The Foreign Service Journal, June 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JUNE 2016 57 AFSA NEWS AFSA Participates in Santa FeWorld Affairs Forum AFSA was pleased to partici- pate in this spring’s Santa Fe World Affairs Forum sympo- sium titled, “Crisis in Migra- tion; a NewWorld of Walls?” which took place April 18-19 at St. John’s College. SFWAF is a member organization co-founded by retired Foreign Service Officer Patricia Kushlis and, since 2003, has served as a place for New Mexicans to broaden and deepen their understanding of world affairs. This year’s SFWAF sympo- sium called attention to the recent unprecedented flows of people who have had to abandon their homes due to civil conflict, not only in Syria but from Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan to Somalia, El Salvador and Honduras. The event hall was packed to capacity, with more than 100 university and college students, civic, business and government leaders, former Fulbright scholars, ex-Peace Corps volunteers, Los Ala- mos scientists and Foreign Service retirees. Participants received a global overview of refugee flows throughout history, did a deep dive on U.S. and European Union policies sur- rounding the current crisis in Syria, explored factors contributing to Latin Ameri- can migration, dabbled in the implications of climate change on displacement and discussed the practical and ethical implications of such events for local communities like Santa Fe. The symposium featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including Distin- guished Senior Fellow and President Emeritus of the Migration Policy Institute and President of MPI Europe Dr. Demetrios Papademetriou, retired Ambassadors Joseph Wilson and Vicki Huddleston (an AFSA member), the International Organization on Migration’s Costa Rica-based Regional Liaison and Policy Officer Salvador Gutierrez and Mayor of Santa Fe Javier Gonzalez. AFSA Director of Professional Policy Issues Maria Liv- ingston attended and made copies of the April issue of The Foreign Service Journal — on humanitarian diplomacy—avail- able to participants. “This event was excep- tionally well planned and executed,” said AFSA Presi- dent Ambassador Barbara Stephenson. “Pat and the entire SFWAF team are doing tremendous work to educate the community about the importance of diplomacy and development in helping to solve some of the world’s most looming crises.” Discussion resulted in collective agreement on the importance of investing in diplomatic solutions to help address the many chal- lenges associated with forced migration. Pat Kushlis is a retired Symposium attendees enjoy a moment with SFWAF President Pat Kushlis (right). COURTESYOFROGERTOLL public diplomacy officer who served in Europe, Asia and at U.S. Information Agency Headquarters. In retirement, she co-writes the foreign affairs blog WhirledView and chairs SFWAF, whose volunteer board collaborated with several N.M.-based retired FSOs and others in the community to make the symposium possible. Visit www.sfwaf.org for more information. AFSA is proud to sup- port Foreign Service retir- ees who are working to increase awareness and understanding of the many ways diplomacy and develop- ment protect and promote America’s people, interests and values. Please let us know about your events at member@ afsa.org or feel free to add your activities to the “events” tab in the online forum AFSA Community. n —Maria C. Livingston, Director of Professional Policy Issues U.S.Ambassador Vicki Huddleston speaks on her years as chief of the U.S. Interest Section in Havana, Cuba. COURTESYOFROGERTOLL St. John’s College provided a setting conducive to discussions about migration and diplomacy. COURTESYOFROGERTOLL