State Magazine, December 2007

MAGAZINE

U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 7

IMAGINE ...

Happy Holidays

Fast ActionEmbassy Lima provides relieffor earthquake victims.

Yellow BirdNative American dancers tourCentral America.

20Twilight of the SoulFilms teach Russians aboutAmerican values.

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2007

. . .PAGE 24POST OF THE MONTH. . .Cairo

10 Poison into PlowsharesAssistance helps turn rocket fuel into fertilizer.

12 Diplomats on the GroundMulti-agency reconstruction teams help rebuildIraq’s provinces.

14 Frontlines ReportPRT duty is a multi-national experience.

16 Info to GoGo online for post details.

22 Close TiesEmbassy helps Ghana celebrate 50 years ofindependence.

30 Fraud-bustersSummer hires assess visa seekers in Hong Kong.

36 Accommodating EffortDepartment levels playing field for employeeswith disabilities.

2 From the Secretary

3 Readers’ Feedback

4 Direct from the DG

5 In the News

39 Education & Training

40 Medical Report

42 Appointments

42 Retirements

43 Obituaries

44 The Last Word

FEATURES

COLUMNS

ON THE COVERAnything one person canimagine, others can makereal. Happy Holidays.Photograph by Corbis

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Every holiday season, as one year turnsto another, we take a moment to step backfrom everything, to put the rush of ourdaily lives into some perspective and togive thanks for what is most meaningfuland important to us. Our thoughts turn toour friends, our families and ourcolleagues serving overseas. And that iswhat I wish to give thanks for most of allthis year: our people, you.

This is a challenging time for ourcountry and for all of us. Rarely has ourgovernment been focused on more hardproblems at once–from Pakistan andNorth Korea, to Sudan and Burma, toAfghanistan and, of course, Iraq.Challenges like these, and many others, arefar different from the ones that you and Imight have anticipated even a few yearsago. They signal that our world is in themidst of a critical time of transition, andour government, like all of us who serve init, is adapting to succeed. Change like thisis never easy.

I understand that we who have thehonor of leading this Department areasking a lot of you right now, and everyopportunity I get, I remind our fellowAmericans, and especially their representa-tives in Congress, of the hard but vitalwork that their diplomats are doing everyday on their behalf. I remind them thatmore than ever before in ourDepartment’s history, more of you areserving far away from your families andfriends, in difficult and often dangerousplaces around the world. I remind themthat many of you are making sacrificesin service to your country, shoulder toshoulder with our men and womenin uniform.

Ours tasks are indeed great, and theydemand much of us all, but I believe thatour world and our work today are definedfar more by the opportunities we havethan the challenges we face. We have an

opportunity to rid the Korean peninsula ofnuclear weapons. We have an opportunityto help Israelis and Palestinians achievepeace. And we now have an opportunity,despite the setbacks we have faced, to help

the Iraqi people bring lasting security andprosperity to their free nation.

It is an honor to serve our nation at thistime of challenge and opportunity, and itis an honor to serve alongside such dedi-cated and hard-working people as you.The work we are doing together is hard,and it is sometimes trying, but it is vital tosecuring the interests of the United States.The State Department is an extendedfamily, and as we perform this work wemust support and strengthen one anotheras families do. I am personally committedto ensuring that each member of thisfamily has the resources and support thatthey need.

I thank you all for your service, I wishyou a happy holiday season and I lookforward with hope and confidence to whatwe will achieve together in the next year. ■

Happy Holidays

“I believe thatour world andour work todayare defined farmore by theopportunitieswe have thanthe challengeswe face.”

2 | STATE MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2007

FROM THE SECRETARY

Tony Freeman’s LegacyThe September issue carried the

unhappy news of Tony Freeman’spassing. He was the Secretary of State’sLabor Adviser for many years and one ofthe last of what I would call real laborattachés, persons who believed passionatelyin two things: 1) the U.S. interest in under-standing those who want to change thestatus quo and 2) the need to steal theinitiative from the communists during theCold War. U.S. support for theinternational free trade-union movementdid both, saving Western Europe afterWorld War II to the end of the Cold War.

In response to a question from thedefense attaché at a country team meetingin La Paz on the role of the labor attaché,Tony succinctly explained it this way:

“Well, the ambassador talks to the Presi-dent, the political counselor to politicalleaders, the econ counselor to centralbankers, the commercial attaché to

business fat cats and the defense attaché tothe high command. All of you guys talk topeople who are pretty much satisfied withthings. I talk to people who aren’t. My jobis to keep the rest of you honest.”

Of course, that was an oversimplifi-cation, but there was a real grain of truthdelivered in Tony’s own New Jerseystyle. He exemplified the best in that laborattaché tradition and was deeply attached toclear, honest reporting to Washington aboutforces for change. His work on the ItalianLeft in the 1980s led to later active supportfor Solidarity and showed how important itis to have the right person at the right place.

Seems to me that today’s events call formore of Tony’s qualities.

Stuart H. LippeFSO-retired

I was saddened to read in the Septemberissue of the untimely death of retired

Foreign Service officer Anthony G. “Tony”Freeman. Tony was my boss at the U.S.Embassy in Rome in the early 1980s.I subsequently had the pleasure of workingwith him on several issues in the later1980s and 1990s, when he was the seniorDepartment official responsible for inter-national labor affairs.

Tony was one of the last of the old-timeForeign Service labor attachés, a specializa-tion that unfortunately has not fared wellin this era of constricted budgets andtransformational diplomacy. Throughouthis career he combined New Jersey streetsmarts with a keen intellect, politicalacumen and a strong sense of socialjustice—making him the consummateForeign Service labor officer. He was bothmentor and friend to me and manyothers. He will be missed.

Nicholas StiglianiFSO-retired

READERS’ FEEDBACK

I write in reference to the letter from William S. Shepard concerning the establishment of the plaque

in memory of Foreign Service family members who have lost their lives overseas. Mr. Shepard was

indeed instrumental in having this plaque placed in the lobby of the State Department, and it is fitting

that we now can memorialize the sacrifices made by family members as well as those of FS employees.

The American Foreign Service Association conducts a solemn ceremony every year during Foreign

Affairs Day in front of the AFSA Memorial Plaque and provides the floral wreaths that are placed in

front of each of the plaques. Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide and AFSA jointly

provide the floral wreath in front of the family plaque.

John NalandAFSA President

Honoring All Sacrifices

[email protected]

Phone(202) 663-1700

Fax(202) 663-1769

Mailing Address2401 E Street, NWHR/ER/SMG, SA-1, Room H-236Washington, DC 20522-0108

Letters should not exceed 250 words andshould include the writer’s name, addressand daytime phone number. All lettersbecome the property of State Magazine.Letters will be edited for length, accuracyand clarity. Only signed letters willbe considered.

LET US HEAR FROM YOU

DECEMBER 2007 | STATE MAGAZINE | 3


Let me take this opportunity to wish youand your loved ones around the world ajoyful holiday season.

I feel truly honored to be working along-side men and women who are helpingAmericans and providing opportunities tothose who need them around the world. Aswe approach the New Year, let’s continue tolook for ways to shine the spotlight on all thegood work that is being done by our CivilService and Foreign Service employees.

For the second year in a row, undergradu-ates have ranked the State Department as thenumber one employer among all federalagencies. I think that is a great tribute to the17 Diplomats in Residence and the 10recruiters that we have based here in Wash-ington. But I also believe that all of us canand should be involved in our publicoutreach and recruitment efforts.

In the coming months, I plan to visit anumber of high schools, because that iswhen young people become engaged inworld studies. I invite all of you to join mein visiting schools and talking to alumniorganizations, clubs and places of worshipabout the work that we are doing. This isvital to the future of the Department.

You can learn more about our HometownDiplomats Program by calling the Office ofPublic Liaison at 202-647-5879. Those ofyou who have lived or served in Iraq maywant to contact our Office ofIntergovernmental Affairs at 202-647-6575to learn more about our Home from IraqDiplomats Program.

Another way to highlight the importantwork we do at State is to nominate ourcolleagues for highly visible, much-deservedawards. There are a number of such awardsout there, such as the distinguished Partner-ship for Public Service’s Service to AmericaMedals. This is a wonderful way toaccentuate the accomplishments andcommitments of the Department’soutstanding public servants.

This year, Edward Messmer, a ForeignService officer currently serving in theBureau of European and Eurasian Affairs,was awarded the prestigious 2007 Service to

America International Affairs Medal basedon his outstanding contributions during the2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.He averted a humanitarian crisis byarranging to get fuel reserves into Lebanon.

At the awards ceremony, Mr. Messmer spokepublicly of his satisfaction in working for acountry “that has the resources, the intent,the commitment and the experience to dogood in the world.”

In previous years, we have had a numberof other finalists and winners who wererecognized for their efforts, ranging fromorganizing local elections in Iraq to orga-nizing international preparations for an avianflu pandemic to cracking down on opiumpoppy cultivation and narcotics trafficking.

The 2008 Service to America Medalsprogram is now open for nominations. EveryBureau should actively look for people tonominate for these awards, which are accom-panied by cash prizes ranging from $3,000 to$10,000. The competition is open to U.S.citizen, full-time employees and those whoretired after September 19, 2007.

Nominations can be made by March 3,2007, directly to servicetoamericamedals.org/SAM/nominations/, which has all the detailson the process. They may be submitted by

any person familiar with the individual’swork.

This year’s award categories include: Call to Service–recognizes a federal

employee under the age of 35 with less thanfive years of federal service whoseprofessional achievements reflect the impor-tant contributions that a new generationbrings to public service.

Career Achievement–recognizes a federalemployee with 20 plus years of federal civilservice for significant accomplishmentsthroughout a lifetime of achievement inpublic service.

Citizens Services Medal–recognizes afederal employee for a significant contribu-tion to the nation in activities that servethe general public and provide for thecommon good.

Homeland Security–recognizes a federalemployee for a significant contribution tothe nation in activities related to homelandsecurity, such as border and transportationsecurity, emergency preparedness andresponse, intelligence and law enforcement.

Justice and Law Enforcement–recognizes afederal employee for a significant contribu-tion to the nation in activities related to civilrights, criminal justice, fraud detection andprevention and counterterrorism.

National Security and InternationalAffairs–recognizes a federal employee for asignificant contribution to the nation inactivities related to national security, suchas defense and military affairs, andintelligence, and activities related tointernational affairs, such as diplomacy,foreign assistance and trade.

Science & Environment–recognizes afederal employee for a significant contribu-tion to the nation in activities related tobiomedicine, economics, energy, informationtechnology, meteorology, resource conserva-tion and space.

Together, let’s send a powerful message tothe public about the relevance of our workand inspire a new generations of Americansto serve.

We welcome your suggestions via unclas-sified e-mail at “DG Direct.” ■

Working Together to Help Others

D.G. HARRY K. THOMAS

From left, Media Specialist Agnes Caballa,Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney and CulturalSpecialist Tony Perez display the book andtheir citation.

NEWS


A Way with WordsEmbassy Manila Staff Members Write Popular Children’s Book

In late August, the Manila Critics Circlerecognized the book Inang Bayan’s NewClothes with a nomination for BestChildren’s Book of 2007. The short bookwas written by two long-time employees ofthe public affairs section of the U.S.Embassy in the Philippines, Tony Perez andAgnes Caballa.

The book tells of two young girls—oneMuslim and the other Christian—whocombine their traditional seamstress talentsto create beautiful clothes for Inang Bayan,a mythological personification of thePhilippine motherland. The Critics Circlealso presented a citation, accepted on behalfof the embassy by Ambassador Kristie A.

will find likenesses of Perez’s and Caballa’sown grandchildren peeking out ofwindows in some illustrations.

Inang Bayan’s New Clothes is available inEnglish and Visayan, a traditional languageof trade and commerce on the multi-lingual southern island of Mindanao. Thebook project was jointly funded by the PASand the Military Information SupportTeam as a contribution to Philippine andU.S. government efforts to fight terrorism,particularly in majority Muslim areas inthe southern Philippines. It was distributedfree to thousands of children in Mindanaoand has been donated to schools andlibraries throughout the Philippines.

