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U.S. Ambassador in Moldava Speaks on Diversity in Foreign Service
U.S. Ambassador In MOLDOVA Speaks About Diversity in The Foreign Service
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES Ambassador Dereck J. Hogan, an African American, recalls how surprised people were upon seeing a black man for the first time when he served as a U.S. Foreign Service officer in Russia early in his career. Hogan, who speaks fluent Russian, was shopping in a mall at the time. “People were staring at me and a child was saying to his mother in Russian ‘Look, mommy a Black man!’ Hogan grew up in a diverse neighborhood in Pennsylvania. “I went from a very heterogeneous community to a very homogenous country where the only people of color they saw was on T.V. in videos,” Hogan recounted. Hogan, who currently serves as Ambassador to the U.S. Embassy in Moldova, recounted the experience and shared his insights on diversity and inclusion and advice for diverse candidates considering a career in foreign policy recently. Hogan was the guest lecturer at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service Institute for the Study of Diplomacy Diverse Diplomacy Leaders Speaker Series. Hogan said he decided to pursue a career in Foreign Service when he was a 16-yearold High School student and his parents sent him to summer school at the Governor’s School for Global and International Studies in Pittsburgh. “Two Foreign Service officers came and spoke to us about public service, learning about other cultures, foreign policy. I was hooked. I said I want to live oversees. I want to help make the world a better place,”
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Ambassador Hogan said. Bacelor’s Degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. In addition to Russian, he speaks fluent Spanish, and Romanian. Hogan also recalled a time he was walking in Russia and a car with several white men in it when one yelled “Hey Black guy!” in Russian. Hogan, not missing a beat, yelled back: “Hey white guys!” in the same language. “Everyone
(credit: md.usembassy.gov) Ambassador to U.S. Embassy in Moldova, Dereck J. Hogan
laughed. I found you can disarm people by moving in and around their culture, learning the language, and interacting with them,” Hogan said, noting that he worked in Eastern Europe at a time where neo-Nazism was resurging.
Moldova, where Hogan serves as an Ambassador, is an Eastern European country and former Soviet republic, sandwiched between the Ukraine and Romania.
-Hogan on being member of U.S. Foreign Service
Hogan Sees A More Systematic Approach To push For More Diversity and Inclusion in Foreign Service After 23-Year Long Career in Diplomacy
The State Department has made concerted efforts and noticeable improvements in expanding the racial and ethnic diversity of its workforce, but minority employees are still disproportionately more likely to be passed over for promotion than their non-minority counterparts – Federal Times. The Senior Executive Service has an even greater racial disparity, with minorities making up only 20.7 percent of its ranks, according to OPM’s most recent 2017 report on the service.
“I see now, 23, years later, a more systematic approach to push for more diversity and inclusion. I really believe in the power of one. What can each of us do to make change,” Hogan said. On personal experiences of racism in the Foreign Service when it concerns presenting proposals or projects to colleagues, Hogan said he has not sensed that someone did not like his proposal because of his race. However, he said there were times when some questioned if he was truly qualified to be in more advanced position given his young age. “I got it early in my career because of my young age. Some older Foreign Service persons have expressed resentment of my higher position because of my age. They would say, look, I am older than you with more experience. But I will try to have a conversation with the person, have lunch with them, and ask them what are the issues they have to lower the temperature. The more you try to elicit them in a more disarming way, the better it is. I will try to work with this person for a mutually beneficial relationship. I say to him I can learn from all your years, wisdom, etc.”
On Retaining Minorities in Top Posts in Foreign Service amid high rate of departures:
“Retention is not about money. It is an opportunity to make change. It is a good idea to identify mentors for young talent who want to reach a level we aspire to. But it is important to have a merit system, identifying and nurturing the best. We need to help people get to a threshold level,” Hogan said.
Hogan Speaks On Tianna Spears, African American Diplomat Who Alleges Racial Harassment At U.S. Borders
Tianna Spears, an African American diplomat, alleges she was racially profiled by US border officials, who pulled her over at least 25 times for extensive questioning and car inspections over a six-month period last year despite being the holder of a coveted diplomatic passport. Spears claimed her supervisors at the U.S. consulate did nothing to help after she reported the incidents. “After weeks of writing letters, meetings, and emails to management, I was transferred to Mexico City on a temporary assignment and then reassigned permanently. I developed a stutter. I could not look people in the eye.” (Contiuned on Page 28)
U.S. Ambassador Ensnared In Washington-Zimbabwe Diplomatic Row Amid George Floyd Murder Protests
By Gary Raynaldo DIPLOMATIC TIMES
Zimbabwe summoned the U.S. ambassador in Harare to a meeting over comments by a White House official that caused an uproar in the government that accused Zimbabwe of being among “foreign adversaries” such as Russia and China seeking to incite unrest in America in the wake of the death of George Floyd. The U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, Brian Nichols, was called in to meet with Zimbabwe’s foreign minister over comments last Sunday May 31 by U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien. In an interview with ABC’s “This Week”, O’Brien said Zimbabwe is among “foreign adversaries” that could face retaliation for allegedly trying to foment unrest in the U.S. over the death of Floyd, a black man who pleaded for air as a police officer pressed a knee into his neck.
