The Foreign Service Journal, December 2006

information about how to advance your career; tips on dealing effective- ly with the bureaucracy at State and the other foreign affairs agencies, especially when you are trying to resolve a problem; and updates on how AFSA is working to improve working and living conditions for Foreign Service employees and their families. Much of that coverage is found, of course, within the pages of AFSA News (now part of the magazine’s “white pages”). That section offers many different ways for members to share their experiences, thoughts and concerns regarding professional issues, including the following departments: Family Member Matters, Of Special- (ist) Concern (a forum for specialists), Where to Retire, The System and You, Memo of the Month and The Lighter Side (FS humor). Con- tact Journal Associate Editor Shawn Dorman for more information at dorman@afsa.org . Another place to look for such items is our periodic FS Know-How section. We welcome contributions on topics ranging frommanaging one’s career and cutting red tape to parlay- ing one’s professional skills in retire- ment, as well as financial information and guidance for Foreign Service per- sonnel. There are many other ways you can contribute to our pages, of course. The Speaking Out department is your forum to advocate policy, regula- tory or statutory changes to the Foreign Service. These columns (approximately 1,500 words long) can be based on personal experience with an injustice or offer insights into a for- eign affairs-related issue. Our Reflections page features short commentaries (approximately 600 words long) based on personal experiences while living or traveling overseas. These submissions should center on insights gained as a result of interactions with other cultures, rather than being descriptive “travel pieces.” Note that we are also pleased to con- sider poetry and photographs for pub- lication, either in that section or as freestanding features. Please note that all submissions to the Journal must be approved by our Editorial Board and are subject to editing for style, length and format. For information on how to submit a column, article or letter, please contact us at authors@afsa.org ; we will be delighted to respond. For other inquiries — changes of address, sub- scriptions, etc. — e-mail us at journal @ afsa.org. Let us hear from you. 20 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 6 L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL 2007 EDITORIAL CALENDAR JANUARY “Best & Worst Posts” survey (cover story) FEBRUARY Prospects for Bush administration foreign policy in final two years MARCH Militarization of the FS (Iraq War’s impact) (PLUS: AFSA Annual Report) APRIL Russia MAY The FS career life-cycle JUNE Iran (PLUS: semiannual SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT ) JULY/AUGUST Promoting nonproliferation: controlling WMDs & delivery systems (PLUS: Summer fiction winner(s) and AFSA Award winners) SEPTEMBER Human Rights & the “Global War on Terror” OCTOBER The U.S. borders (Mexico & Canada posts and related issues) NOVEMBER Non-foreign affairs agencies at overseas posts (PLUS: “In Their Own Write”— annual roundup of books by FS authors) DECEMBER Religion and diplomacy (PLUS: semiannual SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENT ) The Speaking Out department is your forum to advocate policy, regulatory or statutory changes to the Foreign Service.