AAD member Amb. Charles Ray describes the downfalls of the second Trump administration. He says, "we have become a kakistocracy,... a nation governed by its least suitable or competent citizens." charlie45.substack.com/p/the-rise-o...

This #mondayswithmembers highlights Amb. Geoff Pyatt. Senior Managing Director of the Energy and Critical Minerals practice at McLarty Associates, and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, He held several senior leadership positions across a 35-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service.

AAD member Amb. Charles Ray discusses U.S. diplomacy in Africa, focusing on South Africa, Nigeria, and the Sahel. He claims the U.S. is not pulling away entirely, but is "redefining its presence in ways that could either sharpen its influence or erode it." www.fpri.org/article/2026...

Academy member Ambassador Charles Ray discusses the importance of good leadership in today's climate. He asserts, "A leader, first and foremost, is someone who cares about those who follow." charlie45.substack.com/p/the-us-nee...

Press Release | The Academy strongly supports bipartisan bills for secure supplies of critical minerals and effective American energy diplomacy Read the full statement on our website. www.academyofdiplomacy.org/news/the-aca...

AAD member Amb. Ryan Crocker, with Michael Baumgartner, notes the importance of diplomacy for U.S. interests in the Near East. Troubled by current U.S. diplomatic infrastructure, he highlights the Foreign Service Act’s proposed Diplomatic Reserve Corps. www.newsweek.com/the-us-cant-...

AAD member @ambgordongray says Iran misinterpreted the fall of the Qaddafi regime in Libya. He suggests it is in Iranian interests to realize "that all of the nuclear weapons in the world would not have saved the Qaddafi regime." manaramagazine.org/2026/06/iran...

Academy member Ambassador John Feeley President Trump's recent statement suggesting he will propose tougher terms for Iran in peace negotiations. He then goes on to discuss the role of Iranian proxies and their role in the war in Iran. app.latakoo.com/asset/239747...

AAD member Amb. Charles Ray recounts the life story of Hiram Revels, the first Black U.S. Senator. Throughout his life, Revels served as a minister, school principal, Union Army chaplain, senator, and Secretary of State in Mississippi. charlie45.substack.com/p/america-25...

Happy #Pride Month! 🏳️‍🌈This month we celebrate all LGBTQ+ members of the Academy and all those committed to supporting American diplomacy. #HappyPride

Academy member Ambassador Chas Freeman discusses the consequences of the war in Iran for both Israel and the United States. He asserts, "we've accomplished less than nothing [...] we've actually damaged our position in the region and globally." www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE0Z...

AAD member Amb. Patrick Theros urges President Trump to end its counter-blockade on Iran and allow oil exports during a limited ceasefire window. He says, "you can present this not as surrender, but as using American leverage to restore global commerce." www.thenationalherald.com/dear-preside...

Academy member Ambassador Chas Freeman discusses Hezbollah strikes on Israel and their impact on the future of the war. He also discusses U.S. involvement in the war suggesting, "we are on the verge of a further escalation." www.youtube.com/watch?v=J91T...

On the latest episode of American Diplomat, Academy member Chris Milligan joins Dan and Laura to discuss the value of USAID and consequences of its destruction through the lens of his time in Myanmar. americandiplomat.libsyn.com/this-golden-...

Academy member Ambassador Michael Ratney, along with other experts, discusses the consequences of a weakened State Department and its implications for managing global crises. the1a.org/segments/how...

Academy member Dr. J. Stephen Morrison and other experts cite Dr. Erica Schwartz's nomination for director of the CDC as an opportunity to reconstitute the agency as Congress presses for changes. www.csis.org/analysis/cdc...

Did you know that diplomacy isn't just about treaties, alliances, and negotiations...but also art? This #FunFactFriday we're looking at the U.S. State Department's Art in Embassies Program that beautifies the spaces where diplomacy happens while promoting cross-cultural dialogue.

Cuba's minister of foreign affairs accused Sec. Rubio of lying about Cuba’s threat to U.S. national security. The foreign minister says U.S. sanctions and threats of military action are unjustified. thehill.com/policy/inter...

AAD is pleased to welcome Anna Liston as one of our Summer 2026 interns! Anna is a rising senior at the University of Maryland, College Park working towards a B.S. in International Relations and a B.A. in Romance Languages. Welcome to the Academy Anna!

James Roscoe, the deputy to Britain's ambassador in Washington, has left his high-profile role. Roscoe's previous diplomatic postings include the UN, Sierra Leone, and Iraq. The British Embassy declined any further comment. www.bbc.com/news/article...

#OnThisDay in history, #Cuba gained independence from the United States. The new constitution established the Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval base and maintained the U.S.’s right to intervene in Cuban affairs. Relations remained stable until the 1959 Cuban Revolution.

AAD member Amb. Tibor Nagy argues that terrorism in Africa could have security implications for the U.S. He says, "We were blindsided 25 years ago; let’s keep that from happening again because... the U.S. remains the extremist's ultimate target." www.lubbockonline.com/story/opinio...

Academy member Ambassador Charles Ray, along with Dr. Carlton McLellan, writes about Bass Reeves. Reeves, a deputy U.S. marshal, gunfighter, and farmer, became a global pop culture figure. charlie45.substack.com/p/america-25...

Theatre can be an incredibly valuable tool and part of a diplomat's life! Famous shows depict diplomatic processes and tense moments on stage, allowing a look into the diplomatic world. Theatre and storytelling provide instrumental opportunities to build relationships and carry on traditions.

Academy member Ambassador W. Robert Pearson writes about President Trump's strategy in Iran, using ChatGPT for policy suggestions. Pearson argues, "President Trump could start the solution process tomorrow. But the odds are that he won’t." wrobertpearson.substack.com/p/do-somethi...

