Diplomacy By Osmosis
Lack Of Training In Foreign Service Hurts National Security, Expert Says

Imagine the following scenario: A 29-year-old restaurant manager becomes a U.S. diplomat. Five years later, he is appointed the founding director of the Arabian Peninsula office of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), a major State Department program aimed at creating and strengthening civil society in a region vital to global stability.

The young diplomat has little idea how to do his new job. He speaks no Arabic, he has never managed people or a budget outside a restaurant, let alone $2 million of taxpayers' money. He knows almost nothing about democracy promotion and institution-building, and even less about grant-making -- and he is supposed to find non-governmental organizations in eight countries and award them grants to build an alternative to the authoritarian regimes across the Middle East.

Despite the diplomat's obvious inexperience, he is sent to his new post in Abu Dhabi without a day of training. The State Department expects him to learn how to do his job by osmosis, to watch colleagues, figure things out on his own and improvise.

There is no need to imagine this scenario -- it actually happened in 2004 to Hans Wechsel, an American diplomat or, to use his official title, a Foreign Service officer. Wechsel, who has an undergraduate degree in secondary education and managed restaurants in Montana and Oregon before joining the service in 1999, is the first to admit that his performance in Abu Dhabi suffered from the lack of training.

Wechsel is one of 600 diplomats interviewed at 52 U.S. embassies around the world by Nicholas Kralev for his new book, "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy," www.americasotherarmy.com.

So why did the State Department send a diplomat without the necessary skills -- and more importantly, without any training -- to a critical posting in the most volatile of regions that was about to experience the monumental changes of what later became known as the Arab Spring?

"Wechsel's experience is actually very common in the Foreign Service, if not the norm," says Kralev, who covered the State Department for 10 years for the Financial Times and the Washington Times.

"Wechsel did quite well in Abu Dhabi given the circumstances, but he wishes he had arrived there with at least some of the knowledge and experience he acquired on the job. The big question is: Could the U.S. response to the Arab Spring have been more effective had American diplomats there been better trained?"

As made clear in the National Security Strategy, the White House has charged the Foreign Service with nothing short of changing the world. It has decided that the only way for the United States to be truly secure and prosperous is for the entire world to be secure and prosperous -- and it's the Foreign Service's job to help bring that world about.

"So if our very security and prosperity depend on how well American diplomats do their job, why doesn't the United States invest in diplomats' professional development?'' Kralev asks. "There are many talented, capable and downright heroic Foreign Service officers, but how many of them would have done even better than they have if only they had received proper training?

"Hopefully, Secretary of State-designate John Kerry, President Obama and Congress are all asking these questions."

About Nicholas Kralev

Nicholas Kralev is an author, journalist and lecturer on international affairs, diplomacy and global travel. A former Financial Times and Washington Times correspondent, he has traveled around the world with four U.S. secretaries of state - Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Madeleine Albright -- and visited more than 80 countries. He is the author of "America's Other Army: The U.S. Foreign Service and 21st Century Diplomacy" and "Decoding Air Travel: A Guide to Saving on Airfare and Flying in Luxury." He is also the founder and CEO of Kralev International LLC, an air travel consulting and training company. He holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

PORT BYRON, IL - State Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) invites residents to participate in an interactive webinar on state employment for persons with disabilities on Wednesday, February 27 from 10 AM to 11:30 AM at his office, located at 201 N. Main St., Unit 2 in Port Byron.

"The job market can be tough to crack for everyone, and for people with disabilities the challenges can, unfortunately, be even greater," said Smiddy. "Eliminating barriers for persons with disabilities to access the job market and obtain good-paying, long-term employment is extremely important to the overall economic health of the state and the future of many individuals in our area."

Smiddy will be in Springfield on February 27th, as the General Assembly will be in session. However, he felt it was important to provide local disabled veterans access to an online workshop to help in their job searches. The webinar features presentations on state programs that can help connect persons with disabilities with employment resources, including Illinois Job Link, a web-based tool that connects Illinois employers with employees; the Department of Human Services Division of Rehabilitative Services; and the Successful Disability Opportunities Program to expand state work opportunities for disabled workers. Attendees will be able to ask questions through the webinar's chat function.

