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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MAGAZINE
Let the
Games
Begin
JULY/AUG2008
07/082008
S T A T E M A G A Z I N E | I S S U E 5 2 5
16
Early
Recruiting
22
Olympian
Task
34
Post of
the Month
Future diplomats flock Consular Affairs prepares Port Moresby,
to Take Your Child to for the Games of the Papua New Guinea
Work Day. XXIX Olympiad.
22
26
Celebrating
Earth Day
Around the World
13
FEATURES COLUMNS
13 Quake Reaction 40 Chat Room 2 From the D.G.
U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu Lunchtime conversation group
ensures U.S. citizens’ safety. sharpens officers’ Arabic skills. 3 Letters
Lynsi Pfleegor
Bel Alton, Md.
Great Seal atrocities all over the world. present and included pictures of the
I want to thank you for covering the By coincidence, I had recently attended building destroyed by the earthquake in
225th commemoration ceremony for the the opening of the Nuremberg War Crimes 1972. Thanks to the excellent work of
Great Seal in the April issue of State Maga- Courtroom exhibit at the Holocaust computer specialist Arturo Rodriguez, we
zine. The Seal means a great deal to the Museum here in Richmond, Va. This true- created a unique piece of art featuring more
Presidential Appointments staff and we to-life replica of the courtroom is the only than 1,200 photographs. Some depict
feel very honored to keep it on behalf of one in the world. It will commemorate the current and former embassy employees
the Secretary. millions who perished, enlighten the ones alongside famous personalities. For instance,
Your willingness to publish the article who come here to visit and educate new there are photos of actresses Salma Hayek
about the seal is a unique way for our generations for years to come. and Ashley Judd, who came to Nicaragua in
colleagues in the Department to learn about May of 2006 to promote HIV/AIDS aware-
it and to understand the significance of why Frances Nunnally ness. The pictures were laid out in a mosaic
the State Department is home to this Richmond, Va. to form one larger picture, so that from a
national symbol. distance one sees the front of the old
Embassy Collage chancery building (1974-2007), but as one
Sharon Hardy The U.S. Embassy in Managua would like gets closer, one can appreciate each picture.
Presidential Appointments Officer to thank State Magazine and all its readers The collage was unveiled at the January
who responded to the July/August 2007 2008 building inauguration and is on
War Crimes article asking for photographs for the display on the first floor of the new embassy.
The article “Never Again” (State embassy’s collage.
Magazine, April) caught my eye. I was truly I received hundreds of pictures—locally Maria Wyrick
happy to learn of the existence of the Office and internationally—in support of this New Embassy Transition Coordinator
of War Crimes Issues, which monitors project. They ranged from the 1800s to the Managua, Nicaragua
Bureaus and posts should become familiar with the Evacuation Management System, or
EMS, a streamlined emergency planning and management tool. In situations such as a post
evacuation or drawdown, EMS provides users an immediate and accurate count of all U.S.
Database
personnel under Chief of Mission authority. EMS can be accessed at post and in Washington, Tracks
allowing authorized users to create evacuation lists, electronically assign travel vouchers and Those Who
itineraries, and view emergency contact information on employees and their dependents. May Need
Prior to EMS, posts’ evacuation information was maintained separately in domestic and
overseas locations, hampering coordination and tracking. EMS provides emergency man-
Evacuation
agers with access to one data set that eliminates duplication and improves status reporting.
Since 2005, EMS has been used during evacuations in Jamaica, Chad and Serbia. The
Family Liaison Office has used EMS to track potential evacuees from the time a post emer-
gency develops, and found that posts with updated information on employees and family
members can easily use EMS. Thus, they don’t have to set up an evacuation database in a
crisis. For further information about EMS, contact HROverseasApps@state.gov.
Center’s Reunion
Fosters International
Relationships
In April, the National military and civilian officials
Defense University’s Near East from throughout the region,”
South Asia Center for Strategic said Political Officer Willeah
Studies hosted an alumni Cato, who had participated in a
symposium in Greece to reunite NESA Center seminar on
participants from seminars Combating Terrorism and
dating back to the center’s attended the the April
inception in 2000. The 36 offi- symposium. “Formal discourse
cials from around the world and casual engagement foster an
who attended the three-day environment of familiarity
symposium shared insights where open discussion and
on the region and its challenges debate are encouraged.”
and opportunities. The center promotes lifelong
Participants came from learning and the creation of
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Israel, relationships like those formed
Participants in a NESA Center
Jordan, Lebanon, Maldives, during orientation at the program pay close attention.
Mauritania, Morocco, Nepal, Foreign Service Institute. It
Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, hosts seminars and workshops
Sri Lanka, Turkey, the United for military and civilian repre- decisionmaking and develop Information on programs
States and Yemen. sentatives from nearly 30 international relationships. U.S. is available online at
“The NESA Center is ideal countries across its region and participation is open to officials www.ndu.edu/nesa. To enroll,
for Department officials with the United States to explore from federal agencies and the contact Jacqueline Johnson in
regional expertise to build strategic issues, strengthen military, subject to nomination the Bureau of Human Resources
rapport and gain insights from national security-related by their agencies. at johnsonjs@state.gov.
Automation Boosts
Performance Review
Efficiency
One year ago, the employees’ performance
Executive Office of the folders.
Bureau of Human Resources The effort began as a pilot
automated the Foreign program with the conversion
Service performance files of 700 Foreign Service per-
used by the Department’s formance records. Today, it is
The eBoards team gathers in a conference room. They are, from left,
Foreign Service promotion an intricate electronic work- Ray Wei, Pam Moore, Stephen Backmeyer, Rob Aruta, Kevin Phelps,
boards. The move brings flow solution that is accessed Tewodros Makonnen and Stacey Mack.
the yearly selection boards by the electronic Official
closer to having paperless Personnel Folder application cient reviews. and Tenure Board.
electronic boards, or and the eBoard module. The In 2007 alone, board Electronic review of 800
eBoard, capability, as eBoard module uses eOPF members reviewed approxi- tenure candidates’ folders is
envisioned by HR/EX technology to allow author- mately 2,500 Senior Foreign possible through use of the
Information Management ized users, such as board Service candidates’ folders eOPF Authorized User
Division Director Pamela members, to access and view and 8,000 generalist and Console. What was once
Bundy in 1999. folders identified for use by specialist folders using the a folder-by-folder, manual
Since then, HR/EX/RIM specific boards. It also allows eBoard module. The eOPF check-in-check-out process
has worked to record timely members to simultaneously application now also is now a real-time, electron-
updates to electronic images review the same employee’s accommodates sessions of ic, employee-folder review
of all active Foreign Service record, enabling more effi- the Commissioning Board process.