Kenney, for exemplary contributions toPhilippine children’s literature through thiswriting project.

Perez has written more than 30 plays,and Caballa is a veteran of the dramaticand musical stage. The concept for anuplifting and patriotic interfaith story camefrom Perez, while Caballa providedexpertise on the traditional costumesportrayed in the book. A local graphicartist, Frances Alvarez, provided the full-color illustrations as well as drawings oftraditional ethnic costumes that youngreaders can cut out and use to dress thepaper doll version of Inang Bayan thatcomes with the book. Observant readers


U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilsonhosted chiefs of mission from Europe, theCaucasus and Central Asia, and senior offi-cials from the Departments of State andEnergy at a Regional Energy Conference inIstanbul in September. The conference wascalled to discuss continuing U.S. support tohelp countries in the Caucasus and CentralAsia regions develop their oil and gasresources and to get those resources tomarkets most efficiently and in a way thatcomplements European energy security.

Given increasing pressure on worldenergy supplies and growing energydemand, the conference allowed chiefs ofmission to discuss global energy securityissues by giving their assessments andsharing their ideas on the economics andpolitics of energy issues. The conference alsotouched on the importance of identifyingand developing traditional, fossil-fuel-basedresources and alternative fuels andrenewable energy sources.

“There’s nothing like getting our ambas-

sadors and chiefs of mission, with career-long knowledge and expertise in this regionand specific expertise and institutionalmemory in the energy sector, into the sameroom for a discussion,” said Under Secretaryfor Economic, Energy and AgriculturalAffairs Reuben Jeffery. “We got the bestinput and judgment that we could possiblyhave and some lively debate, and we set thebasis for continuing our support ofcountries in the region as they develop theirown energy strategies and resources.”

AFSA is calling for nominations for the 2008 ExemplaryPerformance Awards and the Constructive Dissent Awards, whichare based on integrity and professional courage rather thanperformance of duties.

AFSA said the latter awards promote constructive and creativedissent (within the system) on an issue that affects the work of theForeign Service.

The four dissent awards are: the Tex Harris Award for ForeignService Specialists, the W. Averell Harriman Award for juniorofficers (FS 6-4), the William R. Rivkin Award for mid-career offi-cers (FS 3-1) and the Christian A. Herter Award for senior officers(FE OC-CA).

Nominations should include:• The name of the award for which the person is being

nominated and the nominee’s name, grade, agency andposition.

• The nominator’s name, grade, agency, position and associationwith the nominee.

• The justification, which should discuss the actions and qualitiesthat qualify the nominee, giving examples of accomplishments.

AFSA also offers three awards for exemplary performance of

assigned or voluntary duties at an overseas post that constituteextraordinary contributions to effectiveness, professionalism andmorale. They are:

The Delavan Award for a Foreign Service office managementspecialist who has made a significant contribution to post or officeeffectiveness and morale beyond the framework of her or his jobresponsibilities.

The M. Juanita Guess Award for a community liaison officerwho demonstrated outstanding leadership, dedication, initiativeor imagination in assisting the families of Americans at anoverseas post.

The Avis Bohlen Award for a family member of a ForeignService employee whose relations with the American and foreigncommunities at post have advanced U.S. interests, in the traditionof the late Avis Bohlen.

The procedures for nominating someone for one of theexemplary performance awards are the same as for the constructivedissent awards.

Winners receive $2,500 and a framed certificate and will behonored at a reception in late June 2008. Further details are on theAFSA Web site at www.afsa.org/awards.cfm.

AFSA SEEKS 2008 AWARD NOMINATIONS

Department officials and chiefs of missiongather during the energy conference.

Chiefs of Mission AttendRegional Energy Conference

MAGAZINE STAFF

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

Ed WarnerDeputy Editor

Bill PalmerWriter/Editor

David L. JohnstonArt Director

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

James A. ForbesExecutive Secretary

Kelly Clements

Annette R. Cocchiaro

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Muslim employees of the U.S. Embassy in Parisprayed during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month offasting, in a room at the embassy and, after 30 daysof fasting, celebrated the Eid-al-Fitr, the end ofRamadan, in the post’s Executive Lounge. Theywere joined there by the Ambassador, deputy chiefof mission and public affairs officer and otherdistinguished embassy staff members, and ate foodsfrom many countries.

The embassy’s Muslim employees said theyappreciated the support of the Ambassador andmanagement team and called the event remarkable,historic and entertaining. The event was organizedby Haji Mohammad Saifullah.

The Bureau of Human Resources has just released its latest upgrade to thePost Personnel System, a human resources management and tracking applica-tion that feeds overseas personnel data into a consolidated database inWashington, D.C.

Enhancements to Post Personnel include security modifications to protectemployee Social Security numbers; dynamic reporting that allows standardreport modifications to be requested and managed from the Help Desk of thePost Administrative Software Suite; and new fields that capture additionalinformation on local employee compensation, benefits and pay-plan approvalstatus. This release allows American employees at post to update theirlocation and their dependents’ location in Post Personnel through WebPASSe-Services.

The data entered in e-Services will be shared with the Department’s Evacua-tion Management System, which is used to manage employee drawdowns andfacilitate the issuance of travel orders during crises. The system enablesauthorized users to view and modify American employee/dependent data, suchas current location, emergency contact and travel itinerary, and can generatereports that provide evacuation status information for posts and Washington.

The Post Personnel System resides on 175 servers worldwide and is the offi-cial data source for U.S. personnel under Chief of Mission authority. A detaileddescription of the latest changes, along with more information about the Evac-uation Management System, can be found at http://hrweb.hr.state.gov/PS.

HR Upgrades Management Software

EMBASSYPARIS

MUSLIMEMPLOYEESCELEBRATERAMADAN

Ambassador Craig R. Stapleton,center, meets with theembassy’s Muslim staff.

NATIVE AMERICAN DANCERS TOUR CENTRAL AMERICA BY ANNA MARIA ADAMO,CARMEN FONCEA, MARJORIE STERN AND VERÓNICA VÁSQUEZ

Cultural Connections

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When the public affairs sections at theU.S. embassies in El Salvador andGuatemala brought the Yellow Bird NativeAmerican dancers to those nations thissummer, almost 5,000 Salvadorans andGuatemalans attended the group’s 10performances of authentic Native Americansongs and dances, held in nine locations.There were also dances and ceremonies bylocal indigenous groups, storytellingsessions, a crafts demonstration and aNative American dance workshop.

One little girl in the village of Izalco,which has the largest indigenous populationin El Salvador, said “This is extraordinary.”

The two-week program, from June 19 to30, had the financial support of the

Performing Arts Initiative of the Bureau ofEducational and Cultural Affairs and asignificant contribution from each post.The tour was designed to demonstrate animportant part of U.S. culture, especially toindigenous audiences, and to fosterintercultural exchange. The troupeconsisted of skilled dancers, musicians andstorytellers whose performances includedthe hoop dance (a metaphor of the circle oflife), rainbow dance (with a skirt made of“raindrops”) and eagle dance.

The Yellow Bird dancers participating inthe Central American visit were KenDuncan (an Apache who founded thetroupe), Ken Duncan Jr., Tony Duncan(four-time World Men’s Hoop Dance cham-

pion), David Brush (from the Cheyenneand Lakota Nations), Cheryl Lynn Abe(from the Ojibway and Navajo Nations) andViolet John (Cree Nation).

Promoting Pride

The shows promoted respect forAmerican indigenous traditions and CentralAmericans’ pride in their own heritage. Thetour also provided a connection to distantindigenous leaders and laid the groundworkfor future contacts and cooperation.

In Santa Cruz del Quiché in Guatemala,residents honored the group with a Mayanceremony and a dance performance in theMayan ruins of Gumarcaaj. In Sololá, thetroupe was treated to a lively display of

Kaqchiquel music and dance. The YellowBirds also met with local leaders in Quichéand Sololá, sharing their cultures and expe-riences as indigenous peoples.

In El Salvador, the Mayan and Pipilindigenous groups of Izalco shared theirancestral blessings, dances and prayers, andthe program provided a learning experiencefor 30 dance students of the National DanceSchool. In a two-hour master class onNative American dance techniques,attendees got a closer look at the Apachetraditions. One grateful student gave herdance teacher a bead necklace.

The tour included free public concertsand outreach to youth, especially outsidethe capital cities. In El Salvador, about 65percent of the attendees were between 7 and18 years old. In Santa Ana, El Salvador,eight-year-olds asked the Yellow Birds toexplain the meaning of the words they singand the colors they wear. In Guatemala, thetroupe answered questions about Native

Americans and exchanged ideas and experi-ences. In San Salvador, 580 people attendedthe show at a theater, and the performancein Guatemala at the lakeside village of SanLucas Toliman drew a crowd of 1,000.

Goodwill Outreach

There were also unexpected reactions. Thedancers’ visit to a Salvadoran archeologicalsite turned into an impromptu baseballgame when a teacher recognized the troupe’sleader after watching their show on TV.

By highlighting the nations’ similaritiesand respect for indigenous cultures, theYellow Bird visit created goodwill andsupported the active provincial outreachefforts of both embassies, including theVirtual Presence Post for the Mayanhighlands region in Guatemala. Since thevisit, the public affairs section in Guatemalahas sponsored 18 undergraduatescholarships for indigenous students at alocal university and worked with Save the

Children USA to provide educational mate-rials and teacher training to assist 2,000grade-schoolers in eight indigenous schoolsaround Lake Atitlan. The embassy hasbrought music and dance groups of Sololáyouth to Guatemala City for twoperformances and is circulating to Mayanvillages a poster show of photos from theYellow Birds’ tour.

All in all, in both El Salvador andGuatemala, the dance and music of theYellow Birds opened the door to deepenedcooperation, investments in people andgreater understanding between Americanand Central American native peoples. ■

Anna Adamo is the public affairs officer atthe U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, CarmenFoncea is a member of that embassy’s PAOstaff, Marjorie Stern is cultural affairs officerat the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador andVerónica Vásquez is the cultural assistant atthat embassy.


Opposite page: Tony Duncan (four-time World Men's Hoop Dance champion) shows his skill doing the hoop dance. Above: The Yellow Bird dancers include,from left, rear row, Ken Duncan Jr., Tony Duncan, Violet John, Ken Duncan Sr., Cheryl Abe (from the Ojibway and Navajo Nations) and David Brush, in front.

When the Russian government collectedformer Soviet missiles following thecollapse of the Soviet Union more than 15years ago, it left behind the toxic sludge of

the rockets’ fuel. Large stocks of a highlytoxic mix of rocket fuel chemicals, calledmélange, were abandoned in Armenia andthroughout the former Soviet Union.

In the 1990s, many private chemicalfactories in Eastern Europe, especially in theformer East Germany, developed a methodfor neutralizing the caustic, nitrogen-basedmélange into harmless potassium nitrate, avaluable fertilizer additive. But in theformer Soviet republics, the storage tankswere corroding, making the mélange toodangerous to move. Now, however,something substantial is being done aboutthis toxic relic from the Cold War.

Chemical SolutionMore than 20,000 tons of mélange are

scattered across the post-Soviet landscape,and those nations have neither the

U.S. ASSISTANCE HELPS TURN ROCKET FUEL INTO FERTILIZER BY DANIEL RENNA


Nestled in the mountains of northwestern Armenialies the spent rocket fuel from the missiles oncedeployed in this former Soviet republic. Dozensof aging fuel tanks scattered in a high, alpinemeadow are leaking this toxic material into thegroundwater. However, thanks to a U.S.-sponsoredprogram, this situation will not exist much longer.

A tanker truck loads the fertilizerat the conversion plant.

Poison into PlowsharesP

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resources nor know-how to make it safe. However, aproject to convert the rocket fuel to fertilizer—withoutthe risk of transport—has been developed by theOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europeand the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Safely managing the conversion process is expensive.Therefore, OSCE sought resources from its memberstates to demonstrate that it could eliminate thishazard. Officers at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan and atthe U.S. Mission to the OSCE in Vienna thought thatsupporting this environmental project was worth doingfor its own sake and would help build the prestige ofthe OSCE in Armenia, gaining more Armenian supportfor such OSCE goals as building democracy andsupporting human rights. With strong support fromthe Office of the Coordinator for U.S. Assistance toEurope and Eurasia, the United States committed$1.6 million from FREEDOM Support Act funds toconvert 872 tons of toxic rocket fuel in Armenia.Germany and Finland also provided important supportto this project.

