Speaking Out at Foreign Affairs Day, by Beatrice Camp
Foreign Affairs Day 2025 (“Celebrating Six Decades of Foreign Affairs Excellence”) was a shadow of its former self. Fewer attendees, no panels or opportunities for discussion, no luncheon in the Diplomatic Reception Rooms. The sponsor, the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), opted out of joining the Director General’s Foreign Service and Civil Service Cup presentations after learning about the recipients. And the Department “disinvited” DACOR-Bacon House from presenting its Foreign Service Cup to Ambassador Nick Burns. The award (and the luncheon) were held instead at DACOR.
Although a number of friends said they would boycott the event, I decided to go, fortifying myself with a self-made button proclaiming “Make America Diplomatic Again” — a small rejoinder to the insults the administration has hurled at friends and foes alike. After a career devoted to developing relationships with other countries, it’s been hard to watch diplomacy displaced by denigration. My button got some very satisfying thumbs-up as I greeted friends gathered in the Loy Henderson Conference Room. But I also told myself to find an opportunity to make a more public statement at the event, although unsure just how that would work.
"I Am Your Friend"
When Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau took the podium, he seemed eager to show himself as part of the foreign affairs family with this opening: “This is actually very emotional for me to be here speaking to all of you. I see some friends out here in the crowd. I see folks, I’m sure, who knew my dad. So, it is true that I do feel like this is a homecoming of sorts for me. I used to run down these hallways on Saturday mornings when my dad would come into work.”
He continued with the family theme: “My father was an immigrant, as those of you who knew him knew he spoke English with an accent. He wouldn’t have found a place in this country had he not been received with open arms by the Foreign Service…[which] recognized this is a person of merit and hard work who really believed in the values of this country and promoted him.
“And so, I feel very, very grateful to the Foreign Service, and I want you to know that I am your friend.” That said, “I think we need to be asking ourselves serious questions about what is the role of an embassy in the 21st century.…”
Speech Interrupted
With this line, I stood up, interrupting Landau’s remarks. Placing myself in his line of sight, I asked why we are alienating our allies. How can you talk about the role of embassies without stressing the importance of diplomatic relations?
Landau responded politely, at some length, without coming anywhere close to answering my question. If he had prepared remarks, they were left on the podium.
“Ma’am, I respect your point of view, and again, I think there are substantive policy questions. Obviously, the President is – is obviously setting the tone of foreign policy for United States. He is the chief executive of our government. Under our constitution, we have an Executive Branch. We are an organ of the Executive Branch. In fact, we’re the first organ of the Executive Branch going back to the Washington administration when Thomas Jefferson was the secretary of state, right?
“So even though those of you in this building – and my father knew this very well. He did not always agree with the administration in power, and he actually disagreed sometimes, but I didn’t know who my father voted for the entire time I was growing up until after he retired. And so, I hope we can come back to a Foreign Service that understands that it is part of the Executive Branch, that people have ways to express their disagreement or their own views within the system, but ultimately – unless it’s something that is unlawful – the wisdom of this kind of things is for the political leadership.
“Ultimately, we can’t all – the President was duly elected by the American people. So – but again – look, I think these are valuable questions. And particularly now – let me just say a word about some of the reorganization plans. I mean, back in the day, this was the organization chart of the Department of State. This is 1966, right? [waving a piece of paper] Obviously it was a different time, but this was still the height of the Cold War. This is the organization chart for Washington that is the current one, right?
“So, I think – again, those of us who have followed the Foreign Service understand that it has ossified over time and become sclerotic with a proliferation of different boxes on this organizations chart that made the clearance process very difficult, that just made coordination very difficult even within the building.…”
Growing Up With USAID
When another voice rang out from the back of the room asking about mutual respect in the context of USAID’s dismantling, Landau again called on the halcyon days of his youth: “So, when I was growing up in Paraguay in the mid-70s, more than half our mission was USAID. Most of my friends at the American School of Asunción had parents working for USAID. I believe in that development mission…”, but “USAID got separated from the State Department in terms of alignment with U.S. interests.…”
I left the event with several pats on the back and the gratification of having perhaps put a small crimp in the universe. While my question went unanswered, at least it was asked. You never know when it might make a difference.
Beatrice Camp is an international affairs professional. As a senior foreign service officer, Camp led U.S. consulates in China and Thailand, coordinated U.S. participation in two world's fairs, inspected public diplomacy activities, and served on detail from the U.S. Department of State as Senior Advisor for International Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution.