The Foreign Service Journal, December 2012

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2012 15 topics including family life, hiring, student programs and more, along with a special forum for veterans to pose questions. By adding the AFSA FS Blogs link, State has exponentially increased the amount and variety of real-life informa- tion available to current and prospective applicants. State introduces the link with the fol- lowing note: “In addition to these career- focused Forums, you can find more information on life in the Foreign Service at the American Foreign Service Associa- tion Web site through their expansive list of blogs written by and about those living the Foreign Service life.” There’s something for everyone on our blogs page. The list is divided into various categories, such as those written by State FSOs, State specialists, USAID FSOs, spouses and partners, families and retir- ees. If you would like us to add or remove your blog, please let us know by writing to FSblogs@afsa.org. Those of you considering blogging may also want to check out Matt Keene’s December 2011 Speaking Out column, “FS Blogging: An Opportunity, Not a Threat.” I n addition, the following posting on AFSA’s Web site offers useful tips to keep in mind about blogging: “AFSA Guid- ance on Personal Use of Social Media.” —Shawn Dorman, Associate Editor Recognizing Young Leaders in Foreign Policy T he Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy have once again joined forces to release a list of “Top 99 Under 33 Foreign Policy Leaders,” which is highlighted in the Diplomatic Courier ’s September/October issue. (The full list is available online.) With projects as innovative as “The Stinky Peace Project,” which converts organic waste into fuel in some of the world’s poorest nations, the write-up catalogs the achievements and aspirations of the “Millennial” generation’s movers and shakers. The selection committee sorted the peer-nominated “99ers” into seven dif- ferent leadership archetypes (although BY THE NUMBERS Percentage of Career Ambassador Appointments by Region Since 1960 —Asgeir Sigfusson, AFSA Director of Marketing/Outreach limiting each leader to one skill set proved challenging). State’s extensive influence in world affairs is most prominent in the “Practitioners” category of foreign policy leaders, defined as those who change foreign policy “from the inside through extraordinary professionalism and skill.” Here are some of the individuals the list spotlights: FSO Zainab Zaid, currently serving on the Saudi Arabia desk, joined State in 2007 and has served as a political and consular officer in Amman, and as assistant public affairs officer in Dharan. Nealin Parker, deputy director of USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, works on post-conflict assistance in Africa, Latin America and South East Asia. Her desire to lessen “the hell of war” around the world comes through clearly in her numerous publications on peace- keeping, development and the rule of law. Morgan Courtney, stability operations officer for Burma under State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, has previously worked on Darfur policy, with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees at the Rwanda/Democratic Republic of the Congo border, and aided the re-establishment of the Peace Corps in Rwanda. State’s other representatives on the Western Europe 28.2 Oceania 52.7 North/Central America 59.1 East Asia 74.9 South America 77.6 Eastern Europe 78.3 South and Central Asia 81.1 Africa 85.4 The Middle East 85.8 [“Argo”] is, in part, a tribute to the dangers that our diplomats face, our Foreign Service people face, our clandestine service face, without any hope for recognition. Obviously, in Benghazi you saw tragic results there, and this is really something, in addition to your family, being away from your wife and kids—all of this tough stuff. And when I saw that stuff happening, a silver lining for me about this movie was that we were paying honor to these folks. Actor Ben Affleck, discussing his new film,“Argo”(based on an incident during the 1979 Embassy Tehran hostage crisis) , with“The Daily Show”host Jon Stewart, Oct. 9.