The Foreign Service Journal, June 2015

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2015 41 Introduction To adequately represent the United States abroad, it is essential that the foreign affairs agencies have a workforce that reflects the rich composition of its citizenry. This is a stated official priority, spelled out in the Foreign Service Act of 1980 and emphasized in the 2015 Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review for the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. There are more than a dozen recognized employee affinity groups at the State Department, as well as additional groups specifically for members of the other foreign affairs agencies. These groups act to promote and strengthen diversity and inclusion in the foreign affairs workforce. They network and cooperate with each other, and with the American Foreign Service Association, which is the exclusive bar- gaining agent for the entire Foreign Service. Management interacts regularly with the affinity groups to ensure fairness and equity for individuals in the work environment both domestically and abroad, and to eradicate harassment, intolerance and discrimination wherever it may be found. The four affinity groups featured in the following pages highlight the variety and scope of diversity issues and activity in the foreign affairs agencies. We look forward to showcasing other groups and their unique programs in the coming months. —The Editors Making Inclusion Real Affinity Groups in Action FOCUS ON DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION Arab-Americans in Foreign Affairs Agencies