EAST-WEST CENTERANNUAL REPORT 2004

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Seminars programs provide short-term educational experiences forpolicymakers, professionals andscholars from Asia, the Pacific andthe United States seeking greaterunderstanding of the issues andchallenges facing the region. TheEast-West Center provides a neutralmeeting place where professionals,specialists and emerging leadersdiscuss regional issues and buildrelationships with their counterparts.By facilitating peer-to-peerengagement in a collegial setting, the Center is a catalyst for regionalcooperation.

In January 2005 AmbassadorRaymond Burghardt was appointeddirector of East-West Seminars toexpand program activities andprovide strategic direction. Theoffice now includes all seminar andexchange programs, including mediaactivities.

“East-West Seminars brings

professionals from government,

civil society, business and the

media together to share knowl-

edge and address issues of

regional and global concern.

The significance of our short-

term dialogue, field study and

exchange programs stems from

the authority of participants

themselves—the people who

make, implement and influence

policies and attitudes in their

respective societies. They are

part of a growing Asia Pacific

community built on friendship

and dedicated to mutual under-

standing.”

n Raymond Burghardt is director of East-West Seminars.

EAST-WEST SEMINARS

Anisul Hoque (left) of the Prothom Alo in Bangladesh and David Lamb, a formercorrespondent for the Los Angeles Times at the Senior Journalists’ Seminar.

issues, and the legal underpinningsof U.S. policy in Afghanistan. InWashington, participants gainedperspective into internationalrelations and security policy throughmeetings with officials at theNational Security Council andsenior staffers on the Senate ForeignRelations Committee.

n Ann Hartman is program specialist for the New Generation Seminar.

CHANGING FACES WOMEN’S LEADERSHIPPROGRAM

Women from mid-level leadershippositions gathered at the Center fordialogue and professional develop-ment related to “EnvironmentalConservation and Management inthe Asia Pacific Region.” Thirteenparticipants—from the UnitedStates, Guam, India, Kazakhstan,Laos, Malaysia, New Zealand, thePhilippines, South Korea, Taiwan,and Thailand—took part in ninedays of discussion sessions, skillsworkshops, panel presentations andsite visits, working closely with localenvironmental organizations andresource persons on Oahu andMaui.

n Abigail Sines is program specialist for the Changing Faces Women’s Leadership Program.

BUILDING THE FOUNDATIONTRAINING SEMINAR

Twenty-one water and wastewatermanagers from 18 Pacific Islandstates attended the second programin the Building the FoundationTraining series, which providedhands-on training to enhanceleadership and team building skills.The program addressed issuesidentified in the “Pacific RegionalAction Plan on Sustainable WaterManagement,” with special emphasison strengthening management andplanning capacity. The seminar alsofocused on the development of awater authority implementation planfor natural and man-made disastersand extreme events that threatenwater supplies.

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14TH NEW GENERATIONSEMINAR

Fourteen emerging leaders fromAsia, the Pacific and the UnitedStates addressed the theme of“Security and Leadership” at the14th New Generation Seminar. The two-week program providedyounger leaders with an opportunityto strengthen their understanding of regional challenges and establishcontact with counterparts through-out the region. Participants fromCambodia, China, India, Malaysia,the Marshall Islands, Micronesia,New Zealand, the Philippines,South Korea, and the United Statesexamined recent changes of govern-ment in the Asia Pacific region andthe November 2004 elections in theUnited States. Security issues, thewar on terrorism, and regionalimplications of American foreignpolicy in Iraq were examined.

In Honolulu, participants metwith experts from the East-WestCenter, the Asia Pacific Center forSecurity Studies, Pacific Forum, andcommunity leaders including thedeputy commander of the PacificCommand, the Hawai‘i stateadjutant general and members of theHawai‘i state legislature. The studytour to North Carolina emphasizedstate-level politics and voterattitudes, economics, minority

Participants in the Changing FacesWomen’s Leadership Program discusstheir individual action plans.

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FOR SUSTAINABLE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT: BUILDING SAFER AND MORESUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

Directors of national disastermanagement offices from 17 PacificIsland nations spent two weeks inHonolulu meeting with resourcepeople from the Pacific DisasterCenter, Oahu Civil Defense,NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami WarningCenter, and other leading agencies.The program provided disastermanagement specialists with a broadawareness of emerging issues andbest practices in and outside of theAsia Pacific region, as well as theskills and tools to strengthenleadership and managementpractices.

n Meril Dobrin Fujiki is project manager of the Building the Foundation Program.

ASIA PACIFIC EXECUTIVE FORUM

Asia Pacific Executive Forum(APEF) programs provide corporateand industry leaders, policymakersand other experts with opportunitiesto discuss critical issues thatinfluence business and economicdevelopment in the Asia Pacificregion. There were two APEFprograms in 2004: an internationalconference in New Delhi and aseminar series held in New Orleansand Houston.

At the New Delhi conference,more than 170 delegates discussedthe political and economicimplications of divestiture andliberalization in key Indian marketsectors. Among the issues coveredwere trends affecting India’seconomic and foreign policies,challenges and drivers of the Indianeconomy, energy policy, and theWTO’s Cancun meeting and itsimplications for India. The forumincluded special sessions on India’srelations with the U.S., China andthe Asia Pacific region. APEFgenerated more than 35 news storiesciting the East-West Center andEWC specialists.

A series of business and mediaoutreach sessions on “Key Issues inAsia’s Economic Future and Impactson the United States,” was held inNew Orleans and Houston. Thegatherings featured presentations bysenior Center researchers on thefollowing topics:

n “Asia Pacific Security Outlook,”by EWC President Charles E.Morrison.

n “The New Energy Paradigm:What Does it Mean for the UnitedStates and Asia?” by Senior FellowFereidun Fesharaki.

n “China’s Capitalist Development:Faultlines, Opportunities, andProspects for the Asia Pacific,” byFellow Chris McNally.

