The Foreign Service Journal, October 2011

O C T O B E R 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 5 In my July-August column, “Moving Forward Together,” I described the unprecedented challenges that AFSA and the entire Foreign Service currently face. Chief among these is the urgent need for more effective advocacy for diplomacy and de- velopment and for the diplomatic pro- fession, making clear the harmful consequences of deep cuts to the inter- national affairs budget. This agenda calls for a strong, collective response frommembers of the Foreign Service. I also reviewed actions that AFSA has taken to strengthen its institutional capacity to serve our members, pro- mote professional excellence and be a more effective voice for the Foreign Service. And I identified three areas where, as a professional association, AFSA has a lead role: raising the profile and credibility of diplomacy, enhancing the professionalism and quality of American diplomacy, and promoting the effectiveness of our member agen- cies. The Congressional Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (aka the Supercommittee) has formally con- vened to begin tackling the task of find- ing ways to reduce the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade. The choices this committee makes could lead to further deep cuts in the interna- tional affairs budget for Fiscal Year 2013, on top of serious cuts to the FY 2011 and 2012 budget requests. Where cuts are necessary, they should come from the large program component of the 150 Account rather than from the people side. Pro- grams can be restarted easily; reductions in people cannot be easily reversed, and they un- dermine our ability to conduct diplo- macy. All AFSAmembers should have re- ceived the annual fundraising letter from AFSA-PAC, our political action committee. As that letter stresses, the fiscal and political environment has perhaps never been more threatening for the Foreign Service, even as the global challenges and competition we face demand more, rather than less, “diplomatic readiness.” We need to take our efforts to the next level, and we need your support and engage- ment to do it. Here are some of the specific actions AFSA and AFSA members can take in that regard: Contribute to AFSA’s nonpartisan PAC. If you have given before, please give again. If not, now is the time to start. Grow our retiree membership. “Once a member of the Foreign Serv- ice, always a member” should be our motto. Yet only 25 percent of Foreign Service retirees currently support AFSA. If you are not one of these, please join (or rejoin) our ranks. Organize a domestic AFSA rep net- work. We will be reaching out to retiree members in each state for ideas. The goal is to generate maximum synergy around our advocacy for diplomacy and support for the Foreign Service. Secure a seat for AFSA on the Board of theMuseumof AmericanDiplomacy. This entails raising $500,000 from our members so that we can contribute to the concept and execution of this long- overdue, important enterprise, which has huge potential as an excellent edu- cational tool for diplomacy. Your con- tributions and support will be vital. Develop AFSA seminars and courses on professional issues, coordinating with the Foreign Service Institute. These courses would be run by master practitioners of diplomacy and profes- sional educators, on topics ranging from professional ethics for diplomats to high-quality seminar discussions on the politics and culture of key countries and regions, to enhance the effectiveness of our diplomats. We welcome your sug- gestions on what is most needed in this regard. I hope that this short, illustrative list will inspire you both to join our efforts and to offer feedback and suggestions. Remember that AFSA is the only insti- tution that represents all Foreign Serv- ice members, and that “diplomatic readiness” is more than a slogan— it is an imperative. I look forward to hearing your thoughts; please send them to John- son@afsa.org. P RESIDENT ’ S V IEWS Taking AFSA’s Efforts to the Next Level B Y S USAN R. J OHNSON