dis- sent to complement the medals for patriotism traditionally awarded on Jamhuri Day, the anniversary of Kenya’s establishment as a republic, Macharia cites the American Foreign Service Association — which recog- nizes “the officer whose actions best embody ‘initiative, integrity, intellec- tual courage and constructive dissent.’” “The point is to encourage mem- bers of the Foreign Service to chal- lenge conventional wisdom,” Macharia explains. “The idea is noble: a nation is better served when its constituents are encouraged to suggest improvements. But the best innovations may never see the light of day if we look askance at anyone who challenges the status quo.” “Despite the many liberation strug- gles we have been through, dissent is still frowned upon in Kenya,” Macharia states, and proceeds to paint a devas- tating portrait of the culture of passiv- ity and group-think. “We beg people to tell us what we think, to form our opin- ions for us, so that we don’t have to take the trouble. And if we feel threat- ened by the missive, we promptly shoot the messenger, muzzling them or accusing them of ulterior motives.” “We can’t move forward if we’re al- ways running back to the warmth of the hearth, afraid to take any risk,” she says. “So let’s cultivate a culture that admires and defends those who tell the truth and ask the hard questions,” she urges. “At the community and company levels, an Award for Constructive Dis- sent honors those who stand apart and lead from the front,” Macharia con- cludes. “At the national level, it ap- plauds those who love Kenya more than their own comfort. And who raise the alarm whenever they see millions of us headed resolutely toward the cliff’s edge.” Public Diplomacy and the Pentagon Observations concerning what some have termed the “militarization” C YBERNOTES Site of the Month: www.GreenOptions.com GreenOptions , produced by the Green Options Media Network, is a rapidly ex- panding network of environmentally focused blogs. Founded in February 2007 by David Anderson of San Francisco, it has become a leader among “green” news and information sources aimed at general audiences (www.greenoptions.com ). Written by experienced professionals and topic experts, GreenOptions ’ individ- ual blogs engage visitors with authoritative content, compelling discussions and actionable advice. Users new to the “green life” can contribute to the conversation by joining in dialogue between the writers and visitors on individual blogs. The 15 blogs are presented in three different “channels” — News and Opinion, Family & Lifestyle, and Business and Technology. One of the News and Opinion blogs, for example, EcoWorldly , presents news and perspectives on the environ- mental movement from around the world. Its writers report on green develop- ments, environmental news and hot environmental issues from six continents, covering stories that seldom make the headlines in the mainstream media outlets but can provide ideas, lessons and a broad spectrum of information for making sustainable choices in the U.S. In the Business and Technology channel, The In- spired Economist highlights the individuals and companies applying passion and innovation to economic, social and environmental challenges. GreenOptions also offers green job listings, a free online newsletter, discussion forums and a directory of green blogs and Web sites.