The Foreign Service Journal, April 2007

A P R I L 2 0 0 7 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 67 M ay 3 is AFSA’s Day on the Hill. Thiswill be the seventhyearAFSA takesactive-dutyandretireemem- bers and their spouses to Capitol Hill for face-to-facevisitswith theirhome-state rep- resentatives and senators, and congres- sional staff. It is our chance to showmem- bers of Congress that they do in fact have Foreign Service constituents. AFSAwill providebackground informa- tionandpositionstatementsontheForeign Service and retiree issues on our Web site andthroughtheApril RetireeNewsletter and othermailings. AFSAwill focusontheneed to secure enough funding and resources to enablediplomats out in the field todo their jobs effectively. AFSAwill alsohighlight the need to take care of those who are part of the larger ForeignService family—spous- es, children and retired personnel. If you cannot join us in Washington, D.C.,onMay3,considermakingyourviews knownonthe sameday fromwherever you are by sending letters, e-mails or faxes, or by callingyour representatives and senators in Washington or in their home district offices. Sample letters and information about how tomake contact withCongress will also be posted on our Web site. Visit the special Day on the Hill page at www. afsa.org/dayonthehill . We alsoencourage AFSAmembers to visit congressional dis- trict offices. PleasejoinyourcolleaguesonMay3and help ensure that the voice of the Foreign Service isheardontheHill. Formore infor- mation, contact Austin Tracy by e-mail: tracy@afsa.org , or by phone: (202) 338- 4045, ext. 506. A F S A N E W S DAY ON THE HILL MAY 3 Pay a Visit to Capitol Hill for the FS O ne of AFSA’s 2002 Exemplary PerformanceAwardwinnersmade headlines in Sofia recently, receiv- ing a medal from Bulgarian President George Parvanov for her advocacy work on behalf of the disabled. In 2002, AFSA recognized SharonMiles for her extraor- dinary contributions while serving in Bulgariawithher husband, Amb. Richard Miles. She was presented with the Avis BohlenAward for ExemplaryPerformance by a Foreign Service FamilyMember dur- ing the June AFSAAwards Ceremony for her advocacywork on behalf of fair treat- ment for disabled persons in Bulgaria. On June 12, 2006, President Parvanov awarded Ms. Miles the “Madarski Konnik,” the Bulgarian national medal. Following the official ceremony,Miles vis- ited the Bulgarian Parliament and dis- cussed disability issue priorities with the chair. Miles was nominated for the award by representatives of the Bulgarian disabili- ty movement, through the chair of the Psychological Center for Research, Dr. Diana Indjov, who worked withMiles in Bulgaria. Dr. Indjov is the founder of the Psychological Center, the first Bulgarian nongovernmental advocacy and lobbying organization for peoplewithdis- abilities. She visits theU.S. peri- odically to get ideas for ways to energize the movement back home in Sofia. Indjov, during a visit to AFSA, told AFSA News that between 12 and 14 percent of Bulgaria’s population of 8 mil- lion are disabled in some way, and that 90 percent of them live below the poverty line. Many receive inadequatemedical care. Inaddition, she reports, disabled persons continue to face heavy discrimi- nation. Through organizing seminars and fundraising events, and appearing on national television, Miles gave a voice to an often ignored section of society. She became known in Bulgaria as a leading spokesperson for fair treatment for the dis- abled, using her position as the ambas- sador’swife todrawmore attention todis- ability issues. She also tried to help those in need by organizing the collection of food, clothing, furniture and equipment to donate to various local groups, even in remote areas of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian disability movement, according to Indjov, is at a critical stage in cultivat- ing understanding on disabili- ty issues, and she credits the counsel of Miles for this progress. Her ability toboth rec- ognize and fill a need has now been honored not only by the Foreign Service community, through AFSA, but by the Bulgariandisabilitymovement, the Psychological Center for Research and the Bulgarian government itself. SHARON MILES HONORED FOR WORK WITH DISABLED AFSA Award Winner Receives Presidential Medal in Bulgaria BY E. MARGARET MACFARLAND, EDITORIAL INTERN Sharon Miles, center with medal, in Bulgaria for the Presidential AwardCeremony. Back row, from left: Regional Director for the Psychological Center for Research Burgas Area Ivan Karagiozov; PCR Chair Diana Indjov, Ph.D.; PCR Washington Representative Stephen Spector; JocelynGreene; Regional Director for PCR Nevena Popova. Front row: Sharon Miles and Executive Director of the Agency for PeoplewithDisabilitiesMinchoKoralski. Sharon Miles receiving the Bulgarian National Medal from Bulgarian President George Parvanov.