The Foreign Service Journal, October 2008

66 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / OC T OB E R 2 0 0 8 A FSA will be publishing a new edi- tion of our popular book, Inside a U.S. Embassy , andwewelcome and need your assistance finding the best peo- ple to profile and the best stories to tell. Inside a U.S. Embassy is one of AFSA’s most effective outreach resources for edu- cating the public — both in the U.S. and overseas — about the role of the U.S. Foreign Service. Published in 2003, and updated in2005, thebook is still sellingwell, andour inventory is getting low. The total number of books sold to date approaches 65,000. In just themonthof July this year, we sold1,059 copies, which tells us that this unique look inside the Foreign Service career is still needed. The book has become amust-read for anyone considering a Foreign Service career, and is being used in over 35 uni- versity foreignaffairs courses. Military insti- tutions and embassies purchase hundreds of copies a year. The bookhasmaintained a high Amazon sales rank since its 2003 publication. Now it is time for an updated and expandededition. Like the current edition, thenewonewill contain profilesof out- standingcolleagues serving ineverykind of Foreign Service job in an embassy. The mix of profilees will take into account geography and mission size, aswe aimfordiversity inrepresentation. We will also again include a series of “day inthe life”entries—hour-by-hour accounts of a “typical” (and interesting ) day on the job in the Foreign Service. Andwewill include stories of the extra- ordinary — the Foreign Service in actionduring crises, political upheaval, natural disaster, etc. We need submissions from every region of the globe, from every type of U.S.mission, fromthe large embassy to the small consulate and the Provincial ReconstructionTeam. Andweare seek- ing submissions frompeople serving in every kind of FS position. An advisory committee will select submissions to be included. Please contact Inside a U.S. Embassy EditorShawnDormanatdorman@afsa.org tovolunteertobeprofiledortorecommend a colleague, or to submit a story or a day- in-the-life entry. Stories andday-in-the-life submissions should be 600-800 words. Please see excerpts on the book’s Web site at www.afsa.org/inside. Youcanalso find more informationabout thecurrent edition as well as updates on this project there. o A F S A N E W S AFSA NEWS BRIEFS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Give Them a Clue about What You Do consulates. We are fighting uphill battles todefend the image of the ForeignService in the media. We are negotiating count- less issues with management at State and the other foreign affairs agencies to ensure fairness inassignments andpromotions, to preserve family-friendly policies, and to improve the conditions of work at our diplomatic posts all over the world. We continue to play a vital role as the watch- dog for management’s adherence to the rules and procedures that govern every aspect of the lives of ForeignServicemem- bers. Please look over the jobs available and consider running for an AFSA Governing Board position, or nominate a colleague. Thiselectionisforaboardthatwilltakeoffice July 15, 2009, and serve for two years. President (full-time) Vice President for State (full-time) Vice President for USAID (full-time) Vice President for FCS (half-time) Vice President for FAS (full-time) Vice President for Retirees Secretary Treasurer State Representative (nine positions) USAIDRepresentative (one position) FCS Representative (one position) FAS Representative (one position) IBBRepresentative (one position) Retiree Representative (three posi- tions) Please consider joining the AFSA Governing Board and ensuring that the voice of the Foreign Service is heard by management, on the Hill and around the country. o Governing Board • Continued from page 61 Seeking AFSA Post Reps Help serve your community by volunteering to be the AFSA represen- tative for your post. Post reps help keep headquarters connected to the 70 per- cent of AFSAmembership overseas. The authority and responsibilities of an AFSA post rep are spelled out in the AFSA Chapter Manual ( www.afsa.org/ postreps/manual.cfm ). For more information, or if you don’t know if your post currently has an AFSA rep, check in with the AFSAmembership department at member@afsa.org .