The Foreign Service Journal, September 2010

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 15 number of nominations went up this year, a trend that hopefully will con- tinue. However, more can still be done. AFSA will build on the positive mo- mentum by finding additional ways to publicize these unique awards, both within the pages of the Journal (and perhaps including the cover) and be- yond. For our system to function at max- imum effectiveness, the individuals working in it, who are in the best posi- tion to point out its flaws, must advo- cate steps to correct them. All AFSA members can be part of this important effort in two ways: by speaking up and speaking out to make a difference; and by nominating someone else who has. Winning a constructive dissent award is not the reason to take on the system; making it more effective is. In that spirit, these unique awards are in- tended to encourage and provide meaningful recognition to those willing to make a challenging, important con- tribution. ■ Ambassador Edward L. Peck, a For- eign Service officer from 1956 to 1989, was chief of mission in Iraq and Mau- ritania. In 1974, he won AFSA’s Will- iam R. Rivkin Award for constructive dissent by a mid-level FSO, persuad- ing the Department of State to change the rules for joint-caption telegrams to clarify and protect the chain of com- mand from the Secretary. (He may also be the only FSO to win a griev- ance against the department and then go on to an ambassadorship.) Amb. Peck lectured at the Foreign Service Institute on the subject of ad- vocacy and dissent for more than 20 years. A former retiree representative on the AFSA Governing Board, he has served on the Awards and Plaques Committee for more than 30 years. S P E A K I N G O U T These unique awards are intended to provide meaningful recognition to those willing to make a contribution.