The Foreign Service Journal, April 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | APRIL 2017 9 reprints, “From the FSJ Archives.” This brings us to the wonderful news that the entire archive of The Foreign Ser- vice Journal dating back to 1918 has been digitized and all the files optimized for discoverability. The complete digital archive will be launched online in late April. Access will be free and open to all, available through the AFSA website at www.afsa.org/fsj- archives. We encourage everyone to dive into this treasure trove of primary source material and wisdom, and share links to interesting articles you discover. As we debut this special collection on U.S. diplomacy, we want to take a moment to consider the unique space the Journal occupies—a space for the voices of the Foreign Service, for the practitioner’s perspective. The Journal bylaws spell out the publication’s mission: to provide “a forum for the lively debate of issues of interest to foreign affairs professionals.”The Journal welcomes and seeks a wide variety of opinions and voices, aiming to advance the discussion of diplomacy, development and the FS career in the real world. It is a place to air ideas, to spark and continue conversations, and a venue for debate. The Journal is both a forum for prac- titioners to share ideas and also a bridge LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Living History BY SHAWN DORMAN I Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. The complete FSJ digital archive will be launched online in late April. We encourage everyone to dive into this treasure trove of primary source material and wisdom. n her President’s Views column, Ambassador Barbara Stephenson has eloquently introduced our special focus on the trans-Atlantic relationship. Drawing from the three distinguished authors writing from and about Europe— Ambassador (ret.) John Kornblum, Lord Menzies Campbell and Giles Merritt— she underlines that a primary responsibility for members of the Foreign Service now, and always, is to do the hard work of tend- ing bilateral relationships, to “be caught listening and trying to understand how our partners see the world.” Former Secretary of State George Shultz emphasized this wisdom in his interview with Ambassador (ret.) James Goodby in the December 2016 FSJ with a memorable gardening analogy: “If you plant a garden and go away for six months, what have you got when you come back? Weeds. And any good gardener knows you have to clear the weeds out right away. Diplomacy is kind of like that. You go around and talk to people, you develop a relationship of trust and confidence, and then if something comes up, you have that base to work from. If you have never seen somebody before and you are trying to work a delicate, difficult problem, it is hard.” The focus on Europe closes with an article from the March 1967 Journal , “The United States and Europe,” by James Ramsey. We will con- tinue to surface per- spectives from years past that still, or again, have relevance, as part of a series of occasional to the world outside the Foreign Service, as colleagues on Capitol Hill, in other agencies and in universities find food for thought in the FSJ pages. The views expressed in the articles we publish do not—and should not—only represent the views of AFSA. As stated plainly in the masthead, material appear- ing in the Journal represents the opinions of the authors and not necessarily anyone else. (The association’s priorities, activities and position statements can be found in the AFSA News section and the President’s Views column.) The Journal must remain a place for honest discussion of issues of concern to today’s Foreign Service. We are always seeking submissions for the following departments—Letters, Speaking Out, FS KnowHow, FS Heri- tage, as well as Features (on any topic of relevance to the foreign affairs commu- nity) and upcoming Focus topics (see the Editorial Calendar on the AFSA website) . In addition, please send your remarkable photos to Local Lens and feel encouraged to pitch a book review. All submissions can be sent to journal@afsa.org. Finally, please consider volunteering to help shepherd this treasured 99-year-old publication into its next century by volun- teering to serve on the FSJ Editorial Board. See page 33 for details, and let us know by April 10 that you’re interested. n