The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2014

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2014 65 AFSA NEWS institution-building. He thinks that China cannot force the United States out of the Asian region. If the United States can resolve some of its current political divisions, upgrade its diplomatic services and enjoy stronger leadership going forward, Pascoe concluded, it will continue to exert a vibrant, positive influence on Asian stability and security for decades to come. Amb. Pascoe also pre- sented a talk to a special class of some 70 advanced students and faculty on “The Nexus Between U.S. Diplomacy and the U.N.” He stressed that despite its daunting global political and financial obstacles, the United Nations has been doing bet- ter in conflict management in recent years, mainly due to improved management, much of which has been fostered by American diplomats. In addition, he said, the organization is relying more on capable NGOs, which sometimes operate more effi- ciently than the U.N. bureau- cracy. Pascoe also briefly spoke about Foreign Service careers, exhorting students to take the entrance exam as soon as convenient. In his closing remarks, English again praised AFSA for developing this valuable partnership. n —Tom Switzer, Speakers Bureau Director USC continued from page 49 Federal Benefits Event Draws a Full House On May 19, AFSA welcomed Paula Jakub of the Ameri- can Foreign Service Protective Association for an encore of her popular seminar, “The Coordination of Medicare and FEHB,” explaining the intricacies of fed- eral benefits. Our members responded strongly, as we had a packed house —more than 110 people attended. A complete recording of the event is available at www. afsa.org/video; for a copy of Ms. Jakub’s PowerPoint presentation, please contact Matt Sumrak at sumrak@ afsa.org . ÁSGEIRSIGFÚSSON