The East-West Center promotes better relations and understanding among the people and nations of the United States, Asia, and the Pacific through cooperative study, research, and dialogue. Established by the U.S. Congress in 1960, the Center serves as a resource for information and analysis on critical issues of common concern, bringing people together to exchange views, build expertise, and develop policy options. The Center is an independent, public, nonprofit organization with funding from the U.S. government, and additional support provided by private agencies, individuals, foundations, corporations, and governments in the region. Over fifty years of serving as a U.S.-based institution for public diplomacy in the Asia Pacific region with international governance, staffing, students, and participants, the Center has built a worldwide network of 57,000 alumni and more than 750 partner organizations.

East-West Center

Unaligned, non-aligned, or all-Aligned? India’s traditional foreign policy of non-alignment has been sorely tested in a polarised world, and especially after the war in Ukraine. In addition, India’s membership of Quad and SCO, BRICS and IPEF raise many questions about its foreign policy goals. With closer and closer strategic ties with the US, and concurrently worries about China at the Line of Actual Control and its other hegemonistic moves in the region increase, is this policy sustainable in the long term? In the short term, with the G20 summit in Delhi in September, can India play a "balancing power” role, or is it trying to traverse a stormy geopolitical churn with its feet in two boats?Suhasini Haidar is the Diplomatic Editor at The Hindu, one of the most respected national dailies in India. Over 28 years, she has reported on some of the most challenging stories and conflicts from diverse parts of the world including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. For the past decade, Suhasini has been covering India’s foreign policy and has written and spoken extensively on the subject, including through her weekly online show, Worldview. The personalities she has interviewed include the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo (2022), the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina (2016), the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas (2017), and India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. In 2015, Suhasini won the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for excellence in print journalism.

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_815x542/public/2023-07/suhasini_haidar_1920x1400mailchimp_0.png?itok=JZqGJrYd" alt="Haider_Speaker_Series"></figure>Unaligned, non-aligned, or all-Aligned? India’s traditional foreign policy of non-alignment has been sorely tested in a polarised world, and especially after the war in Ukraine. In addition, India’s membership of Quad and SCO, BRICS and IPEF raise many questions about its foreign policy goals. With closer and closer strategic ties with the US, and concurrently worries about China at the Line of Actual Control and its other hegemonistic moves in the region increase, is this policy sustainable in the long term? In the short term, with the G20 summit in Delhi in September, can India play a "balancing power” role, or is it trying to traverse a stormy geopolitical churn with its feet in two boats?Suhasini Haidar is the Diplomatic Editor at The Hindu, one of the most respected national dailies in India. Over 28 years, she has reported on some of the most challenging stories and conflicts from diverse parts of the world including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Libya, and Syria. For the past decade, Suhasini has been covering India’s foreign policy and has written and spoken extensively on the subject, including through her weekly online show, Worldview. The personalities she has interviewed include the Indonesian President, Joko Widodo (2022), the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina (2016), the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas (2017), and India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar. In 2015, Suhasini won the prestigious Prem Bhatia Award for excellence in print journalism.

Unaligned, Non-aligned, or All-aligned? India’s Foreign Policy Amidst Geopolitical Churn

This two-day online workshop will introduce participants to modern Southeast Asia through presentations on contemporary politics in the region, environmental and governance challenges, and gender.&nbsp; The program will feature three lecture presentations and will conclude with a plenary panel discussion including all three speakers.&nbsp; Prior to the workshop, participants will be provided short readings and bibliographies for each session. This workshop anticipates a two-week Summer 2024 residential institute that will be hosted as part of ASDP's multiyear project on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/101711">Enhancing Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum</a>. This project, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, seeks to enhance Asian studies offerings at undergraduate-serving colleges and universities, with a focus on minority-serving institutions.<h3>AGENDA</h3>August 3, 2023 |&nbsp;8:30-9:15&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;Ehito Kimura (University of Hawai`i)&nbsp;Southeast Asian Politics in Comparative Perspective9:20-9:40&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;Breakout Discussions9:40-10:00 am HSTPlenary Discussion10:00-10:15&nbsp;am HSTBreak10:15-11:00&nbsp;am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;Christina E. Firpo (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo)&nbsp;Major issues for Women in 20th and 21st Century Southeast Asia11:05-11:25&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;Breakout Discussions11:25-11:45&nbsp;am HSTPlenary Discussion&nbsp;&nbsp;August&nbsp;4, 2023 |&nbsp;8:30-9:15&nbsp;am HSTMicah R. Fisher (East-West Center)&nbsp;Environment, Development and Governance in Southeast Asia9:20-9:40&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;Breakout Discussions9:40-10:00 am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;Plenary Discussion10:00-10:20&nbsp;am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;Break [and submit written questions for panelists]10:20-11:30&nbsp;am HSTTeaching Modern Southeast Asia: A Plenary Panel Discussion&nbsp;Ehito Kimura, Christina Firpo, Micah Fisher<h3>SPEAKERS</h3>Ehito Kimura is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research interests lie at the nexus of political change and Southeast Asian politics. He is author of Provincial Proliferation: Territorial Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia (Routledge 2012) exploring the changing dynamics of territoriality after the fall of authoritarianism and the rise of democracy and decentralization in Indonesia. His most recent&nbsp;project has been exploring transitional justice in Indonesia.Christina E. Firpo is Professor of Southeast Asian History at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. In 2007, she earned a PhD in Vietnamese history from UCLA, and she is&nbsp;the author of two books in Vietnamese women's history: The Uprooted: Race, Children, and Imperialism in Indochina, 1890-1980 (University of California Press, 2016) and Black Market Business: Selling Sex in Vietnam, 1920-1945 (University of Hawaii Press, 2020). Her third book, Beauty and the Nation: Gender, Capitalism, and Modernity in Vietnam, 1920-1940 (Columbia University Press) is forthcoming.&nbsp;Micah R. Fisher, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at the East-West Center. He conducts research on the human dimensions of environmental change on landscapes, watersheds, and urbanization in the Asia-Pacific. He is an affiliate graduate faculty in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is affiliate senior lecturer at the Department of Forestry at Hasanuddin University in Indonesia. He currently serves as co-Editor in Chief for the academic peer reviewed journal Forest and Society, which focuses geographically on Southeast Asia.

