Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative

Education in UK: Sure Path to Success

2010-08-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Interview with Dr. Ridwan Zachrie (Delegate/Indonesia, Tokyo Summit 2008) by CampusAsia magazine for their June-August 2010 issue.

Take Kim to Court

2010-08-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

by Jared Genser (Delegate/USA, KL Summit 2009)

Sinking the Cheonan was a war crime. There would be several advantages to prosecuting it as such.

This article appeared in The Wall Street Journal on June 3, 2010.

It was a quiet night aboard the South Korean naval warship Cheonan on March 26 as it patrolled the Yellow Sea south of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto boundary dividing North and South Korea. Suddenly a strong underwater explosion, later determined to have been the detonation of a North Korean homing torpedo, split the ship in two. Within five minutes, the ship had sunk, killing 46 of its crew and sparking a new threat of war on the Korean peninsula.

Since then, the international community has been scrambling to defuse tensions, coordinate a response, and understand why North Korean leader Kim Jong Il would launch this unprovoked attack. What has been missing in the assessment of options so far, however, is the prospect that Kim may have exposed himself for the first time to international justice. There is, I believe, a prima facie case for referring the sinking of the Cheonan to the International Criminal Court for investigation and prosecution of those who carried out and ordered the attack.

The crux of the crime itself is straightforward. One of the war crimes that can be prosecuted in the ICC is the crime of "killing . . . treacherously individuals belonging to the hostile nation or army." Merely conducting a sneak attack itself is not considered treachery under the laws of war, as surprise is often used in wartime. What was actually "treacherous" is that North Korea signed the 1953 armistice and committed unequivocally to "order and enforce a complete cessation of hostilities."

In this case, North Korea invited the confidence of South Korea that the armistice was in force—despite the occasional minor skirmish here and there over the years—which led the South Korean navy to not be patrolling on high alert. That confidence was intentionally betrayed to sink the vessel and kill its crew. The laws of war make very clear that while an armistice merely suspends active fighting and can indeed be broken, notice must be provided to the other side first.

With regard to jurisdiction, the incident took place in South Korean territorial waters and against a South Korean ship. Either of these facts alone–given that North Korea would dispute the first point—gives the court jurisdiction to hear a complaint because South Korea is a party to the Rome Statute establishing the Court.

All that is required at this point to trigger an investigation would be for a party to the Rome Statute to refer the situation to the prosecutor for investigation. Beyond South Korea, that could include any of more than 100 countries around the world. Alternatively, the Court's creative and relentless prosecutor, Argentine lawyer Luis Moreno Ocampo, could decide to take up the situation on his own.

That said, this would not necessarily be an easy course to follow. Even if the situation is taken up by the prosecutor, to indict anyone responsible for the sinking of the Cheonan would require substantial evidence. While the report on the sinking says the evidence for North Korean culpability is conclusive, the court only prosecutes individuals and not countries. Thus, further intelligence to determine who is actually responsible and following those orders up the chain of command would be required.

Then there's the time factor. All the court's investigations up to now have taken years to complete. And even if one could ultimately procure the evidence to issue an arrest warrant for Kim, it would be highly unlikely that he could be easily apprehended, given his limited travel outside North Korea.

Yet despite all the obstacles, this remains a desirable course to pursue for several reasons. Beginning such an investigation could mark a critical rhetorical turning point in labeling Kim as an international criminal, rather than merely as a dictator. Such a label is past due. While global focus on North Korea in recent years has been primarily on its nuclear weapons program, the daily reality for the people of the country is appalling. Starvation is widespread and the Kim regime maintains a vast gulag system holding some 200,000 political prisoners.

Beyond the sinking of the Cheonan, there is little doubt that Kim is also guilty of committing crimes against humanity against his own people. Any measure that focuses attention on this aspect of his character would be a needed reality check on the tendency to treat him merely as a strong-willed, if unpredictable and cunning, dictator to be negotiated with by the international community.

Kim is ailing and may well die of natural causes in the next few years before facing any sort of justice. But given the profound suffering of the North Korean people and his recent actions against South Korea, triggering an investigation before the International Criminal Court could drive a wedge between Kim and any elements of his government that care about the damage his conduct has caused the country and its people. If this hastens his demise even a little, that can only benefit the North Korean people and the world.

Mr. Genser is an international lawyer in Washington, D.C. who has previously taught at the University of Michigan and University of Pennsylvania law schools.

Michael Jackson and science

2010-08-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

by Aditya Mittal (Delegate/India, Seoul Summit 2006)

In an impassioned obituary, biological scientist Aditya Mittal tells us how the phenomenal singer's music moulded his science and scientific temperament.

I grew up in the city of New Delhi in India in the environs of the North campus of Delhi University. The music of Michael Jackson was a core part of my childhood and an inseparable part of my teenage. So much so, that while earning a diploma in Indian classical music during my teenage years, I could not allow myself to miss owning the latest song or even video release of Michael Jackson. Even with a financially humble background, the value of Michael Jackson's music in solving problems in my mathematics course was recognized by my mother, herself a senior teacher of mathematics. I was the proud owner of every single video cassette of MJ that came to the Indian market.

His music provided the rhythm to my problem solving and played a key role in my merit certificates in the National Mathematics Olympiads. Then MJ came to India in 1996. I was a proud owner of a concert ticket, seated in very close proximity to the stage, to the right of my music God. I still remember losing my voice for four days after the concert because of all the "singing" that I tried to do with him. His one handed hanging act on a ramp that extended right over my head during the performance of the Earth Song still holds the true meaning in my life for 'looking up'. I still have my head band from that concert and the concert ticket laminated with me.

After completing my high school and college, still with MJ as a core part of my life, I went to the US of A for my graduate studies. There I made American friends; my age group, some a little older to me too, but all from a generation for whom MJ had the same value in their life. I remember discussing membrane biophysics, ecology, turtles, mating rituals of bees over rounds of beers and whiskey with these friends while playing pool in different pool halls of Philadelphia.

I also remember several overnight discussions in one of the Irish pubs in the neighborhood on multi-parameter fitting of kinetic data on membrane fusion. I remember MJ's music being an important common ingredient in all those discussions. Here I was with people who had become very close to me, who had grown up in a totally different part of the world than I had, but who shared MJ in their roots as much as I.

