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Diplomacy and Cross Border Security
– 2003 Essay Contest winning essay

By Margaret S. Jackson

Living as I do on the border with Canada, I’ve had the opportunity to visit the country often. Each time, crossing the border was much the same. My family and I would be asked a few standard questions and soon be on our way. If the customs agent were to catch a glimpse of my hockey equipment poking out the back seat, we would be waved through with little more than a knowing smile. Border crossings had become much like passing into another state; a formality, though with the opportunity to ask for directions. After the attacks on September 11th, this all changed. Crossing the border now involved long lines, numerous questions (and ID’s), and an often icy welcome.

While this may be nothing more than a temporary inconvenience for the majority of travelers, for many it poses a serious threat. Cross border tourism, a major economic force, has suffered, and the number of people crossing the border has only recently returned to pre-September 11 levels (Stat. Canada). But the expanded security measures have not only deterred travelers. Large and small businesses alike are impacted by the new guidelines, as both workers and shipments are slowed, if not stopped.

This problem is illustrated at the border crossing in the small town of St. Pamphille, Quebec. The lumber industry is the heart of the local economy, with mills located in St. Pamphille and numerous lumber contractors in nearby Maine. In order to get around the border station’s operating hours (it closes at 2 p.m. weekdays and is not open on weekends), the U.S. government traditionally distributed special passes to allow people and goods to cross when the station was closed. The passes are being canceled in May, with no options in sight for those who depend on an open border to operate their businesses and to travel from home to work (CBC).

The American government understands the impact of these problems on the traditionally friendly relationship between the U.S. and Canada, and has already implemented numerous programs to help make border crossings both safer and easier. Officers of the Foreign Service have played a major role in the negotiation and administration of these pieces of legislation, and continue to be involved today. Their hard work has been crucial in the development of these new security measures, for if any changes in border security are to be effective, Canada needs to be our full partner in the endeavor. This is where Foreign Service officers come into play. Negotiating with transportation and security officials, they have brought about cooperation and understanding on a number of issues, spurring the creation of multiple initiatives.

One of these joint programs is NEXUS. Developed in conjunction with numerous agencies in both the U.S. and Canada, prescreened travelers will be able to pass through border crossings more easily, needing only to present a membership card and a declaration (United States, Low Risk). With NEXUS, not only will frequent travelers have an easier time crossing the border, but U.S. and Canadian customs officials can spend more time focusing on potential threats. The NEXUS program is currently in effect at only six border crossings, although it will be extended to all high traffic crossings by the end of 2003 (United States, Low Risk).

The Smart Border Declaration and Associated 30 Point Action Plan are another example of effective security measures brought about through the cooperation of the two nations. The Declaration has four ‘pillars’: The Secure Flow of People, The Secure Flow of Goods, Secure Infrastructure, and Information Sharing (United States, 30 Point Plan). These plans united U.S. and Canadian law enforcement and security agencies like never before, allowing for both the quick flow of information and heightened security in both countries. Members of the Foreign Service have been charged with keeping government officials up-to-date on all developments relating to the Declaration. This means that Foreign Service officers will be helping to supply the essential information and analysis needed to keep both nations secure, while maintaining their historically friendly relations.

On December 5, 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell signed an agreement to establish a new bi-national planning group at NORAD headquarters in Colorado Springs (United States, Military). Drawing on the information gleaned from intelligence centers as described in the Smart Border Declaration and 30 Point Plan, among others, it will prepare responses to attacks and threats on both Canadian and American soil.

State Department documents call Canada’s cooperation “excellent,” and state that Canada “stands as a model of how the U.S. and another nation can work together on terrorism issues” (United States, Fighting Terrorism). At a meeting of the Canadian Defense Industries Association, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci remarked that “There is a lot of work left to do, but we’re off to a good start, thanks to recognition on both sides of the border that we share common goals and a common threat” (CDIA).

Border wait times are longer, businesses are suffering, and the days of being allowed to pass through border stations brandishing only a hockey bag and a smile are long gone. However, all of these problems can and will be overcome. The governments of the U.S. and Canada worked quickly to seal the gaps in border security after September 11th. Now the continued security of both nations rides on information, analysis and diplomacy. Both nations are committed to this endeavor, and the Foreign Service will play no small role in seeing it through.

Works Consulted:

Canadian Defense Industries Association. Ambassador Cellucci’s Remarks. 24 Feb. 2003.

CBC News. Border Towns Worried By Tightening Policies. 2 Feb. 2003.

Government of Newfoundland. Minister Meets With Ambassador Paul Cellucci. 2 Feb 2003.
http://www.gov.nf.ca/releases/2001/exec/1113n06.htm

Statistics Canada. Dept. of State. Did You Know? Basic Facts About Canada-U.S. Trade. 20 Feb. 2003.

