The Foreign Service Journal, March 2012

T he all-new and much expanded third edition of Inside aU.S. Embassy was published inApril 2011 by Foreign Service Books, a division of AFSA. The book is distributed by Potomac/ Books International. With the subtitle“Diplo- macy atWork,” the new edition of AFSA’s popular introduc- tion to the Foreign Service continues to be a unique resource, describing in detail and in person the work of the Foreign Service through the perspectives of the practitioners. The 2011 edition includes profiles, day-in-the-life chronicles and stories from more than 80 members of the Foreign Service community, as well as a guide to the hiring process and sections on the country team, bidding, spouse employment and other topics related to the Foreign Serv- ice career. The previous and new editions have been purchased by hundreds of libraries and university career centers, and the book has been adopted for more than 50 university courses. Inside aU.S. Embassy is used by themilitary for various train- ing courses, by the State Department recruitment division for outreach and by Foreign Service candidates. Inside a U.S. Embassy remains a key outreach tool for AFSA, illuminating a career that is still mysterious to most Americans and also introducing public audiences to the as- sociation. FSBooks events in 2011 reached hundreds of stu- dents and young professionals. AFSA also continued its partnership with the Foreign Policy Association University in 2011, hosting Foreign Service career seminars inNewYork City andWashington, D.C. AFSA staff gave Foreign Service career/ Inside a U.S. Embassy presentations at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced Interna- tional Studies, The George Washington Uni- versity’s Elliott School of International Relations, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, Boston University, The Fletcher School at Tufts University and for visiting students from the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Pub- lic and International Affairs. In addition, we held book events at Arlington Public Li- brary, Embassy Jakarta and Embassy Dili, and displayed the book at conferences including the National Conference of Social Studies Teachers and the National Conference for Col- legeWomen Student Leaders. Of the initial print run of 15,000 books for the 2011 edi- tion, more than 12,000 had sold by the end of the year. In September, we launched a digital version for the Kindle, Nook and Android platforms. The 2005 digital edition is still selling well. FSBooks: Expanding Outreach B Y S HAWN D ORMAN , E DITOR / P UBLISHER FS B OOKS M A R C H 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 49 ANNUAL REPORT American Foreign Service Association 2011 A F S A N E W S T he most popular issue of the Foreign Service Jour- nal during 2011, judging fromonline hits, letters to the editor and other feedback, was May’s “Work- Life Balance: Handling the Ups and Downs of FS Life.” Soon after its release, it was the subject of Joe Davidson’s “Federal Diary” column in the Washington Post, complete with an eye-catching inset of the cover. Another 2011 highlight was our December issue, marking the 20th anniversary of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. We spotlighted the unique, indispensable role the Foreign Service played in anticipating that world-changing event, reporting on its unfolding and aftermath, and advising U.S. policymakers. Our coverage included an interview with former President George H.W. Bush, an article by former Secretary of State George Shultz, and numerous contributions by other experts. Both issues were also the inspiration for AFSA panel discus- sions. Other focus topics explored in such events last year were the economic/commercial function (February); “Power and Peacebuilding:WhyWomen’s Involvement Matters”(April); and the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks (September). While the magazine’s organization and contents have evolved substantially in recent years, its current format dates back to 1994. Mindful of this, AFSA has engaged a design firm and ex- pects to unveil a new look in 2012. The Journal has continued to upgrade its online presence,with all issues from 2003 to the present now available online. This has enabled us to attract more unique visitors and exceed by a sub- stantial margin our target for online advertising this year. FSJ: Highlights and Accomplishments B Y S TEVEN A LAN H ONLEY , E DITOR