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_815x542/public/2023-05/seasia_online_workshop_2023_banner_2.png?itok=6EzqEivk" alt="Modern SEAsia Workshop Banner"></figure>This two-day online workshop will introduce participants to modern Southeast Asia through presentations on contemporary politics in the region, environmental and governance challenges, and gender.&nbsp; The program will feature three lecture presentations and will conclude with a plenary panel discussion including all three speakers.&nbsp; Prior to the workshop, participants will be provided short readings and bibliographies for each session. This workshop anticipates a two-week Summer 2024 residential institute that will be hosted as part of ASDP's multiyear project on <a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/101711">Enhancing Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies into the Undergraduate Curriculum</a>. This project, funded by the Henry Luce Foundation, seeks to enhance Asian studies offerings at undergraduate-serving colleges and universities, with a focus on minority-serving institutions.<h3>AGENDA</h3><figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>August 3, 2023 |</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>8:30-9:15&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;</td><td>Ehito Kimura (University of Hawai`i)</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>Southeast Asian Politics in Comparative Perspective</td></tr><tr><td>9:20-9:40&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;</td><td>Breakout Discussions</td></tr><tr><td>9:40-10:00 am HST</td><td>Plenary Discussion</td></tr><tr><td>10:00-10:15&nbsp;am HST</td><td>Break</td></tr><tr><td>10:15-11:00&nbsp;am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td>Christina E. Firpo (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo)</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>Major issues for Women in 20th and 21st Century Southeast Asia</td></tr><tr><td>11:05-11:25&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;</td><td>Breakout Discussions</td></tr><tr><td>11:25-11:45&nbsp;am HST</td><td>Plenary Discussion</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>August&nbsp;4, 2023 |</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>8:30-9:15&nbsp;am HST</td><td>Micah R. Fisher (East-West Center)</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>Environment, Development and Governance in Southeast Asia</td></tr><tr><td>9:20-9:40&nbsp;am HST&nbsp;</td><td>Breakout Discussions</td></tr><tr><td>9:40-10:00 am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td>Plenary Discussion</td></tr><tr><td>10:00-10:20&nbsp;am HST&nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td>Break [and submit written questions for panelists]</td></tr><tr><td>10:20-11:30&nbsp;am HST</td><td>Teaching Modern Southeast Asia: A Plenary Panel Discussion</td></tr><tr><td>&nbsp;</td><td>Ehito Kimura, Christina Firpo, Micah Fisher</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h3>SPEAKERS</h3>Ehito Kimura is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. His research interests lie at the nexus of political change and Southeast Asian politics. He is author of Provincial Proliferation: Territorial Politics in Post-Suharto Indonesia (Routledge 2012) exploring the changing dynamics of territoriality after the fall of authoritarianism and the rise of democracy and decentralization in Indonesia. His most recent&nbsp;project has been exploring transitional justice in Indonesia.Christina E. Firpo is Professor of Southeast Asian History at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. In 2007, she earned a PhD in Vietnamese history from UCLA, and she is&nbsp;the author of two books in Vietnamese women's history: The Uprooted: Race, Children, and Imperialism in Indochina, 1890-1980 (University of California Press, 2016) and Black Market Business: Selling Sex in Vietnam, 1920-1945 (University of Hawaii Press, 2020). Her third book, Beauty and the Nation: Gender, Capitalism, and Modernity in Vietnam, 1920-1940 (Columbia University Press) is forthcoming.&nbsp;Micah R. Fisher, Ph.D. is a Research Fellow at the East-West Center. He conducts research on the human dimensions of environmental change on landscapes, watersheds, and urbanization in the Asia-Pacific. He is an affiliate graduate faculty in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is affiliate senior lecturer at the Department of Forestry at Hasanuddin University in Indonesia. He currently serves as co-Editor in Chief for the academic peer reviewed journal Forest and Society, which focuses geographically on Southeast Asia.

Modern Southeast Asia: An Introduction through Politics, Environment and Gender

<h4>Part of: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/88466">#GalswithLEI</a></h4>The East-West Center is excited to present the 7th&nbsp;annual #GalswithLEI Forum. This publicly ticketed event not only augments the skills acquisition, community outreach, and networking opportunities of the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/88436">Changing Faces Seminar,</a>&nbsp;but directly benefits women leaders and entrepreneurs in Hawaii by creating a space, which enhances and encourages Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops, followed by an attendee-driven open space&nbsp;and a networking reception featuring local women chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts,&nbsp;established local women leaders, emerging innovators, and the international <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/102761">Changing Faces women</a> - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.#GalswithLEI is welcoming and respectful to all women, including trans women and those who identify as nonbinary gender non-conforming.<h2>Agenda</h2><h4>1:00pm | REGISTRATION</h4><h4>1:30pm&nbsp;| WELCOME</h4><h4>1:45pm | KEYNOTE PANEL</h4>Reinventing WorthJoin acclaimed women experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are challenging convention, disrupting business norms, and creating breakthroughs in transforming the workplace as they discuss why women are at the forefront of promoting a people-centered work landscape and how they are helping to build a legacy of inclusive prosperity and a more equitable, supportive, and successful future for all.<ul><li>Nicole ROBINSON, Associate Partner, McKinsey &amp; Company, San Francisco <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/mckinseyco/">@mckinseyco</a></li><li>Debi YADEGARI, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Villyge, New York <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/villyge/">@Villyge</a></li><li>Morgan MATTHEWS, Founder, Inclusive Mindset Solutions and Former Senior Manager of DEI, Peloton, New York</li><li>Julie NAKAYAMA, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kyo-Ya Management Co., Ltd., Hawaiʻi</li><li>Manu BERMUDES,Vice President of Human Resources and DE&amp;I, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiandredgingconstructionco/">@hawaiiandredgingconstructionco</a></li><li>Moderator: Meredith ARTLEY, Doris Duke Foundation’s Executive in Residence, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture &amp; Design, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/mereditha">@MeredithA</a></li></ul><h4>2:45pm&nbsp;| SESSION ONE&nbsp;CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS</h4>It Takes a VillageLearn from health experts, leaders and entrepreneurs who are challenging the stigma of asking for help and creating a culture of support for families.<ul><li>Kanako SUGIURA, Founder &amp; CEO, Midwives GLOBAL Inc., Japan <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/midwife_kanako/">@midwife_kanako</a></li><li>Alicia HIGA, Director of Health Promotion, Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/waianaecomp/">@waianaecomp</a></li><li>Suma METLA, Founder, Three Little Ducks, Kailua, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/threelittleduckshawaii/">@threelittleduckshawaii</a></li><li>Inglish JONES, Director of Development, Boys &amp; Girls Club of Hawaii, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/bgch808/">@bgch808</a></li><li>Amanda CORBY NOGUCHI, President &amp; CEO, Under My Umbrella, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/umuhawaii/">@umuhawaii</a></li><li>Moderator: Armi Shyr BATICADOS, Chapter Head and Co-founder, LATCH, Los Baños, Philippines <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/latchlosbanos/">@LATCHLosBanos</a></li></ul>Think Outside the BinDiscover how leading businesses and organizations are creating a more inclusive, green, and circular future through their creative approach and innovative solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle.<ul><li>Kristine KUBAT, Executive Director, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/recyclehawaii/">@recyclehawaii</a></li><li>Irushinie WEDAGE,Country Director — Sri Lanka, Parley for the Oceans, Sri Lanka</li><li>Chyloe SKIZEWSKI, Owner &amp; Designer, Kūmana Activewear, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kumanaactive/">@kumanaactive</a></li><li>Isabelle THOMAS, Co-Founder &amp; Director, BhuME Women's Collective Pvt. Ltd., India <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/bhume_women/">@bhume_women</a></li><li>Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/pacificbiodiesel/">@pacificbiodiesel</a></li><li>Moderator: Wuying LIN, Founder &amp; Director, iConserve Co., Ltd., China</li></ul>Pride in the Face of PrejudiceBe inspired by advocates and activists as they offer best practices on how to meaningfully support, impact, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, and discuss actionable ways to be an effective and authentic ally.<ul><li>Hinaleimoana WONG-KALU, Cultural Ambassador, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/kumuhina/">@kumuhina</a></li><li>Makiko TERAHARA, Founder &amp; CEO, Marriage For All Japan, Japan <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/marriageforalljapan/">@marriageforalljapan</a></li><li>Francine BEPPU, Vice President of Network Strategy, NMG Network, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/nmgnetwork/">@nmgnetwork</a></li><li>Zabrina ZABLAN-DUVAUCHELLE, Founder, The Gay Agenda Collective, LLC, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/thegayagenda.co/">@thegayagenda.co</a></li><li>Moderator: Nadia MEREDITH HUNT, CEO, KVAConsult Ltd., Sāmoa</li></ul><h4>3:45pm&nbsp;| COFFEE BREAK</h4><h4>4:30pm&nbsp;| SESSION TWO&nbsp;CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS</h4>Amplifying Indigenous VoicesJoin leaders and advocates in celebrating the value, culture, and perspectives of Indigenous communities as they explore the importance of advancing the visibility and representation of Indigenous voices and identities.<ul><li>Mehanaokala HIND, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiancouncil/">@hawaiiancouncil</a></li><li>Shae KAMAKA‘ALA, Director of ‘Āina Protection, Hawai‘i Land Trust, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/hilandtrust/">@hilandtrust</a></li><li>Maile MEYER, Founder &amp; Owner, Native Books and Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/nameahawaii/">@nameahawaii&nbsp;</a></li><li>Akiemi GLENN, Executive Director, The Pōpolo Project, Hawai‘i <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/popoloproject/">@popoloproject</a></li><li>Moderator: Faumuina Felolini Maria TAFUNAʻI, Founder &amp; CEO, Flying Geese Pro, New Zealand</li></ul>Niche Market is the New MarketGain expert advice on how brands have been able to stand out and effectively promote and grow their niche to maximize success in the competitive marketplace.&nbsp;<ul><li>Dana SHAPIRO, Co-Founder &amp; General Manager, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiulucoop/">@hawaiiulucoop</a></li><li>Kapua BROWNING, Founder, Honua Hawaiian Skincare, Hawaiʻi&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/honuaskincare/">@honuaskincare</a></li><li>Mrinali KUMAR, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, EatKinda Ltd., New Zealand <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/eatkinda/">@eatkinda</a></li><li>Keānuenue DESOTO, Owner &amp; Designer, Anu Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/anuhawaii/">@anuhawaii</a></li><li>Brittany HEYD, Co-Founder, Mana Up, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/manauphawaii/">@manauphawaii</a></li><li>Moderator: Ria ANDRIANA,Founder &amp; CEO, PT Kuliner Jalanan Group, Indonesia <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/streetsushi.id/">@streetsushi.id</a></li></ul>Resilient WomenBe inspired by resilient women leading with passion, determination, adaptability, and purpose as they share their stories of strength, fearless perseverance, and unwavering will to overcome life’s personal and professional challenges.<ul><li>Judy BISHOP, Owner &amp; President, Bishop &amp; Co., Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/bishopandcosocial/">@bishopandcosocial</a></li><li>Lach BANIYA, Co-Founder, Icarus Media Co., Ltd., Myanmar&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/lachbaniya/">@lachbaniya</a></li><li>Lois KIM, Executive Office Manager, YWCA Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/ywcaoahu/">@ywcaoahu</a></li><li>Robynne MAII,2022 James Beard Award Winner &amp; Chef Owner,Fête,Hawaiʻi <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/fetehawaii/">@fetehawaii</a></li><li>Moderator:&nbsp;Bosa TOGS, Founder, Saribu ICT Consultancy Services, Papua New Guinea</li></ul><h4>5:30pm&nbsp;| OPEN SPACE</h4>Open Space has no keynote speaker, no set schedule of workshops, no panel discussions, and no exhibit booths. Instead, anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on an issue of common concern and interest to women entrepreneurs writes it down on "The Marketplace of Ideas" during either registration or the coffee break. #GalswithLEI facilitators will combine similar ideas and curate suggested topics to several attendee-driven discussion groups. Attendees will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to them.<h4>6:15pm&nbsp;|&nbsp;NETWORKING RECEPTION</h4>Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women&nbsp;chefs and artisans.Featured Chefs<ul><li>Emily IGUCHI, Executive Chef, Fête <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/fetehawaii/">@fetehawaii</a></li><li>Maelani IOKEPA, Executive Chef, Basalt&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/basaltwaikiki/">@basaltwaikiki</a></li><li>Kristene MOON, Executive Sous Chef, The Pig and the Lady <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/pigandthelady/">@pigandthelady</a></li><li>Gayla YOUNG, Founder, Pipeline Bakeshop &amp; Creamery <a target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/pipelinebakeshop/">@pipelinebakeshop</a></li></ul>

