The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2023

18 JULY-AUGUST 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL out despite the extraordinarily difficult circumstances at post. This work included the daily business of shaping official mes- saging in support of U.S. policy but also handling visits to the country fromU.S. officials at the highest level, such as that of President Biden in February 2023 . The section also engaged in long-term programming, including media develop- ment, civil society support, and English teaching, to help postwar Ukraine rebuild its human capital, strengthen democratic norms, and advance the rule of law. Onur Dizdar devised a novel strategy centered on game development to engage Turkish youth. After almost a year of prep- aration, his team launched the mission’s first-ever Tech Camp, a three-day event that led to dozens of gaming prototypes addressing one of three critical issues for the U.S. mission in Türkiye: combating climate change, gender-based violence, and disinformation. Six prototypes were selected to receive seed money for devel- opment into playable games. To mark the bicentennial of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico, Monica Sarmiento planned and coordi- nated more than 200 programs, engaging dozens of governmental, business, and academic entities on both sides of the border. Her work resulted in substantial donations from companies to support the American Spaces network in Mexico, as well as commitments frommore than 40 U.S. universities and colleges to promote greater opportunities for Mexican stu- dents to study in the United States. In an innovative effort to reach under- served and underdeveloped communities in rural parts of Albania, U.S. Embassy Tirana’s PD team packaged the most effective American Corner programs, put them on a branded tour bus, and traveled around the country. Visiting eight cities Former Appointees Speak Out on Iran O n May 8, former State Department officials published an open letter in The Washington Times calling for the cessation of diplomacy with Iran. The letter urges the Biden adminis- tration to “stop all diplomatic overtures toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and instead reimpose the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign … of isolation—dip- lomatic and economic—that worked in putting the regime on its heels, reining in its malign activities across the region, and restoring America’s deterrent against it.” Most of the 28 signatories are former Republican political appointee ambas- sadors, former Republican members of Congress, and conservative think tank fellows. The letter comes on the fifth anniversary of President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to with- draw the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, the Iran nuclear deal signed under President Barack Obama in 2015. Excellence in Public Diplomacy A t a virtual ceremony in early June, the Public Diplomacy Council of America honored the recipients of its annual awards for exemplary achieve- ment in public diplomacy. The awards went to four entries: U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s public diplomacy (PD) section; Onur Dizdar, cultural affairs assistant at the U.S. consulate in Istan- bul; Monica Sarmiento, strategic public engagement specialist at U.S. Embassy Mexico City; and the Mobile American Corner team at U.S. Embassy Tirana. The PD section in Kyiv was recog- nized for the range of activities it carried U.S. Embassy Tirana’s public diplomacy team created a Mobile American Corner to bring programming to under- served parts of Albania. U.S.EMBASSYTIRANA From the bottom of my heart: thank you, thank you, thank you. You’re not only changing America’s image; you’re in the process of changing the world. Thank you for representing our country overseas, protecting America’s interest all around the world. Thank you for the leadership you provide to Foreign Service officers, to the Civil Service, to developmental professionals, to locally employed people, and to everyone at your mission who brings diplomacy to life. Thank you for helping put diplomacy back at the center of American foreign policy. —President Joe Biden at a June 13 reception for U.S. chiefs of mission—the first time in 15 years that ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, and consuls general have been hosted at the White House during the annual Chiefs of Mission Conference. Contemporary Quote