Then I went to the NIH for my post-doc. It was in a 'Russian' group. Within a couple of months our group became well known in the 11th floor of building number 10 for having one of the most fun atmospheres in the lab. We used to play MJ on high decibel levels while working on our viruses and fibroblasts. Even HeLa, Jurkat and NIH3T3 fibroblasts seem to respond to the music of MJ. Our annual laboratory retreats, weekend getaways to discuss our science in form of posters on glass windows dropping straight down into a river valley, were heavily fueled by the music of MJ and our attempts with the white glove and the moon walk on the carpeted floors. Again, these were my friends who had grown up in yet another part of the world with MJ in the roots of their upbringing.

Science has a very close relation with music. Music has indeed been an integral part of, at least, my thought process during my science. And for my generation of scientists, the music of MJ has been one of the foundation pillars. Even today the passion invoked by 'Dirty Diana', or the accompanying of failed experiments with 'Stranger in Moscow', or the tears that can be brought out by the 'Earth Song' or just the jamming with 'Beat it', 'Jam', 'Keep it in the closet' – the list can go on, form the core of my identity as a scientist. The music in a way reflects my own relationship with science.

Today, I woke up to hear that MJ's gone. I immediately called my American friends from grad school. They had also been thinking about me while feeling the loss of MJ and, of words. It has been hours since I heard the news; there is an emptiness. However, MJ's music is still with us. He was a phenomenon of nature. And we do not even need to worry about his music mutating for any number of years like we have to worry about HeLa cells. His music will live with us. And it will keep pushing our science.

The author is an associate professor in the School of Biological Sciences at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

PROJECT SIGNET: Morality marching with capacity

2010-08-03T04:40:00.001-07:00

by Jeremy Lim (Delegate/Singapore, Seoul Summit 2006; Singapore Summit 2007)

SIGNET is to the best of my knowledge the first of its kind, a philanthropically funded healthcare leadership and management program to nurture and support healthcare leaders in North India wanting to make a difference. I have been privileged to be involved since its inception and after 4 visits to India and countless meetings and tele-conferences, perhaps it is time to take stock and reflect on some observations.

SIGNET started after a serendipitous meeting between Prof Lazaer Mathew and Dr Joseph Mathew and I in Montreal in June 2008. A spirited discussion on what ails healthcare in developing countries led us to the conclusion that while resources were scarce in developing countries, an equally pressing concern was the often poor utilization of these resources. Decision-making by healthcare leaders and hospital managers was identified as a key weakness that could be ameliorated, and with the generous funding of the Temasek Foundation, SIGNET was born.

SIGNET aims to provide clinicians and managers making healthcare resource decisions with the skills to move from ‘ego to evidence’ as Prof Raj Bahadur, the Director Principal of Government Medical College Hospital Sector 32 and advisor to SIGNET, succinctly puts it. Healthcare resource decisions are often based on superficial understanding of the medical literature, personal biases, professional pride and commercial influences, but they should be based instead on the paradigm of population needs and best practices derived from the scientific literature and contextualized to local circumstances. Our framework is based on asking three simple and yet profound questions: ‘Does it work?’, ‘Does it work here?’ and ‘Is it worth it?’. ‘It’ being any healthcare intervention, be it vaccination, a new drug, a clinic workflow or a community outreach program.

We started with the notion of a typical ‘training of trainers’ format but quickly learnt that this would be insufficient. Our program now starts with a half-day workshop with senior hospital leaders to create awareness of the science of decision-making and evidence-informed management. After garnering support from the leadership, we then begin in-depth learning with middle managers and clinicians about the tools which include health technology assessment, health economics, process improvement and managing innovation. Another lesson we learnt along the way was the need to anchor the learning in specific innovation projects. The rationale was two-fold: firstly to provide a vehicle to put the classroom theory into practice and secondly and more importantly, to enable visibility of the fruits of such innovation to the larger hospital community. I say more importantly because our efforts are not to train a cadre of skilled managers, but to seed changes in mindset and practices of the hospital. In an environment so steeped in conservatism and filled with highly skilled, highly intelligent and opinionated professionals as healthcare is, early successes are vital to encourage the innovators and to win the support of peers.

The workshops include a training stint in Singapore also, and whilst costly, are absolutely integral to the program. Much of the expertise relevant to our innovators is found in Singapore hospitals and the exposure to a totally different environment with different cultural norms and practices has been invaluable in igniting the sparks of creativity.

A third differentiator has been the strong support of our partners Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School (GMS). GMS has played a pivotal role in developing pedagogical expertise and by sharing so freely their expertise and insights in medical education, they have equipped our participants with the necessary wherewithal to impart effectively their new-found skills.

What have I learnt? Firstly, there is a certain ‘universality’ to healthcare and many challenges faced by our brethren in Chandigarh and Delhi are the same ones we struggle with. Secondly, to teach is truly to learn twice and whilst the program is purportedly a capacity building one to benefit India, we Singaporeans have also been much enriched by our experiences in India and we bring these lessons into our stewardship of the Singapore system. Thirdly, “Morality must march with capacity” was James Grant’s rallying call as he led UNICEF through its ambitious vaccination and diarrheal disease programs in the 1980s and for us in Singapore, who have been privileged with probably one of the best healthcare systems in the world, the opportunity to play our part and contribute internationally should be seized.

SIGNET is an acronym for Singapore India Group Network for Empowerment Training and focuses on building healthcare leadership in North Indian hospitals including Post Graduate Institute for Medical Education and Research (PGI), Government Medical College Hospital Sector 32, Chandigarh and Catholic Health Association of India (CHAI) hospitals such as Holy Family, Delhi. It comprises the following components:

1. Awareness creation workshop for hospital leaders
2. Healthcare Managers’ Leadership Program (In India and Singapore)
3. 1 year long facilitated innovation project
4. Training of peers in evidence-informed healthcare decision-making

Jeremy Lim, Project Director (Singapore) for SIGNET, is Senior Consultant in the Ministry of Health, Singapore while on secondment from Singapore Health Services.