The conversion of the rocket fuel to fertilizer beganin August 2006 and was nearly half complete before winter weatherforced engineers to call a halt. Spring comes slowly to the Caucasus,but the process resumed and conversion was completed in earlySeptember. Managers of the project are rightly proud of their safetyrecord: zero injuries and environmental mishaps.

The process produced a nitrogen-rich fertilizer dressing that isprovided to farmers in this remote, impoverished region. Theproject’s impact goes far beyond local farmers, however, as the tons

of calcium used in the conversion are mined in Armenia. Most importantly, an environmental disaster was averted and the

water supply protected.The OSCE and NATO plan to use the expertise gained during

this project to help tackle the massive mélange problem in othernations of the region. Ukraine alone has some 16,000 tons of thistoxic legacy. ■

The author is an economic officer at the U.S. Embassy in Yerevan.


Touring the conversion facility are, from left, Armenian General Tigran Gasparyan, AmbassadorJulie Finley of the U.S. Mission to OSCE and OSCE Head of Office Ambassador Vladimir Pryakhin.

As Foreign Service officers who are part of the Provincial Recon-struction Team in Ninewa, Iraq, we wear the standard StateDepartment attire when we climb into a Humvee to go to a forwardoperating base: coat and tie and full protective gear.

Safety is a primary concern for the members of PRT Ninewa,located in northern Iraq. A highly trained and capable unit from theco-located U.S. military brigade protects the PRT’s movements andprovides security at its meetings.

Even in this difficult security environment, PRT Ninewa is allabout meeting people throughout the province nearly every day. ThePRT’s mandate is outreach—from the provincial governor’s office tolocal womens’ groups—as is the case with all of the two dozen otherPRTs in Iraq.

Quick ResponseThe PRT also stands ready to assist when disaster strikes. On

August 14, al Qaeda in Iraq attacked the northern Iraqi towns ofQahtaniya and Al Jazeera with mammoth truck bombs, killing

hundreds and wounding hundreds more. In the ethnically and reli-giously mixed society of northern Iraq’s Ninewa Province, thebombs were a shock, particularly since Iraqi government officialshad made substantial strides in local governance.

Coalition and Iraqi military teams secured the site, providing aidand guarding against further attacks. The PRT worked closely withprovincial government officials, local leaders, U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development partners and international nongovernmentalorganizations, and reported regularly to Washington.

The local and national Iraqi officials responding to the crisisaddressed the basic political, economic and security needs. Behindthe scenes, PRT team members worked with Iraqi government offi-cials so that the recovery effort could move quickly and effectively.

Such work is the role of PRT Ninewa. Ninewa presents a widevariety of important issues. The province has Iraq’s second-largestcity, Mosul, and a diverse population with a tradition of tolerance.Take away the flak jackets and Humvees, and the PRT’s work ismuch like that of a U.S. consulate or embassy.

MULTI-AGENCY RECONSTRUCTION TEAMS HELP REBUILD IRAQ’S PROVINCESBY RODNEY HUNTER AND MICHAEL HANKEY

Diplomats on the Ground

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The PRT Ninewa team gathers.

Iraqi SolutionsPRT Ninewa benefits from a unique amalgamation of Foreign

Service officers, active-duty and reserve soldiers, USAID professionalsand members of other agencies, including the Departments ofTreasury and Justice. It also has contracted civilians, including a teamof gifted interpreters fluent in Arabic, Kurdish, Assyrian and otherlanguages. These individuals form a strong team that advises andsupports Iraqis on complex issues. In Ninewa, the PRT helps developIraqi solutions to Iraqi problems using Iraqi resources.

On any given day, one of the PRT’s five sections visits representa-tives of the provincial government, while another travels to engagecommunity leaders hours outside of the provincial capital. Throughthese trips, PRT Ninewa improves the capacity of local and provin-cial leaders to solve problems on their own.

Through near-daily meetings with the provincial governor or hisstaff on issues facing the province, visits to a local prison to identify

ways to improve standards or pressconferences with local journalists, the PRT

functions as the “American consulate,” the term by which it iswidely known here. The PRT is an integral part of this province’spolitical and economic life.

Even on those rare days when team members stay in the office,they coordinate closely with Iraqis by telephone and e-mail toprepare for the next day’s meetings. PRT Ninewa keeps abreast ofthe situation around the province and provides the links, supportand training that local and provincial leaders need to build institu-tions capable of meeting their citizens’ needs.

Each of the PRT’s diverse programs contributes directly tobuilding Iraqi capacity at all levels, working to make Iraqi societymore capable and resilient. Because the PRT works closely withIraqis daily, it gets a firsthand look at how courageous anddedicated Iraqis are in rebuilding their society under dangerous anddifficult conditions. That insight—despite the hardships—is apowerful motivator for PRT Ninewa. ■

Rodney Hunter and Michael Hankey are Foreign Service officersat PRT Ninewa.

PRT Q&A

What is a PRT?It is a civilian-military inter-agency unittasked with achieving the U.S. goal of astable and self-reliant Iraq by working atthe provincial and grassroots level insupport of those Iraqi leaders who seekpeaceful means to achieve their politicalobjectives.

What do PRTs do?PRTs help provincial and localgovernments develop a transparent andsustained capability to govern andunlock Iraqi funds to better meet thebasic needs of its citizens; promote therule of law; accelerate political, socialand economic development; and fosterdialogue across Iraqi society.

Where do PRT members come from?PRT membership is drawn from suchagencies as the Departments of State,Defense, Justice, Agriculture andCommerce; the Gulf Region Division ofthe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Coali-tion personnel; and contract personnel.The Office of Provincial Affairs at the U.S.Embassy in Baghdad provides policyguidance and support to the 25 PRTs.

Questions and Answers on Provincial Reconstruction Teams


The Iraqi government’s oil distribution representative, Dr. Al-Zibari, far left, meets with PRT Ninewa’s governance team. Team members, from Dr. Al-Zibari’sleft; are PRT Ninewa Governance Section Chief Jim Holtsnider, PRT Ninewa Governance Team Bilingual/Bicultural Adviser Genny Youkhana, ReconstructionSection Representative Captain Kelly Johnson and Governance Section Representative Major Pete Dragonette.

It’s July 21, and I am in the International Zone, or “GreenZone,” stuffed into an old, armored Chevrolet Suburban on myway to the al Rashid Hotel to meet with Sadr City leaders. Theycannot meet with my team in Sadr City because Sheik Muqtada alSadr bans cooperation with Coalition forces. With me are severalofficers and soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the82nd Airborne—they’re enjoying this.

I am the Provincial Reconstruction Team leader for Sadr Cityand Adhamiya—two huge sections of Baghdad. We don’t live inthe Green Zone but in combat outposts and forward operatingbases, mostly in Adhamiya and Taji.

First-time military visitors to the Green Zone sometimes halfexpect to see State Department officers in blue pinstripe suitsdrinking lattes at sidewalk cafes, but here there are no sidewalkcafes or pinstripes. In my personal body armor and Oakley boots,I don’t look that different from the soldiers.

On my July 21 sojourn, an armed guard in khaki motioned usto stop. He wanted to see our ID cards and vehicle papers. Ifumbled for the papers while the soldiers, amused at being stopped(they are used to being in command), fumbled for their commonaccess cards, ID cards issued by the Department of Defense.Communication with the guard was difficult until I realized hehad no Arabic accent. Thinking back to my days in Bolivia, I real-ized he was Peruvian. We chatted in Spanish—I even knew his

PRT DUTY IS A MULTI-NATIONAL EXPERIENCEBY PAUL FOLMSBEEFrontlines Report

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Preparing for a mission with the 2nd BCT, 82nd Airborneare, from left, PRT Deputy Team Leader Jeffrey Bakken,BCT Commander Colonel Don Farris and PRT Team LeaderPaul Folmsbee.

Humvees are arrayed beforea PRT headquarters.

hometown—then quickly sorted out our paperwork andproceeded.

Baghdad can be a delight for those who have served in LatinAmerica. The PRT’s deputy team leader, Jeff Bakken, and Ifrequently walk from the embassy to the USAID building oranother facility, a 10- to 20-minute trip. Along the way, we aregreeted by South Americans, including Chileans, Argentines andPeruvians. Most are contract security guards who are so brave that,when there’s an incoming rocket, they tell people to take coverbefore seeking shelter themselves.

In truth, the Green Zone is a smorgasbord of international folks.One day at the embassy theincoming-rocket siren went

off, and about 30 of us in the street took cover in one of the shel-ters nearby. We were from all over the world: India, South Africa,Eastern Europe, the Philippines, South America and, of course, theUnited States, as represented by two military officers and me.Jammed into the bunker, several Tamils and I started chatting; Ihad spent part of my childhood in Tamil Nadu. I immediatelymade four new friends.

Working with a PRT has been the most rewarding assignment ofmy career. There has been danger, but I also found dedicated offi-cers who are making a difference, brave contractors from SouthAmerica and several new friends.

The author is a senior Foreign Service officer.SECRETARY’S AWARD


Department Honors Wounded PRT Member By Lawrence E. Butler

An Air Force major who served on a Provincial Reconstruc-tion Team and was wounded after a month in Iraq is the firstrecipient of the Department of State Secretary’s Award since1999. Major Jose Rivera Hernandez, whose PRT is namedBaghdad 1, was wounded in July when his vehicle was hit by anexplosively formed projectile while traveling to meet with Iraqicounterparts in the West Rashid area ofBaghdad.

Two occupants of the vehicle, active-dutymilitary members there to protect MajorRivera, were killed, and Major Rivera and twoothers were severely wounded. Major Riveralost his right thumb in the incident, and hisright leg was shattered and partially severed.He is recovering at Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter in Washington.

Major Rivera arrived in Baghdad in June 8,2007, and joined Baghdad 1, which isembedded with the 4th Brigade of the 1stInfantry based at Forward Operating BaseFalcon in the city’s Rashid District. MajorRivera was part of a contingent of civilianspecialists provided to support the “civiliansurge” through an agreement between theDepartments of Defense and State.

This arrangement is unique. All PRTmembers, even those called up for active duty,are under Chief of Mission authority, reportdirectly to a senior State Department official andfill Department positions. Major Rivera’sassignment placed him under the authority of Baghdad 1’s teamleader, Foreign Service Officer Timothy Zuniga-Brown.

Nation-building RoleAlso unique is the role in nation-building that PRTs play. For

instance, Major Rivera served as a public works/citymanagement specialist. He was selected and called up from theAir Force Reserve for this duty based on his engineering experi-ence. A veteran of overseas deployments in Iraq, Turkey, SaudiArabia and Afghanistan, where he led interagency efforts inreconstruction, assistance and humanitarian programs, MajorRivera had been with Baghdad 1 for less than a month before

being wounded.PRT leader Zuniga-Brown praised Rivera for his expertise,

exemplary team spirit and bravery, saying he brought the PRTcritical expertise in engineering and quality assurance, andquickly established great working relationships with hiscolleagues across the brigade.

“More importantly, with his easy nature and willingness tohelp with any task at any time, Jose became a friend to everysingle person on the team,” Zuniga-Brown continued. “We arehonored that this brave soldier volunteered to serve with us onthis mission.”

In recognition of his contributions to the Department’sPRT mission and his bravery during the attack that left himinjured, Major Rivera recently was given the rarely awardedSecretary’s Award.

The author is the deputy assistant secretary for Iraq in the Bureauof Near Eastern Affairs. ■

Major Rivera, center, stands with the Secretary’s Award and the author, at right, as his wifeand daughter look on.

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DETAILS ON POSTS, LIVING CONDITIONS AVAILABLE ONLINEBY KATE GOGGIN

Info to Go

“Personal Post Insights helped me get a feel for morale andwhat life would really be like at post, and helped me sort mychoices into highs, mediums and lows. Some of the Insightsactually caused me to move posts higher up on my list.”