“I want to tell our foreign adversaries, whether it’s a Zimbabwe or a China, that the difference between us and you is that that officer who killed George Floyd, he’ll be investigated, he’ll be prosecuted and he’ll receive a fair trial. There’s a difference between us and you, and when this happens, we’ll get to the bottom of it. We’ll clean it up. It’s not going to be covered up.”
-U.S. national security adviser Robert O’Brien
Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Says O’Brien’s Allegations “False and Factually Unfounded”
Zimbabwe’s foreign affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo characterized the the U.S. national security adviser’s statement describing Zimbabwe as an adversary as “false” and “without any factual foundation whatsoever and that they are deeply damaging to a relationship already complicated by years of prescriptive megaphone diplomacy and punitive economic sanctions,” according to a tweet from the foreign minister. Moyo said Harare
Credit: U.S. Department of State / Brian A. Nichols , Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Zimbabwe
protesters, civil society, and members of the opposition in Zimbabwe and to hold accountable those responsible for human rights abuses. Nichols, an African American, also got personal in his letter:
“Mr. Floyd’s murder was a tragedy that has filled Americans with horror and anger. As an African American, for as long as I can remember, I have known that my rights and my body were not fully my own. I have also always known that America conceived in liberty has aspired to be better-a shining city on a hill-and that is why I have dedicated my life to her service. Both American’s and Zimbabwe’s constitutions enshrine the right to free speech and peaceful protest. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.” “I have today informed the US Ambassador of Mr O’Brien’s false & factually unfounded allegations which are deeply damaging to a relationship already complicated by years of prescriptive diplomacy & punitive economic sanctions. Zimbabwe is not & has never been an adversary of USA.”
-Zimbabwe Foreign Minister
Nichols presented his credentials on July 19, 2018, as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe. Ambassador Nichols previously served as the Ambassador to Peru from 2014 to 2017. From 2007 to 2010, he served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Colombia. Ambassador Nichols has also served in Mexico and El Salvador during major democratic transitions. He began his Foreign Service career as a Consular Officer in Lima in 1989.
Ambassador Nichols statement prior to being confirmed Zimbabwe tinction to appear before the for the second time as a nominee to serve the American people, as ambassador. My professional achievements owe to the wonderful women who join me today. My beautiful wife Geri, also a career Senior Foreign Service Officer, my daughters Alex and Sophie. They have all pushed me to be a better person, sacrificed for my career, and nurtured me with their love and support. I have had the good fortune to represent the country that I love in fascinating countries around the world. I have advanced American values of respect for democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and private enterprise throughout my career. Those are values that my late father, Charles Nichols, a Fulbright Scholar and founder of Brown University’s Africana Studies program, instilled in me and my brothers. My mother, Mildred Nichols, has served the people of Rhode Island, promoting higher education, vocational training, and charitable programs to lift people out of poverty for 50 years. Should I be confirmed, I will draw upon those values and my experience to strengthen our relations with Zimbabwe as it reforms, promote American principles, and help the people of Zimbabwe build a better future. As I have in all of my previous assignments, I will have no higher priority than the welfare and security of American citizens. After 38 years of independence, Zimbabwe approaches a crossroads. The government and people of Zimbabwe have an opportunity to follow a new path: to become a stable and democratic country while returning to the prosperity of the past. This is what the Zimbabwean people need and deserve. To fulfill this goal, the Zimbabwean government should intensify its efforts to carry out profound governance, electoral, human rights, and economic reforms. An absolutely critical test will be the Zimbabwean authorities’ ability to deliver on July 30 a free, fair, and credible national election in accordance with international standards. Given Zimbabwe’s enormous potential, genuine reforms can and will yield great dividends for her people. If confirmed, I look forward to close and continued collaboration with our Congress to help Zimbabwe along a path of positive change.
U.S. Department Of State Diversity Problem
Continued from Page 22
“According to State, to represent the United States to the world, the agency must have a workforce that reflects the rich composition of its citizenry. State has implemented several plans, activities, and initiatives to improve diversity and representation throughout the ranks of its workforce,” the report said. “However, longstanding diversity issues persist at the agency, such as underrepresentation of racial or ethnic minorities and women in the senior ranks” and it “may have an incomplete picture of issues affecting diversity in its workforce” with its current annual reporting, the article on the report stated.