FXB Center Initiative: South – South Conference on Children in Post-earthquake Haiti

2010-04-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Satchit Balsari (Fellow/India, Class of 2010) writes to request members of the network for input on a project he's currently working on with Harvard's FXB Center for Health and Human Rights and UNICEF.

The earthquake in Haiti has left the country in a dire situation from which it will undoubtedly require years to recover and rebuild. Reports estimate 250,000 people dead, 300,000 injured and 1,000,000 homeless. In relation to Haiti’s children, tens of thousands have experienced heightened levels of insecurity including separation and loss, abuse and exploitation, interruptions in education, food insecurity, and profound levels of psychosocial distress. Moreover, the damage the earthquake left behind to both buildings and infrastructure presents the Haitian Government with a formidable challenge to address.

Haiti’s leaders are of the view that the post-earthquake experiences of other countries would be helpful in informing the planning and strategy of Haiti’s rebuilding and reconstruction. Linked by commonalities in the challenges they face, countries from the “global south” can share their learned experience to help build upon previous successes and avoid previous mistakes. Policymakers and stakeholders from other earthquake affected areas have important stories to share and lessons to convey, so that the “building back better” of Haiti could be undertaken in the context of what has worked best elsewhere.

To support the re-building efforts of the Haitian authorities and to promote the potential of shared knowledge from other countries, the FXB Center plans to facilitate a three day, South-South Conference that could enable translation of the best practices in post-disaster recovery from the “Global South,” with a specific focus on responses to the needs of children. The Conference will address those issues that Haitians identify as the most central and problematic in their reconstruction. The participants will be from countries that have experienced a significant earthquake in the last 10 years, including possible representation from Pakistan, Algeria, China, Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, Indonesia, as well as Chile. Invitees will be selected by a conference steering committee of Haitian officials, UNICEF and FXB leadership. International organizations, such as WHO and PAHO, will also be invited. The conference would take place in June or July of 2010 at a location still to be determined.

The conference will aim to have immediate and practical application. Its focus on best practices will highlight the efforts that have been working in Haiti, as well as identify additional strategies that might help meet complex ongoing challenges. The conference will serve as the launch of a longer-term action undertaken by the Haitian authorities in collaboration with the UN and non governmental stakeholders to create an agenda for mapping need and measuring the interventions that are taking place.

In terms of addressing the needs of children post-disaster, conference participants will explore the vital components in protecting children, which necessarily include human security issues facing their families and communities. The conference will discuss different approaches and models to be used in ensuring protection, shelter, and care for orphans and vulnerable children. Participants will also investigate how livelihood protection and sustainability, women’s access to personal and financial security and access to land have fitted in with child protection programs in other earthquake settings. The conference will also examine best practices in dealing with child rights, legal identity, registration and tracing.

Among Pilgrims

2010-04-30T08:07:00.001-07:00

by Stefan Kratz (Delegate/USA, Tokyo Summit 2008)

The Greening of the Food Service Industry

2010-04-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

Pat Gallardo (Fellow/Philippines, Class of 2008) was featured in the Inspiration Profile section of F&B World's March-April 2010 issue.

One small step for Kennedy, one giant leap for Obama

2010-03-05T04:53:00.000-08:00

by Thom Woodroofe (Delegate/Australia, KL Summit 2009

As a boy I wrote a detailed seven-page letter to President Clinton outlining why he should send a child into space. Coincidentally I suggested the child should be me.

Today, it is a dream that not even in my most fanciful of moments can I still consider a reality.

Last month, Barack Obama unveiled his new budget which abruptly cut NASA’s ambitious Constellation program.

It was an endeavor that would have seen us return to the moon before the decade was out and then set our sights on Mars.

Now, with that single stroke of the pen, he has destroyed whatever speck of moon dust there was of my grandest dream ever becoming a reality. Alabama Senator Richard Shelby rightly observed it was the “death march for the future of US human spaceflight.”

Announced by the Bush Administration in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster, the Constellation program was a healthy injection of Obama’s favorite home remedy at a time it was most needed: hope.

But now the magic and romance of grand idealism in the politics of space travel is well and truly dead.

It is hard to imagine President Obama channeling the Camelot era of Kennedy and committing the nation to an unquantifiable and almost unimaginable goal by the end of the decade on any issue. Or perhaps even more importantly, rallying the nation across the aisle towards it.

In these days of stark and bitter partisanship coupled with a vicious media cycle of shock jocks and pundits it would be one of the most dangerous political moves in history. Health care is the closest he has come to such idealism, but it has been so diluted by the political process you would hardly call it visionary stuff. Or to use an appropriate pun: the right stuff.

By most estimates, the cost of launching a manned mission to Mars would total around US $40 billion. Not much really when you think of the size of the bank bailouts and stimulus packages steamrolled across the developed world in the last eighteen months.

Imagine if simply a small part of the Obama stimulus package was used to invest in the vision of a manned mission to Mars, or building a base on the moon. An investment of that size in a sector so diverse that every Congressional district is linked to launching the shuttle in some way would have been phenomenal.

The perplexing reality is that on two of the most traditionally liberal stalwarts of policy: spaceflight and foreign aid, President Bush has actually beaten President Obama thus far.

There is little doubt the Apollo space program cost more than could be afforded at the time. At its peak, NASA’s direct funding alone totaled 5% of the federal budget. This was against the backdrop of a country gripped in the bipolar struggle of a Cold War with the USSR and struggling economically to sustain a rising insurgency war in Vietnam.

But Apollo was more than just a goal.

The prospect of landing on the moon raised people’s spirits. Bank bailouts or some dodgy home insulation in the Australian example have hardly done that.

The benefits were much wider too.

Advances in medicine, technology and energy efficiency have saved lives and increased our overall quality of life. If it wasn’t for Apollo, we may well not have yet developed lasers sufficiently to conduct heart and eye surgery, and solar systems might too be a thing of the future.

With India, Japan and China each successfully conducting manned space missions in the last decade, now is the time for the US to be bolstering rather than booting the sector to the ground. At times it seems like the best thing for the US space industry might just be China’s power becoming a rival to the US. Either that or the effects of climate change accelerating rapidly or the discovery of intelligent life somewhere in the universe.