AFSA
Donates
$37,500 to
Scholarship
Fund
The American Foreign Service the students’ college costs. The Diplomatic chose Florida State, his alma mater—
Association in June donated $37,500 to a Scholarship Fund has $325,000 but needs and where Zachary qualifies for in-state
revitalized campaign to provide full funding $425,000 more and hopes to raise $212,500 tuition. Zachary said he wants to become
of college expenses to seven children of U.S. from Department employees or retirees. a sound engineer.
government employees killed overseas by Director General Harry K. Thomas Jr. AFSA said it hopes active and retired
terrorists from 1998 to 2003. accepted the two donations on behalf of Foreign Service employees, as well as foun-
The contribution was “a terrific start to the Department at an event in Main State dations and foreign affairs-related groups,
the campaign,” said Robyn Kehoe, director near the plaque honoring Department will contribute to the fund. Contributions
of field operations for the Federal Employee employees who died in the line of duty. He are tax-deductible and are matched dollar-
Education & Assistance Fund, which was joined by Zachary Green, a high school for-dollar by FEEA, said FEEA, adding that
administers the scholarship program and senior whose mother was killed in the 2002 it hopes to extend the fund to cover the
immediately matched the AFSA terrorist bombing of a church in Pakistan. children of future U.S. diplomatic victims
contribution, bringing the total donation to His father, Milton Green, a branch chief in of terrorism. Information on how to donate
$75,000. By summer’s end, she said, FEEA the Bureau of Information Resource is at www.feea.org or can be gained by
hopes to raise enough money to fund all of Management, said he hopes Zachary will calling FEEA at (303) 933-7580.
Moment of Silence
In Kenya, a private ceremony for the Members of the Foreign Service who were es Salaam that day, a special bond has devel-
mission community on the grounds of the in Dar es Salaam in 1998 plan to return to oped that strengthens us and, each August,
embassy compound built in 2003 will take part in the ceremony on the grounds of unites us even though we now live in
commence with a moment of silence at the mission. The post’s planning committee, disparate parts of the world.”
10:40 a.m.—the time of the bombing—and comprised primarily of blast survivors, Ambassador Charles Stith arrived imme-
consist of remarks by Ambassador Michael designed a ceremony incorporating music, diately after the bombing to become the
Ranneberger and a representative of the poetry and scripture. Muslim and Christian new chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in
Kenyan Foreign Service national survivors clergy will speak, and Ambassador Mark Dar es Salaam. He said the attack brings
group. There will also be prayers and hymns Green and the principal guests will lay a three things to mind.
led by interdenominational religious wreath at the memorial plaque and recognize “The first is the extent of the devastation,
leaders, and testimonials from survivors the survivors with the planting of a tree as a which was not clearly reflected in the news
and the victims’ families. living monument. At 10:39 a.m. local time, coverage, and the second is the outpouring
All mission community members from attendees will observe a minute of silence for of compassion and generosity by the Tanza-
the time are welcome to attend, including the victims. A reception afterward will be nians at the official level and among the
post leadership and those involved in the held in the mission garden. populace,” he said. “The third thing is the
initial search, rescue and treatment phase in The committee has invited survivors, courage and professionalism demonstrated
the wake of the attack. Guests will include FSN and American employees, and expects by embassy personnel; they were a credit to
representatives of the organizations, hospitals attendees will include the Tanzanians, the Department and our country.”
Rob Wiley
Editor-in-Chief
During a 10-week test of endurance, to help them build new social circles. Bill Palmer
115 employees of the U.S. Embassy in At the Health Unit, participants devel- Writer/Editor
Tbilisi, Georgia, competed in teams with oped individual programs tailored to
David L. Johnston
names like the Turtles, Stompers, their health promotion needs, such as
Art Director
Enforcers, Galloping Guices and Parade blood pressure reduction, weight loss,
of Parishes to complete a health smoking cessation and dietary changes
initiative cosponsored by the post’s to address metabolic syndrome. The Advisory Board Members
community liaison office and health embassy cafeteria offered healthy options
unit. The initiative began when the post to support the dietary changes. James A. Forbes
surveyed its community and found a lot A weight-loss program ran simultane- Executive Secretary
of interest and need for a sustained ously, with a prize of $2 per pound
health promotion effort. lost—and which stayed lost until the Kelly Clements
The centerpiece for this initiative was final weigh-in on May 16. The biggest Annette R. Cocchiaro
the Race to the Center of America, a loser was Nino Svanadze, who lost 20
virtual race starting at the State Depart- pounds and won $40. Employees shed a
ment’s front door and ending in total of 89 pounds in 10 weeks. State Magazine (ISSN 1099–4165)
Lebanon, Kan., the center of the United In all, 55 people employees went the is published monthly, except
States. Participants used a pedometer distance in 10 weeks. Two families bimonthly in July and August, by the
daily and reported their weekly mileage competed as a team, and one family of U.S. Department of State, 2201 C St.,
N.W., Washington, DC. Periodicals
to the CLO. Progress was tracked and eight used it in their home-schooling
postage paid at Washington, D.C.,
posted weekly. Organizers had hoped for curriculum and made the West Coast and at additional mailing locations.
25 participants, but enthusiasm grew their virtual goal. Teams had picnics
when the post offered free pedometers to and hikes on weekends to increase Change of Address
Foreign Service nationals, and it their mileage. Send changes of address to State
exploded when embassy leadership lent By the competition’s end, employees Magazine, 2401 E Street, N.W., SA-1,
its support. The five-person teams, some had walked a total of 30,950 miles— Room H-236, Washington, DC 20522-
allied with offices, included newcomers more than one trip around the world. 0108. You may also e-mail address
changes to statemagazine@state.gov.
Subscriptions
State Magazine is available by
paid subscription through the
U.S. Government Printing Office by
telephone at (202) 512-1800 or on
the web at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.
