The Foreign Service Journal, November 2008

assigned responsibilities. Winners receive a monetary reward of $2,500 and a framed certificate. The first Constructive Dissent Award was established by the family of Ambassa- dorWilliamR. Rivkin in1968 tohonor his memory. The two sons ofWilliamRivkin wrote in the July-August AFSANews that their father “relished open, respectful debate as the best path to sound decision- making.” After his appointment by Presi- dent Kennedy as ambassador to Luxem- burg and later to Senegal, Mr. Rivkin was delighted to findmanyprofessional Foreign Service employees who were willing to speak up and express their opinions. He encouraged their independent judgment and willingness to offer alternatives to the status quo. The AFSA dissent awards are unique, because they are not based on per- formance. No other organization or agency in the U.S. government has a similar pro- gram. Thinkabout theForeignServiceofficers and specialists you know. Who has de- monstratedstrengthof characterunder fire? Whohas stoodup forwhat is right? Success is not a requirement. The willingness to ask the tough questions and pursue the answers is what counts. The official call for dissent award nominationswill be in theDecember AFSA News. The four awards are: the Christian A. Herter Award for a Senior Foreign Serviceofficer, theWilliamR.RivkinAward for amid-level Foreign Service officer, the W. Averell HarrimanAward for an entry- level Foreign Service officer, and the Tex Harris Award for a Foreign Service spe- cialist. In addition to the four dissent awards, AFSAalsooffers threeawards for exemplary performance and extraordinary contribu- tions toprofessionalism,morale and effec- tiveness. These are: theAvisBohlenAward, for aForeignService familymemberwhose relations with the American and foreign communities at post have done the most toadvanceAmerican interests; theDelavan Award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to effectiveness, profession- alismandmorale by anFSOfficeManage- ment Specialist; and theM. Juanita Guess Award, for outstanding service as a Com- munity Liaison Officer. American staffing (mostlyForeignService) by3,441over thenext fiveyears—agrowth of 43 percent. • IncreaseUSAIDdirect-hireAmerican staffing (mostly Foreign Service) by 1,250 over the next five years — a growth of 62 percent. Also increase USAID local-em- ployee staffing, while eliminating 700 short-termAmerican positions. •Create aForeignService training com- plement equivalent to 15 percent of regu- lar operational staffing in order to permit a significant increase in training. •Greatlyexpandpublicdiplomacyactiv- ities, especially educational and cultural exchanges, toachieve amorepositive glob- al attitude toward the United States. • Significantly increase funding to per- mit ambassadors to respond effectively to humanitarian and political emergencies. • Transfer authority over selected se- curity assistanceprograms—totaling$785 million annually — to the Depart- ment of State from the Department of Defense. • Establish a robust surge capacity for reconstruction and stabilization efforts under the authorityof theSecretaryof State. The report finds that a failure to act on theseurgent needswould leaveAmerica ill- equipped to carry out the leadership role requiredby our global interests or respond to problems including terrorism, nuclear proliferation, failed states, environmental degradation, pandemics and many other issues that demand U.S. involvement and presence around the world. The report’s release was accompanied by briefings to influential lawmakers and major media by senior members of the AmericanAcademyofDiplomacy, includ- ingAmbassadorsThomas Boyatt, Thomas Pickering, Edward Rowell and Ronald Neumann, alongwithStimsonCenter fed- eral budget experts Richard Nygard and GordonAdams. TheAcademy is currently conducting a nationwide public education programto explain the realities of the State Department andForeignService today, and howthose institutions canbe strengthened to make our diplomacy more effective. AFSA President JohnNaland served on the advisory group that guided the prepa- ration of the report. The report is available online at: www.academyofdiplomacy.org . NOV EMB E R 2 0 0 8 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 79 A F S A N E W S The report finds that a failure to act on these urgent needs would leave America ill-equipped to carry out the leadership role required by our global interests. AAD Study • Continued from page 75 AFSA Awards • Continued from page 75 AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Congress Expands R&R Options AFSA has been involved in efforts to expand Foreign Service rest and recupera- tion travel to U.S. territories and posses- sions. H.R. 3568, a bill authored by Representative Luis Fortuno, R-Puerto Rico, amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to permit R&R travel for Foreign Service members and family members to U.S. territories that include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. AFSA is pleased to report that the mea- sure has passed the House and Senate as part of H.R. 6456 and has been signed into law by the president (Public Law 110-321). Special thanks go to AFSAmember Ramon Negron, who worked closely with AFSA’s Legislative Affairs Director Ian Houston on this issue. We are grateful to Rep. Fortuno and the many members of Congress who came out in support of the initiative.