Sometimes I still catch myself looking up there at the moon and wondering when we will be going back, and who that will be. My astronaut-idol Jim Lovell once proclaimed: “Imagine if Christopher Columbus had returned from the New World and nobody returned in his footsteps?”

Under President Obama it seems like one giant leap away.

http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/one-small-step-for-kennedy-one-giant-leap-for-obama/#comments

Thom Woodroofe, 20, is the 2009 Young Victorian of the Year and founder of Left Right Think-Tank. He is currently living and studying in the USA overcoming his lifelong desire to become an astronaut.

Earth Hour 2010

2010-03-05T04:49:00.001-08:00

On the 27th of March 2010 at 8:30 PM, cities and towns across the world will turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – sending a powerful global message that it’s time to take action on global warming.

For the past two years Earth Hour has brought together about one billion people around the globe, in more than 1000 cities from businesses, governments, and communities sending a message to world leaders in the lead-up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Copenhagen. We needed to commit to reducing green house gas emissions to prevent catastrophic climate change impacts especially on the most vulnerable communities and to ensure the survival of our planet.

The United Nations Copenhagen Climate Change Conference 2009 was a historical gathering that brought together world leaders, to tackle the most challenging crisis of our time. We needed a deal, we needed commitments, and we needed the political will to be able to initiate action against climate change. However the outcome of Copenhagen was unable to fulfill the objectives of keeping global warming below the widely agreed 2º C high-risk level.

This year Earth Hour is even more important and significant. This year, Earth Hour 2010 will empower individuals to commit to the challenge of finding the courage to solve the climate change crisis. It will continue to send a strong message to our world leaders for change by calling upon individuals, communities, and governments to turn out their lights for an extra hour.

In what we hope will be the world’s largest mass participation event, Earth Hour 2010 will be the culmination of over one billion people around the globe, in more than 6000 cities, towns and municipalities from business, government and the community turning off lights for one hour on one night. Earth Hour 2010 aims to send a message to world leaders that we, the citizens of the planet, demand commitment to actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of the planet. 2010 is the ultimate year for humanity to address the problem.

Last March 2009, the Philippines ranked first amongst all nations who participated in Earth Hour 2009. From Luzon, Visayas to Mindanao, 647 local government units and communities switched off their lights, and iconic buildings and landmarks went dark. This year WWF is aiming for the support of at least 15 million Filipinos nationwide. In the midst of the darkness, the Philippines will shine again.

Earth Hour is a message of hope and action. Imagine what we can do if we act together.

Join us on March 27 at 8:30pm for Earth Hour 2010.

For more information, visit www.earthhour.org. You may also sign up at http://greenarmynetwork.net/earthhour2010.

THE CHANGE AGENT

2010-02-16T02:55:00.000-08:00

(Feature article on Vivian Liu, Delegate/Singapore, KL Summit 2009, in the December 2009 issue of Her World)

QIFANG: STUDENT LOANS MAKE FAMILY ABOUT LOVE, NOT FINANCIAL SECURITY

2010-02-16T02:33:00.000-08:00

by Timothy Chen (Delegate/US, Singapore Summit 2007)

The Chinese are known to take a long view on everything. Story has it that in the 1970s, when Zhou Enlai was asked by Henry Kissinger what he thought about the French Revolution, Zhou responded, "It's too early to tell." Likewise, traditionally most Chinese parents would gladly give everything they have to their children-to invest in the next generation-with the expectation that 40 or 50 years down the road, those children would "repay" the parents by taking care of them in their old age.

In a China steeped in Confucian mores with less in-country migration and deep ties to family and home communities, this was an investment that parents could count on. Parents could also spread their risk by having several children with the hopes that at least one would be there to provide for them in the future. Previous generations had done the same.

But in today's China, with a migratory workforce, looser connections to traditions and most families with only one child, seniors must either trust in the country's limited social safety net, or live with the uncertainty that investments in their children will pay the types of returns that will allow them to retire with financial security.

And what if your family's financial means are limited and you don't have the family savings to invest in your child now when they are pursuing their education? There is a small window of time during which you must have the money to pay to keep your child in school. Some majors at universities in the East might cost as much as four times the annual salary of a worker in a poorer, Western province. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, most Chinese families already spend more money on education than on anything except food. And other expensive items, like computers, have become educational necessities.

For many, government support has been the principal option. Government support for tertiary education is growing, but focuses on those who can demonstrate the greatest need. What's left is a tremendous gap between those for whom school fees are not a problem, and those who receive public sector support. Families in the gap have tried to find informal means to borrow for school, from friends or extended family, or their children had to drop out.

This is where formalized borrowing and a robust set of options for education finance can relieve a tremendous burden from so many Chinese middle and lower income families. With the expansion of education finance, educational decisions about where to go to school and how long to stay in school can be removed from the realities of financial resources. Young people with potential can use their talent as collateral to make sure they stay in school and realize that potential.

Shanghai-based Qifang is facilitating this development. Qifang is an online service for Chinese students to find a way to pay for their education by connecting them with individuals, companies and organizations that can support their educational dreams. Working like an eBay auction, sponsors can bid and compete to help, and lenders can offer internships and job opportunities as well as provide funding to pay bills. Qifang manages the transaction and repayment and is a communication tool for borrowers, lenders and peers. This has helped students learn about related topics like financial literacy too. With nearly 2500 loans on the site, Qifang's model is gaining early traction. In 2008, the World Economic Forum recognized Qifang as a Technology Pioneer for its innovative model and positive social impact.

Importantly, with models like Qifang, parents can still support their children's education according to tradition-helping with any money they can-but there is a subtle but important shift in responsibility to the child. It's their name on the loan and their credit at risk. It's this credit that the child will need to be in good standing to later borrow for a house, a car or to start their own business. And parents can still also depend on their children's improved career prospects to provide for their retirement and golden years, but they can also use some of the money that would have gone entirely to pay for education today to invest for retirement, buy insurance products or otherwise build up their own nest eggs.

Ideally then, family members become somewhat more financially self-reliant, but remain there for each other in times of need and emergencies. Family relationships are freer to become more about emotional and spiritual fulfillment and less about economic necessity.