United States. Dept. of State. Fact Sheet: White House Outlines Program for Low Risk Travelers at U.S. – Canada Border. 24 Feb. 2003.

United States. Dept. of State. Fighting Terrorism. 25 Feb. 2003.

United States. Dept. of State. U.S., Canada Establish Bi-National Military Planning Group. 20 Feb. 2003

United States. Dept. of State. U.S. – Canada Smart Border/30 Point Action Plan Update. 20 Feb. 2003.

United States. INS. Public Information Sheet On National Security Entry Exit Registration System. 20 Feb. 2003. http://www.usembassycanada.gov/content/content.asp?section=travel&document=nseers_092602

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Controlling Russian Weapons of Mass Destruction:
21^st Century Solutions to a 20^th Century Problem
– 2004 Essay Contest winning essay

By Andrew Rohrbach

For over fifty years, the focal point of American foreign policy was our relationship with the Soviet Union. United States actions in most key areas centered on countering the Soviets. Priorities have changed dramatically as a result of the fall of the iron curtain and the events of September 11th. The attention of the American Foreign Service has shifted to fighting terrorism, and the Middle East has received increased attention. However, America continues to have a major interest in an issue left over from the Cold War-era: the control of weapons of mass destruction. Russia and the former Soviet states have tens of thousands of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons that are often unprotected, insufficiently maintained, or poorly secured. Indeed, a mere 38% of Russian nuclear material had been protected by 2003, according to a recent report from the General Accounting Office. In order for the United States to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists, we must continue our efforts to safeguard or destroy these weapons.

Soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the State Department played a major role in the development of the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat-Reduction (CTR) program, a federal program credited with the destruction or securing of over 6,000 Russian nuclear warheads (“Conversion of Soviet Weapons”). Since then, the American Foreign Service has continued to have a critical role in this endeavor. The challenge of securing Russian weapons of mass destruction requires a joint effort by both nations. For example, the State Department has worked with the governments of the former Soviet States as part of its Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance Program to write and implement new, wide-ranging export laws and provide cooperation and support for enforcement of the laws already in existence (“EXBS Program”). Other examples of CTR efforts include those in the 1990s by the State Department’s Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund to facilitate cooperation between the Department of Energy and the Russian Kurachatov Institute to research the feasibility of converting Russian plutonium reactors into solely-power generation plants, and to establish a website jointly with the Russian Center on Export Controls for Russia’s military-industrial complex regarding, among other things, customs laws and the export procedure regarding dual-use materials (“Internet Site for Exporters”).

In addition, the American Foreign Service has tried to gain information from the governments of Russia and the other former Soviet republics that possessed weapons of mass destruction, and to develop programs based on that information. The Foreign Service convinced the G-8 nations to help fund and support CTR (Moltz). The State Department has worked with Congress to increase funding of the CTR programs, succeeding recently with President Bush’s authorization of $150 million to build a facility for destroying chemical weapons in Russia (Eisler).

Another important facet of the problem involves the ex-Soviet weapons scientists, many of whom are unemployed. The Foreign Service has worked with the Russian government to develop programs to retrain these researchers (Joffe). One example is the venture between Numotech, an American medical firm, and Spektr-Conversion, a Russian company, to employ Russian ex-scientists to make medical supplies (“Joint Russian-US Nuclear Cities”). The State Department also coordinates American involvement in the International Science & Technology Center (ISTC), an international organization that solicits grant proposals from Russian WMD scientists. The ISTC provides the scientists with market-competitive salaries to work on non-WMD related projects like the environment or fusion reactors, rather than on nuclear programs of other nations (Russia: ISTC). Congress has also authorized the State Department to receive funding for the support and coordination of other similar programs for these scientists, such as the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STUC) and the Redirection of Biotechnical Scientists Program (Congressional Research Service).

The work of the American Foreign Service is not complete. A recent GAO report on the subject was subtitled “Additional Russian Cooperation Needed to Facilitate U.S. Efforts to Improve Security at Russian Sites” (General Accounting Office). In this report, Russia is estimated to have 600 metric tons of nuclear material, but the United States is being slowed by a lack of access to the sites (Ibid). Negotiations by the State Department in conjunction with the Department of Energy are vital for securing this access. A 2003 report by a group of think tanks agrees with the conclusions of the GAO, saying that “Building a better international relationship with Russia would help reduce the threat of weapons of mass destruction in the former Soviet Union and its erstwhile republics…” (“Plan for Dealing with Soviet Weapons”) It is only through the ongoing work of the American Foreign Service to foster cooperative relationships with Russia and other nations that the goal of securing weapons of mass destruction and preventing them from falling into the hands of terrorists can be achieved.

