The Foreign Service Journal - December 2017

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2017 15 W e know you all read The Foreign Service Journal reli- giously. And you probably also keep on top of Foreign Policy and other U.S. sites that follow the world of diplomacy. Modern Diplomacy is another site for foreign affairs profes- sionals and students, based out of Athens, Greece. Modern Diplomacy describes itself as “a leading European opinion-maker with far-reaching influ- ence across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”The site’s editors claim not to espouse any one agenda or school of thought, instead welcoming writers across a broad range of backgrounds. Their board, which includes former ministers and secretaries-general from across Europe, as well as aca- demics and other professionals from Central Asia, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, El Salvador, Malaysia, Japan, Aus- tralia and the United States, strives to be “politically, generationally and geographically diverse.” Board members include former Sec- retary General of the Council of Europe Dr. Walter Schwimmer; former Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Erzhan Kazykhanov; Ernest Petric, a justice with the Constitutional Court of Slovenia; and Major Rejane Costa of Brazil’s Ministry of Defense. Recent topics have included “Trump-Russia Collusion: The Story So Far,” a feature about the questions that are arising as Saudi women gain access to sports stadi- ums in that country and an article about how Africa’s rapid urbanization can lead to industrialization. Modern Diplomacy ’s Twitter handle is @presscode. SITE OF THE MONTH: MODERNDIPLOMACY.EU cess from the use of SNEA and “ensure transparency in the SNEA eligibility process.” AFSA also raised these concerns in meetings with officials in the Bureau of Medical Services. On Oct. 29 these concerns broke into the national news when Washington Post reporter Jackie Spinner talked to parents of special needs children and interviewed AFSA State VP Ken Kero-Mentz for a story about the State Department’s restrictions on financial support for diplomat fami- lies with special needs children. Parents interviewed by Spinner said they fear that the limitations MED has put on their families will force them out of the Service. Multiple families told the Washington Post that services previously provided are now being denied without explanation, despite the fact that such services would be provided in public schools in the United States. The situation has deteriorated to the point where, according to the Post ,