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_815x542/public/2023-06/galsforum_web_0.png?itok=YMv8G-1_" alt="Branding for #GalswithLEI Forum."></figure><h4>Part of: <a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/88466">#GalswithLEI</a></h4>The East-West Center is excited to present the 7th&nbsp;annual #GalswithLEI Forum. This publicly ticketed event not only augments the skills acquisition, community outreach, and networking opportunities of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/88436">Changing Faces Seminar,</a>&nbsp;but directly benefits women leaders and entrepreneurs in Hawaii by creating a space, which enhances and encourages Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Inspiration. #GalswithLEI offers a keynote panel and six interactive workshops, followed by an attendee-driven open space&nbsp;and a networking reception featuring local women chefs. Panelists and attendees include invited experts,&nbsp;established local women leaders, emerging innovators, and the international <a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/102761">Changing Faces women</a> - connecting and integrating the experience, ambition, and passion of all those in attendance.#GalswithLEI is welcoming and respectful to all women, including trans women and those who identify as nonbinary gender non-conforming.<h2>Agenda</h2><h4>1:00pm | REGISTRATION</h4><h4>1:30pm&nbsp;| WELCOME</h4><h4>1:45pm | KEYNOTE PANEL</h4>Reinventing Worth&nbsp;Join acclaimed women experts, leaders, and entrepreneurs who are challenging convention, disrupting business norms, and creating breakthroughs in transforming the workplace as they discuss why women are at the forefront of promoting a people-centered work landscape and how they are helping to build a legacy of inclusive prosperity and a more equitable, supportive, and successful future for all.<ul><li>Nicole ROBINSON, Associate Partner, McKinsey &amp; Company, San Francisco <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mckinseyco/">@mckinseyco</a></li><li>Debi YADEGARI, Founder and Chief Empathy Officer, Villyge, New York <a href="https://www.instagram.com/villyge/">@Villyge</a></li><li>Morgan MATTHEWS, Founder, Inclusive Mindset Solutions and Former Senior Manager of DEI, Peloton, New York</li><li>Julie NAKAYAMA, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Kyo-Ya Management Co., Ltd., Hawaiʻi</li><li>Manu BERMUDES, Vice President of Human Resources and DE&amp;I, Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiandredgingconstructionco/">@hawaiiandredgingconstructionco</a></li><li>Moderator: Meredith ARTLEY, Doris Duke Foundation’s Executive in Residence, Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture &amp; Design, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://twitter.com/mereditha">@MeredithA</a></li></ul><h4>2:45pm&nbsp;| SESSION ONE&nbsp;CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS</h4>It Takes a Village&nbsp;Learn from health experts, leaders and entrepreneurs who are challenging the stigma of asking for help and creating a culture of support for families.<ul><li>Kanako SUGIURA, Founder &amp; CEO, Midwives GLOBAL Inc., Japan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/midwife_kanako/">@midwife_kanako</a></li><li>Alicia HIGA, Director of Health Promotion, Waiʻanae Coast Comprehensive Health Center, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/waianaecomp/">@waianaecomp</a></li><li>Suma METLA, Founder, Three Little Ducks, Kailua, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/threelittleduckshawaii/">@threelittleduckshawaii</a></li><li>Inglish JONES, Director of Development, Boys &amp; Girls Club of Hawaii, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bgch808/">@bgch808</a></li><li>Amanda CORBY NOGUCHI, President &amp; CEO, Under My Umbrella, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/umuhawaii/">@umuhawaii</a></li><li>Moderator: Armi Shyr BATICADOS, Chapter Head and Co-founder, LATCH, Los Baños, Philippines <a href="https://www.instagram.com/latchlosbanos/">@LATCHLosBanos</a></li></ul>Think Outside the Bin&nbsp;Discover how leading businesses and organizations are creating a more inclusive, green, and circular future through their creative approach and innovative solutions to reduce, reuse, and recycle.<ul><li>Kristine KUBAT, Executive Director, Recycle Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/recyclehawaii/">@recyclehawaii</a></li><li>Irushinie WEDAGE, Country Director — Sri Lanka, Parley for the Oceans, Sri Lanka</li><li>Chyloe SKIZEWSKI, Owner &amp; Designer, Kūmana Activewear, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kumanaactive/">@kumanaactive</a></li><li>Isabelle THOMAS, Co-Founder &amp; Director, BhuME Women's Collective Pvt. Ltd., India <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bhume_women/">@bhume_women</a></li><li>Kelly Takaya KING, Co-Founder, Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pacificbiodiesel/">@pacificbiodiesel</a></li><li>Moderator: Wuying LIN, Founder &amp; Director, iConserve Co., Ltd., China</li></ul>Pride in the Face of Prejudice&nbsp;Be inspired by advocates and activists as they offer best practices on how to meaningfully support, impact, and uplift the LGBTQ+ community, and discuss actionable ways to be an effective and authentic ally.<ul><li>Hinaleimoana WONG-KALU, Cultural Ambassador, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kumuhina/">@kumuhina</a></li><li>Makiko TERAHARA, Founder &amp; CEO, Marriage For All Japan, Japan <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marriageforalljapan/">@marriageforalljapan</a></li><li>Francine BEPPU, Vice President of Network Strategy, NMG Network, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nmgnetwork/">@nmgnetwork</a></li><li>Zabrina ZABLAN-DUVAUCHELLE, Founder, The Gay Agenda Collective, LLC, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/thegayagenda.co/">@thegayagenda.co</a></li><li>Moderator: Nadia MEREDITH HUNT, CEO, KVAConsult Ltd., Sāmoa</li></ul><h4>3:45pm&nbsp;| COFFEE BREAK</h4><h4>4:30pm&nbsp;| SESSION TWO&nbsp;CONCURRENT WORKSHOPS</h4>Amplifying Indigenous Voices&nbsp;Join leaders and advocates in celebrating the value, culture, and perspectives of Indigenous communities as they explore the importance of advancing the visibility and representation of Indigenous voices and identities.<ul><li>Mehanaokala HIND, Senior Advisor to the CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiancouncil/">@hawaiiancouncil</a></li><li>Shae KAMAKA‘ALA, Director of ‘Āina Protection, Hawai‘i Land Trust, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hilandtrust/">@hilandtrust</a></li><li>Maile MEYER, Founder &amp; Owner, Native Books and Nā Mea Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nameahawaii/">@nameahawaii&nbsp;</a></li><li>Akiemi GLENN, Executive Director, The Pōpolo Project, Hawai‘i <a href="https://www.instagram.com/popoloproject/">@popoloproject</a></li><li>Moderator: Faumuina Felolini Maria TAFUNAʻI, Founder &amp; CEO, Flying Geese Pro, New Zealand</li></ul>Niche Market is the New Market&nbsp;Gain expert advice on how brands have been able to stand out and effectively promote and grow their niche to maximize success in the competitive marketplace.&nbsp;<ul><li>Dana SHAPIRO, Co-Founder &amp; General Manager, Hawaiʻi ʻUlu Cooperative, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hawaiiulucoop/">@hawaiiulucoop</a></li><li>Kapua BROWNING, Founder, Honua Hawaiian Skincare, Hawaiʻi&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/honuaskincare/">@honuaskincare</a></li><li>Mrinali KUMAR, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, EatKinda Ltd., New Zealand <a href="https://www.instagram.com/eatkinda/">@eatkinda</a></li><li>Keānuenue DESOTO, Owner &amp; Designer, Anu Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/anuhawaii/">@anuhawaii</a></li><li>Brittany HEYD, Co-Founder, Mana Up, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/manauphawaii/">@manauphawaii</a></li><li>Moderator: Ria ANDRIANA, Founder &amp; CEO, PT Kuliner Jalanan Group, Indonesia <a href="https://www.instagram.com/streetsushi.id/">@streetsushi.id</a></li></ul>Resilient Women&nbsp;Be inspired by resilient women leading with passion, determination, adaptability, and purpose as they share their stories of strength, fearless perseverance, and unwavering will to overcome life’s personal and professional challenges.<ul><li>Judy BISHOP, Owner &amp; President, Bishop &amp; Co., Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bishopandcosocial/">@bishopandcosocial</a></li><li>Lach BANIYA, Co-Founder, Icarus Media Co., Ltd., Myanmar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/lachbaniya/">@lachbaniya</a></li><li>Lois KIM, Executive Office Manager, YWCA Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ywcaoahu/">@ywcaoahu</a></li><li>Robynne MAII, 2022 James Beard Award Winner &amp; Chef Owner, Fête, Hawaiʻi <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fetehawaii/">@fetehawaii</a></li><li>Moderator:&nbsp;Bosa TOGS, Founder, Saribu ICT Consultancy Services, Papua New Guinea</li></ul><h4>5:30pm&nbsp;| OPEN SPACE</h4>Open Space has no keynote speaker, no set schedule of workshops, no panel discussions, and no exhibit booths. Instead, anyone who wants to initiate a discussion on an issue of common concern and interest to women entrepreneurs writes it down on "The Marketplace of Ideas" during either registration or the coffee break. #GalswithLEI facilitators will combine similar ideas and curate suggested topics to several attendee-driven discussion groups. Attendees will then self-organize into the discussion group of interest to them.<h4>6:15pm&nbsp;|&nbsp;NETWORKING RECEPTION</h4>Networking reception with hosted bar, light pupus, and desserts prepared by local women&nbsp;chefs and artisans.Featured Chefs&nbsp;<ul><li>Emily IGUCHI, Executive Chef, Fête <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fetehawaii/">@fetehawaii</a></li><li>Maelani IOKEPA, Executive Chef, Basalt&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/basaltwaikiki/">@basaltwaikiki</a></li><li>Kristene MOON, Executive Sous Chef, The Pig and the Lady <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pigandthelady/">@pigandthelady</a></li><li>Gayla YOUNG, Founder, Pipeline Bakeshop &amp; Creamery <a href="https://www.instagram.com/pipelinebakeshop/">@pipelinebakeshop</a></li></ul>