Works Cited

1. Congressional Research Service. Federation of American Scientists. Preventing Proliferation of Biological Weapons: U.S. Assistance to Former Soviet States. 10 April 2002. 29 February 2004 <http://www.fas.org/spp/starwars/crs/RL31368.pdf>

2. Conversion of Soviet Weapons of Mass Destruction. 19 Dec. 2003 . Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat-Reduction Program. 26 January 2004. <http://www.nunn-lugar.com/>

3. “Core Converstion: Nuclear Reactors.” Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund. 13 Sept. 1995. U.S. Department of State. 29 February 2004 <http://www.ndf.org/Projects/ViewProject.jsp?ProjectId=46>

4. General Accounting Office. Russian American Nuclear Security Advisory Council.Weapons of Mass Destruction: Additional Russian Cooperation Needed to Facilitate U.S. Efforts to Improve Security at Russian Sites. 24 March 2003. 26 January 2004 <http://www.ransac.org/documents/do3482.pdf>

5. Eisler, Peter. “Bush frees cash to secure Soviet arms U.S. wants to stop foes from getting weapons.” USA Today 14 January 2003. Johnson’s Russia List, Center for Defense Information. 16 January 2004 <http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/7018-10.cfm>

6. “EXBS Program: Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance, The.”U.S. Department of State. 2003. United States Department of State. 29 February 2004 <http://www.state.gov/t/np/export/ecc/20779.htm>

7. “Internet Site for Exporters.” Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund. 05 March 1997. U.S. Department of State. 29 February 2004 <http://www.ndf.org/Projects/ViewProject.jsp?ProjectId=69>

8. Joffe, A.H. “Environmental Security and the Consequences of WMD Production: An Emerging International Issue” Disarmament Diplomacy 54 (Feb. 2001). 26 January 2004 <http://www.acronym.org.uk/dd/dd54/54joffe.htm>

9. “Joint U.S.-Russian Nuclear Cities Venture Launched.” Arms Control Today 33. 10 (Dec. 2003). 26 January 2004 <http://www.armscontrol.org/act/2003_12/newsbriefs.asp>

10. Moltz, James Clay. “Testimony Before the Subcommittees on Europe and on International Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Human Rights of the Committee on International Relations of the U.S. House of Representatives.” 14 May 2003. Center for Nonproliferation Studies. 26 January 2004 <http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/reports/testcm.htm>

11. “Plan for dealing with Soviet weapons legacy announced.” CNN. 20 January 2003. 26 January 2004 <http://www.cdi.org/russia/johnson/7027-2.cfm>

12. Russia: International Science & Technology Center (ISTC). 2003. Nuclear Threat Initiative. 29 Feb.2004 <http://www.nti.org/db/nisprofs/russia/forasst/otherusg/istc.htm>

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Role of the American Foreign Service In The Battle
Against Human Trafficking
– 2005 Essay Contest winning essay

By Alison M. Noll

The trafficking of human beings for slave labor and sexual exploitation is one of the fastest growing global problems. It has been called the “dark side of globalization” because an enormous upsurge of human enslavement has accompanied a border-free world economy (Miller). Trafficking in persons is a transnational crime that touches people in every nation, and even neighborhoods in this country. The vast reach of human trafficking stunned my own community, when we learned that a 12-year-old Egyptian girl was imprisoned as a domestic slave in the garage of a family home in Irvine, California. Like many victims of trafficking, she was sold by impoverished parents and transported illegally across international borders. While in captivity, she was physically abused, called the “The Stupid Girl”, and threatened if she should attempt escape (U.S. Immigration). This young girl is just one of an estimated 2-4 million girls who are globally trafficked every year (Clark).

The United States Government regards human trafficking as a form of modern-day slavery, a violation of fundamental human rights, and a threat to national and global security (Trafficking). In recent years, combating human trafficking has become a primary foreign policy objective of the United States Government. (Matar). To support this goal, Congress enacted The Trafficking Victims Protection Act in 2000 (P.L. 106-386), which directs the Foreign Service to work with other nations to address the international epidemic of human trafficking. Throughout the world, Foreign Service Officers (“FSO’s”) promote United States polices and programs to eliminate the trafficking in persons. They play a critical frontline role in an ongoing struggle to protect vulnerable people from being exploited.

The Foreign Service advances United States anti-trafficking policy by encouraging and persuading other governments to implement or strengthen their own policies to combat human trafficking. This is difficult because many governments are reluctant to admit the existence or extent of trafficking in their countries. Some have no laws that prohibit trafficking and punish traffickers, or programs to identify, rescue and rehabilitate victims. Others do not enforce existing laws or lack the resources to effectively combat trafficking. The most powerful tool the Foreign Service relies on to convince foreign governments to improve their efforts to end human trafficking is the annual Trafficking in Persons Report (“TIP Report”). The TIP Report, released by the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (“G/TIP Office”), details the extent of human trafficking in each country. It also suggests specific steps to combat trafficking. Countries that have not made sufficient efforts are placed on a Special Watch List, and given a period of time within which to commence action or risk the loss of United States aid (2004 Victims). Following release of the TIP Report, many governments are motivated to call upon FSO’s for assistance in creating sustainable anti-trafficking strategies. Direct engagement with government officials allows FSO’s in the field to share model legislation or suggest ways to strengthen existing laws. They work closely with host governments to develop culturally sensitive anti-trafficking awareness campaigns and victim rehabilitation programs.

