THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MAY-JUNE 2026 9 Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. It’s the People BY SHAWN DORMAN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Today there are troubling signs for the Foreign Service and diplomacy more broadly. Professional career diplomats have been sidelined. Under the banner of “reorganization,” whole offices and programs were closed, diplomats pushed out. USAID was erased by DOGE, along with most of its lifesaving work and staff globally. USAGM/VOA faced a similar fate. Litigation continues. In December 2025, more than 30 U.S. ambassadors were sent packing without reason or warning. Most posts in the Middle East were without confirmed ambassadors when the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28. The need to evacuate Americans from the region appeared to come as a surprise to the administration, putting thousands of U.S. citizens at risk. Meanwhile, internally, employee organizations have largely been silenced due to the chilling effect of the administration’s efforts—through executive orders, Office of Personnel Management guidance, and Foreign Affairs Manual changes—to purge words, programs, and people related to or hinting at support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), collective bargaining, climate, immigration … the list goes on. Dissent is not tolerated. Our AFSA pres- ident has called on leadership to “convene the various disparate elements of the FS community” for dialogue to address internal divisions. He asked for input from employee groups. Seven responses are in Letters-Plus. Some groups are absent due to fear of retribution. One group that hasn’t been silenced is the Ben Franklin Fellowship. In the March-April Speaking Out, Ambassador (ret.) Eric Rubin wrote “What’s Wrong with the Ben Franklin Fellowship?” In this edition, you’ll find a response from BFF co-founder Simon Hankinson in Letters-Plus. Some of our readers may question why the FSJ would provide a platform for this exclusionary group. We hear you. But we did publish a strong critique of the BFF in the FSJ, and they deserve a chance to respond. The FSJ Editorial Board and staff stand by our commitment for the FSJ to be a forum for diverse views on issues of concern to the foreign affairs community. It is our hope that airing differences will help spur productive conversation that can lead to a way forward, and that all voices from the many groups that represent the FS community will be welcomed again. Related, I am thrilled to welcome back to the FSJ pages diplomat cartoonist extraordinaire Brian Aggeler with a new cartoon that fits this moment. Look for more from him in upcoming editions. This edition’s Focus on AI in diplomacy speaks for itself. Don’t miss this set of articles by practitioner authors, each bringing a unique lens to the topic. A common theme emerges: While AI will be utilized in myriad ways across the U.S. government, it cannot be a substitute for human judgment and engagement. We return to the foundational value of the Foreign Service: the people. Face to face, the last three feet, on the ground across the world. n BRIAN AGGELER
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