East-West Seminars offer short-termdialogue and educational experiencesthat address critical issues affecting theregion. The programs are designed forgovernment and business leaders,journalists and other professionals, andscholars from the United States andAsia Pacific. These programs facilitateengaging discussion and analysisamong colleagues and serve as acatalyst for regional cooperation.

In 2005, East-West Seminarsbecame a separate program within the Center and expanded its activitiesunder the leadership of a new director,Ambassador Raymond Burghardt. The year’s highlights included a SeniorPolicy Seminar that brought togetherprominent leaders from throughoutthe region; a new Korea—U.S.Journalists Exchange program; andseminars for Pacific islands managerson disaster risk reduction; in additionto the annual exchange programs forjournalists and emerging leaders.

INTERNATIONALDIALOGE ON CRITICAL ISSUES

6TH SENIOR POLICY SEMINAR

Regional security, Asian priorities, and perceptions of the U.S. role in the region were among the topicsdiscussed when prominent figuresfrom government, the private sector,and strategic think tanks throughoutthe Asia Pacific region convened at theCenter for the 2005 Senior PolicySeminar. Additional session topicscovered the second Bush administration’spolicy agenda; relations amongdominant powers; economic issuesrelated to globalization and competition;and domestic political change.Participants included U.S. ambassadorto Thailand, Ralph Boyce; former U.S.ambassador to China and Indonesia,Stapleton Roy; former ambassador tothe Republic of Korea, Thomas C.Hubbard; Thai Parliament memberand former foreign minister, SurinPitsuwan; recent deputy foreign

n Raymond Burghardt is director of East-West Seminars.

EAST-WEST SEMINARS

Attending the EWC Senior Policy Seminar in Honolulu were diplomats, including fiveformer U.S. ambassadors, government officials, economists and academics.

minister of Japan, Tanaka Hitoshi;International Crisis Group projectdirector for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Samina Ahmed; president of ChinaForeign Affairs University, AmbassadorWu Jianmin; chairman and CEO of theInstitute for Global Economics, IlSaKong; and Fiji’s minister of foreignaffairs and external trade, IsikeliMataitoga.

ASIA PACIFIC EXECUTIVE FORUM

Asia Pacific Executive Forum (APEF)programs provide industry leaders, policy-makers and other experts with opportuni-ties to discuss key issues that influencebusiness and economic development inthe Asia Pacific region. In 2005, a seriesof business and media outreach sessionson “Your Best Prospects in China:Economic Trends, Legal Challenges, andEnergy Opportunities” were held inHouston, Dallas and San Antonio. TheEWC collaborated with the Asia Societyand local World Affairs Councils toorganize these well-attended events.

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Journalists discussing governanceand economic ties between theU.S. and Asia Pacific in theJefferson Fellowships seminar.

The Asia Pacific journalists thentraveled to Washington, Minneapolis,Austin, and Dallas, while theirAmerican counterparts visited Jakarta,Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Beijing.

In the fall, 11 journalists focusedon the theme, “Bulls, Bears and Tigers:Rising China and Implications forRegional Economies.” After a week atthe Center, they traveled to Shanghai,where they visited Chinese companiesthat have been part of the city’sphenomenal development; toChongqing, an inland Chinese city stillin the process of opening to outsideinvestment; and to Tokyo to look at theinteraction of Japan’s mature economywith other regional economies, and todiscuss issues surrounding World War IIin the wake of Prime Minister JunichiroKoizumi’s last visit to Yasukuni Shrine.

KOREA-UNITED STATESJOURNALISTS EXCHANGE

The East-West Center and Korea PressFoundation co-sponsored the firstKorea-U.S. Journalists Exchange. Thetwo-week study tour focused on“Bridging the Gaps in Understanding,”aimed at enhancing the quality andquantity of media reporting on U.S.-Korea issues by educating journaliststhrough travel and dialogue. A$210,000 grant from the Henry LuceFoundation will support the exchangeover the next three years.

American journalists visited threecities in South Korea while theirKorean counterparts traveled to threemainland U.S. cities over a 10-dayperiod. All of the journalists thenconvened at the Center to share waysto improve media coverage of theircountries. Programming partners wereEast-West Center Washington, theKorea Society in New York City, andthe Pacific Century Institute in LosAngeles. The Korea Press Foundationplanned all activities in Seoul, Pusan,and Geongju.

MEDIA PROGRAMS

JEFFERSON FELLOWSHIPS

The 2005 Jefferson Fellowshipsfocused on themes of governance andeconomic ties between the UnitedStates and Asia Pacific countries. In all, 25 journalists participated in the spring and fall programs,supported by a grant from TheFreeman Foundation. They representedAustralia, China, India, Indonesia,Japan, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan,Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United States.

The spring Jefferson Fellowsexplored “Fresh Mandates forGovernance,” analyzing the role and challenges of newly electedgovernments. All 14 fellows met inHonolulu for a week-long seminar.

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(l to r, back row) EWC’s Media Programs Coordinator Susan Kreifels, East-WestSeminars Director Raymond Burghardt, and (left 2nd row) EWC’s SeminarsSpecialist Marilyn Li with the participants in the new Korea-United StatesJournalists Exchange program.

Korea-United States Journalists Exchangeparticipants meeting with key leaders inSouth Korea.