Foreign Service officers who are bidding onassignments but have doubts about job availability fortheir spouses or have heard that a post requires a six-month pet quarantine can get the facts by researchingposts online via the Post Info To Go system at theOverseas Briefing Center’s OpenNet Web site,http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/tc/epb/epb.asp.

Post Info To Go allows users to view OBC files,such as post welcome cables and photos from missions’OpenNet sites. It also collates materials from otheroffices, such as the Family Liaison Office and the Officeof Overseas Schools.

Since September 2006, usage of Post Info To Go hasincreased by almost 300 percent as employees andmanagers discover the ease of finding post informationavailable on their desktops.

“Post Intranet sites inform bidders, but each is organ-ized differently, and it can be confusing to locate keyinformation quickly,” said Connie Hansen, coordinator ofthe OBC, located at the Foreign Service Institute’s Transi-tion Center. “OBC saw the need from the user’sperspective to unite all the information in one place.”

Key Resources Key resources at Post Info To Go include reports on

employment for family members, housing photos,medical resources, security guidelines, pet-importationrestrictions and school entry requirements. Post Info ToGo also permits employees to send country-specific

search results to a loved one’s personal e-mail address.That made a difference to Terrence Williamson, a

senior FSO and the associate dean of FSI’s School ofApplied Information Technology.

“Post Info To Go was extremely useful in findingpertinent information on posts of interest as well assharing that information directly with my family,” hesaid. “On the latter score, some information was of morecritical importance to family members than it was to me,and by providing them with timely direct access, I wasnot the bottleneck.”

Post Info To Go includes the Personal Post Insightscollection. Frank and anonymous, this collection of 1,400first-person opinions about life at post from those underChief of Mission authority answers practical questionsabout daily living, such as: How do security concerns atpost affect activities? What are the conditions at school?Where is the housing? and What are the family memberemployment opportunities?

The Insights collection is sometimes compared to theReal Post Reports found on the Tales from a Small PlanetWeb site, an unofficial resource for post research. Insightsdiffers because it offers unofficial opinions written onlyby diplomatic passport holders. The concerns of U.S.mission workers are unique, and Insights includespractical views on such matters as the post housing policyand special considerations for singles. Also, there aremany more Insights available for each post than there areReal Post Reports.

( )

“Personal Post Insights helped me get a feel for morale and whatlife would really be like at post, and helped me sort my choices intohighs, mediums and lows,” said Kim Strollo, a recent graduate ofFSI’s A-100 course for new FSOs. “Some of the Insights actuallycaused me to move posts higher up on my list.”

Best Image ForwardFSOs who are bidding on jobs are not the only ones who know

about these resources. Posts’ management, human resource andgeneral service officers also say Post Info To Go saves time inanswering the most frequently asked questions from familymembers and bidders. By culling from existing documents in thePost Info To Go database and forwarding them in one easy action,posts having updated materials can present their best image.

“It is essential for posts to maintain up-to-date and high-qualitymaterials at OBC since, in many cases, information I discoveredthere weighed heavily on a decision as to whether to bid or not,”said Williamson. “For example, a fixed post policy on pets, withzero flexibility, and a policy indicating that the GSO and hostnation would consider special circumstances on pets are twoextremes that reflect very different decision factors.”

Post Info To Go also offers access to some of OBC’s 800 audio-

visual programs. From PowerPoint presentations to communityphotos, these items sometimes provide a first glimpse of a post for apotential bidder.

Post videos are another audio-visual resource at the OBC. Thereare 19 post on-demand videos accessible online via BNET athttp://obc.bnet.state.gov/category.asp?category_id=146, and morewill soon be available. OBC encourages all posts to update theiraudio-visuals.

To provide access to OBC’s audio-visual offerings for thosewithout OpenNet access, OBC recently sponsored a Clips to Gocontest during its 30th anniversary celebration. The contest submis-sions show personal perspectives of life at post. The winning videoclips were submitted by Carlos Gallardo, of the U.S. Consulate inAmsterdam, and David H. Kornhauser, formerly of the U.S.Embassy in Vienna. To view the winning clips, go tohttp://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/92015.htm.

When it comes to finding answers quickly, OBC helps biddersstreamline the process. Resources are available at http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/tc/default.asp?sec=Overseas%20Briefing%20Center or on theInternet at http://www.state.gov/m/fsi/tc/c6954.htm.

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OBC staff members (from left) Connie Hansen, Maureen Johnston (seated) and Kelley Crowder-Smith assist bidders through personal service at FSI’sOverseas Briefing Center and online through the Post Info To Go system.

FILMMAKING 101

Because the truth about a post can be hard to discern, audio-visual offerings help complete the picture for bidders. To produce andsubmit a new post video for the OBC collection, consider these factors.

Watch production costs (time, personnel and equipment needed) and note the good video examples, available athttp://fsi.state.gov/fsi/tc/default.asp?Sec=Overseas%20Briefing%20Center&Cat=Audiovisuals.

Interviews should be brief. An ambassador’s introduction is a standard practice, but the video should also include unrehearsedmid- and lower-level officer interviews.

DVDs are the preferred medium. To be compatible with U.S. standards, create the DVD in the Region 1 format (United Statesand its territories, and Canada) to play on NTSC-compatible players.

Provide honest information regarding road conditions, poverty, floods and other realities of the post.Follow BNET guidelines if you want your OBC post video to be considered for BNET broadcast. Additional guidelines are at

http://fsi.state.gov/fsi/tc/default.asp?Sec=Overseas%20Briefing%20Center&Cat=Audiovisuals.Here are some recommendations on the video’s content:

Tips for Making a Post Video By Kate Goggin

Housing(This is a majortopic for viewers sodevote substantialtime to it.) Showinteriors and exte-riors, and identifyhousing by position(entry-level, mid-level and seniorlevel), never byoccupant name.Note the type ofhousing (U.S.-owned, leased, etc.)and narrate allfootage. Describetypical features,differences fromU.S. standards(appliances,storage, highceilings, flooring,layout and yardsize) and itslocation and traveltime from work,shopping andschools.

WorkplaceOverviewFollowing propersecurityprocedures, includeexterior views ofthe embassy orconsulate,separately locatedoffices, medicalfacilities andthe cafeteria.

City OverviewShow major thor-oughfares withnarrationmentioning typicalweather, traffic andparking, andother essentials.

ShoppingBriefly show typicalshopping locations,and explain what isand is not available.

Community LifeInclude narratedfootage ofrecreational facili-ties, places ofworship,restaurants andcommon traveldestinations.

SchoolsPlace this last sothat people withoutchildren can skip it.Include shots ofbuildings,playgrounds, sportsfields, libraries andactivities. If thereare several schoolsat post, limitedviews of eachshould be included,preferably showingstudents andteachers, withinproper securityparameters.Mention typicaltravel times, specialfeatures, programsof study and otherrelevant facts. ■

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FAST ACTION

A U.S. Air Force crew unloads blanketsand tents purchased locally through theRed Cross with funds donated by USAID.

For most people, 15 seconds of an earthquake is long enoughto create a life-long memory. But just as darkness fell on theevening of August 15, the earth heaved and trembled for morethan two minutes along the central Peruvian coast, shocking thenine million residents of Lima but leaving catastrophic damage incities 100 miles south.

News reports said the quake measured a massive 8.0 on theRichter scale. For those at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, it was as closeto the “big one” as anyone wanted to get.

By sunup on August 16, Embassy Lima was already preparing ateam to go to the stricken area to check on the status of Americancitizens and assess assistance requirements. Ambassador MichaelMcKinley, in country only a week and not yet fully credentialed,quickly obtained authorization to tap $100,000 in disaster relieffunds and asked a team of embassy officers from the consular andpublic affairs section, the U.S. Agency for InternationalDevelopment, the Military Assistance Advisory Group, the regionalsecurity office and the U.S. Navy Medical Research Laboratory inLima to fly to the Peruvian city of Pisco to check on Americans,carry out a disaster assessment and make recommendations.

Wide ResponseWorking through well-defined USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster

Assistance channels, in the following 30 days more than 50personnel from the Department of State, USAID/Peru,USAID/OFDA, and the MAAG worked in the affected areas,conducting assessments, coordinating with the Peruvian governmentand aid organizations, providing emergency medical treatment,delivering relief supplies and assisting Americans.

By August 29, Ambassador McKinley had presented hiscredentials and could visit the Pisco region. Peru and theinternational community had responded overwhelmingly to theimmediate disaster, moving more than 700 tons of relief supplies byair and thousands of tons more by sea and land. Although the area isrecovering quickly from the initial shock, the daunting challenge ofrebuilding will require years of coordinated effort. More than 60,000households were destroyed, more than 500 people were killed andmore than 4,000 were injured. More than 200,000 people andhundreds of businesses had their lives and operations disrupted.

Because the coastal highway leading to the area was badlydamaged, the Embassy team used a U.S. government aircraft to

EMBASSY LIMA PROVIDES EARTHQUAKE RELIEF BY VAN S. WUNDER, III

fly to a Peruvian air force baseoutside Pisco. Although the basewas badly damaged by the quakeand subsequent “mini tsunami”and without electricity or water,the runway was still operational.Buildings at the base quicklybecame the hub for coordinatingall relief activity.

The embassy team arrived the dayafter the earthquake and found theregion without electricity or waterand its streets filled with rubble.Peruvian President Alan Garcia andmore than half of the PeruvianCabinet were at the air base andalready organizing disaster relief.The embassy team joined this effort,working with Peruvian officials andrepresentatives from major local andinternational nongovernmentalorganizations to get shelter, blanketsand medical help to the victims.

Needs AssessedUSAID Mission Disaster Relief

Officer Jessica Jordan, who hadprevious experience in disasterrelief, and Assistant Mission DisasterRelief Officer Steve Olive workedwith Peruvian and internationalNGOs to gauge the immediate andmedium-term relief needs and coor-dinate USAID’s response. U.S. NavyCmdr. John Sanders, of the Navallaboratory in Lima, served as the

embassy’s on-scene public healthspecialist and adviser on health needs.

By August 18, a USAID/OFDA assessmentteam led by Phil Gelman, USAID/OFDA’s team leader for itsPeruvian disaster response, was on the ground, providing expertadvice to the embassy and Washington on assistance requirements.

By chance, a group of U.S. military doctors and medicalstudents had been traveling near Pisco and had experienced thedevastating quake firsthand. Luckily, none of the group wasinjured, and the whole group went immediately to downtownPisco on the morning of August 16 to provide invaluable first-responder care and eyewitness information to the embassy on thedamage and medical needs.

The embassy’s consular team had some of the most challengingjobs, running down sketchy information on almost 300 Americansreportedly in the area. After several days of checking with makeshiftmedical clinics and morgue staff, consular staff investigated all 300cases and confirmed that no American had been killed, but severalhad to be helped to leave the area.

In the month after the quake, the United States provided $3.15million in humanitarian assistance. USAID/OFDA provided $1.5million through USAID/Peru to implementing partners, includingthe Peruvian Red Cross, CARE International, Caritas and WorldVision, to support relief efforts. In addition to financial assistance,

USAID/OFDA delivered emergency relief commodities via threeairlifts to Peru, including four 10,000-liter water bladders, 7,80010-liter water containers, 500 body bags, 1,100 rolls of plasticsheeting and 15,000 blankets. USAID/OFDA also provided anoffice support module for the U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coor-dination team.

Military HelpThe U.S. military stepped in immediately after the disaster with

medical help, flying in the Southern Command’s Field SurgicalTeam from Honduras and later diverting a previously scheduled 14-member MEDRETE to work in the Pisco area. In the first week afterthe quake, U.S. military medical teams treated more than 1,500Peruvians, while the Naval lab in Lima provided a cruciallyimportant field medical laboratory to monitor possible outbreaks ofthe infectious diseases that often follow such disasters.

In all, the U.S. Air Force made eight C-130 Hercules flights to thearea in four days, delivering the medical teams and their equipmentand more than 80 tons of relief supplies.

