The Foreign Service Journal, November 2016

16 NOVEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL spring as a way to transcend cultural boun- daries and provide a mediumof commu- nication among different ethnic groups. Her first event, A Taste of Iran, was a smash hit, and she plans to host a Palestinian-Israeli dinner later this fall. Half of the proceeds of each event go to organizations from the featured country, such as the Omid Foundation, which helps disadvantaged or abused Iranian women. Conflict Kitchen in Pittsburgh, Penn- sylvania, which also serves food from countries in conflict with the United States, was Ms. Heshmati’s inspiration. —Katherine Perroots, Editorial Intern Mumbai Charity Run Honors Diplomatic Security O n Oct. 1, the U.S. consul general in Mumbai, Thomas Vajda, led a 5-km. charity run to mark the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Diplomatic Secu- rity Service. The run is one of 100 races for charities sponsored by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security that are being held worldwide and in the United States throughout the bureau’s centenary year. Consul General Vajda was joined by more than 200 people representing the diplomatic community, law enforce- ment and many other groups. “It is an honor to participate in an initiative dedicated to honor the men and women who work hard to keep us safe at all times,” Vajda said. “And it’s an extra bonus to help raise money for a great organization through donations raised at our event,” he added. The proceeds from this race went to the Vatsalya Foundation, a nongov- ernmental organization that works with Mumbai’s street children. n —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor S oundCloud is a global online audio distribution platform based in Berlin that enables its users to upload, record, promote and share originally created sounds. The web- site attracts more than 175 million unique monthly listeners. The Department of State has its own SoundCloud channel at soundcloud.com/statedept , with 10 playlists (sets of audio recordings on a theme): Religion and Diplomacy, Global Views, Human Rights Heroes, Countering Violent Extremism (in Spanish and English), State of Diplomacy, Charting a New Course on Cuba, Inside Economic Diplomacy, Fighting Ebola, Conversations on Leadership and Meet the Ambas- sador. The Meet the Ambassador con- versations feature interviews with U.S. ambassadors, including: Richard Verma, India; Geoffrey Pyatt, Ukraine; Dana S. Smith, Qatar; Ted Osius, Viet- nam; Daniel Yohannes, OECD; Liliana Ayalde, Brazil; and Cynthia Akuetteh, Gabon and Sao Tome. The Conversations on Leader- ship playlist features discussions on leadership and what that means for the State Department and diplomacy. On Sept. 21, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson joined Director Gen- eral of the Foreign Service Arnold Chacón to discuss her career in the Foreign Service, her thoughts on leadership and on challenges ahead for U.S. diplomacy. The full conversation between Amb. Stephenson and DG Chacón can be found on the SoundCloud site or app (https:// soundcloud.com/mobile) .While none of the other foreign affairs agencies have SoundCloud stations yet, the search function and hash tags will take you to conversations related to USAID and the other agencies, some including interviews with officials from those agencies. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor SITE OF THE MONTH: www.soundcloud.com Gastrodiplomacy F ood is being used as a unifying force in new pop-up dining experiences and efforts by foreign governments to expand knowledge about their cultures in the United States. TheThai government, for example, has promoted an increase in “culinary diplo- macy” through the establishment of Thai restaurants in the United States since 2002. Elsewhere, individuals have launched restaurants to encourage cultural interac- tion and education between Americans and countries with which the United States is in conflict. Mana Heshmati, a Swedish-born chef of Iranian descent, started Peace Meal Kitchen in Detroit, Michigan, this past