Foreign Service efforts frequently lead to substantial achievements. For example, Japan, a major destination hub for human trafficking victims, was mortified to be the only developed country on the Tier 2 Watch List. Following release of the 2004 TIP Report, Japan engaged in “frank and candid discussions” with FSO’s. As a result, Japan enacted legislation in February 2005 to prohibit human trafficking and protect victims, (Onishi). FSO’s helped Bangladesh, a Tier 3 country, to formulate a “six-step work plan” that will significantly improve its anti-trafficking efforts (The Daily Star). Guyana, another Tier 3 country, commenced a dialogue with FSO’s to consider how the United States could assist Guyana to take “measurable and concrete actions to combat the modern slave trade” (Stabroek June). In response, Guyana initiated an anti-trafficking public awareness campaign. Comprehensive anti-trafficking legislation is currently moving through the National Assembly, and the government has begun to arrest traffickers (Stabroek August 6 and 24).

The Foreign Service has also forged partnerships with international organizations and NGO’s to enhance global anti-trafficking capabilities. Immediately after the tsunami disaster of December 2004, it was feared that traffickers would exploit the ensuing chaos and kidnap orphaned children for the human slave trade. Members of the Foreign Service at the G/TIP Office were in immediate “communication with non-governmental organizations on the ground in the affected areas”(Morse). Guidelines to minimize the risk of human trafficking were issued to officials and relief workers in the region, and included a recommendation to establish child identification registries. FSO’s in the affected countries worked with NGO’s to assist in the repatriation of kidnapped children and government officials were advised to increase “scrutiny at airports where children are traveling” (Ibid). In the months to come, the Foreign Service will continue to provide assistance to counter the continuing risk of child trafficking (Natsios).

The United States increasingly uses public diplomacy to raise international awareness of trafficking issues. FSO’s reach out to local business groups, religious organizations, journalists, and people in isolated communities. In rural villages in Moldavia, footage of a national anti-trafficking conference was distributed to local televisions stations (Embassy Chisisnau). United States embassies host screenings of “Trading Women”, a documentary about trafficking of women and children in the Mekong Delta, and distribute a brochure prepared by the State Department called “Be Smart, Be Safe…” on trafficking in women (Consulate Krakow).

Combating the brutal global epidemic of human trafficking is a daunting undertaking that requires persistence and the collaboration of all nations. Despite the enormity of the task, the committed work of the American Foreign Service has improved life for many of the world’s most vulnerable people. While furthering the foreign policy objectives of the United States, their efforts support our national interests as well as our longstanding human rights ideals.

Works Cited

1. Clark, Michele A. YaleGlobal Online. “Human Trafficking Casts Shadow on Globalization”. YaleGlobal, 23 April 2003.
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=1448.

2. Consulate General of the United States, Krakow Poland. Programs and events 2004 Dec-13-2004. “Film on Trafficking in Women Presented to Polish NGOs”
http://krakow.usconsulate.gov/krakow/Bemsart.html.

3. Matar, Mohamed Y. “Monitoring the Status of Severe Forms of Trafficking in Foreign Countries: Sanctions Mandated Under the U.S. Trafficking Victims Protection Act”. Brown Journal of World Affairs. Summer / Fall 2003, Volume X, Issue 1.
http://www.watsoninstitute.org/bjwa/archive.cfm?targetpage=10.1.

4. Morse, Jane A. U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Information Programs. Global Issues “Few Reports of Increased Human Trafficking in Tsunami-hit Nations”. 13 Jan 2005.
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2005/Jan/13-996622.html.

5. Natsios, Andrew S, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator. USAID Testimony. “Strategies for Relief and Reconstruction Assistance in Response to the Tsunami”. Testimony before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate. Washington D.C. February 10, 2005.
http://www.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2005/ty050210.html.

6. Onishi, Norimitsu, The New York Times International. February 16, 2005.” Japan, Easygoing Till Now, Plans Sex Traffic Crackdown”
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/16/international/asia/16japan.html.

7. Stabroek News, June 16, 2004. “Guyana Faces US Sanctions Over Human Trafficking- 60 Days To Crack Down On Forced Prostitution And Take Other Steps”.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article_general_news?id=8657802.

8. Stabroek News, August 6, 2004.”Stiff Prison Terms For Trafficking In Persons – Bill Also Mandates Property Forfeiture, Witness Protection”.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=8661390.

9. Stabroek News August 24, 2004. “GHRA Hails Human Trafficking Bill- Warns Of Personnel Shortage In Monitoring”.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/index.pl/article?id=8662844.