Submissions
For details on submitting articles
to State Magazine, request our
guidelines, “Getting Your Story Told,”
by e-mail at statemagazine@state.gov;
download them from our Web site
at www.state.gov; or send
PHOTOGRAPH: (OPPOSITE PAGE): YURIY FEDKIW
Deadlines
The submission deadline for the
October issue is August 15.
Celebrating the race’s finish with a cake are the cake’s cutter, Alexander Amiranashvili, and to his
left, Nino Svanadze. Others from left are Georgetta Carroll, Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Perry, The deadline for the November
Robert Ainslie, Eric Thornton, Scott Parrish, Bridget Brink and Laura Ainslie. issue is September 15.
3 4
BY YURIY FEDKIW,
Quake Reaction the Directorate of Overseas Citizen Services many Americans were located.
in the Bureau of Consular Affairs began To find others, the consulate dispatched
WILL LAIDLAW, coordinating information and resources. teams into the devastated areas.
WALTER ANDONOV Chengdu’s consular section, led by Tina Dujiangyan, 30 miles from the epicenter,
AND Onufer and augmented by temporary duty had numerous buildings destroyed,
RANDY TOWNSEND officers from Beijing and volunteers from
other sections, began locating missing
including a school where more than 1,000
staff and students died. Consular Officer
Americans while maintaining normal oper- Walter Andonov and Foreign Service
When a 7.9-magnitude earthquake ations. This made the consulate general
struck Sichuan province, about 50 miles one of few diplomatic posts in the region
northwest of Chengdu on May 12, entire to continue noncrisis operations after 1. This temple in Anxian County on
towns were devastated, tens of thousands the quake. the road to Beichuan was
destroyed by falling boulders.
killed and millions left homeless. At the
U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu when Americans Sought 2. A house shows the destruction
the quake struck, frightened visa applicants With telephone service knocked out found along the road to Beichuan.
and employees evacuated the building and temporarily, the consulate’s job was particu- 3. The officers from the consulate
were led to the nearest open area, and the larly difficult. The Consular Task Force left water for residents of this vil-
lage near Beichuan.
consular section immediately began database was updated, however, and a
obtaining information on missing Ameri- running count kept of missing Americans. 4. A tent camp was established for
refugees in Mianyang.
cans. A flurry of activity began, as the Through this and an active dialog with local
consulate, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and officials and other diplomatic missions,
7 8
5. Rock slides inflicted widespread national Ren Jin Rong traveled there May Landslides made the roads impassable, and
damage on the road to the 16 to confirm the safety of Americans the team was forced to drive around boul-
earthquake's epicenter.
teaching at a different school. ders the size of small houses and cross
6. Consular officers Yuriy Fedkiw This team, the first delegation to visit the rivers on makeshift bridges.
and Charles Jess inspected the
damage at Dujiangyan's school after the earthquake, found all
Americans accounted for. Due to frequent Americans Found
PHOTOGRAPHS: (ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): YURIY FEDKIW, YU JUN, WALTER ANDONOV
Zipingpu Dam, a concern for
many local residents. aftershocks, school staff were sleeping On May 17, Fedkiw, consular officer Will
7. In Dujiangyan, Chengdu FSN outside in tents. The team then reported on Laidlaw and FSN Lin Lin headed northwest
Ren Jin Rong awaits instructions the city’s condition: widespread destruction of Chengdu to reach out to Americans
at a roadblock on the road to
Wenchuan. and hundreds of collapsed buildings. But believed to be in heavily damaged
there were also well-organized relief teams Mianyang, where telephone service was
8. Consular officer Walter Andonov, clearing rubble, recovering bodies and disrupted. Using data from the American
left, discusses the situation with
AND REN JIN RONG.; (OPPOSITE PAGE): U.S. EMBASSY IN BEIJING
a teacher at the Guangya School setting up shelter and clinics. citizen services and CTF databases, the
in Dujiangyan. On May 30, consular officers Yuriy team had a list of five American citizens to
Fedkiw, Charles Jess and FSN Yu Jun find. They planned to use previously
returned to Dujiangyan to check on the blocked roads to see how far they could
American teachers. All were well, though drive toward other areas where the
they remained concerned about damage to consulate still had more than 15 Americans
nearby dams and the risk of the “quake unaccounted for.
lakes” formed north of the city. The team In Mianyang, the team visited a refugee
inspected the Zipingpu Dam, a major crisis center where military and civilian
source of concern for residents volunteers had processed 135,000 refugees
downstream, finding the damage less than and provided medical care and food.
reported earlier. They then headed north As phone service returned to Mianyang,
toward the epicenter in Wenchuan. the team used data from the Americans’
Phone Home
While the outreach trips were underway,
consular staff led by Randy Townsend and
RELIEF KITS HELP QUAKE VICTIMS
Aaron Rupert pursued leads and responded BY SUSAN STEVENSON
to queries from the increasingly worried
family and friends of Americans in the Although the earthquake occurred thousands of kilometers away from the U.S.
affected areas. Each day, more Americans Embassy in Beijing, staff members there strongly felt its impact. Employees working in
were located. By May 21, there was only one high-rise buildings felt the ground sway and were immediately evacuated.
person on the list of Americans located in Many staff members also helped coordinate military shipments of relief supplies,
the earthquake-damaged areas who hadn’t monitor the environmental and economic impact and manage press calls about the situ-
been contacted by the consular teams. This ation on the ground. All mission staff were able to get involved through the efforts of the
American was finally located after a People’s community liaison office, led by CLO coordinators Stephanie Yoder and Kathy DuBois.
Liberation Army helicopter dropped a satel- When the CLO issued a notice urging embassy employees to donate emergency relief
lite phone into his village, and he made a kits containing hand towels and personal hygiene items, American and Chinese staff rose
short call to his family. to the challenge. On their lunch hours and after work, they purchased supplies and packed
Sichuan Province suffered a major blow them into relief kits. The public affairs office’s program room housed an assembly line,
on May 12, and it will take years to rebuild with boxes of supplies being carefully packed into individual bags. Each kit contained a
the area’s infrastructure and resettle the card with the Chinese message, “All the best to people in the areas affected by the
millions of displaced persons. While the earthquake from your American and Chinese friends at the U.S. Embassy in China.”
emotional scars remain, recovery has begun. Embassy employees filled the CLO office to the ceiling with emergency kits. By the
The staff in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, end of the week, the embassy community had donated more than $28,800 in supplies,
Beijing and Washington are proud to have hundreds of packages of medication, crayons, gloves, diapers, formula, sanitary supplies,
been part of this effort and to have worked sleeping bags and tents—and assembled nearly 1,300 kits. The family and friends of
to ensure that American citizens were Foreign Service officer Mark Evans donated a vanload of supplies and returned the next
accounted for and safe. day with bags of donations.
