(i)  Nainoa Thompson Scholarship ~ Melissa Pawneshing, G10
(ii) 2019 APLP Professional Associate ~ EWC LP Staff
(iii) APLP G19 Applications ~ EWC LP Staff
(iv) APLP G18's Weekend Trek on Molokai ~ Bill Hewak, G16
(v) G18 - APLP Modular Model and California Field Study ~ Cynthia Chang, G18
(vi) Impact eXL and XL ~ EWC LP Staff
(vii) EWC Innovation Labs with Alumni ~ EWC LP Staff
(viii) Follow us on Instagram @ EWC_ APLP
IV. THE ASIA PROJECT - Navigating: Ex Marks the Journey ~ Dr Scott MacLeod

I recently had an article published by the East-West Center’s Asia Pacific Bulletin, on November 29th, 2018.  In my article, “The United States Military Perspective on the Okinawan Gubernatorial Elections,” I lay out a basic historical background of the island and how cultural aspects and previous historical ties still affect today’s contemporary political landscape. Adding to the islands’ political complexity is the presence of over 20,000 United States military members, their families, and other US support personnel.
 
Myself and my husband Sean Barnes recently moved to Okinawa this summer. Sean is a US Marine officer and recently took command of the US Marine Corps 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion on Okinawa.  I am the family readiness advocate for the 250 family members associated with the battalion.
 
I specialize in international and governmental relations. I'm also a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
 
https://www.eastwestcenter.org/publications/the-united-states-military-perspective-the-okinawan-gubernatorial-elections?utm_source=December+2018+Newsletter&utm_campaign=Oct+2018+Newsletter&utm_medium=email

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Driving Corporate Sustainability in Malaysia 
Esther Teh, G16

As soon as I completed APLP, I landed a job in a Malaysian-based conglomerate. A role was created within the company where I as the sustainability manager push the agenda of sustainable development. The job requires a lot of coordination and engagement as I pull together resources from the five business divisions: construction, property, industry, plantation and infrastructure (port and toll). 

Esther Teh (APLPer G16, far right) at the UN Private Sector SDG Engagement Strategy Workshop with her boss and UN consultant.

In October 2018, the United Nations office in Malaysia invited private companies to gather and voice perspectives on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals in Malaysia. In a similar style dialogue organised by the Malaysia Stock Exchange, corporate sustainability managers from private companies like ours voiced our challenges, concerns and cravings from our respective industries to the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC).

The Minister reminded us that ‘there are things I cannot do that you as corporate sustainability managers can do, and that is to influence your company to be sustainable.’

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Future Studies:
Civic Engagement Workshop by Alumni A-2  
Nisha Onta, G4 and Pannin Sumanasrethakul, G17               

We’re taking our leadership learnings, think pieces, and capacity building LIVE! Please join us on the APLP Multi-Cohort Hub Facebook page for future live videos.
 
Interested in giving a live talk? Consider this your invitation. Please reach out to Christina Monroe or Melissa Pawneshing (aplpalumni@gmail.com) if you’d like to give a LIVE talk to our private APLP Alumni community via the “Asia Pacific Leadership Program - APLP Multi-cohort Hub," Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2830320321/

 

Sumita SARMA (India) was selected for the Nainoa Thompson Scholarship because of her demonstrated commitment to her community that builds on her expertise, going well beyond her professional role. For Sumita’s EWC Lab in Module 2 of the APLP, she met with stakeholders from garment factories and asked their needs. While she had planned to provide certain health and environment information, they workers (nearly all female) said what they really wanted was better education and opportunity for their children. Sumita took this and pivoted her project, resulting in a successful series on education opportunities and information for the workers. She is eager to return and scale up the work. The Nainoa Thompson scholarship will allow her to do this.  

 

Sumita is a supply chain field manager for the India region of Fair Trade USA, in addition to being supply chain innovation manager at ELEVATE Limited. Ms. Sarma earned a Master in Sociology from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi. She is the recipient of various academic and professional achievements, such as receiving the Women Super Achiever Award 2017 from the World Women Leadership Congress, being appointed an advisory board member at Good World Solutions, and serving as co-speaker at the Tech Wednesday Event held at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in September 2014. 
 
Warm aloha,
Melissa

1. Support our programmatic work in both administrative and curriculum-related tasks, thereby learning the “craft” of the EWC Leadership Program
2. Propose ways in which alumni can continue to collaborate with the EWC LP

• Online Launch: August 5-13, 2019
• Module 1 in Asia (TBD): August 14-25, 2019
• Module 2 at home (digital): August 26 - September 29, 2019
• Module 3 in Honolulu, Hawaii:  September 30 - December 13, 2019

For more information and to apply:
https://eastwestcenter.submittable.com/submit/764ec355-6a52-47c9-bcec-e16b8ce7b4d4/2019-aplp-professional-associate
                                             

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APLP G19 Applications 
EWC LP Staff

Do you know someone who would benefit from the APLP experience? Let them know that the Leadership Program is accepting applications for the 2019 Asia Pacific Leadership Program until March 1, 2019! Due to our streamlined online application, it is easier than ever to apply--no official transcripts or TOEFL/IELTS English proficiency exam scores required! For more information, refer them to our website, www.EastWestCenter.org/APLP. The online application can be found here: https://eastwestcenter.submittable.com/submit/122921/2019-asia-pacific-leadership-program-aplp
 
While our website contains all of the information they need, it is secondary to the most important recruitment factor--you! Sharing your personal experience and development is the best method of encouraging others to apply. We hope that you will take the time to share your APLP experience and recommend the APLP to your networks.

