The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2017 59 AFSA NEWS AFSA Kicks Off Discussion Series on Professional Issues As part of the effort to engage more substantively on professional issues affect- ing our members, AFSA inaugurated a new discussion series in February. The first discussion— “Why Is Dissent Impor- tant?”—was hosted by AFSA Awards Committee Chair Annie Pforzheimer and former Ambassador Charles Rivkin (pictured below) on Feb. 17. The event focused on the importance of disci- plined, constructive dissent in the Foreign Service. Three more discussions took place through early March, all hosted by State Department representatives on the AFSA Governing Board. On Feb. 23, Alison Storsve led a conversation on the basics of tradecraft. Jason Donovan hosted a session on Feb. 27 on how and why the work of the Foreign Service matters to our fellow citizens. Finally, Don Jacobson facili- tated a Mar. 3 exchange on how to navigate change. All the sessions were well attended, and the first three can be viewed on the AFSA website at www.afsa.org/ video. We welcome ideas on possible topics to cover in future sessions; please share your suggestions by emailing events@afsa.org. n —Ásgeir Sigfússon, Director of Communications AFSA/GEMMADVORAK