The Foreign Service Journal, December 2022

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | DECEMBER 2022 9 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Excellence and Integrity in Diplomacy BY SHAWN DORMAN Shawn Dorman is the editor of The Foreign Service Journal. T his month we honor the recipients of AFSA’s annual awards. It was my pleasure to interview Ambassador Anne Patterson, recipient of the award for Lifetime Contributions to Ameri- can Diplomacy. My first encounter with Amb. Patterson was 20 years ago when I interviewed her as our featured ambas- sador for the 2003 Inside a U.S. Embassy book. She was so impressive then and has since gone fromone huge challenge to the next, serving as a role model andmentor all along the way. The inaugural Foreign Service Cham- pions Award went to Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), both outstanding public servants who not only recognize the criti- cal role of the U.S. Foreign Service, but act on that through efforts on the Hill, includ- ing creation of the Senate Foreign Service Caucus (Sullivan) and legislation like the Foreign Service Families Act (Castro). AFSA prides itself on supporting con- structive dissent through its four awards honoring those who seek to make a dif- ference by opposing policy they believe is wrong—constructively and within the system—and standing up for what they believe is right. This year’s honorees are Benjamin Dille (Herter Award), Jennifer Davis (Rivkin Award), Elisabeth Zentos and Anton Cooper (Rivkin Award), Steven May (Harris Award), and Michael White (Harriman Award). On a related note, FSO Steve Walker looks back at dissent over the U.S. response (or lack thereof) to the Bosnia War in the early 1990s, and asks, “When Is It Ethical to Resign in Protest?” And remembering his own Rivkin Award tied to the same policy, AFSA President Eric Rubin devotes his column to “Celebrating—and Strengthening—Con- structive Dissent. ” The nine recipients of the awards for exemplary performance are an equally impressive group, and the stories of their work are inspiring. They are Virginia Carl- son (Bohlen Award), Denis Rajic (Delavan Award), Judit Kaczor (Delavan Award), Christine Peterson (Guess Award), RaeJean Stokes (Palmer Award), Jacob Surface (Palmer Award), Jeff Osweiler (Post Rep Award), Susan Johnson (AFSA Contributions Award), and Sharon Papp (AFSA Special Achievement Award). This month’s feature by retired FSO Bill Wanlund looks at “Promoting Democracy in Tumultuous Times. ”The Speaking Out by FSO Brendan Rivage-Seul makes the case for expanding State’s Diplomat in Residence program. In Reflections, FSO Zach Przystup writes on “The Enduring Value of Inter- national Exchange.” And Local Lens from FSOMaryum Saifee takes us to a Samar- kandmarket. Last month, we featured our annual roundup of books by and of interest to the Foreign Service community, and an article on writing a memoir. The FS community is brimming with both published and poten- tial authors. Sometimes, an article for the Journal becomes the seed for a book. You knowwhere I’m going with this. As we head into 2023, think about writ- ing for the Journal , the unique “insider” space for discussion and debate about diplomacy and development. The Journal tells the Foreign Service story through the eyes of the practitioner. We accept submis- sions on a rolling basis, with articles for particular focus topics due at least three months in advance of publication. See the 2023 focus topic calendar on this page and consider pitching an article on one of those topics or any other timely subject. We are also always seeking submissions for Speaking Out, Features, FS Heritage, FS Know-How, and Local Lens. And we welcome your responses to what you read in the FSJ for Letters to the Editor. See our Author Guidelines page for more details. We look forward to hearing from you! Wishing everyone a peaceful and joyful holiday season and new year. May diplomacy flourish in 2023. n JAN-FEB: 50 Years of AFSA as a Union MARCH: Foreign Service Reform: A Progress Update APRIL: Diplomacy and the Future of the Digital Economy MAY: Countering Disinformation— USSR Exhibit Guides Case Study JUNE: Policy Failures, Diplomacy Lessons JULY-AUG: DEIA in the Foreign Service: An Update on Progress SEPTEMBER: Foreign Service Family Matters OCTOBER: Public Health and Pandemic Diplomacy NOVEMBER: FS Authors—In Their Own Write DECEMBER: AFSAAwards: Honoring Excellence and Constructive Dissent Editorial Calendar 2023