HERITAGE AS A CATALYST FOR PROGRESS

2010-02-16T02:21:00.000-08:00

by Ivan Anthony Henares (Delegate/Philippines, Tokyo Summit 2008)

A strong national identity can become a potent force to push a nation to become great. Unfortunately, the Philippines has yet to solidify its own identity as one nation. There is thus a need to strengthen pride of place and nationalism, especially among young people, in order to harness that cultural identity and unite the country to be able to move forward as a nation.

Built heritage is a potent symbol for national identity. The Heritage Conservation Society is the prime mover and advocate for the preservation of Philippine built heritage resources. We do this "in order to contribute towards the establishment of a Society that preserves and values its cultural heritage through advocacy and volunteerism, project implementation, education and information." Our vision is "a Filipino society that values and preserves its cultural heritage in order to instill pride of place and strengthen Philippine national identity."

Heritage is an asset people do not realize they have until it's finally gone. When it's gone, you can't bring it back. It's sad when people realize how heritage could have raised the quality of life in a community. And when they finally understand it, they try to recreate it, but cannot.

Part of our mission is to make heritage relevant to Filipinos today. And part of heritage conservation is making heritage economically viable if you want it to survive. The term there is adaptive reuse. We use heritage buildings by carefully altering the interiors to suit modern needs. Most of the important tourist districts in the world have revolved around heritage.

Sad to say, many businessmen in the Philippines are so short-sighted, they consider old buildings as useless, tear them down, and build hideous structures to replace them. If packaged in the right way, people will flock to heritage areas like Binondo, Sta. Cruz and Quiapo in the Old Manila district and that will increase business. Dr. Trevor Hogan, an Australian sociologist said, "If Quiapo were in Melbourne, the rich and famous would be scrambling to live in it."

Our neighbors have fine examples of adaptive reuse, districts with preserved exteriors and chic interiors, such as Boat Quay and Clarke Quay in Singapore, San Ma Lo and Plaza Senado in Macau, and the Bund in Shanghai. They have been transformed into trendy attractions.

As we continuously destroy every trace of our past, we are diminishing our pride as a Filipino race. There will be no visible symbols that we can use to bring us forward as one people. And many poor communities in countries around the world have turned their situation around because of heritage and cultural tourism. You can check out the Hue Declaration on Cultural Tourism and Poverty Alleviation to guide everyone on how heritage has become a tool for poverty alleviation.

I look forward to a Philippines with a strong sense of nationalism and cultural identity. It is my hope that Filipinos, especially the current generation of the youth, will value our rich cultural heritage and be proud of everything that is Filipino. Preserving our culture and heritage is the duty of every Filipino. Once that love for country and everything that is Filipino is instilled in every citizen, it will create a realization of our moral obligation for civic participation and volunteerism that would address all these pressing concerns that transcend sectors.

For more information on the Heritage Conservation Society, click here. You may also visit Ivan's travel blog, Ivan About Town.

Ivan, a staunch advocate of cultural heritage, is a Trustee of the Heritage Conservation Society and member of the International Cultural Tourism Committee (ICTC) of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). His blog was adjudged Best Travel Blog at the 2007 Philippine Blog Awards.

BUILDING A BETTER WORLD THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

2010-02-16T01:57:00.000-08:00

by Penny Low (Delegate/Singapore, Seoul Summit 2006)

Social Innovation Park Ltd (SIP) was founded in 2006 with a vision to build a more inclusive, sustainable, and better world through Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. SIP is an impartial, not-for-profit organisation that aims to Educate, Empower, and Enhance (3Es) social entrepreneurs to bring positive innovations to lives and societies. This year, SIP will celebrate its fourth anniversary and the many achievements that have brought us many steps closer to realising our dream.

One of our programs, the Global Social Innovators Forum (GSIF), brings together a highly trusted community of influential minds from the public, private and people sectors and provide opportunities for them to collaborate and embrace innovations that will define business, government and society, thereby building a more inclusive, sustainable and better world. The theme for GSIF 2009 was Collaborative Innovations: Investing in Team Earth & an Inclusive World . For three days, more than 530 delegates and speakers from about 30 countries took part in building a community of change leaders who are embracing social innovation to do good and do well. We started the forum asking ourselves how to design a better future, one with economic profits, social dividends, political successes and harmony, and environmental sustainability. Throughout the three days, we deliberated on the challenges we face, but more importantly focused on the social innovations that can lead us to our better future.

At the GSIF Gala Dinner, SIP announces the recipients of its SIP Distinguished Fellow and Fellow Awards, which was started in 2008 and honors leaders in Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation worldwide. Among the inaugural Fellows recognized was Veronica Colondam (Fellow/Indonesia, Class of 2007), Founder of Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB). This year honorees included Asia 21 alumni Melissa Kwee (Delegate/Singapore, Singapore Summit 2007), Chairperson of Halogen Foundation, Singapore, and Calvin Chin (Delegate/USA, KL Summit 2009), Co-Dounder and CEO of Qifang, China.

Another project, called the Pop and Talent Hub (PaTH) Initiative, is Singapore's first Social Enterprise Development Platform, championing social entrepreneurship via the arts by developing artists from traditionally marginalised groups including the hearing- and visually-impaired, chronically depressed, stay-at-home mothers, youths-at-risk, among others. In 2008, we collaborated with Network for Electronic Transfers Pte Ltd (NETS) to launch six limited edition CashCards featuring artwork by PaTH talents. Through the partnership, 150,000 cards were printed and six less-advantaged but equally-abled artists gained confidence and dignity from seeing their artwork published and in the hands of thousands of Singaporeans.

