The Foreign Service Journal, May 2017

56 MAY 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS bers can see how the reports are created and used. Staff at all posts, he said, should be able to articulate why the United States has a presence in the host country; what the risks to mission staff within that country are; and, most importantly, why it is important that the United States maintains a presence in the host country, even if there are risks to the safety of U.S. personnel. Risk is inher- ent in Foreign Service work overseas, so the goal must be to mitigate rather than eliminate risk. He recommended that the model used in VP2—which clearly states the foreign policy benefit that must be weighed against the risk of maintaining a presence—be extended to the work of Emergency Action Commit- tees, as they weigh opera- tional and tactical decisions such as whether to undertake a specific trip into a high- threat area. Mr. Starr answered ques- tions from the audience on subjects including the importance of the Overseas Security Advisory Council and how OSAC members in many countries worldwide can be useful contacts for political, economic and con- sular officers. He also responded to questions about engaging locally employed (LE) staff overseas (he said more should be done to invest in these critical employees) and the lessons learned about risk management during the years the Foreign Service has spent in Iraq and Afghanistan. A recording of the event is available at the AFSA website, www.afsa.org/video. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor Securing Diplomacy Continued from page 47 An audience member asks a question during the Q&A session. AFSA/GEMMADVORAK Local Engagement in Global Affairs AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson partici- pated in the annual meeting of Global Ties U.S., held Feb. 9-11 inWashington, D.C. Global Ties U.S., one of AFSA’s strategic partners, coordinates more than 40,000 volunteers in 45 states. During the annual conference, representatives of Global Ties U.S. engage with Congress and underscore the value of exchange visitor programs such as the Inter- national Visitor Leadership Program that members of the Foreign Service know so well. In her remarks, Amb. Stephenson presented opportunities for closer col- laboration between Global Ties and AFSA, with retired AFSAmembers in particular being ideal candidates for Global Ties boards around the country—and ideal host families for international visi- tors.With their deep connec- tions to local communities, members of Global Ties are well positioned to help tell the story of the Foreign Service to the heartland of America. On Feb. 10, Amb. Stephen- son moderated a panel on citi- zen diplomacy with Clifton L. Taulbert, a Pulitzer-nominated author, speaker, entrepreneur and activist; Anthony Shop, co-founder of the social media strategy company Social Driver; and Olive Sampson, deputy director of the U.S. Diplomacy Center. The panel focused on the importance of local com- munities in tackling global problems, and on the role of local and social media net- works in amplifying the reach and impact of our message encouraging continued global engagement. At the same event, Amb. Stephenson presented the Global Ties 2017 Citizen Diplo- mat Award to Mr. Taulbert. n AFSA/CATHERINEKANNENBERG