ASIA PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

More than 90 speakers from 12countries gathered in Seoul for twodays of intensive discussions on thefuture of mobile communicationsand technology against the backdropof the 3G World Congress held inBangkok in November 2003.Sessions focused on issues related towireless communication applicationsand platforms and their socialimplications on the digital divide.Senior Fellow emeritus MeherooJussawalla was the lead EWCresearcher for the conference, co-sponsored by the East-WestCenter and the Korea InformationStrategy Development Institute.

n Sheree Groves was coordinator of the Seminars Program through June 2004.

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One of two APEFprograms took placein New Delhi, India.

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MEDIA ACTIVITIES

JEFFERSON FELLOWSHIPS

Supported by a grant from theFreeman Foundation, the 2004Jefferson Fellowships programsfocused on governance and electionsthroughout the Asia Pacific-U.S.region. In all, 26 mid- and senior-level journalists increased theirunderstanding of regional issues inthe spring and fall programs.

Participants in the spring sessionrepresented Bangladesh, China, EastTimor (first time this country wasrepresented), India, Indonesia,Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan andthe United States. Journalists began

the program at the East-West Centerwith a week of discussions, lecturesand self-study. The Asian journalistsvisited Washington, Chicago andSan Francisco on their study tourwhile their American counterpartsvisited Beijing, Tokyo and Manila.The program concluded with allfellows reconvening in Honolulu tocompare notes and discuss issuesraised in their travels.

In the fall session, 12 journalistsfrom China, India, Indonesia, Japan,Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand,Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore,Taiwan and the United Statesparticipated in a unique programfocusing on the U.S. presidentialelections. Fellows spent their first

week in Honolulu discussing theupcoming elections in the U.S. andthroughout the region. This portionof the program featured sessionswith veteran Washington Postreporter and noted politicalbiographer Lou Cannon, whoprovided historical context for theyear’s elections, candidates andplatforms. The fellows then traveledto Washington, Boston and Austinto observe the run-up to the electionand examine broader political,economic and social issues.

For more information on the Media Program, visit:w w w. e a s t w e s t c e n t e r. o r g / s e m - m p . a s p

Jefferson Fellows inthe fall programfocused on the U.S.presidential elections.

Participants in the spring Jefferson program interviewed voters on election day inthe Philippines.

ASIA PACIFIC JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS

Six U.S. journalists completed thetwo-day Asia Seminar at the East-West Center followed by a one-weekstudy tour of Singapore and Taiwan.In Singapore, reporters met withgovernment officials, business leaders,scholars and journalists, andinterviewed Lee Hsien Loong, thendeputy prime minister and now primeminister. In Taiwan, the groupobserved the presidential elections andreactions to the shootings of PresidentChen Shui-bien and Vice PresidentAnnette Lu. Participating journalistsrepresented the San FranciscoChronicle, the Omaha World-Herald,the Seattle Times, the Deseret News(Salt Lake City), Forbes magazine andLou Dobbs Tonight (CNN).

2ND SENIOR JOURNALISTS’ SEMINAR

The Center hosted 10 seniorjournalists from Bangladesh, India,Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan andSingapore in a seminar and travelprogram focusing on differences inperceptions among Asian Islamiccommunities and the United States.Part of the Center’s “MuslimInitiative,” the project explored thedifferences and the role of journalistsin bridging them. The group spent aweek in Washington, where theyattended a two-day colloquium withAmerican journalists. During theirstay in the nation’s capital, participantsalso met with officials from the U.S.State Department, then DeputySecretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz,and a number of experts from areathink tanks.

The group also traveled toAtlanta and Los Angeles to gaugeAmerican attitudes and perceptions“outside the beltway.” Highlights inAtlanta included a visit to globalmedia giant CNN and the AtlantaJournal Constitution; an overview ofthe history of the civil rightsmovement at the Martin LutherKing, Jr. National Historic Site; anddiscussions with local high schoolstudents at a private Islamic school.In Los Angeles, participants studiedWest Coast perspectives on U.S.domestic and foreign policy issues;discussed community diversity andempowerment with the Los AngelesHuman Relations Commission; andmet with area religious leaders in aninterfaith dialogue.

HONG KONG JOURNALISM FELLOWSHIPS

In September, six senior U.S. journalistsparticipated in a two-day China seminarat the East-West Center followed by astudy tour to Beijing, Chengdu,Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Thejournalists met with business executives,scholars, journalists, political leaders andgovernment officials including ChiefExecutive C.H. Tung of the Hong Kongspecial administrative region; JiangXiaoyu, vice president of the organizingcommittee of the 2008 BeijingOlympics; and Zhou Wenzhong, viceminister of the Ministry of ForeignAffairs of the People’s Republic of China.

JAPAN-UNITED STATESJOURNALISTS’ EXCHANGE

The Japan-United States Journalists’Exchange brought four journalists to theUnited States for a study tour thatcoincided with the November 2004elections. Journalists began their tour inSeattle and Detroit to learn about U.S.politics and issues of importance tovoters before traveling to Washingtonto observe Election Day activities.They gathered later at the East-WestCenter for a two-day debriefing of theirexperiences with EWC staff and mem-bers of the Honolulu community. Theprogram was funded by Nihon ShinbunKyokai (NSK — the Japan NewspaperPublishers and Editors Association) andthe East-West Center. The travel pro-gram was coordinated by theInternational Center for Journalists.

n Dennis Donahue was coordinator of Media Activities in 2004.

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Deputy Secretary of Defense PaulWolfowitz met with participants atthe Senior Journalists’ Seminar.

Meeting of the Asia PacificJournalism Fellows.