The Foreign Service Journal, September 2017

64 SEPTEMBER 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS all showed that leadership.” Ambassador Charles Rivkin presented the Wil- liam R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent by a Mid-Level Foreign Service Officer, to Wendy Brafman in recognition of her efforts to enhance transparency and accountability in Uganda’s intercountry adoption sys- tem. Amb. Rivkin then honored four current and former presidents of the Asian American Foreign Affairs Association for their tena- cious efforts to improve the assignment restrictions process at the Department of State. The hard work of Chris- tina T. Le, Cecilia S. Choi, Mariju L. Bofill and Thomas T. Wong paid off when a new Foreign Affairs Manual chap- ter was issued in November 2016, adding increased transparency to the process. Amb. Bill Harrop then pre- sented the F. Allen ‘Tex’ Har- ris Award for Constructive Dissent by a Foreign Service Specialist to Elzar T. Camper, a Diplomatic Security spe- cial agent at U.S. Embassy Cairo. Mr. Camper authored a dissent cable arguing against State Department policy, which he feels has not empowered and promoted Diplomatic Security to lead in implementing many of the increased screening objec- tives which are already spelled out in its own programs. [The department] is not without its blemishes, but it is wholly willing to acknowledge them, then fix them. That’s what makes State great. —Thomas T. Wong We applaud and continuously promote the indispensable role that diplomats and development professionals play in protecting and serving America’s people, interests and values. —John S. Wood Obedience is not patriotism... The importance the department has historically placed on the value of dissenting opinions speaks to the ideal of hope. —Elzar T. Camper From left, Under Secretary of State Tom Shannon, acting Under Secretary Bruce Wharton, Assistant Secretary Daniel Bennett Smith, Ambassador (ret.) Ruth Davis, Senator Richard Lugar, Charles Stuart ‘Stu’ Kennedy and USAID Counselor Tom Staal attended the AFSA awards ceremony on June 20 to show their support for AFSA and to congratulate the award winners. AFSA/TOYASARNOJORDAN AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson (right) with 2017 Lifetime Contributions to American Diplomacy recipient Ambassador (ret.) Nancy Powell in the Department of State’s C Street lobby, ahead of the AFSA awards ceremony on June 20. AFSA/TOYASARNOJORDAN