The United States established diplomatic relations with #Peru in 1826, six years after Peru’s independence from Spain. This year marks 200 years of US-Peru relations. In 2026, the U.S. designated Peru as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA).

AAD member Amb. Bonnie Jenkins explains the differences between public servants and corporate America. Governing, she says, "demands a set of values that places the common good above self-interest and conveys a deep respect for our government structures." steadystate1.substack.com/p/what-we-do...

Academy member Ambassador Charles Ray expresses fear for America's future safety and stability. He writes, "The current president’s foreign policy seems bent on destroying the work of more than 70 years." charlie45.substack.com/p/a-message-...

On the latest episode of American Diplomat, Dan and Laura host AAD member Ambassador Kurt Volker to discuss Hungary's recently-ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orban. americandiplomat.libsyn.com/the-rise-and...

AAD member Amb. Patrick Theros argues that Israel has long eyed Lebanon as land to be captured. He says, "The existential question now is whether Europe will act, or once again dawdle fecklessly until the consequences overwhelm the eastern Mediterranean." www.thenationalherald.com/lebanon-was-...

AAD member Amb. George Kent discusses the Trump administration's approach to Ukraine, warning that it is short-sighted and does not reflect the U.S.' best interests. He also highlights the role of NATO and the likelihood for long-term peace in the region. www.pravda.com.ua/eng/articles...

AAD member Amb. Jeffrey Feltman and Mara Karlin decry the U.S.' lack of forethought in the Middle East. They write, "Mr. Trump’s cavalier approach to the war with Iran is recklessly endangering hundreds of thousands of Americans in the Middle East." www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/o...

AAD member Ambassador Charles Ray discusses the large economic toll of war. He says, "That we would find joy in so much death is disturbing in itself, but that this would distract us from the price we’re paying in monetary terms is almost as disturbing." charlie45.substack.com/p/the-cost-o...

AAD member Robin Wright writes about the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei. She says, "This transition will not be the kind of change that the majority of Iranians had hoped for, or expected, especially after U.S. military intervention." www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

Academy member Ambassador Patrick Theros argues that the U.S. has entered the conflict with Iran without a clearly defined goal or endpoint. He warns that without a credible exit strategy, the conflict could drag on indefinitely. www.thenationalherald.com/no-exit-no-s...

Academy member Ambassador James Jeffrey writes that a new Damascus–SDF agreement offers cautious hope for Syria’s stability, although concerns remain over a potential U.S. troop withdrawal from the region. en.majalla.com/node/329975/...

Academy member Ambassador Philip Kosnett makes the point that U.S. security interests in Greenland parallel those in Iceland. He says that Iceland is an example of how strategic U.S. military arrangements on remote islands can be negotiated and adjusted over time. cepa.org/article/how-...

Academy member Ambassador Charles Ray compares the Board of Peace to George Orwell's "1984." He argues that Winston Smith, the book's central character, "would find today’s world uncomfortably familiar." charlie45.substack.com/p/the-bloody...

AAD member Amb. Edward Djerejian questions the strategy behind the US-Iran war. "Lives are at stake and the security, political, economic, energy, and humanitarian interests of our partners in the Middle East region and beyond are affected directly." www.belfercenter.org/quick-take/w...

AAD member Amb. Jeffrey Feltman reflects on his experience meeting Khamenei. He concludes "that Khamenei, with his hatred of the United States, directed a system that violently brutalized Iranians, murdered Americans and others, and threatened the region." www.brookings.edu/articles/the...

AAD president Amb. Ronald Neumann writes in the Foreign Service Journal #FSJ about the upheaval of the Foreign Service. He says, "Without a nonpartisan and cohesive staff, the department would lose the skills and courage to contribute to policy." afsa.org/our-professi...

AAD member Robin Wright analyzes Pres. Trump's decision to launch a war in Iran, noting that it "is based on a lie about weapons of mass destruction." She also highlights the pushback and lack of support both at home and abroad for this destructive move. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...

Academy member Ambassador Charles Ray examines the life story of Agrippa Hull, a man who served in the Revolutionary War at a time when liberty and justice was not accorded to African Americans. charlie45.substack.com/p/america-25...

AAD member Amb. William Roebuck analyzes the state of Saudi-Emirati relations months after a rift over policies towards Israel appeared. He highlights the Emiratis' careful approach as a key tool of statecraft.https://agsi.org/analysis/hearing-them-softly-emirati-discourse-management-works-the-rift/

Academy member Ambassador Gordon Gray discusses the many unresolved questions surrounding the proposed peace settlement in Gaza, following the inaugural Board of Peace meeting. nationalsecurityjournal.org/the-board-of...

Join Pete and Laura as they discuss disinformation campaigns and how to combat them. Also joining them is Academy member Ambassador Dan Rosenblum to speak on his personal experiences with disinformation in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. americandiplomat.libsyn.com/now-thats-in...

AAD member Amb. John Tefft analyzes the domestic cost of war in Russia, highlighting labor shortages, social unrest, worsening corruption, and increased censorship. www.rand.org/pubs/comment...

📢In a statement issued on February 5, 2026, the American Academy of Diplomacy rejected allegations against Ambassador (ret.) Earl Anthony Wayne as false and malicious. www.academyofdiplomacy.org/news/press-r...

Academy member Ambassador James Jeffrey shares his perspective on recent developments in Northeast Syria, highlighting the lack of clarity on the new Kurdish agreements. www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analy...

AAD member Dr. J. Stephen Morrison writes with Paul Friedrichs about the future of the WHO. They say, "The U.S. exit from the WHO will not make Americans healthier... But this break potentially opens the way for the next phase of reform." www.csis.org/analysis/fut...