The Foreign Service Journal, February 2010

30 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 1 0 position in which they can be em- ployed immediately. That reality can make it challenging for retirees, since there is no centralized State office to match WAEs with avail- able positions. Human Rights and Interna- tional Religious Freedom Re- ports. One of the basic havens for “pure” writing as a WAE is found in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. To churn out the hundreds of annual country human rights reports and international religious freedom reports, DRL maintains a cadre of WAEs, often with long years of ex- pertise in specific regions, to supplement active-duty per- sonnel. There is, however, enough turnover to make it worthwhile for applicants to attempt to match their back- ground with DRL’s requirements. All of us are at least somewhat familiar with the HRR and IRF processes, either from having written or edited the reports — or, at a minimum, having read them. They are perfect illustrations of the deadly-dull, bill-of-lading prose that epitomizes bureaucratic writing. Although not totally scripted to project the “one author” for every re- port as in previous years, they are still documents of the “just the facts, ma’am” style. WAEs will have no need to modify their traditional writing style. Freedom of Information Act requests/declassifi- cation and review. FOIA and declassification have been traditional niches for WAE writers. Indeed, some WAEs have spent more time processing FOIA requests than they did on active duty. Yet while there is an end- less stream of new material to review for mandatory de- classification, FOIA turnover (and, concurrently, hiring) is not high, due to budget pressures. Still, it is a serious possibility for which retired FS personnel are well qual- ified. But a major obstacle can be obtaining “well and fa- vorably known” credential letters from bureaus where you have served to endorse your qualifications for de- classifying material. Once you are hired, the actual work can be amusing, particularly when you encounter documents that you wrote. But the formats for declassification are precise, and there is no provision for literary flights of fancy in the process. Having written formulaic reports (e.g., the con- sular package), a WAE should have no problem with the FOIA/declassification regime. Official History. Until re- cently, the State Department Of- fice of the Historian (located in the Bureau of Public Affairs) periodi- cally engaged retired FSOs on contract for intensive research, in- terviewing, analysis and drafting of various reports and studies. How- ever, following the ouster of the Historian this past summer (see the September 2009 edition of Cybernotes for details), the office has been in flux under interim supervision. Nevertheless, it is still worth checking out. Beyond Government Wherever one looks in Washington, former Foreign Service officials are ensconced in nongovernmental or- ganizations and foundations. These may fund projects of particularized interest (and within your special expertise). The Una Chapman Cox Foundation, a sophisticated, longstanding supporter of State Department personnel and U.S. foreign policy, has funded an assortment of such projects. For example, one of their recent grants was for a yearlong study of the role of foreign policy advisers in the 21st century. Grants of this nature give the recipient considerable intellectual leeway and free rein for creative analysis. If the study proposal is accepted, most foundations offer modest personal stipends, occasionally complemented with travel funds. Leaving the structure of government or semi-official funding for your writing can require an attitude adjust- ment, but also opens up a whole new arena. To explore it, some read Writer’s Digest and enroll in writing work- shops for guidance and instruction. Others just send their applications forth with hope in their heart (and a return postage envelope). Obviously, it is best if there is some connection be- tween the topic on which you propose to write and the venue where you hope to have it published. Sending an account of rehabilitating your 1949 Ford to Home and Garden magazine will probably not be fruitful. Most Foreign Service personnel know something about inter- national affairs, so they can turn to the many foreign af- fairs publications in the Washington, D.C., area. (Don’t forget about the Foreign Service Journal !) As for me, Canada has become a subject of deep per- F O C U S The problem for FS retirees isn’t “writer’s block,” but rather the fact that we have spent our careers writing for other bureaucrats.