The Foreign Service Journal, March 2021

38 MARCH 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Time for a Rebirth of Democracy Democracy is in crisis. It is under attack in the developed world, and in the United States, which has always thought of itself as democracy’s cradle. Democracy is the soul of America. We must support democ- racy abroad, or we cease to be who we are. But we must be thoughtful in how to proceed. First, we must recover democ- racy at home. Second, we must work very closely with demo- cratic allies, recognizing that all democracies are under stress. And third, we must support democracy where it is under attack from authoritarians or weak governments. Yes, we should be humble, but our commitment should exceed our humility. It is time for bold thinking and measures and breaking down some of the intellectual and bureaucratic walls between domestic and foreign affairs. To overcome authoritarian and populist trends, democracy must have a substantive mean- ing: It must lead to a better life for most citizens, who must feel invested in it. Many feel that democracy is only a broken promise, and those people are easily tempted toward populism and authoritarianism, which our adversaries know very well how to exploit. The most important challenge is to address inequality, in which already distorted power relations are exacerbated by globalization, technology and policy. These imbalances lead to the perception, if not the reality, of public corruption, exclu- sion and conflict. Climate change and information technology deepen inequalities. It is time for a rebirth of democracy, a New Democratic Deal based not only on the traditional liberal rights, but also sub- stantive rights to health care, income and shared control over natural resources. This rethinking of democracy begins with our own example at home, and a vision from your leadership. Collaborate with your Foreign Service to make this vision a fun- damental part of democracy and development. José Garzón is a retired USAID Foreign Service officer currently in Kosovo, where his wife is USAID mission director. Bring Back the Sounding Board Years ago, a “best practice” from USAID called “Tip of the Day” was mandated at State. Every day we receive a pop-up ad that tests us. It used to be all about cybersecurity, but over the years it has become so much more. Because we see it every day, it has become pure background noise; moreover, it has drifted far from its original intent. Around the same time, we had a wonderful webpage forum called “Sounding Board” on which anyone could post questions or concerns. And while some were less than seri- ous issues (I never did find out why we had female urinals at Main State), it was a great place to share ideas and challenge conventional wisdom. Sadly, the Sounding Board went away a few years ago. Please get rid of the Tip of the Day and bring back the Sounding Board. It may not be an earthshattering change, but it would make a difference on a granular, everyday basis. Foreign Service Specialist Llywelyn C. Graeme is the assistant to the ambassador at U.S. Embassy Copenhagen. Go Beyond the Status Quo Renewed adherence to multilateralism is necessary, but the United States needs to go beyond a return to the status quo of earlier administrations. In addition to rejoining the World Health Organization, the Human Rights Council and UNESCO, and playing an active role in those organizations, we must start paying our assess- ments to the United Nations and other institutions on a timely basis. While we ought not relinquish our veto and leadership in the Security Council, instead of dodging, we need to help craft a way forward to a reformed council that responds to the demands of most United Nations members. Additionally, the United States should more fully recog- nize that resolutions in the General Assembly and other U.N. bodies carry visions of aspirations rather than specific require- ments. Our approach has been too legalistic for too long. The Trump administration’s rejection of any formulation related to women’s reproductive rights is hopefully history. But the U.S. is equally stuck in the mud on dozens of other formulations; for example, those related to the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals set in 2015. As a result, we are often viewed as an impediment to harmony and consensus rather than a leader or partner in achieving global solutions. This, in turn, hampers America’s T RUST