"I am always looking for new, innovative ways to create jobs in our communities and will continue to work with local business leaders and citizens to develop the economic policies that will put our neighbors back to work," Smiddy said. "Even though I can't be present, I want to make sure that all area residents know they can turn to me and my office for assistance."

For more information on employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, visit Work 4 Illinois at www.work.illinois.gov/disabpgm.html or the Illinois Department of Employment Security at www.ides.illinois.gov/page.aspx?item=200.

To RSVP for the webinar, contact Smiddy's office at RepSmiddy@gmail.com, (309) 848-9098, or toll free at (855) 243-4988.

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• The first tooth usually appears when your baby is 4 to 8 months old. Your child has 20 primary teeth (also known as baby teeth) at birth and they will appear gradually.
• Use a damp washcloth to clean your baby's gums after feedings.
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• More primary teeth will appear.
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• Your child should drink water from a sippy cup.

• All the primary teeth should be in place. Your child will begin losing baby teeth as permanent teeth emerge, usually starting with the molars.
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• At this time, a dentist may place sealants on the child's teeth.
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• You should still supervise and assist with teeth-brushing. A pea-sized amount of toothpaste can be used, along with products containing fluoride.
• Continue to visit the dentist every six months for regular check-ups.

• By this time, your child will have lost most or all baby teeth.
• Child should be brushing and flossing without assistance.
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• If necessary, your dentist may recommend a visit to an orthodontist for a consultation.

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$54 Million Fine Arts Complex Will Create 775 Construction Jobs and Strengthen University's Renowned Arts Programs

NORMAL - February 21, 2013. Governor Pat Quinn today announced a $54 million capital investment to build a new fine arts complex that will strengthen Illinois State University's renowned arts programs and create 775 construction jobs. Funded through the governor's Illinois Jobs Now! capital program, the project is part of his commitment to creating jobs and growing the Illinois economy.

"This investment means Illinois State University will be able to build on its excellent reputation in the fine arts while creating hundreds of good jobs in Normal," Governor Quinn said. "Higher education is a powerful force for growth in Illinois. We all benefit when our universities have the facilities to engage and educate our young people, whether the field is art, accounting or engineering."

The Illinois Jobs Now! capital construction program will provide $54.25 million for the Fine Arts Complex, starting with $7.5 million for design and planning. The project includes renovation of existing buildings and construction of new, state-of-the-art space for instruction and performance. It will create more than 775 construction and related jobs, and spending by those workers will support an additional 775 jobs in the community.

"We are extremely grateful to Governor Quinn for his perseverance in bringing this project to Illinois State," ISU President Al Bowman said. "The College of Fine Arts offers first-class programs with outstanding faculty, staff and students who deserve first-class facilities."

The new complex will replace or renovate three buildings: Centennial East, Centennial West (both constructed in 1959) and the Center for Visual Arts (constructed in 1973). The College of Fine Arts includes departments in art, music, theater, dance and arts technology. It serves more than 1,100 students with 160 faculty and staff members, and 40 fields of study.

The next step toward a new complex is hiring an architectural and engineering firm to design it with input from faculty, staff members and students in conjunction with the state's Capital Development Board.

"This project is a great example of what the Illinois Jobs Now! program can accomplish," Jim Underwood, the Capital Development Board's executive director said. "It will create good jobs while strengthening Illinois State University. With the leadership of Governor Quinn and the guidance of ISU administrators, we're going to build a complex that will benefit students for years to come."

Governor Quinn's Illinois Jobs Now! program includes $1.5 billion for higher education, including $788 million for public universities and $400 million for community colleges. The overall $31 billion program, which began in 2009, is expected to support an estimated 439,000 construction jobs over six years.

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