The Foreign Service Journal, October 2009

O C T O B E R 2 0 0 9 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 71 S ecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the first-place award for AFSA’s 2009 National High School Essay Contest to Brian Parker on June 14. Brian, a 12th-grader at Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Md., submitted his winning essay on the subject, “Challenges to the U.S. Foreign Service: The Israeli-Pales- tinian Conflict.” Lynn Parker, Brian’s mother, and Sharon Cohen, his teacher and mentor, were also received by Sec. Clinton. Thirty finalists received honorable mention certificates for their excellent essays. An AFSA advisory panel of judges selected the win- ners. This year’s win- ning essay was deemed one of the most out- standing submissions in the history of the contest. The first-place award comes with a check for $2,500. The goal of AFSA’s High School Essay Con- test, now in its tenth year, is to stimulate interest in a Foreign Service career among American high school students across the country and abroad. AFSA promotes the contest widely through direct mailings to social studies teachers, as well as through list- ings on various Web sites, including Facebook . In that way teachers, as well as students, are made more aware of the role of the Foreign Service. The 2009 contest generated more than 250 submissions from high school students nationwide. Students were asked to analyze and explain how For- eign Service members promote U.S. na- tional interests by participating in the resolution of today’s major interna- tional problems. The contest is open to all students in grades nine through 12 attending a pub- lic, private, parochial or home school, or participating in a high school corre- spondence program anywhere in the U.S., as well as U.S. citizen students at- tending schools overseas. Students whose parents are members of the U.S. Foreign Service or have served on the advisory committee are not eligible. AFSA consultant Perri Green de- serves much credit for ably administer- ing the contest since its inception in 1999. For more information about the essay contest and to read this year’s win- ning essay, please go to www.afsa.org/ essaycontest. ❏ disciplinary action, seek the advice of the Regional Security Of- ficer or your agency’s security office if in doubt about whether to report. AFSA attorneys are also available to give confidential advice regarding these issues. The regulations cited below apply to all employees and con- tractors under chief-of-mission authority as well as State De- partment employees and contractors assigned to the United States. Employees of other foreign affairs agencies serving in the United States should check with their agency’s security of- fices for reporting requirements, or contact AFSA’s attorneys for guidance. Foreign Contract Reporting Requirements Key requirements of the 12 FAM 262 and 12 FAM 274 reg- ulations include reporting unofficial contacts from critical HUMINT threat posts if both parties agree to a second meet- ing; reporting “contact and/or associations with persons or or- ganizations who the employee knows or suspects advocate the unlawful overthrow of the U.S. government,” or who are asso- ciated with foreign intelligence; and reporting a contact any time that “illegal or unauthorized access is sought to classified or sensitive information.” Contact reports should be made within one business day of the contact, using online FormDS-1887. The new rules define what DS considers to be a contact, which includes e-mail, text messaging and chat rooms. If an employee is unsure whether to report a contact, he or she must do so. The requirement to report relationships with foreign na- tionals from non-critical HUMINT threat countries involving continuing romantic or sexual intimacy has been eliminated. However, DS may legitimately question employees about such relationships, which could affect an employee’s security clear- ance or assignments. Requirement to Report Certain Personal Travel 12 FAM 264 and 12 FAM 276 advise that U.S. government employees at post must notify the RSO at least two weeks in A F S A N E W S Foreign Contacts • Continued from page 67 12TH GRADER WRITES ON ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT Sec. Clinton Hails AFSA Essay Contest Winner BY TOM SWITZER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Sec. Clinton presents the first-place 2009 essay award to Brian Parker, on June 14. AFSA President Susan Johnson is at right. MICHAEL GROSS Continued on page 74