The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

14 SEPTEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL “Dissent 51” Stirs Debate T hrough the summer, media reports led to commentary from all corners on what is now known as “Dissent 51,” the mid-June State Department Dissent Chan- nel message submitted by 51 members of the Foreign Service criticizing the Syria policy of the Obama administration and urging a stronger military response to the crisis. Though the message was leaked to the press, the names of the signatories have not been published. Coverage has addressed the details of U.S. policy toward Syria and the dissenters’ critique of it, as well as the merits of official dissent. Dissent 51 shows that the system of checks and balances is working as it should, Georgetown University law profes- sor Neal Katyal writes in a July 1 op-ed in The New York Times . It shows that the pre s- ident is not surrounded by “yes-people.” Katyal argues that inter- and intra- agency debates allow for second thoughts and new perspectives and, ultimately, make for better decisions. “When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” Writing for The Huffington Post on July 5, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin quotes journalist and diplomat Edward R. Morrow in celebrating dissent in the Foreign Service. Ambassador Rivkin also congratulated Jefferson Smith, winner of AFSA’s 2016 William R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent by a Mid-Level Officer. Named for the ambassador’s late father, the award was presented at AFSA’s annual awards ceremony on June 23 (see coverage in AFSA News). Without commenting on the specif- ics of Dissent 51, Amb. Rivkin praised Secretary of State John Kerry’s decision to sit down with the dissenters and give them a careful hearing, adding that the depart- ment’s culture of independent thought has helped strengthen U.S. foreign policy. Somewhat farther afield, in a column in the Indian daily Asian Age , retired Indian Ambassador Skand Tayal discussed State’s Dissent Channel and the possibility that a similar institution in India’s Ministry of External Affairs might lead to a more serious consideration of options in foreign policy deliberations. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor First U.S. Ambassador to Somalia in 25 Years S tephen Schwartz, the first U.S. ambas- sador to Somalia in more than 25 years, took his oath on June 27 and headed to Mogadishu in late July. A career FSO with 24 years in the Foreign Service, Amb. Schwartz has spent the majority of his career in Africa. He has served in South Africa, Cuba, Kenya, Burundi, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Zambia and Washington, D.C., where he was director of the Office of West African Affairs from 2013 to 2015 and director of the Office of Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island Affairs from 2015 until being named ambassador. The last American envoy to Somalia, Ambassador James Keough Bishop, was forced to leave the country in January 1991, just before the final collapse of the Siad Barre government and the outbreak of the Somali civil war. After two decades of virtual lawless- ness, a new, internationally recognized government was established in Somalia in 2012. The country continues to face grave economic problems and multiple security threats, particularly from the terrorist group al-Shabaab. Amb. Schwartz has stated that the United States will focus on helping the still-young government build and solidify political, industrial, military, economic and service infrastructure. He will divide his time between the embassy in Nairobi and “The Ark,” a windowless bunker at Mogadishu’s airport, but hopes to re- establish a U.S. embassy in the capital in the coming years. Another of his stated goals is to strengthen ties between Somalia and members of the Somalian diaspora living in the United States. —Shannon Mizzi, Editorial Assistant The Rise of Twiplomacy T wiplomacy—or “Twitter-diplo- macy”—has gone from being an afterthought to one of the first thoughts of world leaders and governments, accord- ing to a recent study by public relations firm Burson-Marsteller. Twitter is the social media platform of choice for most governments—only 20 countries do not have a presence. Presi- dent Barack Obama, one of the earliest adopters of Twitter (his @BarackObama handle went live in March 2007), is the most followed world leader, with more than 137 million followers from his per- sonal and institutional accounts. Twitter is being used to create a virtual diplomatic network. The State Depart- ment has 3.3 million followers and main- tains connections with 213 missions and heads of missions on Twitter. In fact, the @StateDept account re-established ties with its Cuban counterpart two months before official diplomatic relations resumed in July 2015. Twitter keeps track of the most-talked- about or “trending” topics at all times. Examples of “hashtag diplomacy” to draw attention to specific issues are #bringback- ourgirls (relating to the kidnap of Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram) and #END Violence (a campaign to end violence against children). TALKING POINTS