10. The Daily Star. August 11, 2004. “Human Trafficking Dhaka Disagrees With US Rating Recommends Status Be Upgraded”.
http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/08/11/d4081101022.htm.

11. U.S. Department of State. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. Fact Sheet: ‘Recent Developments in U.S. Government Efforts to End Human Trafficking”. February 5, 2004.
http://usinfo.state.gov/gi/Archive/2004/Feb/09-415385.html.

12. Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. [Pub. L. No. 106-386].

13. Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 (H.R. 2620).

14. U.S. Department of State. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. “2004 Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report”.
http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2004/.

15. Miller, John, Director, Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. U.S. State Department. “Pathbreaking Strategies in the Global Fight Against Sex Trafficking,” Washington, D.C., February 21, 2003.
http://fpc.state.gov/fpc/17870.htm

16. U. S. Embassy Chisisnau, Moldova.7 May 2004 “Excerpt From The Report “Supporting Human Rights And Democracy: The U.S. Record 2003-2004″ Issued On May 17, 2004 Regarding Moldova”.
http://www.usembassy.md/en-05172004.htm.

17. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. News Release. February 3, 2005. “Ice Investigation Leads To Involuntary Servitude Charges Against Irvine Couple For Holding Girl As Domestic Slave”.
http://www.ice.gov/graphics/news/newsreleases/articles/slave020305.htm.

http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest/winningessay05.cfm

Empowering Women, Rebuilding Society:
The Role of the Foreign Service in Promoting Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
– 2006 Essay Contest winning essay

By Eva Lam

In 2001, the United States invaded Afghanistan to defend global security. In 2006, the US remains involved in Afghanistan to build a model for democracy in the Muslim world. The promotion of women’s rights is integral to this effort. The US Foreign Service plays an important role in creating educational and economic opportunities for Afghan women. The work of the Foreign Service promotes gender equality, economic progress, and democratic values in Afghanistan.

Any examination of women’s rights in Afghanistan should take place in the context of the dramatic progress made since 2001. The Taliban regime accorded women subhuman legal status. Women were banned from working outside the home, appearing in public without a close male relative, and attending school beyond age eight (Brown and Bokhari 7). The Taliban brutally punished women who violated these restrictions: government officials cut off the fingers of women with painted nails, publicly whipped women who showed their ankles, and stoned to death women accused of adultery (RAWA). For Western observers, this restrictive climate was most visibly symbolized by the burqa, a full-length robe covering the face and body with just a small slit for the eyes; Afghan women could only appear outside of the house in a burqa. In short, any woman who lived within the law lived under the total control of men.

The profound restructuring of the government since the fall of the Taliban has rapidly reversed the situation for women. One of every five delegates elected to the loya jirga, the “grand council” convened in 2003 to draft a new constitution, was female (IRIN News). The constitution guarantees equal rights to all Afghans regardless of gender, and it reserves at least 25% of the seats in the lower house of parliament and in provincial councils for women (Coghlan). Certainly, the last five years have witnessed drastic improvements in women’s political and legal rights in Afghanistan.

But legal equality would be meaningless for women who lacked the education and economic self-dependence to exercise their new rights. Years of repression left Afghan women with few vocational skills. Indeed, only fourteen percent of Afghan women are functionally literate today, and few work outside the home (Reichmann). To address these problems, the US Foreign Service has created a number of programs specifically designed to promote educational equity and economic opportunity for Afghan women and girls.

The Foreign Service has spent the years since the invasion implementing an array of educational projects to compensate for the appalling state of women’s education under the Taliban and build a stronger foundation for the next generation of Afghan women. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is in the process of building seventeen Women’s Resource Centers, where women can receive literacy training and other services (“Women’s Resource Centers”). The US-Afghan Women’s Council, a partnership between Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the US Department of State, implements a number of educational programs, including a training institute for female teachers at Kabul University, an exchange with the University of Nebraska-Omaha in which Afghan women educators receive training in the US and return to Afghanistan to train other local teachers, and a computer education program for Afghan women government officials (“Education”). USAID has also funded the reconstruction of more than 200 schools in Afghanistan, fourteen of which are all-girls’ schools (State Department). Through both USAID and the US-Afghan Women’s Council, the Foreign Service plays an integral role in teaching literacy to women and creating a generation of educated girls in Afghanistan.

Similarly, the Foreign Service is expanding economic opportunities for Afghan women. Women’s Resource Centers provide job training and placement for women (“Women’s Resource Centers”). The US-Afghan Women’s Council has coordinated with non-governmental organizations to create community banks in several provinces, providing microfinance loans to female entrepreneurs in a project that will expand to serve more than 30,000 clients (“Microfinance and Business Development”). The Department of State and USAID jointly funded a delegation of Afghan women to the 2005 Global Summit of Women, a conference for female entrepreneurs (Monsen). Foreign Service Officers are providing Afghan women with the skills, opportunities, and capital they need to return to the formal economy after years of exclusion under the Taliban.