The U.S. private and nongovernmental sectors also providedimmediate and important assistance. A nearby U.S.-led consortiumfor a natural gas shipping terminal project immediately sent earth-moving equipment to Pisco to clear rubble, repair bridges and buildbypasses and detours to enable road traffic to restart. U.S. NGOsarrived quickly on the scene to provide shelters and supplies. Alltold, more than 30 U.S. firms contributed immediate help in Pisco.

The August 15 quake challenged the entire embassy team andshowed once again that every element of a mission overseas hassomething valuable to offer in an emergency. Everyone living in Peruknows there will be more earthquakes, and the next one could be inthe capital. The Peruvian government, the embassy and the businesscommunity are all taking the Pisco quake as a “dress rehearsal” forwhat could be even bigger future challenges. This time, the embassywas lucky, but the experience provided an all-too-real disaster testfor the mission community. The embassy and U.S. governmentresponded quickly and with much needed—and muchappreciated—aid but also gained valuable experience on preparingfor an event that could be even worse. ■

The author is the public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Lima.


USAID Peru Disaster Relief Officer Jessica Jordan, center, and communityleader Carmen Saravia, right, brief Ambassador Michael McKinley on earth-quake assistance efforts in Pisco on August 29.

When Ghana gained its independencefrom Great Britain on March 6, 1957, VicePresident Richard Nixon led the U.S. dele-gation and Martin Luther King, Jr. wasamong the luminaries present. Fifty yearslater, despite political setbacks throughoutthe 1970s and 1980s, Ghana’s ties to theUnited States are strong, and it hasassumed a leadership role in Africa as aflourishing democracy. Ghana is now onthe United Nations Security Council, andits President, John A. Kufuor, is chairmanof the African Union.

Ghana has also made great strideseconomically, and poverty has fallen to 28percent in 2006 from 40 percent in1998–1999. Ghana exported $3.9 billion ofgoods in 2006, including significant quanti-

ties of cocoa and gold.The U.S.-Ghana relationship mirrors

Ghana’s growth and dynamism. The newlyinaugurated U.S. embassy compound inAccra houses the USAID and USAID-WestAfrica missions, and the embassy has a resi-dent adviser to help disburse Ghana’s $547million Millennium Challenge Compact,one of the program’s largest. Ghana hostedthe world’s first deployment of Peace Corpsvolunteers in 1961 and today has 144volunteers.

Celebrating 50 YearsGhana’s 2007 Jubilee celebration was

filled with many special moments. Theembassy sponsored celebrations under thetheme “Ghana-U.S.@50: Looking Back,

Moving Forward.” The celebrations startedwith a visit from former President JimmyCarter, who toured the country and was theguest of honor at a reception held byAmbassador Pamela Bridgewater.

Celebrations continued on a particularlyAmerican note with the arrival of a MajorLeague Baseball delegation to promote thegame among Ghanaian youth. Led by NewYork Mets General Manager Omar Minaya,the delegation included Hall of Famer DaveWinfield, Dusty Baker and Reggie Smith.The group conducted baseball clinics andmedia outreach, and presented thousands ofdollars in equipment to Ghanaian children.

The centerpiece for Ghana’s festivitiescame on March 6 when Ghana celebratedRepublic Day and 50 years of freedom. Fifty- P

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First Lady Laura Bush gives a hug to 10-year-oldAisha Garuba in January 2006 after being presentedwith flowers upon her arrival in Accra.

EMBASSY HELPS GHANA CELEBRATE 50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCEBY CHRISTOPHER W. HODGES

CLOSE TIES

two heads of state attended the colorfulfestivities and Secretary for Housing andUrban Development Alphonso Jackson led apresidential delegation that included Assis-tant Secretary for African Affairs JendayiFrazer. The United States CongressionalBlack Caucus’ chair, Representative CarolynKilpatrick, also led a delegation to theevents, which included a military paradethrough historic Independence Square andother celebrations. Members of the Caucusalso received an embassy briefing.

New CompoundIn May, the embassy opened a $112

million new embassy compound that willserve as a central location for a mission staffthat had been scattered in locationsthroughout the city. The Bureau of OverseasBuildings Operations’ Director, GeneralCharles E. Williams, joined AmbassadorBridgewater and Ghana’s Vice PresidentGhana Alhaji Aliu Mahama to inauguratethe building.

For its July 4 celebration, the embassycommemorated this very special year inGhana’s history with a Capitol Fourth picnicand concert. Former Foreign Minister NanaAkuffo Addo represented Ghana’sgovernment, and the evening event at theambassador’s residence included replicas ofsuch landmarks as the Lincoln Memorial,Washington Monument and CapitolBuilding that were designed and painted bylocal embassy staff. There were alsoindividual souvenir picnic baskets brimmingwith American treats and a color commem-orative booklet for each guest. A highlightwas the performance of the Fisk JubileeSingers, which came to Ghana for a 10-daytour of the country that showcased theirunique brand of Negro spirituals andcontemporary classics.

In August, the Morgan State UniversityChoir visited during Ghana’s DiasporaMonth, when William and Mary Collegehosted an Omuhundro Institute-GhanaHistorical Society conference on the historyof the slave trade. The singing groupperformed for an overflow audience at theNational Theater, where General William“Kip” Ward, a Morgan alumnus andcommander of the U.S. military’s AfricanCommand, was guest of honor. The MSUchoir’s voices and workshops were a hitthroughout the country, uniting peoplethrough the universal language of music. ■

The author is the public affairs officer at theU.S. Embassy in Ghana.


Above: Hall of Famer Dave Winfield and New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya at the MLBbaseball clinic in Tema, Ghana. Below: Tennis star Serena Williams, left, enters the embassy withAmbassador Pamela Bridgewater.

A Mosaic of Color and Contrast

By Lauren Lovelace,Deneyse Kirkpatrickand Maha Armush

Cairo

COUNTRY>>> Egypt

CAPITAL>>> Cairo

TOTAL AREA>>> 1,001,450 square kilometers

APPROXIMATE SIZE>>> More than three times thesize of New Mexico

GOVERNMENT>>> Republic

INDEPENDENCE>>> February 28, 1922 (from theUnited Kingdom)

POPULATION>>> 80.3 million

LIFE EXPECTANCY AT BIRTH>>> 72 years

RELIGIONS>>> Muslim (mostly Sunni), Copticand Christian

LANGUAGES>>> Arabic (official), English andFrench

CURRENCY>>> Egyptian pound (EGP)

PER CAPITA INCOME>>> $4,200

IMPORT PARTNERS>>> United States (11.3 percent),China (8.2 percent) andGermany (6.3 percent)

EXPORT PARTNERS>>> Italy (12.1 percent), UnitedStates (11.3 percent) andSpain (8.5 percent)

INTERNET COUNTRY CODE>>> .eg

POST OF THE MONTH>>>

Cairo, Egypt


A nighttime view of central Cairo,where 17 million Egyptians live.


A young man zoomsby on a bicycle, a six-

foot tray loaded withflat bread balanced on

his head. He is focusedon the veering traffic,but as he passes he

offers a welcome.This is Cairo.

On the other side ofthe street, a donkey

cart pulls up in front ofa bookstore café where

young women in headcoverings and jeans

order iced lattesand read Noam

Chomsky essays.

Like the mosaic tilework in Al Azhar, the

oldest institution ofIslamic learning in the

world, Cairo and its17 million people are

studies in color andcontrast united by a

common theme—hospitality.

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MISSION PRIORITIESThe U.S. Mission to Egypt reaches out

to the Egyptian people to advance peace,democracy and prosperity. These priori-ties guide the work of the 1,800 peopleand 48 U.S. agencies at the embassy inhistoric Garden City. They include oneof the largest U.S. Agency forInternational Development missions inthe world, the Naval Assistance MedicalResearch Unit-III, the Library ofCongress and the Drug EnforcementAdministration. The mission’s work isalso advanced by the American Center inAlexandria.

Members of the mission communityoften reflect on the vitality and spirit ofone of the world's most ancient andbeautiful cities.

“Every morning, as I walk into thesunny courtyard of the U.S. Embassy, asmiling Egyptian colleague wishes me aday full of jasmine flowers,” saidNatasha Greer, who returned to Cairo toserve as an office management specialistafter a decade away. “Whether you arean extrovert with a passion forexploration or an introvert looking for apeaceful spot to read a book, you will beable to find your perfect place in Cairo.The noise, pollution and crazy traffic

will dissipate in the smiles of peoplewho welcome you everywhere.”

Egypt is the most populous countryin the Middle East and the second mostpopulous in Africa. The Arabic word forEgypt, Misr, means metropolis. Cairo isthe cultural capital of the Arab world,and contains Saladin's Citadel, world-famous bazaars, medieval palaces anddozens of museums and cultural centersfeaturing art exhibits, concerts, plays,dance troupes and film screenings.

“When I was first assigned to Cairo, Iremembered my days as a student at theAmerican University here,” says ViceConsul Maha Armush. “I recalled myexperience teaching salsa dancing at alocal dance studio and the excitementand intensity of the city's night life.Cairo is a cultural center where you canbe mesmerized by the architecture andfeel the local flavor in the streets aspeople hustle by. While the intensity canbe overwhelming, I feel safe andwelcomed here. Even the children extendtheir arms to greet you.”

RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURECairo is home to an impressive collec-

tion of Islamic architecture. About 90percent of Egyptians are Muslims, but

several million are Coptic Christians,one of the oldest sects of Christianityand another important source ofreligious art and architecture.

Of the seven wonders of the ancientworld only the Great Pyramids of Gizaremain. Egyptian tourism sites atKarnak, Luxor and Abu Simbel span5,000 years of history and continue toawe visitors.

Popular sporting and social activitiesinclude horse and camel riding on theoutskirts of the desert, golfing next tothe pyramids, fishing and diving in theRed Sea and Egypt's beloved nationalsport, soccer. These activities may beenjoyed despite Cairo's notorious trafficand air pollution.

Egypt is famous for such leaders asCleopatra, King Tutankhamun andSaladin. Modern chiefs of state likeGamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadatalso left their mark on world history.President Hosni Mubarak has ruled thecountry since 1981.

The U.S. Mission actively supportsdemocratic reform through a variety ofprograms with the government of Egyptand Egypt’s growing civil society.

The Egyptian-American relationship,bolstered by the historic Camp David

Opposite page: Morning in Cairo means bicyclists bearing trays of bread. Above: Participants in the Bureau of Information Resource Management’sMission Day learn about other sections and offices.


AmbassadorFrancis

Ricciardonevisits aUSAID-

supportedagricultural

project inQena.

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Peace Agreement between Egypt andIsrael in 1979, is one of the world’s mostvital partnerships for peace in a regionof historic conflict. Egypt and the UnitedStates also have a common bond infighting terrorism and cooperate on avariety of fronts.

The embassy's Office of Military Coop-eration administers more than $1.3 billionin annual U.S. military assistance toEgypt. A steady flow of U.S. cabinet-levelguests often includes Secretary of StateCondoleezza Rice, as well as other distin-guished government and private expertsand many congressional delegations.

USAID has operated in Egypt since1975 and has been critical to thecountry's infrastructure developmentand economic prosperity. Millions ofEgyptians enjoy a higher quality of lifebecause of American support. Since2000, USAID has encouraged Egypt'stransition from “aid to trade,” togetherwith the embassy's Foreign CommercialService, Foreign Agricultural Service andeconomic section.

FAMILY LIFEIn addition to its commitment to

advance the U.S.-Egyptian relationship,the embassy supports the well-being ofthe official American and Egyptiancommunity by providing educationaland family employment opportunitiesand social and cultural activities.

“The embassy community and thelocal community make this an excellentfamily post,” said Will Lanzet, an infor-mation programs specialist. “Whateverour children's strengths and interests, theeducational and social opportunitiesthey receive in Cairo are outstanding.The K-12 Cairo American College ratesas of the best international schools in theworld. In addition to exceptionalacademic departments, the performingarts and athletic departments arenoteworthy. Our oldest, who graduatedfrom CAC in 2003, found he was verywell-prepared for continuing his educa-tion at the university level.”

Assistant Human Resources OfficerDeneyse Kirkpatrick said, “During thefirst quarter of 2007, the StrategicNetwork Assistance Program identified

more than 352 jobs in the localeconomy. The opportunities for familymembers abound, and there is reallysomething for everyone.”

