Submission Deadline April 15, 2010

The members of the Foreign Service are like the olive branches in the right talon of the American eagle, advising the president and Secretary of State about foreign relations and carrying out the president's foreign policies. The Foreign Service is our nation’s “First Line of Defense,” promoting and defending America’s critical interests around the globe.  The members of the military service are like the arrows in the eagle's left talon, safeguarding our nation’s security around the world. Although these two groups work together and are both essential in order to promote and defend  the national interest of the United States, the Foreign Service is not as well known as the military
service.

A major objective on the tenth anniversary of this contest is to help you and other young Americans better understand how the men and women of the Foreign Service serve and defend our critical national interests around the globe, possibly leading many participants to consider international careers in service to our country..

2010 Essay Contest Topic

In writing your essay, use the following as your guideline:

• Select one or several specific international issues that you think will be major challenges to the American Foreign Service in carrying out a successful U.S. foreign policy in the new century, and explain why you have chosen these issues.

• Describe and analyze the role of members of the United States Foreign Service in conducting
diplomacy to resolve one or more of these particular issues and discuss the immediate consequences.

• Keep in mind the United States national interests include, among other issues: national security, countering terrorism, protection of American citizens, human rights, democratization, free market economics, free trade, and sustainable economic development.

You might wish to follow as an example the 2009 winning essay, "Challenges to the American Foreign Service: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict," by Brian Parker, or the 2008 winning essay, "Standing up for Human Rights - Challenges Facing the U.S. Foreign Service in China,” by Alicia Constant