These Foreign Service programs have obvious benefits to the women who use them, but by promoting the status of women, they also improve Afghanistan’s economic situation. The United Nations’ 2002 Arab Human Development Report pointed out the detrimental economic effects of gender inequality, writing, “Society as a whole suffers when half of its productive potential is stifled.” For myriad reasons, improvements in the state of female education provide benefits to the Afghan economy even greater than those gains that result from improving the education of boys. Educating women tends to boost farm productivity, improve children’s health, and cut birth rates and reduce overpopulation (Coleman 82). Additionally, increasing women’s earning potential “profits the community at large because women tend to invest more in their families than do men” (Coleman 84). Educating and empowering women benefits Afghan families and the economy as a whole, helping to stabilize the country and divert resources from the illegal opium trade.

Ultimately, achieving the full recognition of women’s rights in Afghanistan will take more than a few projects; government intervention alone cannot create social change of the magnitude required to overcome years of oppression and silence under the Taliban. Yet against all odds, the Foreign Service has made remarkable progress in providing Afghan women with the education and vocational skills they need to make full use of their newfound political and legal equality. By teaching women to read, exposing them to the formal economy, and providing capital to entrepreneurs, the Foreign Service has introduced Afghan society to the possibility of women’s economic equality. And by gradually rebuilding schools, training women teachers, and facilitating the education of girls, the Foreign Service is now laying the foundation for a generation of Afghan girls who are fully capable of revolutionizing the country by participating in politics and the economy as men’s equals.

Works Cited

Brown, A. Widney, and Farhat Bokhari. Humanity denied: systematic violations of women’s rights in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch. October 2001. <http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/afghan3/afgwrd1001.pdf> Accessed 28 February 2006.

Coghlan, Tom. “Election hopes of Afghan women.” BBC News. August 14, 2005. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4144760.stm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

Coleman, Isobel. “The payoff from women’s rights.” Foreign Affairs. May/June 2004.

“Education.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. <http://www.usawc.state.gov/c7546.htm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

IRIN News. “Interview with Loya Jirga delegate Sa’era Sharif.” United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. December 19, 2003. <http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=38522&SelectRegion=Central_Asia> Accessed 28 February 2006.

“Microfinance and business development.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. <http://www.usawc.state.gov/c7531.htm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

Monsen, Lauren. “Global Summit of Women promotes wider economic, political participation.” USINFO (United States Department of State, Bureau of International Information Programs). June 21, 2005. <http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/Archive/2005/Jun/21-267404.html> Accessed 28 February 2006.

Reichmann, Deb. “Laura Bush meets Afghan women.” CBS News. March 30, 2005. <http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/29/world/main683742.shtml> Accessed 28 February 2006.

Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan. “Some of the restrictions imposed by Taliban in Afghanistan.” No date given. <http://www.rawa.us/rules.htm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

United States. Department of State, Office of International Women’s Issues. Report to Congress. “US support for Afghan women, children, and refugees.” June 22, 2004. <http://www.state.gov/g/wi/rls/33787.htm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

“Women’s resource centers.” US-Afghan Women’s Council. 2005. <http://www.usawc.state.gov/c7547.htm> Accessed 28 February 2006.

http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest/winningessay06.cfm

The Role of the Foreign Service in the Reconstruction of Iraq
– 2007 Essay Contest winning essay

By Sumit Malik

On March 20, 2003, the United States initiated Operation Iraqi Freedom, seeking “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people” (Bush). The invasion was successful in dismantling a malevolent regime; however, the aftermath left the United States with the formidable task of uplifting a nation experiencing regional instability, domestic violence, and economic deterioration. The Foreign Service has taken an exemplary stance in the reconstruction process, committing hundreds of personnel to aid in the development of a self-sufficient, prosperous Iraq (Kashkett).

At the time of Saddam Hussein’s deposition, Iraq was beset with a myriad of difficulties. Unemployment rates escalated sharply, approaching an estimated 50 percent. In 2004, the median annual income was a mere $144, partially resulting from the frequency of underemployment, in which over-qualified individuals were forced to settle for low-paying, unskilled occupations (Augustin and Kubena 125). Infrastructure complications impacted numerous sectors of society, including transportation, housing, electricity production, public health systems, sanitary water supply, education, and sewage treatment facilities. Sectarian violence and insufficient municipal security systems effectuated a struggle to maintain order (United States, October 15-18). Furthermore, nearly half of Iraq’s population is currently under the age of 18, emphasizing the necessity of child protection. One in four children below age five experiences chronic malnourishment, and one in eight does not survive beyond five years (“Iraq – Country”). Collectively, alleviating the situation within Iraq has forced itself to the forefront of global concern.

