The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 15 Hashtags serve as a rallying cry, help- ing to give recognition to causes and often bringing them to an international audience. So what’s next?The Twiplomacy study has found that world leaders who are active on Twitter have also embraced Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Now governments and foreign ministries are increasingly turning to niche apps, such as Snapchat, Vine and Periscope, to reach the next generation of voters. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor Work for Uncle Sam? Be Careful About Wading into the 2016 Election A mericans have no shortage of strong feelings about this year’s presiden- tial race. But federal government workers need to be careful about what they say about the race, says Josh Lederman of the Associated Press. There is a complex web of restrictions This depiction of the virtual diplomatic network is color-coded by geographic area, with red indicating Latin America, teal Europe, turquoise North America, yellow Europe/ Asia, white Asia, deep blue Oceania, grey regional, pink Africa and bright green Asia/ Oceania. BURSON-MARSTELLER which limits political activity by govern- ment workers, especially when they’re on the clock. Not all the rules are obvious, and they vary widely for different types of employees. As election season heats up, agencies from the White House to the U.S. Postal Service are trying to educate workers about what they can and can’t do without violating the Hatch Act. Under the Hatch Act, government employees in the United States cannot engage in political activity while they are on duty or in their office or work vehicle, with few exceptions. In their private time, federal employees are free to advocate for candidates, donate money, even speak at a rally or fundraiser, as long as they don’t mention their official titles. But they can’t solicit or collect dona- tions from others, even on their own time. Members of the Foreign Service and their families posted overseas, who are “on duty” 24/7, are prohibited from partici- pating in any partisan political activities related to U.S. elections. The only excep- tion is if they are acting in a “nonpartisan official capacity.” Even Secretary of State John Kerry has to be careful. In June he had to deflect a question about the presidential candi- dates when asked by a student at Oxford University. “I’m not allowed under our law to get into, actually full-throatedly, into the middle of the campaign,” Kerry said before moving on to another topic. For detailed information on the Hatch Act and State Department rules on politi- cal activity, see the AFSA website, www. afsa.org/hatchact. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor Travel Advisories ... on the United States T hree countries have issued travel warnings urging their citizens to stay on guard when traveling to the United States, The World Post reported on July 10. Following several shootings by police officers, protests under the banner of Black Lives Matter and the killing of five police officers in Dallas, Bahrain warned its citizens to “be cautious of protests or crowded areas.” The Bahamas suggested that visitors to the United States should be care- ful when visiting U.S. cities due to “the shooting of young black males by police officers,” telling Bahamian travelers (90 percent of whom identify as being of African heritage) “to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interac- tions with the police.” The United Arab Emirates advised stu- dents and visitors in the United States as follows: “Please be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid crowded places when possible.”