Overwhelmed by the embassy’s response, the CLO called in the Marine Security
Yuriy Fedkiw is the deputy consular chief and Detachment and other embassy colleagues to help load the supplies on May 25 to deliver
Walter Andonov is a consular officer at the to charities.
Consulate General in Chengdu. Will Laidlaw While our efforts pale in comparison to the brave men and women delivering supplies
is the deputy consular manager in and sifting through the rubble in Sichuan, the embassy community felt proud of doing
Guangzhou. Randy Townsend is the its part to assist those in need in China. ■
American citizens services chief at the U.S.
Embassy in Beijing. The author is a press officer at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.
Early Recruiting
FUTURE DIPLOMATS FLOCK TO TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY
BY ED WARNER
encourage children to see “what your become better acquainted with their own invited children to become newscasters in
parents do [at work] to make this a great agency,” she said. the Carl T. Rowan press briefing room. At
country” and encouraged youngsters to Although many activities were pure fun, the rostrum, attendee Matthew Chellaraj
think about diplomacy as a career. He said most focused on learning. For instance, the did his newscast on soccer, the sport he said
he hoped some attendees will grow up to Bunche Library held an intellectual he wants to play professionally when he
become Department employees—and scavenger hunt in which the youths had to grows up. He is the son of Rajkumar Chel-
bring their children to Take Your Child to answer questions about seven African laraj, assistant secretary for administration.
The Department began preparing for the Embassy Beijing’s OCO for the 2008
world’s largest international sporting event Games, established in 2005, is an integral
in 2001, when the International Olympic part of security planning. It focuses on secu-
Committee announced that Beijing would rity efforts in Beijing and works with the
host the 2008 Summer Games. OCS’ International Athletics Event Security Coor-
planning and support to posts for the dination Group, co-chaired in Washington
Olympics increased exponentially after the by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and
9/11 attacks, beginning with the 2004 the National Counterterrorism Center. Secu-
Summer Games in Athens. Since Athens, rity experts from many agencies will be on
OCS has provided consular crisis 24-hour standby during the Olympics.
management training and resources for In addition to security issues, the U.S.
other major events, such as the 2006 Winter Embassy in Beijing must handle increased
Olympic Games in Turin, the 2006 World numbers of tourists, official Americans and
Cup in Germany and the 2007 Cricket athletes, all seeking assistance in such emer-
World Cup in the West Indies. gencies as lost and stolen passports, illness,
temporary destitution, crime, arrest or
Plan Early large-scale disasters. To handle this
The key to managing a major logistical expanded responsibility, the Department
operation such as the Olympic Games is to has temporarily enhanced consular staffing
PHOTOGRAPHS: BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS;
start planning early. Department employees at the embassy and increased training
in Washington and Beijing carefully studied opportunities for all staff involved with
the lessons learned by embassies involved in the Olympics.
(PREVIOUS PAGES): GETTY IMAGES
past Olympic Games. One obvious lesson Embassy staff members have been taking
was the need to create an Olympic Coordi- online and classroom courses to prepare for
nation Office early in the process. An OCO all types of possible problems. A China-
is an interagency working group responsible wide consular conference in February
for U.S. government coordination with the included Olympics planning (sponsored by
U.S. Olympic Committee, American specta- OCS and the Foreign Service Institute).
tors, media, sponsors and VIP delegations. Several OCS officers traveled to Beijing in
supports in Indonesia.
mission is winning environmental allies. collaborate internationally. The embassy’s Washington, D.C., colleagues, the post
The mission’s primary activities with criminal investigation training-assistance supports the regional Heart of Borneo Initia-
Indonesian environmental partners aim to program, under the Department of Justice, tive, which protects forest habitat in Borneo,
increase access to clean water for the poor, provides the Indonesian Marine Police with and the regional Coral Triangle Initiative on
protect tropical forests and orangutan the patrol boats that are making threats to marine resources. Two arriving
habitat, and strengthen marine biodiversity spectacular seizures of illegal timber and Science Fellows from the National Oceanic
conservation. These activities and the Go fish. It also provides training on and Atmospheric Agency are scheduled to
Green campaign build on the existing enforcement against illegal logging. work on marine conservation and coastal
engagement with Indonesia. USAID and the embassy’s economic community resilience programs.
“By highlighting existing programs and section are working with the U.S. Treasury, “The Go Green campaign makes a
partnerships and creating special events and the Bureau of Oceans and International powerful statement to the Indonesian people
media outreach for them, Go Green gives Environmental and ScientificAffairs, and that we recognize the challenges Indonesia
the United States government credit for Indonesian agencies to negotiate a $20 faces in managing its environmental
what we already do,” said Public Diplomacy million debt-for-nature swap, under the resources,” said Suzanne
Officer Tristram Perry. The positive media Tropical Forest Conservation Act. Billharz, USAID’s water and environment
coverage helped the mission attract allies to At the community level, the post’s specialist. “Their degradation will affect
existing efforts and forged new partnerships management section started recycling and future generations, and we are working
with the government, nonprofits and the energy conservation programs that invest in together to meet these challenges.”
private sector. energy-efficient lighting and appliances, At every level, the mission is addressing
solar-assisted water heaters and increased environmental protection and climate
All In insulation in employee residences. change in Indonesia, working with other
Every office at Mission Indonesia is These efforts also address regional parties and leveraging existing resources to
involved in environmental activities. Under challenges. Because Indonesia is an multiply the long-term impact. More infor-
an agreement on illegal logging, the important source of illicit sales of wild mation on these Go Green activities is on the
mission works with U.S. federal agencies, animals and animal parts, Mission Indonesia Intranet http://jakarta.state.gov. ■
including the U.S. Trade Representative, facilitates the training and awareness-raising
Forest Service and Bureau of Immigration done by the ASEAN-Wildlife Enforcement Machut Shishak is the environment officer and
and Customs Enforcement to conduct Network to combat wildlife crime. Together Stafford Ward is the assistant information offi-
training, exchange timber-trade data and with neighboring embassies and cer at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.