A day at Embassy Cairo can involveprofessional development training, avisit to Arab League headquarters, adiscussion with students in Arabicabout the Middle East, a sampling ofsugarcane juice produced by a recipientof a USAID micro-loan or even a nightdancing to an embassy-sponsoredmusical group like the Latin hip-hopband Ozomatli.

“Ozomatli's tour of Egypt is thebiggest program the public affairssection has done in years and had a hugeimpact,” said Public Affairs CounselorHaynes Mahoney, citing the band’sperformances in Qait Bey, Alexandria,the Cairo Citadel and in neighborhoods,jamming with local musicians.

Through daily activities such asconsular assistance, political andeconomic dialogue and culturaloutreach, individuals from all sections ofthe mission advance the goals of peace,democracy and prosperity whilecontributing to the fascinating mosaicthat is modern Egypt. ■

Lauren Lovelace was assistant informationofficer at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo andnow serves as an International Visitorsprogram assistant in New York. DeneyseKirkpatrick is the assistant humanresources officer at the embassy, andMaha Armush is a vice consul in theconsular section.

READING MATERIAL

Want to read more about Egypt? Management Officer and bibliophileRaymond Maxwell suggests:

Cairo, City of Sand by Maria Golia, AUC Press Cairo, A City Victorious by Max RodenbeckPalace Walk by Naguib MahfouzAlexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durell The Blue Nile and The White Nile by Alan Moorehead...and of course http://egypt.usembassy.gov


The Ibn Toulon mosque is famous for its minaretwith an outside spiral ladder.

Cairo American College graduates toss their capsin the air at the pyramids of Giza.

What did you do on yoursummer vacation? The answerto that age-old question rarelyincludes reading someone else’slove letters, analyzinghandwriting samples or goingonline to dig up evidence ofillegal cohabitation, but for agroup of eight summer-hirestudents at the U.S. ConsulateGeneral in Hong Kong this wasexactly their work.

For instance, they cameacross a fiancé-visa applicationclaiming: “We may have grownoceans apart, but our hearts

beat as one, and I love you morethan my three other wives, and Ipromise to disable my profileon foreignaffair.com if youignore my drunk-drivingconviction and marry me.”

Every year, approximatelyhalf a million aliens enter theUnited States after being issuedimmigrant visas. Security meas-ures have increased, but manyaliens still manage to obtainfraudulent visas. The key tofighting fraud is interceptingsuch aliens before they land inthe United States—and at

Consulate General Hong Kong,the staff of the fraud preventionunit attacks this task with vigor.

Once an immigrant- orfiancé-visa petition arrives inHong Kong, the immigrant visaunit begins evaluating the appli-cant’s bona fides. Cases withfraud indicators are referred tothe FPU for more thoroughinvestigation. Although theseinvestigations are usuallyconducted by consular officers,in June 2007 Fraud PreventionManager Casey Graham andLocally Employed Fraud Inves-

tigator Peggy Au saw a win-winsituation with the arrival ofeight summer hires.

STRIKING GOLDBy the end of the first week,

Graham and Au knew they hadstruck gold. The summer-hires—Enrique Cancel-Vargas,Richie Cabling, Brittany Britto,Kenneth Marut, Carolyn Marut,Edwin McClannan, AnnalieseJohnsen and Kaley Hodel—werecombing through applicant fileslooking for suggestions offraudulent activity.

SUMMER HIRES ASSESS VISA-SEEKERS IN HONG KONG

BY CATHERINE T. GRAHAM, CAROLYN MARUTAND ENRIQUE CANCEL-VARGUS

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The summer-hires conduct interviews. From left,rear, Enrique Cancel-Vargus; front, Richie Cablingand Edwin McClannan.

After spending more than aweek investigating thedocuments in their cases, thestudents drafted questions foreach interview and highlightedthe weak points in theapplicant’s case. Cancel-Vargassaid he was surprised to findthat, even after hours of ques-tioning, he could not accountfor all of the inconsistencies inone of his cases.

The students workedtogether and used the Internetto their advantage. RichieCabling’s Filipino backgroundand language skills were invalu-

able. Kenneth Marut poredthrough an applicant’s photoalbum for clues belying herclaims that she was a full-timebabysitter.

Working on their thirdsuspected fraud case, CarolynMarut and Johnsen couldn’thelp but laugh when theynoticed a major inconsistencywith the greeting cardspresented as proof of relation-ship. The applicant submitted30 greeting cards allegedlyspanning decades—one foreach year she and the petitionerhad known each other. The

cards looked brand new and allhad the company’s Web sitemarked on the back. CarolynMarut and Johnsen quicklypointed out that AmericanGreetings didn’t have a Web site30 years ago.

“It was the first of manyclues that it was a fraudulentcase,” Carolyn Marut said.

NO VALUE JUDGMENTSGraham and Au made clear

to the students that theapplicants weren’t bad peoplebut only hoped to find a betterfuture for themselves and theirfamilies in the United States.Hodell and Britto, therefore,learned to focus on evaluatingthe relationship, reviewing themarital history of theapplicants and reviewing thedocuments in each case—notwhether the applicants were“good” or “bad.” In the end,

they realized there is only onequestion FPU personnel have toanswer—Is this marriage forimmigration purposes only?

The mentoring and trainingpaid off. The students workedon six cases and all six werewithdrawn once the applicantor petitioner was presentedwith the mountain of evidenceand inconsistencies in theircases. Graham and Au alsorecognized early in the summerthat involving the students infraud work could be a powerfulrecruiting tool. Several of thestudents, including McClannan,came away with an interest inState Department careers. ■

Catherine T. Graham is a fraudprevention manager atConsulate General Hong Kong,and Carolyn Marut and EnriqueCancel-Vargus were summer-hire students at that post.


The summer sleuths in action. From left, back row, Annaliese Johnson, Kaley Hodell, Edwin McClannan and Kenneth Marut. Front row, from left: EnriqueCancel-Vargas, Carolyn Marut and Richie Cabling.

In the end, they realized thereis only one question FPU

personnel have to answer—Is this marriage for

immigration purposes only?

FILMS TEACH RUSSIANS ABOUT AMERICANVALUES BY BRIDGET GERSTEN

Twilight ofthe Soul

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Actress Ingrid Bergman once saidthat movies can give ordinary people atrip “deep into the twilight of the soul.”While most diplomatic professionalsembark on a slightly less ambitiousjourney, there is no denying that moviescan provide a glimpse into a culture’svalues, history and traditions, and oftentransport people to other times and places.Recognizing the appeal of the silver screen,the U.S. Embassy in Moscow launched apublic diplomacy outreach program in Russiathat uses films to discuss American cultureand language in the classroom.

This American Values through Film projectoffers seven films to Russian university andsecondary school teachers of English or Amer-ican Studies. We chose popular movies that wereeither classics, rich in historical detail or seemedto be platforms for discussing American values.The films are Dances with Wolves, High Noon,Seabiscuit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Twelve AngryMen, All the President’s Men and Erin Brockovich.

Lesson PlansMany teachers took advantage of our offer with

great enthusiasm, including those who teach aboutAmerica in Russian or in English. We asked those whoreceived the films to write one lesson plan for eachfilm and use it to discuss values and draw students intodiscussions about U.S. life and institutions.

We received lesson plans from teachers from 18 citiesand used them to produce a CD-ROM on each film. Theteachers created more than 1,000 pages of lesson plans,which included discussions, language-learning activitiesand role plays with transcripts from the films.

The CDs were distributed to teachers across Russia andto American Corners and Centers, and each AmericanCorner received a copy of the seven films. Later, teachersinvolved in the project gave presentations in their commu-nities or at major conferences, showing other teachers howto integrate film into classrooms.

Though the project focused on American values, theteachers also discussed the values of their culture, saying itwas easier to do this when looking at another culture’s values.

Natalya, a teacher in Omsk, said therewere challenges, but she overcame them.

“My colleagues and I weren’t sure wecould write a lesson plan for each film inthe beginning, but once we started usingthe films with our students, we even gotideas from them on how to make the film-viewing interesting,” she said. “Studentsliked talking about the movies, even theolder ones that they had never heard of. Itwas a great experience to share what weteachers knew about America.”

Similarities NotedAnna, a young teacher in the Siberian

city of Novosibirsk, said “Films are justone way to look for similarities betweenour cultures, like the idea that there arenative peoples of America and nativepeoples of Russia who have their ownlanguages and identities.”

Other teachers liked creating their ownteaching materials based on Americanthemes for classroom use and enjoyedcomparing their lessons with those ofdistant colleagues. Many also were proud tocontribute to the CD, especially because itassisted their careers and let them sharematerial with other colleagues.

Stephanie Funderburg, a senior Englishlanguage fellow at the consulate in Novosi-birsk, said the films showed the similaritiesbetween American and Russian culturesand values.

“Students could synthesize key points inthe films and draw similarities betweenRussian and American cultures,” she said,noting that the teachers enjoyed the Amer-ican movies, too. “They were eager toenhance their English and learn aboutAmerican culture, all while watching afeature film.”

She also said the lesson plans had highcredibility, since they were written byRussian educators.

The CD-ROM also contained material togive teachers more ideas on how to usefilms to combine the study of language,culture and values. This included an intro-duction to using movies in a classroom,descriptions of each movie, copyrightguidelines, a lesson plan checklist andonline and standard bibliography.

Beyond ClassroomsWe found that the films and teaching

materials on the CD-ROM could be usedoutside classrooms. Some examples are filmfestivals, American Days, American Centerand Corners events (where Corners have

licenses to show films to small audiences fornoncommercial purposes) and in researchprojects. Themes for discussion includecorporate responsibility, honesty in politics,the power of perseverance and positivethinking, whistle-blowing, race relations,tolerance and diversity.

This year marks 200 years of U.S.-Russian diplomatic relations, and theproject was a great example of Russian-American collaboration. It is also a resource

for public diplomacy outreach to teachers,alumni, students and youth. A link to thelesson plans is on our Web site,http://vladivostok.usconsulate. gov/elf.html,which links to Embassy Moscow’s EnglishLanguage Office. Posts can download thesematerials for distribution to classrooms ordemonstrations. ■

The author is the public affairs officer at theU.S. Consulate in Vladivostok.


University students in Vladivostok think abouthow Erin Brockovich can be used in class.

Vladivostok PAO Bridget Gersten, left, anduniversity students pool ideas on how filmscan be used in the classroom.

Visitors to the Diplomatic ReceptionRooms on the eighth floor of Main Statemay notice several new pieces of Americanain a collection of artifacts said to rival thatof several major U.S. museums. The giftsfor 2006 include a Massachusetts tray table,circa 1750, which graces the John QuincyAdams State Drawing Room. Funds for thetable were donated by Juli and DavidGrainger of Winnetka, Ill.

In the Entrance Hall, meanwhile, is ahand-colored map of the WesternHemisphere, circa 1634. At its top is aborder made of scenes and town plans from

what were then the hemisphere’s majorcities, such as Havana and Cartagena. Alongits sides are drawings of native people fromacross the two continents. The map is a giftfrom Thomas J. O’Donnell.

Another gift is a terra-cotta medalliondepicting the father of American diplomacy,Benjamin Franklin. Issued in 1779 tocommemorate Franklin’s appointment asU.S. representative to the court of KingLouis XVI, the medallion is one of onlythree. It is the only grand module medallionof the statesman and inventor owned by theReception Rooms, said Lynn Turner, the

Rooms’ collections manager and registrar. Other gifts include a 15-by-24-foot

Persian rug in the James Monroe ReceptionRoom, donated by Mr. and Mrs. Robert M.Rosenthal, and a series of Gilbert Stuartportraits of the first five Americanpresidents, donated by Dr. Catherine C.Lastavica. The portraits are reproductionsof those hanging in the National Galleryof Art.

During 2006, the Reception Roomsraised $640,137 from donors, which will gotoward maintenance and conservation ofthe collection, Turner said. To thank the

NEW ACQUISITIONS GRACE DIPLOMATIC RECEPTION ROOMS BY ED WARNER

Benefactors’ BeneficenceP

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Richard Margolis stands beside theFranklin medallion, which he donated.