#GalswithLEI Forum 2023

<h2>Ensuring Free Access to the Maritime Commons</h2>The Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange (IMSE) will be held virtually on August 3-4, 2023. IMSE's purpose is to provide a forum for senior leaders, subject matter experts, and interested members of the general public to engage in dialogue about maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. Under the enduring theme of "Building Partnerships for Security, Stability and Prosperity", this year's event will focus on "Ensuring Free Access to the Maritime Commons".IMSE will explore the following areas:&nbsp;<ul><li>Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated&nbsp;Fishing and Transnational Crime</li><li>Enabling Effective Maritime Engagement and Partnerships</li><li>Emerging Maritime Capability and Capacity</li><li>Maritime Domain Awareness; Increasing Transparency on the High Seas</li></ul>Speakers and presenters will include senior naval officers from the Indo-Pacific region to address maritime security, academics studying illegal fishing and its impact on local economies, technologists contributing their talents to increased maritime domain awareness, and experts on maritime law. You can view the agenda at <a target="_blank" href="https://imsehawaii.org/imse-2023/agenda.html">imsehawaii.org</a>.IMSE is produced annually by Navy League of the United States Honolulu Council. Assisting in the production of IMSE each year are the East-West Center, the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Asia-Pacific Security Studies (DKI APCSS), and Pacific Forum. This year the IMSE team is joined by the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) and its Sustainable Fish Asia Technical Support (SuFiA TS).

