The Foreign Service Journal, June 2014

8 JUNE 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Diplomats of the World, Write! BY SHAWN DORMAN LETTER FROM THE EDITOR T Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. his month members of other countries’ diplomatic corps offer an inside look at what it’s like to be part of the Foreign Service of their countries. We hope to bring in more voices from other countries through occasional articles from foreign diplomats in the future. To kick off this series, we bring you diplomats from four countries: Turkey, India, Romania and Finland. Three served as Transatlantic Diplomatic Exchange Fellows in a program that brings diplo- mats fromNATO and European Union countries to work at the State Department for a year, and sends U.S. diplomats to those foreign ministries. Turkish diplomat Ömer Murat tells about how the Turkish Foreign Ministry handled tensions between generalists and specialists that was leading to special- ist resignations. In “The Indian Foreign Service: The Glass Gets Fuller,” Ambas- sador Kishan Rana writes that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs is inviting younger officers to bring forward reform ideas, with the notion that the “young- sters” have the biggest stake in reform and the freshest thinking to offer. In “Life and Work in the Romanian Foreign Service,” Diana Tase explains how Romania chooses its diplomats. Finally, Aaretti Siitonen explains that most Finnish diplomats also do development work; the foreign aid agency was merged with the foreign ministry in the 1990s. When diplomats write, they must consider carefully what they say, given clear- ance requirements. As the Journal aims to be a welcoming place for members of the U.S. Foreign Service (and other countries’ diplomatic corps) to share their experi- ences and perspectives, we are keenly aware of the barriers that a clearance process can create. In an up-close look at Foreign Service writing, FSO Yaniv Barzilai tells of his adventures in publishing, and offers advice and encouragement for others considering going down this road, as well as suggestions for how to make the pro- cess work better. We hope it will inspire. FS writing might just get easier soon, as AFSA has been negotiating with the State Department on updates to the regu- lations on the publication. Look for good news on that in the July-August issue. Already inspiring others to write is former FSO and Army veteran Ron Capps, whose new book, Seriously Not All Right: Five Wars in Ten Years , is reviewed by FSO Douglas Koneff in this issue. Finding strength through writing, Capps now helps others do the same through the nonprofit Veterans Writing Project. In AFSA News, you’ll find the inspir- ing and tragic story of Antoinette “Toni” Tomasek, a USAID Foreign Service officer and beloved wife, mother, friend and colleague. “She was driven by the pas- sionate belief that individuals can make a difference,” said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah. “Her inspiration will be felt for decades to come.” Toni’s name is inscribed on the AFSA Memorial Plaque, unveiled during the AFSA Memorial Ceremony on May 2. n