As we enter our fourth year of driving the social entrepreneurship movement in the region, we've been fortunate to receive the partnership and support of many global movers and shakers- leaders and innovators including his Excellency President S R Nathan of Singapore; Peng Tsin Ong, technopreneur and founder of Match.com; and Global Investor Jim Rogers. Many SIP supporters have also given their time to educate on social entrepreneurship and innovation through our "Giant in Conversation" and "Chatterbox" speaking series. Our "Giants" have included Rory Stear, founder of Freeplay Enterprise and Fondations; Mel Young, social entrepreneur and founder of the Homeless World Cup; Young Global Leader Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, co-founder of Opera Software; and Stephan Chambers, Chairman of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship and Director of the MBA and EMBA degress at Oxford Saïd Business School. Stephan Chambers joined us in Singapore last year for the launch of a Skoll-Oxford-SIP partnership through which SIP and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship will host an annual exchange of lectures, forums, and other events to grow the social entrepreneurship movement. SIP is also spreading its seeds overseas, having formed SIP Chapters in the USA (Yale University), China (Fudan University), Japan, Indonesia, and Kashmir as well as maintained our local student chapters at the Singapore Institute of Management and Nanyang Polytechnic. Projects range from student forums at our university chapters to SIP Water Clubs, formed in Kashmir to teach water conservation and solutions to water problems faced by locals. SIP looks forward to continuing to grow our organisation in 2010 and educating, empowering, and enhancing social entrepreneurs to bring positive innovations to lives and societies worldwide.

To find out more about SIP and its initiatives, please visit www.socialinnovationpark.org or email info@socialinnovationpark.org.

Penny, President and Founder of Social Innovation Park Ltd, is one of the 34 founding members of the New Asian Leaders by the Geneva-based World Economic Forum. She has also been honored as one of the 237 (out of 8,000 worldwide) founding members of the prestigious The Forum of Global Young Leaders (YGL). She was the youngest elected female Member of Parliament in Singapore, representing the Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency in 2001.

REPLICATING THE MAHAVILACHCHIYA EVILLAGE CONCEPT

2010-02-15T01:47:00.000-08:00

by Nandasiri Wanninayaka (Delegate/Sri Lanka, Summit 2008)

Having provided ICT and English education since 1998 to the children of Mahavilachchiya, a village in Anuradhapura, 245 km from Colombo in Sri Lanka, Horizon Lanka is looking for innovative ways to expand its services and bring the benefits of ICT to the adults in the village as well.

The Model eVillage project was officially launched in January 2005 in hopes that by providing parents and other adults in the village with an education in ICT and Internet accessibility at home and at ICT centres, the community will enjoy an improved quality of life through informed decision making.

Recognizing early on that the support of the local community would be intrinsic to the success of such a concept, one of the first steps Horizon Lanka embarked upon was the strengthening of relationships already established within the community.

Horizon Lanka began a series of training sessions and workshops aimed at introducing the community to the concept of an eVillage and familiarizing them with ICT usage and its benefits.

As predicted, since the introduction of the Model eVillage, Mahavilachchiya has seen endless benefits to its community. For instance now, at the click of a button, farmers are able to access agricultural information, weather forecasts, crop prices and market information. They use this to make informed decisions about when to harvest crops and at what price to sell their produce.

The unemployed are able to access information from the multi-media library and the Internet, which significantly broadens and speeds up their employment prospects. The ICT skills learned at the training sessions and practiced regularly at home have been invaluable in securing gainful employment for themselves. The communication link between villagers and others across the country and the world have been enhanced. Presently, with Internet-enabled computers at home and the knowledge on how to use it, families can talk to relatives abroad using webmail and IP telephony services like Skype, all without any cost to themselves.

Perhaps the greatest success of the Model eVillage concept launched by Horizon Lanka has been in transforming village students into IT professionals. Public schools in rural areas have to make do with the barest of resources, which means subjects like ICT are often overlooked. By providing children access to computers and the Internet, they learn to use these tools to improve their standard of work and put them in a competitive with students from urban schools. To ensure that more children in the village benefit from the novel experience, Horizon Lanka has been providing more public schools, temples, and other institutions with computers and Internet access.

Access to bank accounts through the Internet and communication via email have also significantly reduced the inconvenience of travelling to Anuradhapura town to conduct business transactions. Horizon Lanka has made it possible for villagers to do so at home, saving them time and travel costs. Something which has been near impossible in the past is the ability to disseminate information quickly, which is of utmost importance especially in times of crises like national disasters, war or drought. It is hoped that the introduction of ICT will facilitate the flow of information to rural areas. Public information suppliers from NGOs and the government now have better access to rural communities. The community will begin to feel less isolated and become more interested in what is happening to the rest of the country.

Mahavilachchiya became the first rural village to benefit from mesh technology in 2006. Mesh technology has given the whole community wireless access to the Internet from their homes. Since its inception, Horizon Lanka's eVillage concept has furnished over 100 families with used desktop computers. Following up on the unprecedented success achieved in Mahavilachchiya, Horizon Lanka is now able to share its experience, taking ICT to the rural communities of Sri Lanka. The foundation provides consulting services with respect to launching and setting up rural level ICT centers throughout the country. Similar projects are now being replicated island-wide.

But the downside of all these is that, though Horizon Lanka did all these almost impossible tasks, now it is facing many financial problems to take its work forward, and hope those who have the means will chip in to take Horizon Lanka's journey forward.

Wanna is the CEO of Horizon Lanka Foundation. He has found a way to bring modern technology to isolated communities, link villagers to outside networks through the Internet, and use alternative education (with emphasis on the English language) to foster teamwork, creativity and self-esteem among students. He initiated Sri Lanka's first village-level outsourcing venture and is working to establish an e-commerce facility so farmers can avoid middlemen and sell their products at market prices.

Presidentiables face young leaders on iVote

2010-02-03T22:28:00.000-08:00

Youth issues take centerstage as student leaders, young executives and entrepreneurs meet the 2010 Presidential candidates at iVote: The Presidential Youth Dialogue on February 9, from 9 am - 4 pm at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of the RCBC Plaza, Manila, Philippines. Hosted by Asia Society Philippines, the organizing body of the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative, and IPVG Corporation, iVote aims to present a picture of the presidency as envisioned by the young leaders themselves. The youth comprise almost 60% of the voting population, and are increasingly involved and vigilant on issues relating to electoral politics and the public agenda.