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_815x542/public/2023-07/microsoftteams-image_1_0.png?itok=jL7e4n8w" alt="Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange"></figure><h2>Ensuring Free Access to the Maritime Commons</h2>The Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange (IMSE) will be held virtually on August 3-4, 2023. IMSE's purpose is to provide a forum for senior leaders, subject matter experts, and interested members of the general public to engage in dialogue about maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. Under the enduring theme of "Building Partnerships for Security, Stability and Prosperity", this year's event will focus on "Ensuring Free Access to the Maritime Commons".IMSE will explore the following areas:&nbsp;<ul><li>Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated&nbsp;Fishing and Transnational Crime</li><li>Enabling Effective Maritime Engagement and Partnerships</li><li>Emerging Maritime Capability and Capacity</li><li>Maritime Domain Awareness; Increasing Transparency on the High Seas</li></ul>Speakers and presenters will include senior naval officers from the Indo-Pacific region to address maritime security, academics studying illegal fishing and its impact on local economies, technologists contributing their talents to increased maritime domain awareness, and experts on maritime law. You can view the agenda at <a href="https://imsehawaii.org/imse-2023/agenda.html">imsehawaii.org</a>.IMSE is produced annually by Navy League of the United States Honolulu Council. Assisting in the production of IMSE each year are the East-West Center, the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Asia-Pacific Security Studies (DKI APCSS), and Pacific Forum. This year the IMSE team is joined by the United States Aid for International Development (USAID) and its Sustainable Fish Asia Technical Support (SuFiA TS).

Indo-Pacific Maritime Security Exchange 2023

Please join for a special roundtable event on Capitol Hill, featuring distinguished EWC Board of Governor Members who will share perspectives on US relations with the Pacific Islands region, India/South Asia, and China/East Asia.<h2>Speakers</h2>Hilde Heine Senator representing Aur Atoll and Former President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands EWC Board of GovernorsHilda Heine is a Marshallese educator and politician, who served as the eighth President of the Marshall Islands. President Heine is the first woman to serve as President in the Marshall Islands, and the first woman to serve as Head of State in any of the five Micronesian countries in the North Pacific.She is currently serving as an elected Senator representing Aur Atoll in the Nitijeļā (Legislature).Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. In 2019, Dr. Heine became the first female Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP), a member of the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP). Dr. Heine was the first individual in the Marshall Islands – man or woman - to earn a doctorate degree, and the founder of the women's rights group Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI). In 2000, Dr. Heine founded Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI), a women's rights group. Since 2005, she had been Pacific Resources for Education and Learning's (PREL) Director at the Pacific Comprehensive Assistance Center. &nbsp;David Stilwell Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Former Assistant Secretary of State, East Asia &amp; Pacific EWC Board of GovernorsDavid R. Stilwell served as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs between 2019-2021. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, he served in the Air Force for 35 years, beginning as an enlisted Korean linguist in 1980, and retiring in 2015 in the rank of Brigadier General as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.He served multiple tours of duty in Japan and Korea as a linguist, a fighter pilot, and a commander. He also served as the Defense Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 2011-2013. Mr. Stilwell directed the China Strategic Focus Group at US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawai‘i 2017- 2019 and was an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu from 2016-2019

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_343x228/public/2023-04/bog_roundtable_event_v2_0.png?itok=eHY7O1yo" alt="East-West Center Indo-Pacific Outlook event"></figure>Please join for a special roundtable event on Capitol Hill, featuring distinguished EWC Board of Governor Members who will share perspectives on US relations with the Pacific Islands region, India/South Asia, and China/East Asia.<h2>Speakers</h2><figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/inline-images/Bio_Senator%20Hilda%20Heine.jpg?itok=1th47jsk" alt=""></figure>Hilde Heine Senator representing Aur Atoll and Former President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands EWC Board of GovernorsHilda Heine is a Marshallese educator and politician, who served as the eighth President of the Marshall Islands. President Heine is the first woman to serve as President in the Marshall Islands, and the first woman to serve as Head of State in any of the five Micronesian countries in the North Pacific.She is currently serving as an elected Senator representing Aur Atoll in the Nitijeļā (Legislature).Prior to assuming office, she served as the Minister of Education. In 2019, Dr. Heine became the first female Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP), a member of the Council of Regional Organizations of the Pacific (CROP). Dr. Heine was the first individual in the Marshall Islands – man or woman - to earn a doctorate degree, and the founder of the women's rights group Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI). In 2000, Dr. Heine founded Women United Together Marshall Islands (WUTMI), a women's rights group. Since 2005, she had been Pacific Resources for Education and Learning's (PREL) Director at the Pacific Comprehensive Assistance Center. &nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/inline-images/Photo%20Stilwell.jpg?itok=ldNwb1Ci" alt=""></figure>David Stilwell Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Former Assistant Secretary of State, East Asia &amp; Pacific EWC Board of GovernorsDavid R. Stilwell served as the Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs between 2019-2021. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, he served in the Air Force for 35 years, beginning as an enlisted Korean linguist in 1980, and retiring in 2015 in the rank of Brigadier General as the Asia advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.He served multiple tours of duty in Japan and Korea as a linguist, a fighter pilot, and a commander. He also served as the Defense Attaché at the US Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China, 2011-2013. Mr. Stilwell directed the China Strategic Focus Group at US Indo-Pacific Command in Hawai‘i 2017- 2019 and was an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu from 2016-2019

East-West Center Indo-Pacific Outlook

2023 East-West FestFree admission!Celebrating our Cultures, Sustaining our Communities.Come join us for an afternoon of family-friendly fun including dance and musical performances, cultural booths, storytelling and food representing people and places from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.Sunday, April 16, 2023 2:00- 6:00 PMImin International Conference Center (1777 East-West Rd.)

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_343x228/public/2023-02/2023_ewf_878x542_proof1_0.jpg?itok=RDD8RnVb" alt="2023 east- west fest "></figure>2023 East-West FestFree admission!Celebrating our Cultures, Sustaining our Communities.Come join us for an afternoon of family-friendly fun including dance and musical performances, cultural booths, storytelling and food representing people and places from across the Asia Pacific region and beyond.Sunday, April 16, 2023 2:00- 6:00 PMImin International Conference Center (1777 East-West Rd.)

2023 East- West Fest

Speaker's Summary: Dr. Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will discuss China's shrinking population and the policies that both led to it and will also make it difficult to reverse.   Dr. Yi publicly predicted that China's population would shrink before anyone else by closely watching China's own statistics - particularly from its provinces having to do with marriage rates and ages.  &nbsp;Speaker Bio: Fuxian Yi, MD, PhD is a Senior Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2000, he has applied medical science to demographic and economic research. He used that research to launch a campaign against China’s one-child policy. His book, Big Country with an Empty Nest, went from being banned by the Chinese government to promoted by it in just six years and was picked as No.1 of 100 Best Books of 2013 on China. His projections of China's population and economy have repeatedly proven to be more accurate than official ones. He is widely cited by major American news organizations and has spoken at international conferences including the Boao Forum for Asia and Reuters Next.

<figure class="image"><img src="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/sites/default/files/styles/image_343x228/public/2023-04/04-13_23_cs_proof42_0.png?itok=Z7NuRF4M" alt="Big Country, Empty Nest"></figure>Speaker's Summary: Dr. Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, will discuss China's shrinking population and the policies that both led to it and will also make it difficult to reverse.   Dr. Yi publicly predicted that China's population would shrink before anyone else by closely watching China's own statistics - particularly from its provinces having to do with marriage rates and ages.  &nbsp;Speaker Bio: Fuxian Yi, MD, PhD is a Senior Scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Since 2000, he has applied medical science to demographic and economic research. He used that research to launch a campaign against China’s one-child policy. His book, Big Country with an Empty Nest, went from being banned by the Chinese government to promoted by it in just six years and was picked as No.1 of 100 Best Books of 2013 on China. His projections of China's population and economy have repeatedly proven to be more accurate than official ones. He is widely cited by major American news organizations and has spoken at international conferences including the Boao Forum for Asia and Reuters Next.