The Foreign Service has spearheaded reconstruction efforts in Iraq through the implementation of multi-faceted procedures addressing the social and financial aspects of the nation’s present circumstances. Within 12 months of the occupation of Iraq, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) poured $3.3 billion into the restoration of schools, provision of electricity, promotion of communal health, and establishment of democratic councils, thereby enacting the most extensive US foreign aid program since the 1947 Marshall Plan in Europe. This development initiative had tremendous societal impacts, repairing upwards of 1,700 breaks in the nation’s water network, renovating 1,500 schools, and circulating 22 million vaccines to children and pregnant women. Moreover, a 62-member Disaster Assistance Response Team, the largest ever created, was instituted for the purpose of administering humanitarian aid, coordinating US assistance within the region, and facilitating the international provision of resources (United States, A Year 2-4). The team promoted the stockpiling of medicine and potable water in addition to amalgamated efforts with the Department of State in providing over 600,000 metric tons of food to impoverished areas (“U.S. Officials Report”). Foreign Service undertakings effectively granted immediate reprieve to necessitous Iraqi communities, issuing crucial support for the sustenance of a stable nation.

To date, USAID has contributed over $5 billion for the maximization of societal welfare within Iraq (United States, Program 3). Proper allocation of these funds has resulted in a number of notable accomplishments, as the implemented procedures have been remarkably efficient in mitigating domestic hardships. USAID-managed programs have stimulated the dramatic enhancement of the domestic health care system. Access to essential medical services has expanded significantly through the training of 2,500 primary health care workers, and over 98 percent of children ages 1-5 have been immunized for common lethal illnesses. Steady progress in the primary education sector has been maintained, as USAID has supplied 8.6 million textbooks, trained 133,000 new primary school teachers, and doubled the number of rehabilitated facilities since 2004, shifting from unsatisfactory education methodology and bedraggled classrooms to modernized, efficacious learning environments. Additionally, infrastructure development has provided clean drinking water and electricity to more than 4 million Iraqis, and 7.2 million urban residents have gained access to adequate, functioning sewage systems, substantially improving sanitation and minimizing outbreaks of disease (“Top Ten USAID”). Refurbished transportation networks, including restored bridges and reconstructed railroads, have eased traffic conditions, extending benefits to 50,000 travelers each day (“Completed Projects: Roads”). With support from the Iraq Telecommunications and Postal Commission, telecommunications potency has nearly quadrupled, as telephone subscriptions have swelled from 1.2 million to 4.6 million land and cell lines (“Completed Projects: Telecommunications”). Furthermore, Foreign Service Officers have played an integral role in Provincial Reconstruction Teams, facilitating the appropriate administration of aid (Kessler). Simultaneously, a sound foundation for long-term economic growth, advocated particularly by the Foreign Commercial Service, has materialized through continual promotion of the private sector, fostering sustainable job generation (Green). USAID’s assistance in the initiation of the Iraq Investment Promotion Agency has established ties to the global market, permitting the inflow of financial capital at both a domestic and an international basis (“Iraqi Economy”). In concordance with the Ministry of Finance, new dinar currency was introduced to Iraq, in addition to the inception of a redesigned monetary policy to alleviate poverty levels (United States, Our Commitment5). Microfinance loans administered through the Foreign Service provide economically underprivileged individuals with increased opportunity to enhance their condition (Besheer). Essential reconstruction programs in combination with the training of Iraqi security, military, and law enforcement personnel have enabled the Iraqi society to progress enormously (“Fact Sheet”).

The Foreign Service has extended benefits beyond basic reconditioning procedures. It has taken a diplomatic stance in promoting governmental reform and democratic ideology. The Department of State has reaffirmed its commitment to “the establishment of a stable, united, prosperous, democratic, and pluralistic Iraq” (“Background Note”), shouldering Foreign Service projects including the delivery of essential services on a localized basis by means of representative provincial entities and substantiating over 670 community activist groups engaged in advocacy of women’s rights, civic education, and elimination of corruption (United States, Our Commitment 5).

The amelioration of the situation in Iraq has emerged as a principal international endeavor, and Foreign Service efforts have been critical to furthering this cause. Not only have struggling individuals been provided the opportunity for personal advancement, but society in its entirety has progressed through the adoption of a democratic outlook. While reconstruction within Iraq is not yet complete, the Foreign Service has truly established the framework for a bright and promising future.

Essay Word Count: 1,000

Works Cited

Augustin, Byron, and Jake Kubena. Iraq. Enchantment of the World 2. New York: Children’s, 2006.
“Background Note: Iraq.” United States Department of State. Oct. 2006.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.state.gov/‌r/‌pa/‌ei/‌bgn/‌6804.htm#foreign>.

Besheer, Margaret. “Small Loans Help Pave Way for Better Lives in Iraq.” Voice of America News 8 Dec. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.voanews.com/‌english/‌2006-12-08-voa56.cfm>.

