April 2014

The Foreign Service Journal covers foreign affairs from an insider's perspective, providing thought-provoking articles on international issues, the practice of diplomacy and the U.S. Foreign Service. Including the AFSA News section, The Journal is published monthly (January-February and July-August issues combined) by the American Foreign Service Association.

This month, we honor Earth Day on April 22. In the issue’s focus on “Greening Embassies,” the Journal looks at the dynamic efforts to improve energy-efficiency in American embassies throughout the world. The focus highlights the more than 150 U.S. embassies and consulates actively engaged in making facilities more environmentally friendly through the use of sustainable technology. It also profiles the Department of State’s Greening Diplomacy Initiative as well as the League of Green Embassies. Giving an insight into other countries’ efforts, Finnish diplomat Emilia Honkasaari tells the story of the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C., a pioneering structure among green embassies and the first to achieve LEED certification.

In this month’s feature, Phebe Xu Gray reflects on How H.A. Giles Learned Chinese. She highlights the late-1800s linguistic journey of British diplomat Herbert Allen Giles. In our monthly columns, Susie Martineau reflects on her life as “global nomad,” Tyler Sparks advocates for bringing back the Powell Fellows Program, and AFSA President Robert J. Silverman shares his perspectives on the reasons to love the League of Green Embassies.

We always welcome short, focused letters about FSJ content; please send them to journal@afsa.org.