Unlike other presidential fora that take on the debate format, iVote is structured as a dialogue between the 2010 Presidentiables and leaders of the youth sector. Each candidate is allotted a 30-minute session with the audience, first to answer a series of questions based on issues identified with or deemed important by the youth. This will be followed by questions from the audience, and may range from specific policy responses to social issues, to more irreverent questions that reflect the personality and character of the candidates.

iVote recognizes the youth sector's pervasive online presence and penchant for social networking. IPVG will be livestreaming the forum in its entirety, via the Asia Society global website. An edited version of the program will be broadcast by QTV 11 on March 20.

iVote is spearheaded by the Asia Society’s Philippines 21 Young Leaders, the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, YouthVote Philippines, National Movement of Young Legislators, and other organizations of young leaders.

The event is free and open to the public. To register, please contact Tieza Santos (7524374, tiezas@asiasociety.org.ph) or Patricia Vega (8108983, patriciav@asiasociety.org.ph).

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About Asia Society and Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative
Asia Society is the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships and promote understanding among the people, leaders, and institutions of the United States and Asia. One of Asia Society’s key global initiatives is leadership, in particular the development of a core network of the most promising and upcoming leaders across the region through the Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative and its local counterpart, the Philippines 21 Young Leaders Initiative. The program enables young changemakers to learn from and collaborate with each other on creative solutions to the region’s most pressing social concerns.

Fellows include Cora de Ungria (eminent DNA scientist and 2008 TOWNS awardee), Ivan Henares (heritage advocate and award-winning blogger), Mark Ruiz (co-founder, Microventures, Inc./Hapinoy, WhyNot? Forum), Ching Jorge (Bato Balani Foundation programs head and YouthVote Philippines lead convenor), Jaime Enrique Gonzalez (CEO, IPVG Corp.) and Efren Peñaflorida, Jr. (co-founder, Dynamic Teen Company and 2009 CNN Hero of the Year).

About IPVG Corporation
IPVG is a leading ICT investment company that is publicly listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE Ticker Symbol: IP). Its subsidiaries operate in the following business segments: (i) Communications (IP Services and Internet Security); (ii) Content (On-line gaming and Mobile solutions), and (iii) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). IPVG presence is established in the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Panama, United Kingdom and USA.

For more information, visit www.ipvg.com.

An Unconditional Ocean

2009-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

Feature on Indira Ranamagar, Founder of Prisoners Assistance Nepal, winner of the Asia Society-Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2009 Asia 21 Public Service Award.

http://www.ekantipur.com/the-kathmandu-post/2009/12/12/Oped/An-unconditional-ocean/2986/

A Closer Look at the Asia 21 KL Summit

2009-12-01T23:57:00.000-08:00

Article published in Daily News and Analysis India - Nov 28 2009

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore

Warlorld's Violence Threatens Philippine Democracy

2009-11-25T23:05:00.000-08:00

By Arnel Paciano Casanova

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, November 24, 2009 - The death toll in Monday’s election violence has doubled, with authorities saying at least 46 people are dead in Maguindanao province, located in the southern island of Mindanao, Philippines. The government declared a state of emergency in two southern provinces on Tuesday. Military and police continue to search for the missing.

In the context of the deaths and violence in the Philippines, this does not seem to be out of the ordinary. But the identities of the victims, the way they died, and the savagery and impunity of the perpetrators make this massacre unprecedented in the history of Philippine politics.

This brutality provides a possible bloody scenario for next year’s elections. With the Arroyo administration trying to hold on to power amid increasing distrust by a majority of Filipinos, a state of emergency due to the failure of elections could be declared. With the military accused of abetting electoral fraud in the 2004 presidential elections and the police serving as security escorts for politicians, the possibility of clean, honest and peaceful elections in 2010 seems less likely.

Half the original 22 victims in Maguindanao are women, who in similar past situations were traditionally spared. News reports also indicate the 13 abducted journalists are most likely dead. If true, it would be the largest number of journalists killed in pre-election related violence in the Philippines. Most of the victims were raped, mutilated and beheaded.

The victims were attacked on their way to file the certificate of candidacy of Buluan Vice-Mayor Ishamel Mangudadatu in the Commission on Elections. Mangudadatu plans to run against the son of former Governor Andal Ampatuan.

Before her death, the Vice-Mayor’s wife, Genalyn, called her husband to say that they were blocked by the armed group of Ampatuans. Her headless body was recovered two kilometers from where she was taken.

The prospects for democracy in the Philippines is decreasing while dictatorship and “warlordism” seem to be on rise. This kind of violence is common in Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur where there has been complete breakdown in the rule of law. But for the Philippines, a supposedly thriving democracy, this violence signals a dangerous erosion of democratic order which could lead to anarchy, dynastic dictatorship, or a military junta.

Given the Ampatuan’s close relationship with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s administration, Filipinos are watching how she will react. “No effort will be spared” to bring the perpetrators to justice, Arroyo said in a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

It is important to note that Maguindanao previously occupied the center stage in the 2004 elections, with accusations of fraud. The Ampatuan’s hold on power was solid in Maguindanao and pivotal in the administration’s victory. In the 2007 elections, school teacher Musa Dimasidsing, an election fraud whistle blower was murdered. His case remains unresolved.

One of the big questions is: how could such a large group of armed men roam freely and conduct checkpoints without being confronted by the military or police. In fact, some reports say that the local police were part of the Ampatuan group that blocked the convoy of victims.

The Philippine military has been widely criticized for its use of militias or “civilian volunteer organizations” to augment their forces. These CVOs usually end up serving as the private army of local politicians. Since the Philippine military does not have the budget to maintain these CVOs, they rely on the local politicians to strengthen their armed capability which could be used against the threat of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), other armed groups, or their political enemies. There are questions about how the warlords in Maguindanao, the third poorest province in the Philippines, could maintain such huge armed forces without having to resort to dubious economic activities.

The question of warlords and CVOs could complicate the presence of the American forces deployed in this region in Mindanao as part of the Visiting Forces Agreement with the Philippines. The American forces deal with these warlords and CVOs on a regular basis. One of the Ampatuans, Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan is the Governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao where most US forces are deployed.

With the increasing involvement of these warlords in atrocities against unarmed civilians, how American forces will now deal with them, and the power structure that supports them, is a valid question that speaks to the US commitment to democracy in this part of the world.

Arnel Paciano Casanova is the Executive Director, Asia Society Philippines.

