The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2017

16 JULY-AUGUST 2017 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL A s Director General of the Foreign Service, I have been doing considerable thinking these past months concerning the future role and the ever-increasing responsi- bilities of the Foreign Service. …When all possible alternatives are examined one cannot escape the conclusion that the arguments supporting the maintenance of a professional, merit-oriented, highly moti- vated career system is more valid today than at any time in the history of our nation. The question is really not whether we should continue to opt for a career system, but what new concepts must be employed to meet new demands. …We should focus our attention to a recruitment system which hires talent fromwhatever source that may be avail- able to meet the requirements of the moment. The mainte- nance of a highly professional career corps does not in any way disparage the collateral need for a variety of talent from government sources and elsewhere, bringing a wealth of experience to bear upon our total foreign affairs problem. In fact, the two concepts are complementary rather than antagonistic. …In developing this concept of our for- eign affairs establishment, one reaches for parallels by way of illustration with some trepidation, for no two situations are sufficiently alike to provide an absolute precedent. There is, however, sufficient similarity to our armed services to warrant a comparison. …The fact that the career Foreign Service does not wear uniforms or handle visible weapons does not essentially change the facts. Continuing and timely consideration needs to be constantly given to the techniques of recruitment, training, raising of professional standards, together with pro- viding conditions of service and disciplines to be observed and rewards to be granted in recognition. But the removal of this stiffening in our foreign affairs establishment by muting or weakening the career Foreign Service can only be inimical to the country’s fortunes. —Ambassador John M. Steeves entered the Foreign Service in 1947. He was Director General of the U.S. Foreign Service from 1966 to 1969. Excerpted from the August 1967 Foreign Service Journal . 50 Years Ago New Responsibilities for an Old Service by John M. Steeves This year’s awardees include Public Affairs Officer Dolores Prin at the U.S. Consulate General in Okinawa, Deputy Public Affairs Officer JustenThomas at Embassy Havana, Miami Media Hub Director Lydia Barraza, Public Affairs Officer Jay Raman at Embassy Phnom Penh (all of whom are AFSA members) and Educational Adviser Alia Alkhraisha in Dubai. Dolores Prin redefined how the U.S. consulate reaches out to the Okinawan public, which has long been hostile to the American presence on the island. Her citation read: “For highly innovative and creative initiatives to engage tens of thousands of Okinawans and foster a positive image of America in a challeng- ing environment.” Award winners Lydia Barraza and JustenThomas significantly influenced the public narrative in support of nor- malizing U.S.-Cuban relations. “Their ability to ‘fill the media space’ allowed us to build a consistent narrative on our terms,” Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis said. Their work helped frame messages that reached tens of millions of viewers around the world and led to the relaunch of important State Department programs in the country. Award recipient Jay Raman’s initia- tives to implement strategic cultural heri- tage preservation programs significantly contributed to U.S.-Cambodian relations because of the high importance that gov- ernment places on its cultural heritage as a source of pride and as an engine for economic growth, wrote Deputy Chief of Mission Julie Chung. Education Adviser Alia Alkhraisha organized and participated in more than 60 major outreach events on behalf of EducationUSA in Dubai, reaching an audience of more than 38,000 students, educators and university representa- tives. As a result, for the first time the United States can do educational outreach in UAE public schools. Alkhraisha’s example is now being used by other EducationUSA centers across the 19 countries in the region. For full coverage of the PDAA awards and a complete list of award winners since 1993, visit www.publicdiplomacy.org. n —Susan B. Maitra, Managing Editor