The Foreign Service Journal, November 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | NOVEMBER 2018 77 AFSA NEWS AFSA’s Outreach Goes from Coast to Coast AFSA/ASGEIRSIGFUSSON Speakers at the Athenaeum Hotel in Chautauqua, N.Y., for AFSA’s Sept. 30-Oct. 5 Road Scholar program. From left to right: Ambassador (ret.) Robert Gribbin, Ambassador (ret.) Shari Villarosa, Ambassador (ret.) Deborah Jones, AFSA President Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, Ambassador (ret.) Robin Raphel and Ambassador (ret.) Shaun Donnelly. AFSA’s outreach efforts con- tinued apace in October, with much activity in the Speakers Bureau and new materials for speakers being produced on a regular basis. One Road Scholar pro- gram took place in Washing- ton, D.C., in October. That program, “What Diplomats Do and Why It Matters,” featured Foreign Service speakers on topics ranging from U.S. development policy to the art of peace nego- tiations. Among the many speakers were retired FSOs Molly Williamson and Dave Harden as well as Ambas- sador (ret.) Charles Ford. We thank all the participants for their efforts and continued support of our educational outreach initiatives. AFSA began a new three-week program in col- laboration with Smithsonian Associates last month. The first session took place on Oct. 17, with the subsequent sessions taking place on the 24th and the 31st. The speakers were retired FSOs Louis Sell, Douglas Wake and Constance Phlipot, as well as Jonathan Henick, acting deputy coordinator of the Global Engagement Center at the Department of State. AFSA President Ambas- sador Barbara Stephenson participated in two week-long outreach programs in Sep- tember and October. From Sept. 24 to 27, she was in California, where she spoke to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco and the San Diego Diplomacy Council. She also met with Foreign Service retirees in both cit- ies. Her visit to San Diego included an appearance on KUSI-TV’s “Good Morning San Diego,” where she told the audience about diplo- macy and what members of the Foreign Service do for America around the world. AFSA would like to particu- larly thank Ambassador (ret.) Joseph Sullivan and retired FSO Dean Haas for their assistance during her time in San Francisco and San Diego, respectively. The following week, Amb. Stephenson traveled to the Chautauqua Institution in western New York state to participate in a week-long AFSA Road Scholar program, “U.S. Foreign Policy for the 21st Century.” Speaking to a sold-out audience of around 150 participants, Amb. Ste- phenson was joined by five retired ambassadors as the featured speakers. They were Shaun Donnelly, Robert Grib- bin, Deborah Jones, Robin Raphel and Shari Villarosa. Topics during the week included “Trade in the Age of Trump,”“Can Western-Style Democracy Thrive in the Middle East?” and “Success in Africa.” Those participating in the program got a comprehen- sive look at diplomacy and the Foreign Service and came away equipped to educate friends and family about the importance of maintaining strong U.S. global leadership. Some of the materials used during the week are available at www.afsa.org/CHQ2018. While most AFSA out- reach takes place in person, on Oct. 25 we made use of webinar technology so that Amb. Stephenson could speak with AFSA retirees around the country who are unable to attend AFSA events in person. During the webinar, Amb. Stephenson discussed advocacy efforts, trends on hiring and senior appointments, and AFSA’s new program highlighting the importance of economic diplomacy and how it works for America. n