2006 donors, Secretary of State CondoleezzaRice hosted the annual reception in theRooms in April.

“Each year, thanks to the outstandingsupport of our donors, we enhance thisremarkable showcase of American history,”she said.

The Secretary also honored Gail Serfaty,who was retiring after more than 41 yearswith the State Department. Serfaty startedas an assistant to the Rooms’ curatorand ended as director of the Rooms.The Secretary said Serfaty “oversaw thetransformation of these rooms, workingclosely with each donor, each architect,each craftsman.”

The four elevators serving Main State’seighth floor were renovated in August withpaneling of burled elm and mahogany. Thework was underwritten by the Fund for theEndowment of the Diplomatic ReceptionRooms, a separate endowment fund forspecial projects financed by private citizendonations, Turner said. ■

Ed Warner is deputy editor of State Magazine.

DONOR GENEROSITY


Helen Harting Abell Louisville, Ky.

Sandrea Goerlich Alexander andMr. and Mrs. Braddock James Alexander Temperance, Mich.

Otto M. Budig, Jr. andMelody Sawyer Richardson Cincinnati, Ohio

Eugene B. Casey Foundation Gaithersburg, Md.

Mr. and Mrs. David Grainger Winnetka, Ill.

Mr. David Hayworth High Point, N.C.

John Jay Hopkins Foundation Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Mr. and Mrs. Norman V. Kinsey Shreveport, La.

F. M. Kirby Foundation, Inc. Morristown, N.J.

Mrs. D. Williams Parker Thomasville, Ga.

Williams Family Foundationof Georgia, Inc. Thomasville, Ga.

Marcee Craighill, acting director of the ReceptionRooms, examines the recently acquired 17th centurymap of the Western Hemisphere.

Donors Who Gave $10,000 or More in 2006

Aspiring do-gooders take note: If you seea blind person crossing the street, don’t rushup and grab them.

It’s better to walk up and ask whetherthey need help or offer your arm, accordingto Patricia Pittarelli, chief of Work LifePrograms in the Bureau of HumanResources’ Office of Employee Relations.

That offer of a helping arm is analogousto the State Department’s efforts to meetthe needs of employees with disabilities. Toprovide “reasonable accommodations” toemployees with disabilities and Departmentof State visitors, as the law requires,Pittarelli turns to five HR/ER colleagues andfive reader-assistants to make available a

range of services. Some services focus ontechnology; for instance, a large-screenmonitor or specialized software thatconverts text into spoken words. Anotheraccommodation may involve a voice-activated recorder to record workassignments for an employee with alearning disability. Such an employee mayprocess information better from hearinginstructions versus reading written text.

Approximately 500 Departmentemployees receive some job-related accom-modation, although it’s likely theDepartment has more employees withdisabilities who have not requested anaccommodation. For instance, a study by

the Job Accommodations Network foundthat only half of identified employees withdisabilities needed some accommodation.Furthermore, as the workforce ages,the number of Department employeeswith disabilities may increase because ofnormal hearing loss, mobility issues andother factors.

The Office of Civil Rights also promotesawareness of disability-related issues. OCRhas many initiatives related to disability, andrecently hired a full-time Special EmphasisProgram coordinator who focuses ondisability. OCR supported the recentcreation of the Department’s DisabilityAction Group and maintains a Web site, thedisABILITY Gateway (http://socr.state.gov)with information on disability issues, guide-lines for appropriate verbiage, etiquette for

DEPARTMENT LEVELS PLAYING FIELD FOR EMPLOYEESWITH DISABILITIES BY ED WARNER

Accommodating Effort

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Roberta Mather offers a welcoming smile at GPS’ offices.

employees and a list of Department officesthat have programs for those withdisabilities. It notes, for instance, that theOffice of Emergency Management has avoluntary form for employees with disabili-ties to use to indicate their mobility needs incases of emergency evacuation.

“Management is becoming more aware ofthe issues and barriers to employment,”noted Somer Bessire, Special EmphasisProgram coordinator in OCR’s Individualswith Disabilities program.

Promoting EqualityWhatever the accommodation or how it

changes as an FSO moves to new postings,the Department provides the same opportu-nities to employees with disabilities as thoseprovided to employees without disabilities,Pittarelli explained.

“We say to posts that an employee with adisability can be expected to perform thesame essential functions as any other FSO,and rely on HR/ER to provide the accommo-

dations,” she said.As a result, Pittarelli said, she has traveled

to such world capitals as Bratislava and NewDelhi, going to posts in advance of arrivingemployees with disabilities. Sometimes, thismeans simply holding a workshop on theetiquette of working with a person with adisability. In other situations, it has meantadvocating for the appropriate accommoda-tions, such as assistive technologies for use insecure areas.

Computer modifications and otheraccommodations can sound expensive, butin fact, the average one-time cost of accom-modating an employee with a disability isapproximately $500, according to one study.

Is this investment worth it? It was forRoberta Mather, a Civil Service employee ofGlobal Publishing Solutions who is deaf.Mather began with the Department as avisual communications specialist and hassince been promoted to marketing managerfor GPS. This job involves extensive verbalcommunication, and for this task she works


“We say to poststhat an employee

with a disability canbe expected to

perform the sameessential functionsas any other FSO,

and rely on HR/ERto provide the

accommodations.”

Ambassador John McDonald makes a pointduring the Department’s celebration ofNational Disability Awareness Month.


frequently with the Department’s staffinterpreters or an on-call sign languageinterpreter.

Mather stressed that she does not seeherself as a person with a disability; she justspeaks another language, and theDepartment “is used to working with peoplewho speak a variety of languages.” Workingwith an interpreter, Mather has conductedpresentations to in-house “clients” of GPS,worked with senior managers, producedmulti-media videos/presentations and evenled, built and coordinated the Design forDiplomacy symposium.

Accommodations are also provided toemployees to make training effective andaccessible. For instance, the Foreign ServiceInstitute works with students requestingreasonable accommodations.

Promoting AwarenessOctober was National Disability Employ-

ment Awareness Month, and OCR markedthe event with a celebration at Main State.Stephanie Haskins, the woman who inspiredShannon Lake, a character with a disabilityin the comic strip For Better or Worse, saidshe has helped readers understand the hard-ships faced by a person with developmentaldisabilities and a speech impairment.

Tyler Matney, from Employer Assistanceand Recruiting Network, a human resourcesconsulting firm, pointed out that individualswith disabilities perform equally with theircoworkers once they receive accommo-dations. He also noted that federal hiring ofindividuals with disabilities supports thePresident’s new Freedom Initiative.

Also on the program was retired Ambas-sador John McDonald, who helped make1981 the Year of the Disabled in the UnitedStates and 1982–91 the Decade of theDisabled, as declared by the United Nations.He called for the United States to ratify theUnited Nation’s pending bill of rights forpeople with disabilities.

Speaking more broadly, retired FSOAvraham Rabby, one of the Department’sfirst blind FSOs, said FSOs who have disabil-ities are proof to foreign audiences of theUnited States’ openness and vibrancy andpromotion of democratic ideals worldwide.

Closing the event was one of DAG’scouncil members, Alison Burke, who saidthe DAG will serve as a voice for those withdisabilities and provide a forum for them todiscuss all types of issues. ■

The author is deputy editor of StateMagazine.

Mather stressedthat she does not seeherself as a personwith a disability;

she just speaksanother language,

and theDepartment

“is used to workingwith peoplewho speaka variety oflanguages.”

Alison Burke answers questions during the celebration ofNational Disability Awareness Month.

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Student Records OnlineNeed your class schedule or an unoffi-

cial transcript of training taken throughFSI? Visit the Foreign Service InstituteRegistrar’s Office Web page on theDepartment of State OpenNet athttp://fsi.state.gov/admin/reg.

Leadership Training Leadership training is mandatory for

Foreign Service and Civil Serviceemployees at the FS-03/GS-13 levels andabove to ensure that they have the neces-sary preparation for increasing levels ofresponsibility. FSI’s Leadership andManagement School offers the requiredcourses to meet these mandatory trainingrequirements and other leadershipcourses for all FS and GS employees.

Senior Policy SeminarsFSI’s Leadership and Management

School offers professional developmentand policy seminars for senior-level exec-utives of the Department and the foreignaffairs/national security community.

For more information contact FSI’sLeadership and Management School at(703) 302-6743, [email protected] orhttp://fsiweb.fsi.state.gov/fsi/lms.

FasTrac Distance Learning:Learn at Your Own Pace,When and Where You Want!

All State Department employees,Foreign Service Nationals and EligibleFamily Members are eligible. With yourFasTrac password, you may access theentire FasTrac catalog of more than 3,000courses, from home or office (Intranet orInternet). Courses cover numeroustopics, such as project management,computer skills and grammar and

writing skills, as well as soft skills such asleadership. To view the FasTrac catalog,visit the FasTrac Web site at http://fsi.state.gov/fastrac.

FSI Distance LearningAn extensive menu of FSI-developed

distance learning courses is also availableto eligible participants on the FSI learningmanagement system. See (U) State009772 dated February 14, 2005, or theFSI Web page (distance learning) forinformation.

FS-3/GS-13PK245 Basic Leadership Skills

FS-2/GS-14PT207 Intermediate Leadership Skills

FS-1/GS-15PT210 Advanced Leadership Skills

Managers and SupervisorsPT107 EEO Diversity Awareness for

Managers and Supervisors

Newly promoted FS-OC/SESPT133 Senior Executive Threshold

Seminar

EDUCATION TRAINING

MANDATORY COURSESLength: H = Hours, D = Days, W = Weeks

Security Jan Feb Length

MQ911 SOS: Security Overseas Seminar 7,22 4,11 2D

MQ912 SOS: Advanced Security Overseas Seminar 2 19 1D

MQ914 SOS: Youth Security Overseas Seminar 2 1D

Foreign Service Life Skills Jan Feb Length

MQ104 Regulations, Allowances, and Finances 21 2D

MQ111 Making Presentations: Design to Delivery 6 3D

MQ116 Protocol and the U.S. Representation Abroad 19 23 1D

MQ203 Singles in the Foreign Service 9 4H

MQ117 Tax Seminar 20 4H

MQ115 Explaining America 26 1D

MQ802 Communicating Across Cultures 2 1D

MQ853 Managing Rental Property 30 2.5H

MQ950 High Stress AssignmentOutbriefing Program 11 15 4H

Career Transition Center Jan Feb Length

RV101 Retirement Planning Seminar 28 4D

RV103 Financial Management and Estate Planning 29 1D

RV104 Annuities, Benefits and Social Security 30 1D

Dates for FSI Transition Center Courses are shown below. For information on all thecourses available at FSI, visit the Schedule of Courses on OpenNet at http://fsi.state.gov.See Department Notices for announcements of new courses and new course dates andperiodic announcements of external training opportunities sponsored by FSI. For addition-al information, please contact the Office of the Registrar at (703) 302-7144/7137.

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On June 29, representatives from TUV America completed a four-day audit and certified that the Office of Medical Services hasinstituted a quality management system that complies with the Inter-national Organization for Standardization’s 9001:2000 standards.

We began this journey more than two years ago to improve themanagement of our services. We had good providers, but needed asystem that would allow them to do their best work and demonstratethat to others. The absence of an effective management system led toseveral problems:

We were solving the same problems repeatedly. We lacked a mechanism for institutionalizing change.Every care location performed routine tasks differently. We were a

collection of individual health units, rather than a cohesive organiza-tion sharing common goals.

There was no periodic assessment of our healthcare processes. Wehad no objective evidence that we were doing a good job and no ideawhere our weaknesses were.

We selected ISO 9001 because it was flexible enough to adapt toour complex environment and provided external oversight toconfirm our compliance. Briefly, ISO required us to do the following:

• Establish measurable goals.• Document the processes used to achieve those goals.• Assess our performance periodically

at the provider and senior-management levels.• Control our documents so that the current version is available

where needed.One key to our success with ISO was the commitment of senior

management. Dr. Larry Brown, the medical director, supported thisproject and visited each section in MED to confirm thatcommitment and promote participation.