Bush, George Walker. “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” White House. 22 Mar. 2003. White House Radio Address Archives 22 Mar. 2003. 1 Jan. 2007 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/‌news/‌releases/‌2003/‌03/‌20030322.html>.

“Completed Projects: Roads and Bridges.” USAID: From the American People. 21 June 2006. United States Agency for International Development.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌iraq/‌accomplishments/‌bridges.html>.

“Completed Projects: Telecommunications.” USAID: From the American People. 21 June 2006. United States Agency for International Development.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌iraq/‌accomplishments/‌telecom.html>.

“Fact Sheet: Training Iraqi Security Forces.” The White House. 30 Nov. 2005.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.whitehouse.gov/‌news/‌releases/‌2005/‌11/‌20051130.html>.

Green, Stephen L. “Iraq eRocket #6 Entry Strategies: As the Iraqi Market Evolves, Business Paths Multiply.” U.S. Commercial Service. May 2006. United States of America Department of Commerce.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.buyusa.gov/‌iraq/‌en/‌erocket6.html>.

“Iraq – Country in Crisis.” UNICEF. 11 May 2006.  1 Jan. 2007 <http://www.unicef.org/‌emerg/‌iraq/‌index.html>.

“Iraqi Economy: Iraq Investment Promotion Agency Begins Encouraging Investment.”Portal Iraq. 20 Mar. 2006.  2 Jan. 2007
<http://www.portaliraq.com/‌news/‌Iraq+Investment+Promotion+Agency+begins+encouraging+investment__1111859.html>.

Kashkett, Steve. “Iraq: Question-and-Answer Time.” AFSA News Mar. 2006. 1 Jan. 2007 <http://www.afsa.org/‌fsj/‌mar06/‌StateVPcolumn.pdf>.

Kessler, Glenn. “Rice Orders Difficult Posts Filled First.” Washington Post 24 Aug. 2006: A17. Washingtonpost.com. Ed. Leonard Downie, Jr. 2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.washingtonpost.com/‌wp-dyn/‌content/‌article/‌2006/‌08/‌23/‌AR2006082301828_pf.html>.

“Top Ten USAID Strategic Accomplishments in Iraq.” USAID: From the American People. 7 Dec. 2005. United States Agency for International Development.  2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌press/‌factsheets/‌2005/‌fs051207.html>.

United States. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. October 2006 Quarterly Report to Congress. 30 Oct. 2006. 1 Jan. 2007 <http://www.sigir.mil/‌reports/‌quarterlyreports/‌Oct06/‌pdf/‌Report_-_October_2006_Complete.pdf>.

- – -. United States Agency for International Development. Our Commitment to Iraq. Nov. 2005. 2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌iraq/‌pdf/‌commitment_iraq.pdf>.

Program Financial Summary. 1 Nov. 2006. 2 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌iraq/‌updates/‌nov06/‌iraq_sum01_110106.pdf>.

A Year in Iraq. May 2004. 1 Jan. 2007 <http://www.usaid.gov/‌iraq/‌pdf/‌AYearInIraq.pdf>.

“U.S. Officials Report on Humanitarian Assistance for Iraq.” International Information Programs. 31 Mar. 2003. United States Department of State.  1 Jan. 2007 <http://usinfo.state.gov/‌mena/‌Archive/‌2004/‌Feb/‌05-47804.html>.

http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest/winningessay07.cfm

The 2009 High School Essay Contest is now closed. Below is a list of the winners and their states.

http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest/winners09.cfm

1. Submit four copies of an original work in English on the designated topic.

Deadline April 15, 2010

2. Submit four copies of a comprehensive list of sources consulted, as well as one completed registration form signed by you and your teacher.

3. All submissions must include a word count, excluding the list of sources and the registration form.

4. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent font with a one-inch margin on all sides of the page. Standards of content and style from MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed., will be expected for (1) documentation of sources in the text of your essay (see chapter 5); (2) the format of the list of works cited (see sample page at end of the MLA Handbook); and (3) margins and indentation (see sample page also at end of Handbook).

5. Submit four collated copies of your essay, with title page, numbered and including sources.

6. Attach and staple one registration form to your completed essay.

7. You must include your name, home address, phone number, an e-mail address and the name and address of your school and/or sponsor. You and your teacher must sign this registration form.

8. E-MAILED OR FAXED APPLICATIONS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE!

9. Do not place your name or your school’s name on any of the pages of the essay.

10. Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is postmarked after the submission date of April 15, 2010

Getting It There:

Mail your four copies plus registration form to:

Ms. Perri Green
National High School Essay Contest
American Foreign Service Association
2101 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20037

Your essay will become the property of the American Foreign Service Association once it is submitted, and will not be returned.

Deadline: Your entry MUST be postmarked no later than April 15, 2010.

The decisions of the judges are final.

Thank you for your essay submission and good luck!

http://www.afsa.org/essaycontest/rules10.cfm