Big Country, Empty Nest: Understanding China's Demographic Shift

On 20 November, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), that took place in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh, concluded with a historic decision to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund, which Pacific Islands have been critical in advocating for. This discussion will feature a discussion and analysis of outcomes with four women who attended the COP from Hawaii. This event is a part of Hawaii Climate Week 2023

Pacific Island Women Leaders at COP27: Outcomes and Ways Forward

<h2>Hawaiʻi Climate Week Agenda</h2><ul><li>Monday, January 9, 9:00am-5:00pm:&nbsp;Hawaiʻi Climate Action Day - Imin Conference Center<ul><li>(Hawaiʻi State Climate Conference, open registration).&nbsp;Connect with leaders in climate change action in the state. What problems has climate change caused in the state and how are we addressing them? Looking through the lens of natural solutions, we will explore the challenges and solutions of climate change in Hawaiʻi.</li></ul></li></ul>

Hawaiʻi Climate Week

In 2018, roughly five-hundred Yemenis flew on cheap flights from Kuala Lumpur to the southwest resort island of Jeju Island in South Korea.&nbsp; In search of safety and livelihood, these migrants sought asylum under the aegis of South Korean refugee law.&nbsp; Within days of arrival, this relatively small group of foreigners encountered a massive, highly organized anti-asylum movement nationwide.&nbsp;This lecture explores the religious origins of the anti-asylum movement through the figural Christian refugee fleeing persecution from communism.&nbsp; Drawing further from fieldwork among activists and asylum-seekers, it examines the Protestant conservative view of international refugee rights through the lens of minority rights and anti-discrimination politics at home.&nbsp; Ultimately, it elaborates on how North-South border politics, as well as the ongoing state of Cold War division more broadly, revitalizes an anti-communist framework for Protestant right-wing nationalism. Dr. Angie&nbsp;Heo&nbsp;is&nbsp;POSCO Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center (December 2022-January 2023) and&nbsp;Assistant Professor of the Anthropology and Sociology of Religion at the University of&nbsp;Chicago in the Divinity School.&nbsp; After receiving her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley, she taught at Barnard College and held research fellow positions at Emory University and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in&nbsp;Göttingen, Germany. Her first book is&nbsp;The Political Lives of Saints: Christian-Muslim Mediation in Egypt&nbsp;(University of California Press 2018). She is currently working on her next book project on Protestant anti-communism and the Cold War in the Korean Peninsula.

In 2018, roughly five-hundred Yemenis flew on cheap flights from Kuala Lumpur to the southwest resort island of Jeju Island in South Korea.&nbsp; In search of safety and livelihood, these migrants sought asylum under the aegis of South Korean refugee law.&nbsp; Within days of arrival, this relatively small group of foreigners encountered a massive, highly organized anti-asylum movement nationwide.&nbsp;This lecture explores the religious origins of the anti-asylum movement through the figural Christian refugee fleeing persecution from communism.&nbsp; Drawing further from fieldwork among activists and asylum-seekers, it examines the Protestant conservative view of international refugee rights through the lens of minority rights and anti-discrimination politics at home.&nbsp; Ultimately, it elaborates on how North-South border politics, as well as the ongoing state of Cold War division more broadly, revitalizes an anti-communist framework for Protestant right-wing nationalism. Dr. Angie&nbsp;Heo&nbsp;is&nbsp;POSCO Visiting Fellow at the East-West Center (December 2022-January 2023) and&nbsp;Assistant Professor of the Anthropology and Sociology of Religion at the University of&nbsp;Chicago in the Divinity School.&nbsp; After receiving her Ph.D. in Anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley, she taught at Barnard College and held research fellow positions at Emory University and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in&nbsp;Göttingen, Germany. Her first book is&nbsp;The Political Lives of Saints: Christian-Muslim Mediation in Egypt&nbsp;(University of California Press 2018). She is currently working on her next book project on Protestant anti-communism and the Cold War in the Korean Peninsula.

Border Politics of Anti-Communism and Anti-Discrimination in Korea

The Blue Economy Challenge is a hands-on innovation training and hackathon to build skills, networks, and knowledge to leverage ocean-related opportunities. As part of the U.N. Ocean Decade, Japanese university students and young professionals will validate their ideas and have the chance to convert them into actual pilot projects.&nbsp;&nbsp;The hackathon will run online and is embedded in a 12-week online training. The event is funded by the U.S. Embassy Tokyo and powered by InnoDays.

Blue Economy Challenge

On May 23, 2022, while in Tokyo, Japan, United States President Joe Biden announced the launch of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for&nbsp;Prosperity (IPEF) with a dozen initial partners: Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the&nbsp;Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. On May 26, Fiji joined as the 14th founding member. The members represent 40% of the world's gross domestic product (GDP). However, the new cooperation raised an issue about whether to include Taiwan, which was disappointed by the initial&nbsp;exclusion. Judging by objective criteria, it makes&nbsp;sense to include this major democratic, economic, and technological player in the world. Ms. Shirley Kan will discuss whether&nbsp;Taiwan's participation would advance the shared strategic goal of a free and open Indo-Pacific that is more inclusive, connected, prosperous, secure, and&nbsp;resilient. She will address what is IPEF? What is it not? What are the context and considerations for Taiwan's potential participation? And what&nbsp;are Taiwan's challenges and options?&nbsp; &nbsp; Ms. Shirley Kan&nbsp;is an independent specialist in Asian security affairs who retired from working for Congress at the non-partisan Congressional&nbsp;Research Service (CRS). Serving the US Government since the late 1980s, Shirley Kan specializes in security policies concerning Taiwan and&nbsp;concerning the People's Republic of China (PRC). Ms. Kan closely supported Congress as a Specialist in Asian Security Affairs at CRS from&nbsp;1990 to 2015. She received a Special Achievement Award for 25 years of commitment to Congress. Ms. Kan has served as an original Member&nbsp;of the Advisory Board of the Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a think tank in Washington, DC, since its founding in 2016. As of July 2022, she is a&nbsp;member of its new Task Force to review the US-Taiwan partnership. Ms. Kan testifies and speaks at congressional hearings and conferences. She is cited in the media as an authoritative, independent specialist. She&nbsp;writes analyses that have appeared widely in publications.&nbsp;

EWC Insights: New Indo-pacific Economic Framework (IPEF)

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, regional competition, climate change, and other current US, Asia, and Indo-Pacific pressing issues, it was a top priority for East-West Center (EWC) to develop a plan that seeks to bring forth a new era of renewed impact. The Center’s stakeholders collaborated to create an institutionally unifying, impact-oriented strategic framework. Led by President Suzanne Vares-Lum, with guidance from the EWC Board of Governors and in collaboration with EWC staff and alumni, the new Strategic Plan covers the EWC priorities over the next five years (2023-2027):<ul><li>Developing and Equipping Leaders</li><li>Convening Impactful Dialogues</li><li>Partnering with the Pacific Islands</li><li>Fostering Environmental Solutions</li><li>Supporting Good Governance</li></ul> Join us on Tuesday, August 23, to learn more about these five priority areas and how EWC programs will prioritize, align, and implement the strategies to achieve the Center’s mission and vision. President Vares-Lum will share how you can join the EWC in our efforts to create a future focused on growth, peace, and prosperity.

In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, regional competition, climate change, and other current US, Asia, and Indo-Pacific pressing issues, it was a top priority for East-West Center (EWC) to develop a plan that seeks to bring forth a new era of renewed impact. The Center’s stakeholders collaborated to create an institutionally unifying, impact-oriented strategic framework. Led by President Suzanne Vares-Lum, with guidance from the EWC Board of Governors and in collaboration with EWC staff and alumni, the new Strategic Plan covers the EWC priorities over the next five years (2023-2027):<ul><li>Developing and Equipping Leaders</li><li>Convening Impactful Dialogues</li><li>Partnering with the Pacific Islands</li><li>Fostering Environmental Solutions</li><li>Supporting Good Governance</li></ul> Join us on Tuesday, August 23, to learn more about these five priority areas and how EWC programs will prioritize, align, and implement the strategies to achieve the Center’s mission and vision. President Vares-Lum will share how you can join the EWC in our efforts to create a future focused on growth, peace, and prosperity.

