What is the protocol for interacting with your embassy when you are serving overseas? Right away and on a regular basis, or only when there is trouble? Is there a best practice, or does it even matter?

Guests:

Ambassador James Dobbins served three U.S. presidents in countries with interesting diplomatic concerns, including Kosovo, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia. He is currently a Senior Fellow and the Distinguished Chair in Diplomacy and Security at the RAND Corporation. Ambassador Dobbins gives us his informed perspective on risk abroad and discusses how embassies can support traveling Americans.

Joel Rubin is a former U.S. State Department official who worked with Congress on behalf of the Obama Administration. He offers his thoughts on working with embassies when in another country.

Relevant link:

Get your travel alerts: https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings.html

Shahed Amanullah advised diplomats on technology issues for U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and John Kerry. He is a co-founder of numerous start-ups focusing on businesses with positive social impacts. He tells us it is time for the embassy model to evolve with the needs of expatriates and the nations where diplomats are stationed.