The U.S. Embassy in Amman, Jordan, involved embassy families and local school- gloves, water bottles and school bags
and the Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi children. Jordan’s southern shoreline is provided to the children.
Arabia, celebrated Earth Day 2008 in April often littered with rubbish, from cigarette Participants included Princess Basma Ali,
with projects involving hundreds of butts and plastic bags to diapers and char- who chairs the Royal Marine Conservation
children and representatives of nongovern- coal, material that finds its way into the Red Society, and Jordan’s Minister of
mental organizations and the host nations’ Sea. Some studies estimate that 80 percent Environment, Khalid Irani, who
governments and royalty. of garbage found on the bed of the Red Sea participated in the dive. The Aqaba
comes from shoreline litter. Environment Commissioner, Dr. Bilal
Aqaba Events The event occurred in the Aqaba Marine Bashir, worked on the beach clean-up, as
In the port city of Aqaba, Jordan, 200 Park, a protected area along Jordan’s 27- did 40 members of the embassy
miles south of the capital, the U.S. Embassy kilometer coastline. The embassy’s Regional community. More than 200 local
in Amman collaborated with a coalition Environment, Science, Technology and schoolchildren serenaded attendees and
including the Ministry of Environment, the Health hub specialist, Rana Safadi, and U.S. helped clean the beach. The divers
Royal Marine Conservation Society and the Agency for International Development recovered fishermen’s nets, soda cans,
Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority in officer John Smith-Sreen led the planning, plastic cups and bags—more than a half ton
planning a dive and a beach clean-up that and USAID funded the T-shirts, hats, of garbage.
Jeddah Events park to plant saplings and palm trees, and outreach. Another speaker cited the World
In Jeddah, the Saudi Environmental helped schoolgirls and young women plant Bank’s estimate of a $100 billion market for
Society and the Presidency of Meteorology trees at a local nursery. Approximately 150 environmental services in the Arab world
and Environment organized three days of volunteers, including staff from the over the next 10 years and suggested that
Earth Day activities in collaboration with the consulate general and students and faculty “dot.com” could be replaced by “dot.green.”
U.S. Consulate General in Jeddah. The activ- from the American International School in With limited funding, but lots of enthu-
ities included a poster, essay and art contest Jeddah, also helped plant nearly 1,000 siasm, the U.S. government leveraged its
for students from local schools; a cultural mangrove plants and cleaned up a beach. participation in Earth Day through
show; and a presentation on mangrove Saudi Prince Saud bin Khalid Al-Faisal, an coalitions with governments, academia, and
preservation and biodiversity in Saudi avid diver and environmentalist who hopes civil society in both Jordan and Saudi
Arabia. Consulate General Jeddah Economic to pursue partnerships with the United Arabia. These events, though modest,
Officer Kelly Cohun and Public Diplomacy States to preserve Red Sea coral reefs, also portend well for the environment and
Officers Diana Kramer and Gerry Kaufman participated. science diplomacy. The Middle East is an
helped turn out local students, judge the Separately, the private sector-led Jeddah ocean of youth with about half of its 300
contests and award prizes on behalf of the Environmental Forum was attended by million people below the age of 20. In Saudi
consulate. Several hundred people attended consulate general staff and the ESTH hub Arabia alone, half the population is below
the Earth Day opening event led by Prince officer from the U.S. Embassy in Amman, the age of 16. Engaging youth on activities
Turki Bin Nasser, head of the Presidency of Jordan. It featured discussions on regional such as Earth Day promotes their
Meteorology and Environment. environmental issues and opportunities, inclination to care about the environment
The Saudi Environmental Society and the and several Saudi women spoke about their and creates opportunities for the United
Presidency of Meteorology and growing engagement on environmental States to build cultural bridges. ■
Environment also launched a campaign to issues. One speaker said environmental
plant five million trees in Saudi Arabia. awareness in the Middle East is low, but The author is the regional environment, sci-
Consulate General Jeddah volunteers young people present an opportunity to ence, technology and health hub officer at the
teamed up with local schoolboys at a public promote behavior changes through U.S. Embassy in Amman.
Port
Moresby
Links Forged in War
Strengthen in Peacetime
By Tom Weinz
Japanese died in that campaign. A and airmen are still missing in PNG and Solomon Islands.
young GI and aspiring writer The embassy has coordinated efforts over the past 30 years
named James Michener served in between local officials and the U.S. Joint Prisoner of War–Missing
Vanuatu and wrote a Pulitzer Prize- in Action Accounting Command, which annually visits sites
winning novel, Tales of the South around the country, working with villagers to identify WWII crash
Pacific, set during the war years on locations, then excavating promising sites to find and repatriate
this tropical archipelago. the remains of missing airmen.
PHOTOGRAPHS: (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT): IRENE WEINZ; KIM STROLLO; U.S. NAVY ARCHIVES
the World Wildlife Fund and Nature only Pacific island nation to qualify for a U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation grant.
Conservancy, manage conservation proj- In Vanuatu, which is slightly larger than Connecticut, MCC will invest $65 million in infra-
ects, funded by the U.S. government and structure projects, notably a major ring road around the principal island of Efate, which
private donors, to save PNG’s rich will replace the road built by the U.S. military during the 1940s.
forests and marine life. The Peace Corps in Vanuatu has two projects: the Strengthening Human Resources
The embassy works closely with the through Education Project and the Resource Stewardship, Enterprise Promotion, Agricul-
U.S. Pacific Command, headquartered ture and Community Health Project. Their components include education,
in Honolulu, particularly on agro-enterprise, natural resource management, community health and institutional-
humanitarian and disaster assistance. capacity building.
PACOM has chosen PNG for its last The Peace Corps program has grown over the past seven years to more than 100 volun-
three Pacific Partnership missions, teers in 2007, making it the largest Peace Corps program in the Pacific. Most volunteers are
during which it supplied a ship and assigned to work with rural communities and schools on 27 different islands. A number of
several hundred medical, dental, volunteers work at the national level with governmental and nongovernmental partners.
community health and engineering Though the “Year of the Pacific” has ended, American diplomats are reconnecting with
professionals. In early 2007, PACOM friends and allies in the region and building strong ties for future diplomatic and economic
sent the USNS Stockham with its two partnerships. ■
helicopters to assist two Solomon
Islands provinces hard-hit by an The author is deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby.