EWC's New Five-year Strategic Plan Featuring President Vares-lum

In the context of economic interdependence, South Korea, like other countries with asymmetrical trade relations with China, is often seen by its citizens as vulnerable to China’s use of economic power for political influence. However, South Korea’s deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) offers the opposite perspective on South Korea’s vulnerability. Despite China’s coercive policies against South Korea’s firms and business, China failed to generate the concession regarding Korea’s decision to deploy the THAAD in the end. The question is why, despite its great leverage over Korea’s economy, China failed to bring about Seoul’s policy change in the THAAD deployment, and hence failed to force Seoul to comply with China’s national and security interests. Drawing on the 2016-17 case of the THAAD crisis between South Korea and China, I argue that the effectiveness of coercive power will depend on the sanctioner’s willingness to bear costs, the target state’s level of stateness, and the relative intensity of interests involved. This case study helps us understand the circumstances under which China’s use of economic coercion against target countries will be more or less successful. Dr. Yukyung Yeo is a Professor of the College of International Studies at Kyung Hee University. Dr. Yeo is a POSCO Fellow at the East-West Center (July-August 2022), focusing on the subject of China’s economic coercion in East Asia. Before joining the Center, Dr. Yeo was a visiting scholar at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University (2021-2022). Dr. Yeo received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland-College Park in 2007. Before joining Kyung Hee University, she worked at the City University of Hong Kong. Dr. Yeo’s first book, Varieties of State Regulation: How China Regulates Its Socialist Market Economy, was published by Harvard University Press in 2020. Dr. Yeo has published several book chapters and articles in journals such as China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, China Information, Pacific Review, and Korean Journal of International Studies.

In the context of economic interdependence, South Korea, like other countries with asymmetrical trade relations with China, is often seen by its citizens as vulnerable to China’s use of economic power for political influence. However, South Korea’s deployment of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) offers the opposite perspective on South Korea’s vulnerability. Despite China’s coercive policies against South Korea’s firms and business, China failed to generate the concession regarding Korea’s decision to deploy the THAAD in the end. The question is why, despite its great leverage over Korea’s economy, China failed to bring about Seoul’s policy change in the THAAD deployment, and hence failed to force Seoul to comply with China’s national and security interests. Drawing on the 2016-17 case of the THAAD crisis between South Korea and China, I argue that the effectiveness of coercive power will depend on the sanctioner’s willingness to bear costs, the target state’s level of stateness, and the relative intensity of interests involved. This case study helps us understand the circumstances under which China’s use of economic coercion against target countries will be more or less successful. Dr. Yukyung Yeo is a Professor of the College of International Studies at Kyung Hee University. Dr. Yeo is a POSCO Fellow at the East-West Center (July-August 2022), focusing on the subject of China’s economic coercion in East Asia. Before joining the Center, Dr. Yeo was a visiting scholar at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University (2021-2022). Dr. Yeo received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland-College Park in 2007. Before joining Kyung Hee University, she worked at the City University of Hong Kong. Dr. Yeo’s first book, Varieties of State Regulation: How China Regulates Its Socialist Market Economy, was published by Harvard University Press in 2020. Dr. Yeo has published several book chapters and articles in journals such as China Quarterly, Journal of Contemporary China, China Information, Pacific Review, and Korean Journal of International Studies.

EWC Insights: The Limits to Pressure Ft. Dr. Yukyung Yeo

Understanding modern China is indispensable to understanding our contemporary and future worlds. This two-day online workshop will offer participants an intensive introduction to modern China through the lenses of history, the arts and ethnicity.&nbsp;The program will include three lecture presentations, each followed by small group and plenary curriculum development discussions. The workshop will conclude with a plenary panel and classroom application session.&nbsp;Prior to the workshop, participants will be provided short readings and bibliographies for each session.This workshop is the beta launch of a 2-year project on infusing Chinese and Southeast Asian studies into the undergraduate curriculum. Future programs include 2-week summer residential institutes at the East-West Center in 2023 (China) and 2024 (Southeast Asia), and four in-person workshops each year on the US mainland. This project, funded by the Luce Foundation, seeks to enhance Asian studies offerings at undergraduate-serving colleges and universities, especially minority-serving institutions. For more information on the full project, click&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/41411">here</a>.

Understanding modern China is indispensable to understanding our contemporary and future worlds. This two-day online workshop will offer participants an intensive introduction to modern China through the lenses of history, the arts and ethnicity.&nbsp;The program will include three lecture presentations, each followed by small group and plenary curriculum development discussions. The workshop will conclude with a plenary panel and classroom application session.&nbsp;Prior to the workshop, participants will be provided short readings and bibliographies for each session.This workshop is the beta launch of a 2-year project on infusing Chinese and Southeast Asian studies into the undergraduate curriculum. Future programs include 2-week summer residential institutes at the East-West Center in 2023 (China) and 2024 (Southeast Asia), and four in-person workshops each year on the US mainland. This project, funded by the Luce Foundation, seeks to enhance Asian studies offerings at undergraduate-serving colleges and universities, especially minority-serving institutions. For more information on the full project, click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/node/41411">here</a>.

2022 Summer Workshop: Modern China in Three Keys: History, Culture and Social Change

The 2022 EWC/EWCA International Conference will be held in-person in Honolulu with opportunities to join virtually. Excitingly, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/professional-development/seminars-journalism-programs/ewc-international-media-conference">EWC International Media Conference</a> will be held in Honolulu just prior to the EWC/EWCA International Conference and overlapping by one day, allowing us to join forces for a day of exceptional keynote speakers, networking. and activities.

The 2022 EWC/EWCA International Conference will be held in-person in Honolulu with opportunities to join virtually. Excitingly, the <a href="https://www.eastwestcenter.org/professional-development/seminars-journalism-programs/ewc-international-media-conference">EWC International Media Conference</a> will be held in Honolulu just prior to the EWC/EWCA International Conference and overlapping by one day, allowing us to join forces for a day of exceptional keynote speakers, networking. and activities.

EWC/EWCA International Conference in Hawai'i

As social trust in media, government, business, science, NGOs – even in the concept of society itself – has plummeted, societies seem headed toward a&nbsp;zero-trust world. The growing presence of alternative realities makes verifying truth and restoring facts to the center of public discourse challenging, if not almost impossible. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer states this continued erosion of public trust has resulted in “a new era of information bankruptcy and a trust ecosystem unable to confront it.” Media’s responsibility is to report facts so publics and policymakers can make informed decisions. But in a world where there is no longer a common set of facts and little trust in media, journalists perhaps face their biggest challenges ever to remain society’s watchdog. The four-day conference will look at how media can rebuild trust, reconnect societies, and lead us back to a more fact-based world. It will also feature international speakers discussing how societies can collaborate to better meet global challenges such as&nbsp;climate change, and how diplomacy and international relations are impacted in a zero-trust world. For the first time, the final day of IMC will overlap with the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://eastwestcenter.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=044cc59d69d5fff92f2ab7675&amp;id=2a19a283cb&amp;e=009e7dfa04">EWC/EWCA International Conference</a>&nbsp;for a morning of programs featuring&nbsp;high-profile speakers on diplomacy and international relations.