3RD SENIOR JOURNALISTSSEMINAR

Journalists from Bangladesh, India,Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singaporetraveled to the U.S. mainland toexplore perceptual differences betweenAsian Islamic communities and theUnited States. Part of the Center’s“Muslim Initiative,” the projectexamined the role of journalists inbridging areas of misunderstanding.The study tour began with meetings in Washington, D.C. focused on U.S. foreign policy toward the Muslimworld. American journalists thenjoined the group for a colloquium on challenges in reporting on U.S.-Muslim relations post 9/11.

The Asian journalists continued to Detroit with a program arranged by the National Conference forCommunity and Justice. Meetingsthere centered on interfaith dialogueand Muslim communities in theUnited States. The program concludedin Seattle with further discussions withsenior writers and media experts.

HONG KONG JOURNALISMFELLOWSHIPS

Nine U.S. journalists participated inthe 2005 Hong Kong JournalismFellowships designed to foster a greaterunderstanding of contemporary Chinaand Hong Kong. Participants includedjournalists from CNN, U.S. News andWorld Report, Dow Jones Newswires,The Los Angeles Times, and Reuters.The program, co-sponsored with theBetter Hong Kong Foundation,commenced with a two-day ChinaSeminar at the Center, followed by astudy tour to Beijing, Xian, Shanghaiand Hong Kong.

ACROSS THE PACIFIC: A Forum on Journalism in the United States, Korea, and Taiwan

The East-West Center, FreedomForum, and Society of ProfessionalJournalists co-sponsored a two-dayforum in Washington, D.C. forAmerican, Korean, and Taiwanjournalists to discuss media and U.S.-

East Asia issues. The event featured apanel that included Muthiah Alagappa,director of EWC Washington;Raymond Burghardt, director of East-West Seminars; and Richard Bush ofthe Brookings Institution.

n Susan Kreifels became the media programs coordinator in 2005.

LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT

DISASTER RISK REDUCTION FOR SUSTAINABLEISLAND DEVELOPMENT:Building Safer and More Sustainable Communities

Executive directors and generalmanagers of electric power utilityorganizations from 20 Pacific islandnations participated in a two-weekleadership seminar at the Center thatfocused on hazard vulnerability anddisaster risk reduction strategies. Theutility managers discussed best practiceswith representatives from island utilitiesin the Caribbean and Hawai‘i. A three-day follow-up workshop was held inGuam in conjunction with the 14thPacific Power Association AnnualGeneral Meeting. The seminar andworkshop were funded by the NewZealand Agency for InternationalDevelopment, U.S. Department of theInterior, South Pacific AppliedGeoscience Commission, Organizationof American States, and HawaiianElectric Company.

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Power utility managers exploring best practices for reducing hazard vulnerability in theDisaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Island Development seminar.

Hong Kong Journalism Fellowsmeeting with members of theOrganizing Committee of the

2008 Beijing Olympics.

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REGIONAL STRATEGY FORMAINSTREAMING DISASTER RISKMANAGEMENT IN PACIFIC ISLAND COUNTRIES:Implementing the Pacific Frameworkfor Action 2005 – 2015

National disaster managers from 22Pacific island nations convened inPapua New Guinea for a three-dayworkshop, held in conjunction withthe 12th Pacific Regional DisasterManagers Meeting. The gatheringfocused on finalizing a ten-year regionalplan of action that addressed main-streaming disaster risk management toimprove the capacity of communitiesto reduce their vulnerability, managedisasters, and significantly enhance thesecurity of civil society.

The managers formally adoptedthe plan at the 36th Pacific IslandsForum in October. The plan calls forregional organizations, including theEast-West Center and the PacificDisaster Center, to assist island countriesin their efforts to develop andimplement national action plans.

n Meril Dobrin Fujiki is the project manager of the Building the Foundation Program, which encompasses these programs on disaster risk reduction and management.

15TH NEW GENERATIONSEMINAR

Emerging leaders from Asia, the Pacificand the United States addressed thetheme of “Health Issues in the AsiaPacific Region” at the 15th NewGeneration Seminar. This two-weekprogram enabled participants to gain abroader perspective on Asia Pacificregional issues facing their generationand to develop a vital support networkof colleagues. The 15 participantscame from Bangladesh, Cambodia,China, India, Indonesia, Japan,Malaysia, the Marshall Islands, thePhilippines, the United States, andVietnam. Participants convened at theCenter and then traveled to Bangkokand Hong Kong. East-West Center

Director of Research Nancy DavisLewis, an expert in the geography ofhealth and women’s health issues,facilitated the group’s discussion.

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

CHANGING FACES WOMEN’SLEADERSHIP PROGRAM

“Sustainable Development for Asia,the Pacific, and the United States” wasthe theme of the 2005 Changing FacesWomen’s Leadership Program, whichbrought together 12 women frommid-level leadership positions fordialogue and professional develop-ment. The participants, coming fromthe United States, Burma, China,Hong Kong, India, Nepal, Pakistan,Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, tookpart in nine days of discussionsessions, leadership developmentworkshops, panel presentations andsite visits around Hawai‘i.

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

Participants in the 2005Changing Faces Women’s

Leadership Program.

“THE GAP BETWEEN THE WEST AND EAST WAS BRIDGED…MYTHS AND

MISCONCEPTIONS WERE CLEARED. WE SAW EACH OTHER AS INDIVIDUALS,

WITHOUT POLITICS, REGION, OR RELIGION COMING IN BETWEEN.”

2005 New Generation Seminar participant Toufiq Rashid, principal correspondent, Indian Express, New Delhi

New Generation Seminar participantsdiscussing regional health issues.