The Foreign Service Journal, December 2018

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2018 9 Roshni Mona Nirody , Elena C. Augus- tine —can be found in AFSA News, alon g with profiles of the winners of outstand- ing performance awards— Patricia A. Butenis, John AndersonWarner, Mar isol Angela Garcia, David Bargueño, Kelly Anne Billingsley andMargaret Kennet t. The focus on Locally Employed staff begins with a look “Through the Lens of an FSN.” Photographer and communica - tions professional Idika Onyukwu served in public affairs at U.S. Embassy Abuja for two decades. In Speaking Out, retired Embassy Brussels FSN Eddy Olislaeger calls for the recognition of an FSN association to rep- resent the 55,000 Locally Employed State Department staff worldwide, and shares the story of previous efforts to establish a dialog with State. When it comes to FSNs, USAID clearly leads the way. In the second focus piece, Safia Al-Saad of USAIDMission Jordan tells the history of the global USAID FSN Advocacy Council, which has been repre- senting USAID FSNs since 2005. The coun- cil was established following then USAID Administrator AndrewNatsios’ declaration that 2005 would be the “Year of the FSN.” On Nov. 1, as we were finishing up this issue, an all-USAID notice signed by current USAID Administrator Mark Green proclaimed that the second Wednesday in November (Nov. 14) would be the first annual FSN Recognition Day. Each mis- sion will celebrate its FSNs in a manner appropriate for that host country. “All USAID staff should use this day to remember and honor our FSN colleagues LETTER FROM THE EDITOR It’s the People BY SHAWN DORMAN W elcome to an extraordi- nary edition of The Foreign Service Journal. We focus on two amazing groups of people this month—AFSA Award recipi- ents and Locally Employed staff—which led us to what has turned out to be our biggest issue in 100 years, at 128 pages. In this case, more is better, because we are able to highlight the work and views of so many, including 15 award winners and 25 local staff. Coming at the close of a challenging year for diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service, I hope this celebration of voices from the FS community gives inspiration for the future. We start with a remarkable Message from the Hill, “Working Together for a Smart Foreign Policy,” by Senator Chris Coons , who expresses a commitment to supporting strong diplomacy, both in words and deeds. We honor the 2018 recipient of AFSA’s award for Lifetime Contribu- tions to American Diplomacy, Ronald E. Neumann . The interview spans decades, aiming to cover his life and work, along with his views on where U.S. diplomacy is headed and how he remains optimistic. We’d need a book to truly capture all he’s done for the profession. (Luckily, he’s written one.) Profiles of the four recipients of the awards for construc- tive dissent— Thomas A. Shannon Jr., Joseph S. Conners, Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. who are no longer with us, and to celebrate those who advance USAID’s mission every day,” reads the notice sent worldwide. What a great initiative (hint, hint, State). In “Get Ready for Merit Based Com- pensation,” Elizabeth LaMontagne offer s a guide to what supervisors and LE staff need to know about the new State Depart- ment performance management system, already being adopted by many posts. “In the Field with USAID FSNs” offers ground-level views from four USAID FSNs working for the U.S. government on meaningful projects: Tonh Mok in Cambodia; Sheila Nyakwezi in Uganda; Antigona Mustafa in Kosovo; and Dorine Genga in Kenya. Then we come to the heart of the issue: “What Local Staff Want You to Know”— about them and their work alongside you around the world. There’s much to learn from the people who carry on the work of U.S. missions before our arrival and long after we move on to new assignments. If I had to sum up the advice from the voices in this compilation, it would be this: Lis- ten, learn, understand, then act. The Education Supplement includes an update of our ever-popular “Oppor- tunities for Students,” as well as a guide for researching colleges for high school juniors from Francesca Kelly. In Reflections Ambassador (ret.) Ed Peck offers some thought-provoking notes on maps, and a few great maps. We wish all our readers wonderful holi- days, however and wherever you celebrate. We look forward to 2019—may it be a great year for diplomacy. n