The Foreign Service Journal, September 2016

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | SEPTEMBER 2016 17 According to the Federal Records Act of 2014, use of a “non-official electronic messaging account” for official (unclas- sified) business is permissible, provided that messages are forwarded to an “official electronic messaging account” within 20 days. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor Traveling with Pets O n July 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service launched a new website intended to help interna- tional travelers easily determine travel requirements for pets. APHIS Pet Travel provides informa- tion for pets traveling to more than 130 countries and territories, as well as requirements for bringing pets into the United States. Since other federal agencies may be involved in the importation of pets to the United States, the new APHIS website links to those agencies’ information, too, making it easier to ensure that your pet has the correct paperwork to travel to and from the United States. We know that for many members of the Foreign Service, their pet is a family mem- ber. We hope that the new APHIS website will be useful to all those looking to take their pets to their next overseas post. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor A Radical Proposal for USAID A radical redefinition of USAID’s core mission has been proposed by Max Boot, a senior national security fel- low at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Michael Miklaucic, a career USAID employee and now a senior fellow at the National Defense University, in a recent article featured on ForeignPolicy.com. “The U.S. needs a dedicated nation- building agency—not to undertake military occupations but to avoid them, by helping allied governments to secure their own territory without need for large numbers of American troops,” the We are living in a world of crises, mistrust and uncertainty. Here is our Olympic answer: The 10,000 best athletes in the world, competing with each other, at the same time living peacefully together in one Olympic Village, sharing their meals and their emotions. In this Olympic world there is one universal rule for everybody. We are all equal. .... With the greatest respect we welcome the refugee Olympic team. Dear refugee athletes, you are sharing a message of hope to all of the refugees around the world. You had to flee from your homes because of violence, hunger, or just because you were different. ... In this Olympic world we do not just tolerate diversity, we welcome you as an enrichment to our unity and diversity. —International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, speaking at the Opening Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5. Contemporary Quote