Join us for a virtual panel discussion on the history and importance of internal dissent in the Foreign Service. With the backdrop of the current Israel-Hamas conflict and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, this event aims to provide an in-depth look into the evolution of the State Department’s Dissent Channel, the pivotal role constructive dissent plays in the Foreign Service, and AFSA's role in safeguarding constructive dissent. Our panelists are FSO Holly Holzer and historian Dr. Sara Berndt, authors of the December FSJ article "The State Department Dissent Channel: History and Impact," and former AFSA President and constructive dissent award winner Ambassador (ret.) Eric Rubin. AFSA President Tom Yazdgerdi will moderate; see his December FSJ column on the importance of dissent. Click here to register for this event.

To ensure that our discussion addresses your specific questions, we invite you to submit them in advance by clicking here. Please send all questions by COB Wednesday December 6. This is your chance to actively participate in a meaningful dialogue about dissent in the Foreign Service. For background, have a look at our FSJ Special Collection on dissent.

Panelists:

Holly Holzer most recently served as the Deputy Director of the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff where she oversaw the process of receiving and processing Dissent Channel messages. She previously served as Deputy Director for Third Country Operations for the Coordinator for Afghanistan Relocation Efforts at the Department of State. In this capacity, she oversaw the care and movement of individuals post-departure from Afghanistan, coordinating their onward travel to the United States. Recognized for her public service, she received an Honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters from the American University in Afghanistan in 2019. In addition to her diplomatic career, she is an avid supporter of the arts and a photographer, using her skills to create economic and artistic opportunities for artists displaced by conflict. Ms. Holzer holds a Master of Arts in Social Work and, before joining the Department of State, worked as a social worker for families in crisis.

Dr. Sara E. Berndt is an Historian at the U.S. State Department Office of the Historian. She has provided historical research for posts and domestic bureaus, interviewed foreign policy officials for oral history projects, and compiled and edited documents on U.S.-Latin American relations for inclusion in the 150-year-old Foreign Relations of the United States series. Her Foreign Relations volume on U.S. policy in South America during the Jimmy Carter administration was published in 2018.

Ambassador (ret.) Eric Rubin concluded his four-year tenure as the President of the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) in 2023.  Prior to his service at AFSA, Ambassador Rubin had a distinguished diplomatic career, including a notable term as the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria from 2016 to 2019 and four years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs. With a Foreign Service journey that began in 1985, Ambassador Rubin served in a wide variety of positions, including political and human rights officer in Honduras, a significant role during the collapse of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, and as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Moscow from 2008 to 2011. He received AFSA's William R. Rivkin Award for Constructive Dissent in 1994 for his work during the Bosnia crisis.