Ever since the Kennedy administration, the United States has increasingly felt a sense of responsibility for people in Africa. As…
“The Times They Are a-Changin”—Working in the Context of Social Revolution
While U.S. State Department employees regularly serve in the midst of pivotal international agreements and turmoil, the events going on…
Ending South African Apartheid: Guiding U.S. Policy Towards South Africa with Secret Knowledge
In a one-on-one meeting in 1989, the future president of South Africa, F.W. de Klerk, gave Assistant Secretary of State…
Wikileaks: The Revelation That Shook U.S. Diplomacy
As the hearings of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange continue, the question of whether he will be extradited to the United…
“I Heard Something Ticking Away”—Diplomats Dealing With Explosives
Managing personal security is an important part of a Foreign Service Officer’s training. Weapons of mass destruction, sexual assault, cyberattacks,…
Building a Country from Scratch—The South Sudanese Transition to Independence (2005-2011)
Creating a country ex nihilo is never an easy feat. How does one construct functional government institutions from scratch in…
“Till Death Do Us Part”—Relationships for Women in the Foreign Service
Women have come a long way in fighting for equality within the workforce. This has inevitably shaped relationships for women…
Ethic Tensions Boil Over in Malaysia’s 13 May 1969 Incident
A single election can have many impacts, but one in particular unmasked a deep, controversial issue based on ethnic tensions.…
George W. Bush and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Forty million total cases. Three million deaths. One year. This was not the casualty of a bloody global conflict, but…
Wars that “Must Never be Fought”—Nuclear Disarmament in the Wake of the Cold War
From the words of President Reagan to the fears of people all over the world, unease over world-ending technology being…