The Foreign Service Journal, November 2012

14 NOVEMBER 2012 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL TALKING POINTS The Way to a Country’s Heart? W riting in the Sept. 4 Washington Post , food critic Tom Sietsema reports on an ambitious new State Department program to use food as a diplomatic tool. Initiated by Chief of Protocol Capricia Penavic Marshall and blessed by her boss, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership aims to “elevate the role of culinary engagement in America’s formal and public diplomacy efforts.” The State Department officially launched the DCP at a Sept. 7 reception, building on a longtime informal partner ship with th e James Beard Foundation, named for the late dean of American cooking. “James used to say, ‘Food is our common ground,’” says Beard Foundation President Susan Ungaro. “He would be thrilled by chefs getting recognition in ways they never have before.” Among other elements, the wide- ranging initiative creates an American Chef Corps, a network of culinary leaders from across the United States who can be deployed to promote American cooking and agricultural products abroad. Participants might meet with an embassy, cook a lunch, post blogs, write articles or speak at events, explains Marshall. Such outreach predates the Diplomatic Culinary Partnership, of course. Sietsema notes that during the Chicago NATO Summit in May, world leaders enjoyed snack-size tastes of such Windy City favorites as deep-dish pizzas, popcorn and pierogis. “All of our eating is purposeful,” wherever it takes place, says U.S. Deputy Chief of Protocol Natalie Jones. “There’s a message behind everything.” Recipients of the State Chef desig- nation, all unpaid emissaries, will receive navy-blue jackets set off with an American flag, the seal of the State Department and their names embroidered in gold on the front. The honor will be reserved for industry members who have distinguished themselves by, say, serving a meal for the State Department or hosting a foreign delegation. Clinton’s interest in food dates to her days as first lady, when Marshall served as her social secretary, and the super- frequent-flyer’s enthusiasm has only broadened since. While hunger, security and nutrition issues are at the top of her food agenda, she has encouraged her staff to come up with fresh ways of extending hospitality to foreign guests who are possibly jet-lagged or on a different body clock. A holding room might come with tea flavored to remind them of home (hibiscus for the Mexicans, cardamom for the Indians). Table accompaniments now include spreads, flatbreads and nuts: welcoming snacks for visitors who might not have seen food for a while or who must wait for a speech before getting a full meal. “Factoring in others’ tastes, ceremonies and values is an over- looked and powerful part of diplomacy,” Clinton told the Post . “The working meals I attend with foreign leaders build stronger bonds between countries and offer an important setting to further the vital diplomatic work we conduct every day.” The program is being supported with public and private funds from such contributors as Mars, the food manufacturing giant, and Lenox, the high-end china and gift producer. “Finding partners has not been difficult,” says Marshall, who adds: “The Diplomatic Culinary Partnership is good for American business.” 50 Years Ago E veryone who has concerned himself over the years with the problems of improving the Department of State and Foreign Service has at one time or another tried to face up to one central problem: how to produce in the same individual officer the skills of the foreign affairs operator and policymaker, and the skills of the executive director directing the work of others. I am reminded of a young manage- ment specialist we had in the Department of State some 15 years ago. He was sent on a familiarization tour of Foreign Service posts, and returned quite despondent. Everywhere he went, he said, he found older FSOs working themselves to death while young officers sat around without enough to do. “How are we going to get those old boys to learn to delegate their duties?” he demanded. After he had brooded over this for a fewminutes, his face lit up, and he exclaimed,“I’ve got it! We’ll circularize the field and ask every post to list their indispensable men. Then we’ll retire all the indispensable men, and start over!” —From“Executive Ability in the Foreign Service,” by Frank Snowden Hopkins; FSJ, November 1962