At a Glance
Country Papua New Guinea Languages Melanesian Pidgin,
English, plus more than 820
Capital Port Moresby indigenous languages
Total area 462,840 sq km Currency Kina (PGK)
Approximate size Slightly larger
Import commodities Machinery,
than California
transport equipment, manufactured
Government type Constitutional goods, food and fuels
parliamentary democracy
Export commodities Oil, gold,
Port Independence September 16, 1975 copper ore, logs and palm oil
Moresby
Population 5.9 million Internet country code .pg
Chat Room
CONVERSATION GROUP SHARPENS ARABIC SKILLS BY ERIC LOB
n a typical workplace cafeteria, officer in the Office of Iraq Political-Military Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
the support of the Office of Language Services popularity of the Facebook Web site and the widespread trend of smoking “shisha and
to help employees maintain and enhance their nargileh” (a water pipe with fruit-flavored tobacco) in the Arab world.
Arabic speaking and listening skills in a Whatever the focus of the conversation, the most important benefit is practicing a diffi-
dynamic, unrestricted environment. Today, the cult, sometimes intimidating language in a casual, friendly, relaxed environment. Some
ADG, which meets weekly, has about 45 partic- participants, like Schleicher, choose to attend the ADG as much for the social aspects as
ipants—about a dozen per session—actively the linguistic ones.
practicing Arabic in an intimate atmosphere. “I look forward to these Wednesday lunch breaks and the congenial, colorful group of
“It is always a challenge to maintain colleagues sharing an interest in such a challenging language,” he said.
language skills without constant practice,” said Although the ADG is designed for individuals with an Arabic-language speaking profi-
Seth Schleicher, an ADG regular who is a desk ciency of three or above on the Interagency Language Roundtable scale, members’
TO BOOST
Plan on It
OFFICE AIMS Very few in the Department
of State take the time to ask:
Under his leadership, SPP
ensures that the Department is
version of today’s Mission
Strategic Plan, which enables
Where are we going? How are constantly improving program the interagency country team to
DEPARTMENT we getting there? What effectiveness by conducting set strategic priorities, establish
EFFECTIVENESS resources will we need over the program assessments, making performance indicators and
long term? How will we know if performance relevant in budget request necessary resources.
BY we are on the right track? requests and defining strategic Other important elements of
VIRAJITA DAVID However, these questions are goals for worldwide diplomatic the current planning process in
AND critical to the future of the
Department and are the foun-
programs. Its goal is to link the
Department’s policy objectives,
addition to the MSP are the
Bureau Strategic Plan, Program
REAZ MEHDI dation for the activities of the program results with required Assessment Rating Tool and
Office of Strategic and Perform- resources. Senior Policy, Performance and
ance Planning in the Bureau of Before Congress passed the Resource Reviews. SPP makes
Resource Management. Government Performance and performance planning part of
PHOTOGRAPHS: ED WARNER
SPP’s Deputy Assistant Secre- Results Act of 1993, planning in the foreign policy process
tary Sid Kaplan says developing Washington and at overseas through such vehicles as the
a strong, performance-based missions was largely ad hoc. Performance Planning System,
culture is critical to The best ambassadors Project Horizon and the
strengthening the Department. improvised and used their own Program Evaluation Initiative.
Knowledge Power OMB’s policy and guidance on Improvement Officer, ensures of experience as a private
Knowing what works and conducting rigorous program implementation and institution- consultant and had long-term
what doesn’t is critical to effec- evaluations. alization of program overseas assignments with
tive strategic planning and By establishing evaluation as performance initiatives. Using USAID. Senior Performance
performance management. a management best practice, the the Program Assessment Rating Management Analyst Melinda
Kaplan said one of his strategies Department can retain institu- Tool, SPP coordinates the assess- Crowley has experience in
for improving effectiveness is to tional knowledge about ment Department programs. academia, including a Ph.D. in
enhance the Department’s programs and empower Since 2002, OMB and SPP have anthropology. Among the senior
ability to conduct high-quality managers to make better assessed more than 50 Depart- consultants, retired Foreign
program evaluations. SPP has decisions. SPP is building the ment programs. Of all Service Officers Jay Dehmlow
worked closely with the Office case for evaluations through Cabinet-level agencies, the and Al Fairchild have extensive
of the Director of U.S. Foreign seminars, collaborations and use Department has the highest field experience; both served as
Assistance; the Office of State of Diplopedia. Finding effective percentage of programs rated deputy chief of mission.
Programs, Operations and strategies and building institu- Effective by the PART analysis. SPP also understands the
Budget; and bureau planners to tional knowledge of what works value of team-building outside
find ways SPP can help. The is crucial to improving the effec- Team-building the office. On every first Friday
effort focuses on creating a tiveness of diplomacy. Team-building is an SPP of the month, its staff gets
central resource bureaus can tap SPP also facilitates the strength. The office recruits together for a brown bag lunch.
PHOTOGRAPHS: ED WARNER
for evaluation expertise. In Department’s progress on the widely to build a team with The office also has informal
addition, SPP works through Performance Improvement varied backgrounds and a mix of happy hours, an annual offsite
OMB’s Performance Improve- Initiative of the President’s Civil Service and Foreign Service strategic planning retreat and a
ment Council to keep the Management Agenda. Kaplan, employees. For instance, Office summertime outing to a Wash-
Department responsive to the Department’s Performance Director Kevin Covert has years ington Nationals game.