As social trust in media, government, business, science, NGOs – even in the concept of society itself – has plummeted, societies seem headed toward a&nbsp;zero-trust world. The growing presence of alternative realities makes verifying truth and restoring facts to the center of public discourse challenging, if not almost impossible. The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer states this continued erosion of public trust has resulted in “a new era of information bankruptcy and a trust ecosystem unable to confront it.” Media’s responsibility is to report facts so publics and policymakers can make informed decisions. But in a world where there is no longer a common set of facts and little trust in media, journalists perhaps face their biggest challenges ever to remain society’s watchdog. The four-day conference will look at how media can rebuild trust, reconnect societies, and lead us back to a more fact-based world. It will also feature international speakers discussing how societies can collaborate to better meet global challenges such as&nbsp;climate change, and how diplomacy and international relations are impacted in a zero-trust world. For the first time, the final day of IMC will overlap with the&nbsp;<a href="https://eastwestcenter.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=044cc59d69d5fff92f2ab7675&amp;id=2a19a283cb&amp;e=009e7dfa04">EWC/EWCA International Conference</a>&nbsp;for a morning of programs featuring&nbsp;high-profile speakers on diplomacy and international relations.

EWC International Media Conference

This two-day online workshop will offer participants an introduction to women and their agency in Buddhist Asia.&nbsp; The program will include four lecture presentations, each followed by a content and curriculum development discussion.&nbsp; The program will conclude with breakout group curriculum discussions and a final plenary panel discussion with speakers.&nbsp; Prior to the workshop, participants will be provided short readings and bibliographies for each session.&nbsp;

June 2022 Summer Workshop: Women in Buddhism: An Introduction

The Biden Administration has sought to balance a firm and aggressive response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine without triggering any direct military confrontation between Russian and NATO forces. One of the principal elements of the US response has been an unprecedented array of US economic sanctions and export control measures directed against Russia, Belarus and the occupied Crimean, Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. This talk will review the nature and extent of these US sanctions and export controls, examine their effects on their targets, and discuss other national actors that could potentially help Russia to avoid or mitigate those intended effects and how such counter-moves might affect future US foreign relations with Russia and those other nations in the Indo-Pacific region. &nbsp;Nelson G. Dong is a senior partner in the Seattle office of Dorsey &amp; Whitney LLP, an international law firm, and heads its National Security Law Group and is co-head of its Asia Group. He advises companies, professional societies, universities and research organizations on export controls, economic sanctions, national security and international trade and investment matters. He is an author and teacher on international technology law issues and has been an adjunct professor of international law at the Seattle University Law School and a guest lecturer at the University of Washington Law School.Nelson was a White House Fellow and U.S. Department of Justice official in the Carter Administration responsible for international and national security matters, and a federal prosecutor in Boston. He is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the East-West Center in Honolulu, a director of the National Committee on US-China Relations in New York City and the Washington State China Relations Council in Seattle, and an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Committee of 100. Nelson is a graduate of Stanford University and the Yale Law School and has served as a trustee of Stanford University.

US Sanctions on Russia & the Occupied Ukrainian Territories: A Brief Geopolitical Overview

Learn from veterans and active-duty women as they discuss successfully transitioning to post-service civilian careers as well as from non-combat to frontline roles within the military. Panelists will also offer best practices in leveraging specific skills and experiences into new career pathways, self-advocacy, and encouraging employers to source untapped potential and a more diverse talent pool.&nbsp;Changing careers can be difficult for anyone, but the transition out of active-duty service to a new career in the civilian space can be particularly challenging, especially for women. According to LinkedIn’s recent Women Veteran Opportunity Report, underemployment for American women veterans is 18% higher than for non-veteran women and 22% higher than for veterans overall. Additionally, it takes women veterans three months longer, on average, to find employment and when hired, are paid 30% less than their male counterparts. Finding a job or repurposing your career means learning how to capitalize on your skills and strengths, and translating them into job attributes. Most employers and recruiters, however, focus on titles, job history and years of experience in the field rather than skills-based hiring practices and, as such, may not recognize or understand the value of diverse experiences. For women veterans, leadership and management experience, resilience, adaptability, work ethic, self-discipline, teamwork, and professionalism, are just some of the positive attributes and skills that translate well to the workplace and can traverse nearly every industry. With change also comes opportunity and despite the challenges women face when changing their careers, there is also the opportunity to pave the way and inspire others to find new purpose and achieve their aspirations.Panelists:&nbsp;(listed in speaking order)<ul><li>Suzanne Puanani VARES-LUM, President, East-West Center, Hawaii, USA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/EastWestCenter">@EastWestCenter</a></li><li>Gloria JUMAMIL-MERCADO PhD, MNSA, Undersecretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser, Manila, Philippines</li><li>Mitchelene BIGMAN, Founder &amp; President, Native American Women Warriors, Hollywood, Florida, USA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/nawwusa">@nawwusa</a></li><li>Jennifer WITTWER, Chair, Women Veterans Australia and Author,&nbsp;Against the Wind: How Women Can Be Their Authentic Selves in Male-Dominated Professions,&nbsp;Canberra, Australia&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jawittwer">@jawittwer</a></li></ul> Moderator:<ul><li>Christina (Tippi) COGEN, EQ Advisor, Corporate Wellness, Tippi Cogen Consulting and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.eastwestcenter.org/changingfaces">Changing Faces Seminar</a>&nbsp;Alum, Tampa, Florida, USA&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/realTiptheWorld">@realTiptheWorld</a></li></ul>

Learn from veterans and active-duty women as they discuss successfully transitioning to post-service civilian careers as well as from non-combat to frontline roles within the military. Panelists will also offer best practices in leveraging specific skills and experiences into new career pathways, self-advocacy, and encouraging employers to source untapped potential and a more diverse talent pool.&nbsp;Changing careers can be difficult for anyone, but the transition out of active-duty service to a new career in the civilian space can be particularly challenging, especially for women. According to LinkedIn’s recent Women Veteran Opportunity Report, underemployment for American women veterans is 18% higher than for non-veteran women and 22% higher than for veterans overall. Additionally, it takes women veterans three months longer, on average, to find employment and when hired, are paid 30% less than their male counterparts. Finding a job or repurposing your career means learning how to capitalize on your skills and strengths, and translating them into job attributes. Most employers and recruiters, however, focus on titles, job history and years of experience in the field rather than skills-based hiring practices and, as such, may not recognize or understand the value of diverse experiences. For women veterans, leadership and management experience, resilience, adaptability, work ethic, self-discipline, teamwork, and professionalism, are just some of the positive attributes and skills that translate well to the workplace and can traverse nearly every industry. With change also comes opportunity and despite the challenges women face when changing their careers, there is also the opportunity to pave the way and inspire others to find new purpose and achieve their aspirations.Panelists:&nbsp;(listed in speaking order)<ul><li>Suzanne Puanani VARES-LUM, President, East-West Center, Hawaii, USA&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/EastWestCenter">@EastWestCenter</a></li><li>Gloria JUMAMIL-MERCADO PhD, MNSA, Undersecretary, Office of the Presidential Adviser, Manila, Philippines</li><li>Mitchelene BIGMAN, Founder &amp; President, Native American Women Warriors, Hollywood, Florida, USA&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/nawwusa">@nawwusa</a></li><li>Jennifer WITTWER, Chair, Women Veterans Australia and Author,&nbsp;Against the Wind: How Women Can Be Their Authentic Selves in Male-Dominated Professions,&nbsp;Canberra, Australia&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/jawittwer">@jawittwer</a></li></ul> Moderator:<ul><li>Christina (Tippi) COGEN, EQ Advisor, Corporate Wellness, Tippi Cogen Consulting and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.eastwestcenter.org/changingfaces">Changing Faces Seminar</a>&nbsp;Alum, Tampa, Florida, USA&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realTiptheWorld">@realTiptheWorld</a></li></ul>