The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

58 APRIL 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Reaching Out with National 4-H On Jan. 19, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Ste- phenson spoke to more than 500 people at the 4-H Citizen- shipWashington Focus: Presi- dential Inauguration event. 4-H is a national organiza- tion representing more than six million young Americans, and provides experiences where they can complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture and citizenship. 4-H regularly brings youth from across the country toWashington, D.C., to learn about citizenship and civic leadership. In her speech, Amb. Stephenson spoke about the role of the Foreign Service in developing and implementing U.S. foreign policy, as well as advising on and protecting American commercial and economic interests through our embassies abroad. Speaking about her first overseas assignment, she recalled working in Panama with the U.S. Animal Plant and Health Inspection Service to contain the parasitic screw- worm that had once plagued cattle in Florida and across the Southern United States but had been halted, through work by American embassies with government officials in Mexico and Central America, at the Darien Gap in Panama. Thanks to the APHIS pro- gram, the work by Embassy Panama staff and engage- ment with the host govern- ment, Amb. Stephenson reported, when she returned to Panama as ambassador in 2008, the programwas thriv- ing with a network of Panama- nian volunteers participating in a U.S.-sponsored program to inspect all cattle moving by truck through the Darien, preventing the spread of the pest and protecting the U.S. cattle industry—a classic case of diplomacy delivering a double win. Praising 4-H’s commit- ment to global awareness and the organization’s acknowl- edgement of the importance of overseas markets to U.S. farmers, Amb. Stephen- son encouraged the young audience to make their local groups aware of what the For- eign Service does, including closing deals on agricultural exports, helping U.S. citizens abroad and briefingWashing- ton on current events. “4-H touches six million young people in the United States and another million around the globe, and you understand the importance of meeting global challenges,” she said.“The State Depart- ment needs leaders like you.” Following her speech, Amb. Stephenson met with individ- ual delegates and answered their questions about the Foreign Service career and her role as an ambassador. n AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson speaks to more than 500 young participants at the 4-H event, Citizenship Washington Focus: Presidential Inauguration, in Washington, D.C. Following her speech at the 4-H event, Amb. Stephenson met with individual delegates and answered their questions about the Foreign Service. 4-H/JORDANHEBERT 4-H/JORDANHEBERT Retirees Speak at 4-HYouth Summit AFSA retiree members Phillip Shull and Emmy Simmons spoke to a number of young people at the 4-H National Youth Summit onAgri-Science held in Maryland on Feb. 2-3. Retired Foreign Agricultural Service Officer Shull gave the keynote address, speak- ing about his experiences overseas with FAS, promoting food security and agricultural trade. He then took questions from the audience for almost an hour. The next day Shull was joined by Emmy Simmons, retired USAID FSO, in a career panel designed to allow the youth participants to learn more about what the Foreign Service does, and how it works with agricultural sys- tems and businesses world- wide to enhance food security and thereby promote peace and prosperity. To share your experiences with a wider audience, con- sider joining AFSA’s Speaker’s Bureau (www.afsa.org/speak ers) and help us raise aware- ness among the American public about what diplomats and development experts do and why it’s important. n