Opening Doors
PHOTOGRAPHS: (ABOVE): AMERICAN SPECIAL HOCKEY ASSOCIATION; (OPPOSITE
DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL COACHES HOCKEY TEAM OF INJURED VETS
PAGE TOP): DEPARTMENT PHOTOGRAPHER; (BOTTOM): MIKE HICKEY
BY JASON H. GREER AND ED WARNER
This summer, David Lucia, director of disabilities after helping establish a hockey Before Lucia got a team started, he said
the Office of International Security Opera- team for his son and other special-needs his son found closed doors when he wanted
tions and the Senior Military Representative children. The team, whose players range in to play hockey. When Lucia learned about
to the State Department, has been spending age from 5 to 19, has won recent awards the wounded vets, he said he realized, “I
some time on ice—not to beat the heat but from Maryland’s governor and its local don’t want the doors closed for them.”
to help some 30 wounded U.S. military member of Congress. The team plays and practices at an ice
veterans recover by playing hockey. Now, Lucia is the volunteer coach of a hockey clinic sponsored by the Disabled
Lucia, a former University of Notre hockey team made up of veterans Section of USA Hockey, the national
Dame hockey player, said he discovered undergoing rehabilitation at Walter Reed governing body for ice hockey. The clinic,
how much hockey can help those with Army Medical Center. organized in May, has been meeting twice a
hockey experience; some played in high him. “Growing up, hockey opened a lot of
school and college, and others are hitting doors for me that otherwise would have
their first slap shot. been closed,” including providing him with
Like Lucia, Joe Bowser grew up playing a scholarship to Notre Dame, he said.
hockey. He recalls skating on frozen lakes There, he played alongside Dave Poulin,
near his home in Holland, Ohio, and who later captained the Washington
skating for his high school hockey team in Capitals hockey team.
its first year of existence. But, while serving Coaching special hockey, he said, is
as an Army sergeant first class in Balad, “more about understanding each player
Iraq, an enemy rocket’s explosion damaged individually, their unique needs and capa-
his right leg so badly it had to be removed bilities, and not actually coaching hockey.”
below the knee. Giving the wounded a goal can help their
Nonetheless, Bowser today is back on the physical recoveries, he said.
ice, thanks to a prosthetic leg and his The vets he works with inspire him. He
involvement in one of the teams Lucia said, “They are very positive and upbeat;
assists, the standup group. He is also now a they forget about all the things that have
member of the U.S. Amputee Hockey Team, taken place—none are bitter.”
which this spring went to Boston for the For those who ask why young people
Disabled Hockey Festival, an international should lose an arm or a leg in wartime
month since at The Gardens Ice House in competition. The team won a silver medal. and not be rewarded with a miraculous
Laurel, Md., where it receives free ice time. Bowser said others at Walter Reed have recovery, Lucia has this insight: “The
The players receive free jerseys and equip- lost limbs and believe their hockey days miracle happens after people encounter
ment from USA Hockey. have ended. “The biggest thing is to show these things” and how they respond,
these guys they can get back on the ice,” he said.
Standup Guys he said. Now retired from the military, An Air Force Colonel, Lucia is the
The team Lucia coaches has such signifi- Bowser is a staff assistant to the Secretary principal point of contact between the
cant mobility limitations that its members of the Army and works on the Wounded Department and DOD on operational
play on sleds, which they move across the Warrior Program. military matters. ■
ice using two small hockey sticks with picks
on each end. He also assists the clinic’s Giving Back Jason Greer is director of the Office of
“standup” team, whose members have less For Lucia, the experience of coaching Congressional and Public Affairs in the
significant limitations. The participating wounded warriors allows him to give Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Ed
soldiers and Marines have differing levels of something back to a sport that helped Warner is deputy editor of State Magazine.
As with many other federal agencies, the Department of State Foreign Service Generalist Attrition
faces a potential wave of retirements in coming years due to the The Foreign Service generalist average attrition rate for fiscal 2003
aging of the Baby Boomers. Between fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2011, through fiscal 2007 was 4.2 percent, but the 2007 rate was slightly
the Department expects approximately 5,600 Civil Service and above the five-year average, at 4.5 percent, as shown in Table 2. Attri-
Foreign Service employees will depart. Approximately 60 percent tion-rate calculations are based on employee populations at the
will leave due to retirements. Presently, close to 17 percent of the beginning of each fiscal year, and the projections assume that the
Department’s career workforce is eligible to retire. In five years, employee base will remain constant during the projection period.
that number will increase to 33 percent of current employees, Over the next five years, the generalist attrition rate is projected to
and in 10 years almost half of the current workforce will be increase slightly to an average of 4.8 percent. Average Senior Foreign
retirement eligible.
The situation is not as dire as these statistics appear to indicate,
however. The Department has the lowest attrition rate among the Table 1: Attrition Rates for Selected
foreign affairs agencies and one of the lowest rates government- Government Agencies
wide, as shown in Table 1.
Many factors affect attrition. An important factor is that the
Foreign Service is a closed up-or-out system. Some employees Agency Rate
must separate for others to move up the ladder. A small number of
Foreign Service officers separate after not being tenured. They also Department of Justice 6.24%
leave for personal reasons or are selected out during the promotion
process. Approximately 84 percent of Foreign Service generalists
Department of State 6.70%
remain through retirement. In contrast, about 60 percent of Civil
Service employees leave due to nonretirement reasons, such as
Government Printing Office 8.36%
resignation, termination or transfer to other agencies.
Employees of the Department are generally happy with their
jobs. One nonprofit organization that ranks the best places to work Department of Defense 17.05%
in the federal government found in 2007 that the Department
ranks 6th in the Best Places to Work index, up from 10th in 2005. Department of Interior 20.99%
The Department’s 2007 Quality of Work Life Survey also showed
high job satisfaction. Overall, 88 percent of all employees said they Department of Agriculture 25.08%
liked the work they do, and 82 percent felt that their work gave
them a feeling of personal accomplishment. Source: Office of Personnel Management
2007-2011
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Average
(Projected)
Ballroom Dancers
Get Audience
On Its Feet By John Bentel
The State of the Arts Cultural performance which belied the Blues Alley Jazz sponsored a audience moving along with
Series and the Foreign Affairs difficulty of waltz, rumba and special performance as part of their beat. ■
Recreation Association recently salsa. They even let members of The Big Band Jam!, a program
presented a classical pianist, the audience have a “Dancing to educate people about The author is a computer
classical guitarist, jazz ensemble with the Stars” moment, America’s unique jazz heritage. specialist in the
and ballroom dancers. guiding them with all the right This show featured The George Executive
The classical pianist, Dr. movements. Washington University’s Jazz Secretariat.