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APLP G18's Weekend Trek On Molokai 
Bill Hewak, G16

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 Impact eXL and XL
EWC LP Staff

EWC has launched a new series of accelerator events for young impact entrepreneurs. In March 2019 we host one in Bali, Indonesia and another at Inle Lake, Myanmar.

In Bali, we’re partnering with APLP alumnus Tomo Hamakawa (G8), Founder of Earth Company.






 

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The 8 new EWC Innovation Laboratories (EWC Labs) are flourishing within 7 countries - Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, Turkey. The new community of EWC Labs includes initiatives on micro-loans to social enterprises, waste management, coaching communications, women entrepreneurs, climate change, student capacity building, and virtual reality alumni stories. Below are some recent highlights shared from the EWC Lab founders websites:

 
In China, 16 joined for an exciting start to the QSATA Innovation Lab in Beijing founded by MCK (G13) with big support from alumni Ying Chen (G16). We were joined by Terry (G6), Martin (G14), and Liping (G17). Over the past year, MCK has facilitated a workshop called Questions are the Answer (QSATA) 20 times with a total of 300 participants. Partners include BeHive, IvyGate, World Economic Forum Global Shapers, China Liberal Arts Tour, and Guinness World Records.
 
The EWC Lab in Dhaka, Bangladesh founded by Khalid Bahauddin (G15)  is all about encouraging students leadership development. It is helping to implement sustainable social outreach projects and provide training and mentorship to students under the themes of “People, Planet, Prosperity”. So it is particularly focusing on them for developing their leadership skills for the betterment of society and their career.
In New Zealand, the Fietokoni Project is run through an EWC Lab founded by ‘Ofeina L Manuel-Barbarich (a.k.a. Fina, G13). We are dedicated to fostering inter-generational talanoa (dialogue) through the art of ngatu (tapa cloth). Understanding the history, cultural value and the creation process of ngatu is a vehicle to building a sense of cultural identity and belonging.
 
Read about EWC Labs founded by APLP and other LP alumni - under the section APLP Announcements. 

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Follow us on Instagram
@ EWC_ APLP

https://www.instagram.com/ewc_aplp/?hl=e

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The Asia Project

Navigating: Ex Marks the Journey
Dr Scott MacLeod

 
“Explore or  Exploit” – the classic strategy decision – the stuff of many a Harvard Business Review article.  Does one seek out and engage the ‘new’ or focus further to gain more value from the current?  New horizons, or improved returns?
 
You’re right …
 
These really are more linked than the tidy dualism portrays.  Over the past 10 months, the EWC Asia Programs Initiative (API) has been seeking to balance these twin motivations through identifying and building on strengths, shaped by our experience in leadership program delivery and investigating new possibilities in Asia. This has meant exploring and testing (and in some cases unlearning) assumptions about our organizational strengths and regional needs. 
 
The API is an outgrowth of, but separate from, the APLP and our leadership programs. The mission of the API is to develop a sustainable EWC presence in Asia. Ideally, we will have nodes in East, South and Southeast Asia.   API is a two-year development plan – so we have used some of this time to explore.  Many of you have contributed time and thoughts to this process – thank you.  Through our explorations, we have been building a network of over 60 facilitators and ties with 23 potential regional partner organizations.  In doing so we are looking for longer-term collaborations and enduring program building (rather than one-off projects or sessions). The work (mostly trainings) inherent in our ongoing presence will act as a window on emerging Asia-based individual and organizational strategies for facing complex and uncertain times.  So, we learn as we ‘teach.’ 
 
We have learned much about where we can provide value already from the over 200 interviews and 7 test workshops for over 300 people we have carried out.  We are now moving to begin activation.
 
So, just what are we doing?
 
We are building custom programs with partners under the following headings:  1) Strategic Foresight (Anticipation); 2) Generational Divergence  (with an emphasis on older leaders – yes its personal); 3) Regional Diversities (especially in ASEAN  integration); and 4) Digitalization (through the lens of ‘smart cities’).  The programs are being collaboratively built with leading organizations in the private, government, and non-profit sectors.
 
We have also built a lower cost ‘Open Program’ on Navigating Change (kind of an appetizer buffet of approaches - from 1 to 4 days).  Local hosts will sponsor these deliveries as a beginning for deeper development.
 
Our operating motto is "Context Before Competency”.  Our main area of activity is in localized and/or organizational ‘diagnosis’ and then introducing leadership ‘tools’ as appropriate. We do this by looking at how people see, act and feel (the APLP’s three questions in a new guise). The main methodologies we are using are Foresight (with some new emphasis on hindsight), Cynefin (decisions that frame actions) and Values surfacing activities.
 
From February onwards, the API will have teams delivering workshops and doing research across the region. We have quite a bit of work in place – but can really benefit from higher volumes in each location so if you think you might want to build some collaborative activities or know a group that might want to  – let’s chat! 

Please contact Saw Thinn or Scott Macleod for much more detail! (Thinns@eastwestcenter.org / Macleods@eastwestcenter.org)
 
It is challenging but exciting to move this activity along. It would not even be an inkling if it was not for the pioneering work of you – our alumni – and all we have learned together. It has taken time to develop a set of products and programs worthy of that legacy – we think we are close.  But we won’t stop exploring. ;-)
 
With much Aloha,
 Sam and Saw
 

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