Secretary Warren Christopher A Message from Secretary of State Warren Christopher As we approach the 25th Anniversary of the State Department’s Dissent Channel, I want to restate my commitment to this vital forum. Secretary of State William Rogers created the Dissent Channel in 1971 as controversy rose over the Vietnam War and he determined that existing channels for transmitting new or dissenting ideas were inadequate. Since that time, well over 200 Dissent messages have been received, providing eight successive Secretaries of State and their principal advisors with responsible alternative views on policy. Having benefited from the Dissent Channel as Deputy Secretary and Secretary, I want to reiterate to you my commitment to seeing it continue to serve the goals Secretary Rogers set for it. The Value of the Dissent Channel The State Department has a strong interest in facilitating open, creative, and uncensored dialogue on substantive policy and programmatic issues within the professional foreign affairs community. All of us in the Department have a responsibility to foster an atmosphere supportive of such dialogue, including the opportunity to offer alternative or dissenting opinions without fear of penalty. I want to emphasize that, as a general matter, post managers are expected to encourage and support the free exchange of ideas and criticism throughout the mission, and to communicate the full range of responsible policy options and concerns to Washington through regular channels in a timely manner. This will stimulate new thinking, force all of us to examine our assumptions and conclusions on a regular basis, and result in a better policy process. [end] |
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