Robert Snyder, is chairman of William Feasley, the first clas- Ensemble, a dynamic group of
the Department of Pathology at sical guitarist to be awarded the talented youths under the
Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Peabody Conservatory’s coveted direction of James Levine
Spring, Md. He presented a Artist Diploma, maintains an that had the
varied program of compositions active international touring
by Johannes Brahms, Sergei schedule. His playing revealed
Rachmaninoff and Ernst von many vivid colors during his
Dohnanyi. His formidable tech- “French Perspective” program
nique and keen insight earned featuring French composers
him a standing ovation. from the 1700s through the
Ballroom dancers Don 1900s. A delighted audience
Beedie and Danielle Areco gave rewarded him with resounding
a seamless and entertaining applause.
Coming Events
Piano Prodigies
August 13
Antonio Adams,
August 20 dramatic tenor
Third Annual
September 17 Talent Show
U.S. Ambassador to
U.S. Ambassador to the Honduras
Asia-Pacific Economic Hugo Llorens of Florida, a career
Cooperation Forum member of the Senior Foreign Service,
Patricia M. Haslach of Oregon, a career class of Minister-Counselor, is the new
member of the Senior Foreign Service, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of
class of Minister-Counselor, was Honduras. Previously, he served as
accorded the rank of Ambassador during deputy chief of mission in Madrid and
her service as U.S. senior coordinator for before that as DCM in Buenos Aires. He
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. was also director of Andean Affairs at
Previously, she was ambassador to Laos. the National Security Council. His other
Before that, she was director of the Office overseas postings include Vancouver,
for Afghanistan. Her other overseas post- Tegucigalpa, La Paz, Asunción, San
ings include Islamabad, New Delhi, U.S. Salvador and Manila. He is married and
Mission to the European Union, Lagos has two sons.
and Jakarta. She is married to Foreign
Service officer David Herbert. They have
two daughters.
retirements
FOREIGN SERVICE CIVIL SERVICE
Adams, Shirley Ann LeCroy, Jessica Callahan, June E. Neerman, Margaret A.
Akahloun, Eleanor L. Meeker, Patricia A. Cassidy, Patrick M. Nist, Sally J.
Allison III, Henry J. Moran, Roger J. Fox, Lisa Parson Platte, Edward H.
Ames, Susanne Nava, Hector Hotchner, John M. Reddon, Bessie E.
Armbruster, William Norris, Jane S. Kidd, Jeannette R. Richmond, Glenda A.
Aronis, Barbara A. Queen, David A. Lewis, Colleen E. Rowley, Iris E.
Barber, Yvonne A. Papendick, Josefina L. Light, Carol J. Snyder, Gloria Ann
Basso, James H. Picardy, John C. Locksley, Michael A. Spangler, Greg Keith
Bishop, Allen Rufus Potter, Sara Ellen Mahley, Donald A. Suchecki, Caroline A.
Bochantin, Dennis W. Provencal, Stephen P. Martin, Dennis Taylor, Anthony H.
Casey, Rosemary B. Seidenstricker, Michael W. Martin, Richard C. Thomas, Barbara J.
Cushman, Dan M. Severns, Dennis L. Moon, Linda A. Thounhurst, Deborah L.
Doherty, Paul Martin Siasoco, Edwin Villanueva Neely, Mildred
Donnelly, Shaun Edward Skodon, Emil M.
Engle, Gregory W. Thiele, Tracy K.
Hamilton, Gayle Carter Trogdon, Alan K.
Harty, Maura A. Wahba, Marcelle M.
Hayes Jr., Joseph J. Wanner, Marilyn M.
Hirakawa, Marlene S. Weber, Janet M.
Jennens, Julie Ann Weisberg, Robert
Johnson, Patricia White Wood, Wanda L.
Junge, Gloria J. Yoas, Nancy J.
Games Plan
working overtime to keep U.S. athletes and large part of the Department’s work force.
citizens safe and secure. When a significant portion of any agency’s
Preparation for the 2008 Games began work force nears retirement, human
in 2001, with Consular Affairs working resource specialists tend to take notice.
closely with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to Currently, almost 17 percent of the Depart-
plan the necessary security measures. As ment’s work force is eligible to retire; that
the Games swiftly approached, the Depart- number will jump to 33 percent within the
ment increased consular staffing at the next five years and to almost 50 percent
embassy to handle the expanded responsi- within the next 10 years.
bilities. The results of all that However, the Department has the lowest
behind-the-scenes preparation will be on attrition rate among all government
display this month. Foreign Affairs agencies and one of the
While Mission China was focused on the lowest government-wide rates. According
upcoming Games, on May 12 Mother to a 2007 Quality of Work Life Survey, 88
Nature intervened with a major 7.9-magni- percent of all employees like their jobs and
tude earthquake centered in Sichuan 82 percent feel their work gives them a
province. Without a blink, the U.S. feeling of personal accomplishment.
Consulate General in Chengdu, the U.S. Last but never least, a final salute to our
Embassy in Beijing and the Directorate of colleagues en route to their final posting:
Every four years, like clockwork, Overseas Citizens Services began Raymond J. Alvarez; Lucius D. “Luke”
thousands of athletes and millions of coordinating information and resources to Battle; Cynthia Eagles Hodgson; Jean M.
tourists gather in a host nation to celebrate locate missing American citizens while Holmes; James Patrick Kelley; Martha Searcy
the Olympic ideal. In 2008, more than maintaining normal operations. By May Kelley; Yvonne Ona Olson; Arthur Clarence
1,100 American athletes and coaches, along 21, Mission China accounted for all but Plambeck; Eddie W. Schodt; Bernard “Buck”
with thousands of fellow citizens, will one of the American citizens known to be Shinkman; Warren A. Silver; Mildred I.
travel to China for the Summer Games and in the earthquake-damaged area, and he Szojan; and Richard David Vine. ■
the Paralympic Games of the XXIX was found within days.
Olympiad. While the athletes hope to bring The generation of Americans known as
home medals, the Department’s Bureau of Baby Boomers seems to attract more atten-
Consular Affairs and its Directorate of tion than it might actually warrant, but the Rob Wiley
Overseas Citizen Services have been inescapable fact is that Boomers make up a Editor-in-Chief
Coming in September
• PRT Bridges Politics and Economics • Real Training for the Real World
• Bureau of African Affairs Turns 50 ... and much more!