Split Loyalties: The Non-Americans in U.S. Diplomatic Missions
About 50,000 local staff around the world keep embassies and consulates running. I was one of them.
By CASEY BOHN
e-journal
Diplomatic Diary
Inside the World of Modern Diplomacy
How to Communicate Official Policy to a Globalized World
We have the latest technical messaging tools, but we still speak to foreign audiences as we do to our own citizens. That must change.
By SAMUEL WERBERG
Forging Diplomatic Connections Through Storytelling
Having fled Nazi Germany, my grandmother implored me to get involved in public service.
By LAUREN PROTENTIS
Decree to Disband French Foreign Service Is an Attack on Diplomacy
Like many politicians, President Emmanuel Macron doesn’t understand that diplomacy is a profession.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
Can Russia Be Removed from the U.N. Security Council?
Created to maintain global peace and stability, the council is powerless as one of its permanent members wages a brutal unprovoked war in Ukraine.
By ROBERT DOWNES
How Madeleine Albright Helped Jumpstart My Career
I never thanked her properly, figuring she had inspired many others to do greater things and wouldn’t be too impressed.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
Third-Culture Kids Make Ideal Global Citizens
They often refer to themselves as “cultural chameleons,” because they can adapt to any environment but feel as if they belong nowhere.
By STEPHANIE SEXTON
History Shock: Too Many Diplomats Are Ignorant of the Past
The lack of understanding of other countries’ histories — and the U.S. role in them — impedes diplomacy.
By JOHN DICKSON
A Visa Doesn’t Guarantee Entry, Just a ‘Knock on the Door’
Tennis star Novak Djokovic’s canceled Australian visa is a reminder of common misperceptions about consular services.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
Diplomats Remember Unique Christmas Experiences Abroad
One was caught up in Romania’s 1989 revolution. Another showed support for political prisoners in Cuba.
By ROBIN HOLZHAUER
Are Ambassadors Rarely Useful Relics? Discuss!
Politicians’ recent actions raise anew a question that has been asked after almost every major technological invention in history.
By DENNIS JETT
Applying Bruce Mau’s Life-Centered Design to Diplomacy
Dealing with problems “in the complexity of the ecosystem that creates them is probably the hardest thing to do,” says the Canadian designer.
By ROBIN HOLZHAUER
Why Are Soldiers Treated Better Than Diplomats?
People are the most important resource in government. In treating its own, the State Department can learn from the military.
By CHARLES RAY
Abroad for the Holidays, Diplomats Create Another Kind of Family
We invite guests to our homes for Thanksgiving to showcase American history, traditions and culture.
By ROBERT DOWNES
A 100-Day Plan: Getting Ready to Become an Ambassador
How creating opportunities for junior diplomats well above their pay grade shapes future chiefs of mission and a country’s influence.
By TED OSIUS
The Awesome Power That Lets One Senator Derail U.S. Diplomacy
Foreign countries are asking what kind of Senate rules allow a single member to block dozens of ambassadorial nominees.
By LOUIS SAVOIA
Preparing to Advance Global LGBTQ+ Rights Through Diplomacy
As a non-binary Foreign Service hopeful, I intend to build on a congressional internship and training at WIDA.
By JO DESMONE
Colin Powell’s Death Hits Career Diplomats Hard At a Precarious Time
For the Foreign Service, the blow is a reminder of just how low morale has sunk since he left Foggy Bottom.
By NICHOLAS KRALEV
What Do Diplomats Do After Leaving the Foreign Service?
In a recent survey, 57 percent of those who retired in 2018 and 2019 said they took new jobs. A quarter of them were in full-time positions.
By JOHN K. NALAND
Diplomats’ Dilemma: Career Advancement or Having a Dog
A new CDC requirement makes it almost impossible to bring four-legged family members from 113 countries to the United States.
By CHRISTOPHER DATTA
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One-Year Certificate in International Diplomacy
28 September 2026 — 7 May 2027
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