The Foreign Service Journal, April 2012

J O U R N A L OREIGN ERVICE S F P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS / 7 Professionalism versus Patronage & Elitism By Susan R. Johnson S PEAKING O UT / 14 Purchasing Parity: USAID’s EFM Language Training Policy By Brendan M. Wheeler L ETTER FROM THE E DITOR / 17 By Steven Alan Honley R EFLECTIONS / 74 An Independent Woman in Taipei By Lisa Wilkinson L ETTERS / 8 C YBERNOTES / 10 M ARKETPLACE / 11 B OOKS / 65 I NDEX TO A DVERTISERS / 72 A P R I L 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 5 C ONTENTS April 2012 Volume 89, No. 4 F O C U S O N F a m i l y M e m b e r E m p l o y m e n t FS S POUSAL E MPLOYMENT : S LOW BUT S TEADY P ROGRESS / 18 It’s getting easier for Foreign Service family members to find meaningful employment overseas, but there is still a long way to go. By Shawn Zeller P ATIENCE : T HE K EY TO S UCCESSFUL EFM E MPLOYMENT / 26 Eligible Family Members can land amazing jobs with the right combination of flexibility, preparation and, yes, luck. By Jen Dinoia L OCAL E MPLOYMENT IN M OZAMBIQUE AND B RAZIL / 29 Is it possible to live and work overseas, pursuing a professional career, despite frequent moves? Absolutely! By Raquel Lima Miranda HOC R OCKS ! / 31 The “Husbands of Chennai” has become a way to forge friendships and build a community among trailing husbands of consulate employees. By Aileen Crowe Nandi M Y S O -C ALLED C AREER / 35 The career you start with probably won’t be the career you end with, one FS spouse explains. By Francesca Kelly F E A T U R E S EVEN B ILLION AND G ROWING / 37 There is still time to turn back the population surge. But it could also build up into a true disaster. By Ben Barber F S F I C T I O N T HE D ECISION / 43 Set in an unnamed country, this story captures the essence of what launched the Arab Spring last year — and keeps it going. By Matt Keene Help Wanted • PROFESSIONALWITH INTERNATIONALEXPERI- ENCE; self-starter; com- fortable and effective in multicultural set- tings; English-speaking, bilingual a plus; ad- vanced degree; re- sourceful; composed; organized;unflappable; adaptable; patient. • Your schedule will beflexible ifyoursalary requirement is flexible. Cover collage by Caryn Smith Art from iStockphoto.com/Robyn Mackenzie/ Alex Slobodkin