The ISO standards originated in industry, and their language wasnot particularly healthcare friendly. Therefore, education was apriority. We translated the standards into healthcare jargon and sentweekly newsletters to all employees explaining various requirementsin the standards. We held formal classes for 54 individuals anddevoted almost 1,000 classroom hours to ISO training. Students wereselected from every section and every level in MED. In addition, 26employees were trained as internal auditors.

Having an outside consultant to help interpret the standards and

Improving Healthcare ManagementMED IMPLEMENTS QUALITY STANDARDBY ROBERT BURNEY, M.D., ANDPAULA DOLAN, R.N., M.P.A.

guide our compliance efforts was essential. The consultant was acredible, non-threatening resource and helped with the internalaudits, which provided additional training for internal auditors.

Documents for the quality management system were written bythe quality improvement section and approved by seniormanagement. For our initial management review, each of theroughly 30 persons who took “ownership” of a process presentedtheir goals and metrics. This tedious review required several weeks,but was helpful in identifying areas for improvement inmeasurement and the presentation of data. In some cases, the resultsof initial measurements surprised the process owners, so the act ofmeasurement itself stimulated improvement.

The time taken to pay a voucher varied widely, particularly whenadditional information was needed. The process was refined, andtoday every customer receives a response within two days of submit-ting a voucher.

Gaining Drug Enforcement Administration registration for ourproviders sometimes took more than 60 days. Today, we alwayscomplete that task within 48 hours.

As we progressed, some of our process owners began to see them-selves as part of a larger process. The staffs of Medical Clearances,Medical Records and the exam clinic now work on a single processfor accomplishing clearance exams. We anticipate that, over time, our30-plus processes will diminish to a single-digit number.

All of this was extra work, initially. We created documents,records, charts and graphs that didn’t exist before.

The day before the final ISO registration audit, we visited eachsection and used a structured interview to assess opinions about theISO process. The results were generally positive, even among thosewho were originally skeptical. Most (83 percent) felt that the processhad been helpful, and 92 percent agreed that documents are easier to

find now. Mostfelt they now do abetter job in lesstime. Financialbenefits were hardto identify; thosewho felt we hadsaved moneypointed to greaterefficiency ataccomplishingroutine tasks.

One of themain benefitscited by everyonewas betterdocument control and access to documents. Virtually all documentsare kept in one location, and everyone in MED can access any docu-ment. The fact that key processes are well-documented means thatthe new personnel who rotated into MED in the summer inheritedwell-defined processes that can be refined rather than reinvented.

As a result of the management review process, everyone in MEDhas a better understanding of what everyone else does. Currently,most process metrics are based on the time it takes to complete atask, so many functions in MED happen faster.

The challenge now is to maintain our momentum and supportour quality policy. As we solidify our gains in Washington, we areplanning to expand ISO to our overseas health units. ■

The authors work in the Office of Medical Services, QualityImprovement.

MEDICAL REPORT

The Office of Medical Serviceswill work as a team to continuallyimprove the quality of our patientcare and to foster our professionalgrowth.

We will comply with all applicablerequirements and continuallyimprove our management system.

We will measure our successthrough patient and customersatisfaction.

MED Quality Policy

Under Secretary for Management Henrietta Fore, second from left, pres-ents the ISO Registration Certificate to, from left, Dr. Robert Burney,Office of Medical Services Director Laurence G. Brown and Paula Dolan.

APPOINTMENTS


Chief of ProtocolNancy Goodman Brinker of Florida, aformer U.S. ambassador to Hungary, isthe new Chief of Protocol. She is thefounder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure,named for her sister who died of breastcancer. She also founded the Race for theCure, the world’s largest series of 5-kilometer runs and fitness walks.She has served on the National CancerAdvisory Board, President’s Cancer Paneland the boards of Manpower, Inc. andU.S. Oncology.

U.S. Ambassador toCôte D’IvoireWanda L. Nesbitt of Pennsylvania, acareer member of the Senior ForeignService, class of Minister-Counselor, isthe new U.S. Ambassador to theRepublic of Côte D’Ivoire. Previously,she was principal deputy assistant secre-tary in the Bureau of Consular Affairs.She was ambassador to Madagascar from2002 to 2004 and also served overseas inDar es Salaam, Kigali, Kinshasa, Parisand Port-au-Prince. She is married.

* Acker, Ronald LaurenceBeddingfield, GuthrieBleicher, Samuel A.Boris, Rhonda E.Brooks, JoBrown, Theodore T.Brown-Henderson,

Gwendolyn C.Burnam, Jeffry M.Butler, Emily R.Butowsky, Mark M.Cahill Alice M.Clodfelter, Mark A.Deaner, StephanieDunyan, Linda L.Evans, Sandra G.Fisher, Mary AnnGlover, Dorothy B.Gupta, SumitaHaywood, Wilma C.Holland Jr., Henry K.Hubbard, Iris D.

Hurd, Thomasine DavisIselin, Richard EdmuncJackson, Vincent E.Johnson, Francis E.Johnston, Wileva L.Kaiser, Robert E.Kmetz, Debra AnnLowenkron, Barry F.May, Jacquelin T.McPherson, Sheila T.McRoberts, Kathleen L.Meyer, Nancy B.Millsap, Marvin E.Modley, Peter M.Peterson, Geraldine H.Reap Jr., Joseph W.Ritchie, Sheila M.Sartain, Richard J.Serfaty, Gail F.Spalt, Douglas R.Vossen, Lesley MooreWilson, David O.

Amyes, Christopher J.Ball, David WilliamBarnes, Marsha E.Byrd, Timmy R.Cobb, Elizabeth L.Coleman, Donald BarryCristini, Joan M.Deutsch, Robert SidneyDmytrewycz, BohdanDorsey, Carol LynnEccel, A. ChrisFrancisco III, William P.Freeman, Patrick JosephGerson, Leslie AnnGunn, Richard L. Herndon, Kathleen E.Hooks, J. AubreyHull III, Thomas NeilIto, Pete K.Jensen, Peter KincaidJohnson Sarah AnnKelley, Ronnie C.

Kovich, Michael J.Lohman, Lee R.Mally, Alec L.Maples, Ronald EdwardMartin, Thomas H.Matera, Michael A.McAdoo, Scott D.McManus, William T.Meece, Roger A.Miller, Richard T.Moore Jr., Harry H.Moriarty, LaurenNahas, Albert GabrielNault Jr., Raymond L.Nault, MargueriteNorman, Patricia D.O’Donnell Jr., Edward B.O’Keefe, John M.O’Rourke, Brian J.Olson, Steven S.Owens, Michael P.Oxley, Claire Knox

Sambaiew, Vladimir PeterSilva, Mary Ann T.Slaven, William A.Sorenson, Robert EarlSundstrom, James LaddSyring, W. PatrickTaylor, Kelly G.Thibeault, StephenThompson, Cameron S.Triplett, John ChesterVarvarousis, Sultana M.Wechsler, Harvey A.Welden, Ann ElizabethWinn, Julie B.Witt, Walter F.Wojtasiewicz, James

PeterYoung, Rebecca F.Zangari, Carolyn A.

CIVIL SERVICE >>>FOREIGN SERVICE >>>

retirements


OBITUARIES

IN THE EVENT OF A DEATH

Questions concerning employee deaths should be directed to the Office of Casualty Assistance at(202) 736-4302. Inquiries concerning deaths of retired employees should be directed to the Office ofRetirement at (202) 261-8960.

Roger Neil Benson, 77, a retired Foreign Service officer,died Sept. 18 in Arlington, Va. He joined the Department in 1951and served overseas in Toronto, Tokyo, Nagoya, Colombo andSeoul. He retired from the Foreign Service in 1981 and continuedto work for the Department until 1999. Favorite pastimesincluded researching his family’s genealogy and caring for hisbonsai tree collection.

Lucy Singleton Gibb, 82, a retired Foreign Serviceemployee, died Sept. 9. She joined the Department in 1946 andwas posted to New Delhi, but resigned when she married a Britisharmy officer. She rejoined the Foreign Service in 1972 and servedin Dacca, Manila, Ankara and Islamabad. After retirement, shesettled in Richmond, Va., but returned to Pakistan for manywinters, where she enjoyed painting.

Chester Wilson McElhoe, 84, a retired Foreign Servicebudget officer, died Oct. 8 of a heart ailment in Rockville, Md. Helived in Bethesda. He served in the Army during World War IIand, after a career with the Army and Air Force, joined theDepartment in 1965. His overseas postings included Saigon, Vien-tiane, Amman, Beirut, Ankara and Rome. He retired in 1988. Hevolunteered at the Washington National Cathedral andparticipated in archeological digs in Turkey and Romania.

Lynda Lynn Raftshol, 54, a ForeignService office management specialistassigned to Ottawa, died Oct. 2 of breastcancer. She joined the Department in 1988and served in Dhaka, Quito, GuatemalaCity, Manila, Frankfurt, Bogota andOttawa.

Ralph J. Ribble, 89, a retired ForeignService officer, died October 15 at home inClarksville, Texas. He entered the Depart-ment of State in April of 1941. From 1943through 1945 he served in the Navy in thePacific. He joined the Foreign Service in1955 and served in Brazil, Panama, Italy

and Mexico. He was awarded the Department's DistinguishedHonor Award in 1971. He retired to Clarksville in 1972, where hewas a gentleman-farmer, traveler and supporter of the TexasLibrary Association.

Gerald H. Walker, 70, a retiredForeign Service employee, died Sept. 8 ofParkinson’s Disease in Pulaski, Va. Heserved in the Air Force before joining theDepartment. He retired in 1986. Hevolunteered with the Internal RevenueService.


While perhaps not quite as dramatic asturning swords into plowshares, colleaguesat the U.S. embassy in Yerevan and the U.S.Mission to the Organization for Securityand Cooperation in Europe are working toturn toxic chemicals into life-sustainingfertilizer in areas of the former SovietUnion. Left over from the missiles deployedby the Soviets throughout their empire,aging fuel tanks are now leaking the deadlymixture of rocket fuel chemicals into theenvironment. The U.S. provides financialand other support to help convert toxicwaste into a positive project.

A key component to the diplomaticmission in Iraq, Provincial ReconstructionTeams operate in the field, away from thewell-known “green” zone and up close withthe local populace. These eclectic groupsinclude Foreign Service officers, active-dutyand reserve soldiers, USAID professionalsand members of other agencies. Theirpurpose is to meet people throughout theprovinces; their mandate is to reach out toeveryone from the provincial governor tolocal women’s groups. The goal is to helpthe Iraqis develop solutions to Iraqi prob-

lems using Iraqi resources.Researching a post before submitting a

bid can be an arduous task, but theOverseas Briefing Center has simplified thejob with its Post Info To Go system on itsOpenNet Web site. The Center collects inone place information from the post andother sources as diverse as the FamilyLiaison Office and the Office of OverseasSchools. Potential bidders can find reportson family member employment opportuni-ties, housing photographs, medicalresources, security guidelines, pet-relatedinformation and school entryrequirements. The site also includes aPersonal Post Insights collection of first-person opinions about daily life at post.

Doing good can be a sometime incident,done on individual whim, or it can be asystematic, organized program designed tobenefit anyone needing—and requesting—a little help to perform to their maximumcapability. At the Department, the Office ofCivil Rights promotes awareness ofdisability-related issues, while the Office ofEmployee Relations provides “reasonableaccommodations” through a range of serv-

ices available to employees with disabilitiesand Department visitors. ER’s Work LifePrograms division provides some job-related accommodation to about 500Department employees, domestic andoverseas.

Accommodations can range from thehighly technical—large-screen monitors orspecialized software that converts text intospoken words or voice-activated recordersto record work assignments—to theextremely personal, such as sign-languageinterpreters for the hearing-impaired orreaders for the visually-impaired.

Last but never least, a final salute to ourcolleagues en route to their final posting:Roger Neil Benson; Lucy Singleton Gibb;Chester Wilson McElhoe; Lynda Lynn Raft-shol; Ralph J. Ribble; and Gerald H. Walker.

Out of the Zone

THE LAST WORD

Rob WileyEditor-in-Chief

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