The Foreign Service Journal, April 2016

8 APRIL 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Mass MigrationMatters BY SHAWN DORMAN T Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. gee Coordinator Matt Johnson brings us to the front lines through his personal expe- rience setting up an office for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration at Consulate Adana. He monitors, advocates and reports on the situation from the field. In “Partnering to Meet Urgent Needs, ” former FSO Laura Lane, now president of global public affairs for UPS, describes the complex challenge of playing a construc- tive role in the midst of today’s climate of “anxious apprehension” about refu- gees. Sharing her own experiences from Rwanda to Iraq, she argues for govern- ment-corporate partnerships to provide humanitarian assistance more effectively. Retired FSO Carol Colloton offers a primer on refugee resettlement in the United States in “How Refugee Resettle- ment in the United States Actually Works. ” The United States, historically, has per- manently resettled more refugees than all other countries combined, she notes, ask- ing whether the American commitment to assisting refugees may be fading. In “Pitching In to Do Vital Work, ” Career Ambassador (ret.) Johnny Young shares his experiences working on refugee resettlement in a post-Foreign Service position as executive director for the Office of Migration and Refugee Ser- vices for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Elsewhere, in Features, educator Don Lotter proposes a shift in focus for development aid to Africa and retired FSO Andrew Sens identifies two essential ele- ments for resolving ethnic and sectarian conflict. here are more than 60 million people in the world today who have been forcibly displaced, according to the United Nations. Millions are on the move, the major- ity fleeing war and disintegration in their home countries. At the epicenter of the present crisis are the war-torn nations of Syria and Iraq, fromwhich a mass migra- tion of refugees larger than any since World War II emanates. That is our focus this month, but what can the Journal contribute to the discus- sion of an ongoing crisis that is making headlines daily and figures in domestic political discourse around the world? We illustrate the breadth and enormity of the challenge from a unique vantage point—the perspectives of practitioners of humanitarian diplomacy, those in the field assessing needs, managing refugee issues and delivering assistance. Although the United States holds the distinction as the largest provider of humanitarian assistance, the unprece- dented dimensions of today’s needs weigh heavy on all who work in this field. Our look at the current situation begins with a Q&A with Deputy High Commis- sioner for Refugees Kelly Clements. She offers an overview of the refugee crisis and the practice of humanitarian diplomacy, explaining the role of UNHCR in address- ing “both root causes of refugee movements and immediate threats to their safety.” In “On the Ground in Turkey,” FSO Refu- Up front, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson discusses a vital topic in “Building the Deep Bench .” She emphasizes AFSA’s determination—as the principal advocate for the long-term strength of the Foreign Service—to ensure that solutions to short-term challenges do not erode the long-term health of the career. Looking back to the January-February focus on mental health services, I am pleased to report that it—in particular, the compilation of FS member comments— has led to discussion inside the foreign affairs agencies of the need to address problems you raised, including access to care, privacy, transparency about the clearance process and toxic workplaces. Help keep the conversation going by continuing to share your views with the Journal . In January, we promised a separate look at mental health and special needs services for Foreign Service children. That topic emerged as a serious con- cern for FS families, with some reporting that it is becoming more difficult to obtain the services they need. We will publish readers’ comments on this in June and anticipate an in-depth look at the issue by the end of the year. Looking ahead, the May focus on life after the Foreign Service will offer inspir- ing insights into what people do once they leave the Foreign Service, and ideas to consider. So many people responded to our question “what are you doing now?” that we will run that compilation over several months. n