Among the auditors’ findings on racial and ethnic diversity:
From 2002 to 2018, when controlled for education, years of service, language skills and other factors, GAO found the odds of racial and ethnic minorities being promoted were lower than whites across all levels in the civil service. The same was true for the foreign service, except in top-level positions, where minorities slightly led whites by 0.2% In fiscal 2018, in management and executive levels—as measured by the federal General Schedule pay scale for career servants and foreign service ranks—the proportion of minorities decreased the higher up the ranks one climbed. While not citing specific numbers, GAO found the data were similar in 2002. According to the GAO report, as for gender, the results were a little more nuanced: From 2002 to 2018, women were less likely than men to be promoted in the career service, but were more likely than men to be promoted in the foreign service. For management and executive levels, in fiscal 2018, the proportion of women decreased the higher up the rank one looked, starting at GS-14 in the civil service and class four in the foreign service. GAO also reported a similar trend to 2002 Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduce a bill to encourage State “to develop new recruitment, retention and promotion strategies and mechanisms to grow and maintain a more diverse workforce.” In addition to addressing race, ethnicity and gender issues, the bill would require State to also consider the LGBTQ+ community. U.S. Department Of State Diversity Problem
“The State Department’s director of recruitment, Woody Staeben, said that among new hires in the past five years, the number of white officers is down to about 70 percent. But it will take much longer for the overall figure to change, because the average Foreign Service career spans 27 years. “The trend line is in the right direction,” he said. “This is the good news. The bad news is, we are not where we want to be.” - May 2016 Foreign Policy.
The article in Foreign Policy did note, however, “one area in which the State Department has improved significantly in recent years is in the diversity of the professional background of both candidates and hires, making the Foreign Service much less elitist than it was several decades ago.” The article further observed:
As Rice pointed out in her speech, by failing to draw “fully on the strengths of our great nation” we’re shortchanging our diplomatic corps and dooming ourselves to a legacy of groupthink.
“Without tapping into America’s full range of races, religions, ethnicities, language skills, and social and economic experiences we are leading in a complex world with one hand tied behind our back.” -Susan Rice
-Nicholas Kralev - Foreign Affairs
EU Diplomat Black Leadership
Black Female Diplomat Racial Harassment
Continued From Page 24 Continued From Page 21
“And most of all, it absolutely requires a change of leadership at the top come November.(2020 U.S. Presidential Elections) Or else, there will forever be Another Country, always denied, long-suffering, but exploding in vicious instincts when senseless repression is carried too far once again.” -Ambassador Portocarero.
Mr. Portocarero was born in Antwerp is a Belgian writer and diplomat of Portuguese and Spanish ancestry. After graduating law school at Antwerp University, Portocarero practiced law at the Antwerp bar. He joined the Belgian diplomatic service in 1978. His first posting was with the Belgian permanent representation to UNESCO in Paris. In 1979 he joined the Embassy of Belgium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In 2012 he ended his career as a Belgian diplomat to join the newly created European External Action Service, the diplomatic arm of the European Union. Based on his earlier experiences in Cuba and the Caribbean, as well as on his record in multilateral (UN) diplomacy, he was named the EU’s first full-fledged ambassador to Cuba in July 2012. He is also the author of Havana Without Makeup: Inside The Soul of The City.
U.S. Ambassador In Moldava Continued From Page 26
Ambassador Hogan said after hearinng Tianna’s chilling account:
“I was heartbroken reading about that. It really showed us how much work we really have to do. She (Tianna Spears) spoke with her supervisor but did not find a resolution there. She has shared her experience with the world, writing about it. There is zero tolerance for any harassment of people(based on race). I am confident the State Department knows these are things that can’t be repeated.” “Problems include CBP officers not accepting standard diplomatic documents; placing Black and Hispanic officers in secondary examination without cause; and repeated hostile questioning and delays. This is made even more glaring when they travel with Caucasian colleagues who pass through with the same documentation. Mistreatment of State Department personnel by U.S. CBP is not new. While in the past, some incidents came to the attention of Department leadership, the continued reports, including from our most senior members, suggest that such mistreatment lives on and too often goes unaddressed. We hope you concur that any perception of tacit acceptance of such practices or indifference to the reports by Department officials or other Federal officials is unacceptable and warrants action. We would like to suggest some steps to address and hopefully halt the mistreatment of Black and other minority staff, indeed all State Department staff, by law enforcement at border entry posts: • A Department-wide review, ordered by you, regarding the specific incidents reported by officers and consideration of measures that can be taken within State both to intervene immediately in such cases and ensure equal treatment at the border of all staff in Mexico and worldwide; • A review of the issue at a senior level with the Department of Homeland Security, specifically the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to ensure such practices cease; and • Make clear to all Department employees that you regard such mistreatment as unacceptable, that you expect reported cases to be addressed overseas and domestically, as appropriate, and that you will follow up regularly with the Director General and relevant senior officials at State and other agencies.”
