The Foreign Service Journal, May 2017

18 MAY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL T he Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Global Heath website has a wealth of informa- tion for travelers and highlights the significant work done by CDC health officers in more than 60 countries worldwide. With a dedicated section for travelers, the CDC website should be the first stop for anyone looking for advice on how to stay healthy when traveling abroad. The website has information about current health threats in particular countries or regions (for example, an increased risk of Zika in South America, or HIV/AIDS in Africa) and best practices for mini- mizing the risk to travelers of all ages. There is also a section on vaccines and a state-by-state map of where to obtain them in the United States. Visitors to the site can also learn about the work the CDC is doing worldwide, and with a number of international partners. The website hosts a blog, written by CDC officers in the United States and in the field, that features programs CDC is sup- porting and success stories fighting back against global epidemics. The “Stories” section brings a personal dimension to the fight, sharing indi- vidual experiences from both CDC health officers and those benefiting from programs abroad. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor SITE OF THE MONTH: www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/index.html benefits to spouses and dependents. The institutions selected have a number of programs that cover “mission- critical” skills, including cybersecurity, science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The new agreements are part of OPM’s continuing endeavor to “recruit and retain a world-class workforce to serve the American people,” and to increase federal employees’ access to high-quality, afford- able education. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor In Support of Global Engagement “ A merica’s Role in the World” was the subject of a March 21 hear- ing at the House Armed Services Com- mittee where former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley testified on global challenges and the role the United States should play in maintaining international order. When Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) asked about the ramifications of poten- tially defunding international organiza- tions as outlined in the president’s budget request, Secretary Albright replied: “I think they are so stunningly damaging to America’s position that I find it hard to believe that somebody that is in the U.S. government could even suggest it.” Albright cited her experience as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, argu- ing that while the organization does need change, “it is hard for us to have influence in reform if we are creating a financial crisis there, and we lose our influence. If you go off the human rights council you lose your influence…” Citing the work of the United States Institute of Peace, where he serves as chairman of the board, Hadley argued that defunding certain tools of national power is shortsighted. USIP is one of 19 organizations facing elimination under the president’s budget request. At the height of the Iraq War USIP trained local negotiators to mediate con- flict between Iraqi tribes in a region once known as the “Triangle of Death” and fostered a peace that has stood for more than 10 years, Hadley reported. “Those preventative tools avoid our need to use the military instrument down the road when a fragile state has become a conflict state,” he added. “We underin- vest in those [tools] at our peril.” Albright testified to the importance of remaining engaged in the world given the globalized nature of modern threats. “We are not safer if we are isolated. An isolationist America is the most danger- ous thing for Americans, as well as for the world.” Hadley echoed this point, arguing that if Washington decides to forgo a leader- ship role the global order will revert to its “traditional way”—with large powers like China and Russia benefiting at the expense of small powers. “That’s not the international order that we want,” Hadley stated. “It’s not the international order that’s in our interest, and it’s not an international order that will provide enduring peace and security.” n —Dmitry Filipoff, Publications Coordinator