Foreign service officers are often subject to circumstances beyond their control. Such was the case when a diplomatic quarrel occurred…
Working Together Against Separation—Life As A White Anti-Apartheid Activist in 1960s South Africa
Sometimes, politics involves standing for one’s values, even if it goes against the beliefs of the system in charge and…
A Public Diplomacy Career: Touring Astronauts, Saving Battleships, and More
Diplomatic history is a fascinating field full of peace conferences, negotiations, and summits; but it also includes dozens of other…
Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
100th Anniversary of the USFS Read more Read Oral Histories Read more New Oral History Project Read more Support the…
Lessons from Haiti: Why Security-Only Interventions Fail
Haiti has been plagued with instability for much of its existence, despite being the second country in the Americas to…
The Iran Hostage Crisis: Diplomatic Drama and Legal Innovation
Next to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, the Iranian seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979 and…
The Unknown Actor in Kosovo: Lawrence Rossin
During 1998 and 1999, Lawrence Rossin found himself working in the disputed region of the Balkans. Having previously worked in…
CORDS Alumnus Gives Perspective on U.S. Role in Vietnam
Should the United States ever have gone to war in Vietnam? Nearly fifty years after the last American troops were…
Development in South Asia and Latin America: USAID in the ‘90s
There’s never a dull moment in the life of a USAID social anthropologist! The foreign service can indeed present a…
Making the Most of Adversity: Managing the Consular Section in Guangzhou, China
Adversity can often bring out the best in those who are willing to rise to the challenges it throws at…