The Foreign Service Journal - March 2018

72 MARCH 2018 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS AFSA Book Notes: Peacemakers : American Leadership and the End of Genocide in the Balkans On Jan. 25, AFSA held the 28th event in its popular Book Notes series, hosting a talk by Ambassador (ret.) James W. Pardew about his book, Peacemakers: American Lead- ership and the End of Geno- cide in the Balkans (University Press of Kentucky, 2017). The book is based on some 40 journals that Pardew kept chronicling his time in the Balkans from 1995 to 2008. As both a diplomat and a sol- dier—he spent 27 years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army prior to his diplomatic service—Pardew brings an interesting perspective to the story of this sometimes forgotten war. He was told by one of his military bosses before he left for Kosovo that the State Department would “drive him crazy” with its lack of precision, but says he grew to appreciate the ability of diplomats to work with nuance and ambiguity. Pardew participated in Ambassador Richard Holbrooke’s negotiations on Bosnia in 1995, continuing to work in the region until Kosovo gained its indepen- dence in 1998. He was the primary U.S. negotiator of the Ohrid Agreement in Macedonia. AQ&A session followed the presentation, covering topics that ranged from tribalism and corruption in the Balkans, to the burnout that some- times affects people serving in the region. He called this the “Age of Diversity” and said that “any nations that cannot accommodate diversity are doomed.” Pardew also discussed the future of the Foreign Service given today’s uncer- tain political climate, saying that “once this storm passes, the nation will need the professionals of the Foreign Service more than ever.” A recording of the event is available on the AFSA website, www.afsa.org/ video. n Ambassador (ret.) James Pardew speaks about his experiences in the Balkans. AFSA/DONNAGORMAN AFSAGoverning Board Meeting, December 20, 2017 Awards and Plaques Committee: On behalf of the Awards and Plaques Committee, it was moved that the name of Selena Nelson-Salcedo be placed on the AFSAmemorial plaque. The motion was adopted. Management Committee: On behalf of the Management Committee, it was moved that AFSA continue to restrict grievance counseling and legal assistance to AFSAmembers. The motion was adopted. It was moved that the Governing Board adopt the policy that “Effective July 1, 2018, only members who have been in good standing for at least six months are able to receive LM grievance counseling and legal assistance.”The motion was adopted. It was moved that the Governing Board amend the policy on family members seeking LM services by adding “although they are encouraged to join AFSA (as a ‘Family Member’).”By unanimous consent, the board sent this issue back to the Management Committee to research whether AFSA bylaws are affected by changes to membership categories. Political Action Committee: It was moved and seconded that the board appoint COO Russ Capps as the PAC assistant treasurer. The motion was adopted. It was moved and seconded that the board appoint Amb. Mike Klosson and Retiree VP John Naland to the PAC. The motion was adopted. New Business: By unanimous consent, the board appointed John Naland as chair of the Scholarship Committee, with TriciaWingerter and Matthew Hilgendorf as committee members. By unanimous consent, the board tasked the Scholarship Committee with handling the entire Merit Award selection process and reporting the results to the board for information purposes only. n