Malaysian Prime Minister gives Keynote Address at the ASia 21 Summit Opening Dinner - "Diversity is a Blessing"

2009-11-24T11:11:00.000-08:00

Remarks by YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak
at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
November 20, 2009

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamu’alaikum and good evening!

Thank you for inviting me to join you on this first evening of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit. A warm welcome to those of you who have traveled from all over Asia and beyond to be here. I hope that in your visit to Malaysia, you have the chance to experience a little of our country, its wide diversity, and warm hospitality.

This conference is particularly important because, as Asia continues to break new ground – and old stereotypes – in the global community, nowhere is there a greater need for the discussion of tomorrow’s leadership. This certainly means a new generation of leaders that look beyond traditional borders and expectations, but also new forms of leadership that allow collaboration on issues that increasingly transcend nationality, ethnicity, and local interest. Leadership for an era of falling barriers, instant communication and easy travel. Leadership that places the public interest – mankind’s interest – ahead of corporate or political expediency.

Ongoing and fundamental changes to our political, social, and economic environments will define the leadership needs of the next generation. And today, managing change is increasingly what leadership is all about. It is about identifying vulnerabilities in the status quo, educating stakeholders, preparing people and processes to accommodate change and, in some cases, carrying those less willing to embrace change to the goal. It is the idea that we are better served by today’s needs, rather than tomorrow’s, that is the fundamental leadership challenge of our time. Change will happen. It is our job as leaders to ensure that change arrives to the betterment of our communities and that our communities are prepared to accept it.

So I would like to focus today on the role of identifying and managing change amidst the extraordinary challenges of our time. As a case in point, allow me to tell you about Malaysia’s current challenge and how we – as a community – are working to address it. Our work is far from complete and, indeed, may never be. But as we move forward, we continue learning from one another and I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to share our story and solicit your perspectives.

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious society. Its people and its government face long standing social challenges and not always positive patterns of co-existence and accommodation. We face, as do all countries, increased pressure and scrutiny created by global trends beyond the control of any single nation.

As a nation, Malaysia is young in almost every way. We have been an independent country for just over fifty years. We are also young in the sense that 75% of our population is under forty years of age. While our economy continues to grow, we consider ourselves a developing country and have the drive and optimism to achieve our objectives and take a substantive place in the global community.

We are widely viewed as a multi-racial, multi-religious society that has managed its diversity with some success. We have some of the largest and most independent Indian and Chinese communities outside of China and India. We are a majority Muslim Malay country and a leading member of the Islamic world that has, within our national school system, the largest network of Chinese medium schools outside of Greater China. Our print, broadcast and online media are multilingual. We are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Orang Asli, Iban and Kadazan. We are Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu.

There are few places in the world in which you will find Asian communities so deeply commingled, yet distinct. This is because Malaysia is not just diverse in the sense of having people from many cultures and religions. Many countries are diverse in this sense. Malaysia is diverse also in the sense that our people have formed thriving communities each with its own language, culture, history and religion. Our communities have lived side by side for centuries and traded influences and ideas, but they remain distinct. The major groups have become Malaysian each in its own way. Remember that Asian cultures are more different from one another than European ones. Westerners are prone to underestimate the problem of unity in Asia if they assume that Indians differ from Chinese and Chinese from Malays the way Scandinavians differ from Spaniards. Despite shared cultural elements, Asian differences are more fundamental.

Malaysian diversity is not dissolvable in a melting pot, and the challenge of our living together will not yield to a single, once for all, solution. We have had to learn to deal with our problems in a concrete and pragmatic fashion. We make alliances, build bridges and share power on a community-by-community basis.

To those accustomed to tidier schemes this might seem an impossibly complex situation, especially for a country going through the growth pains of early nationhood. However we have resisted cultural assimilation in favour of pragmatic bridge-building and power sharing. Instead of grand social plans we favour rolling up our sleeves to form alliances, make friends and build links. We have relied on good sense to make compromises and come to accord on specifics. At our best we have preferred growing our unity organically, beginning from where we are, rather than forcing down schemes conceived at the top.

In recent decades, however, the forces unleashed by our ethnic mix have grown stronger. Our communities seem to have grown apart. Our schools have become less diverse and our communities more polarized. Religious practice has taken on less tolerant interpretations.

With a demographic composition in which no single group is in a comfortable majority, this is not a problem we can ignore in the hope it will go away.

One way we are meeting this challenge is to give the theme of unity in diversity a name, and making an all out effort to have our people understand and accept diversity as the basis of our unity. Our diversity must be a blessing if it is not to be a curse. Therefore a key objective of my administration to make every Malaysian understand and accept our diversity as a blessing: a source not just of cultural vitality but also of economic advantage. Malaysia is the clarion call for Malaysians from all walks of life to rise to this singular challenge.

Indeed the benefits of embracing that diversity are clear to see: Malaysia is a coming together of peoples with origins in Southeast Asia, North and South Asia. The Malay peninsula has for millennia been the trading post of Malay, Arab, Indian and Chinese merchants. The Malay language originated as the lingua franca of trade in the region. Diversity is in the genes of this nation, and has always been linked with travel, trade and exchange rather than, say, conquest or conflict.

Before the colonial era that suspended it, that trade was what we would today call intra-regional, and it was one of the most prosperous in the world. Today, as China and India rise again to their historical levels of global economic prominence, and in the wake of a financial crisis that has reworked the pattern of trade flows focussed on the West, Malaysia, sitting astride the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea, is poised to rediscover itself at the nexus of regional trade flows. We are a trading country with the DNA of the Islamic Middle East, China, India and the Malay Archipelago, sitting at the geographical nexus of these worlds.

The 1Malaysia message says that if we embrace the truth of our essential diversity at home, we find within us a historical and natural openness to the rest of the world, and a sense of being at home on its high seas and trade routes. We have the languages, attitudes and skills to be at the heart of the Asian Transformation.

Malaysia is not a readymade programme being pushed down by the government. It is a reminder of the single most important issue we face as a society, one that will make our break this beautiful country: our unity in diversity. If we are at least agreed on the problem, and on the priority of the problem, we are some way towards sitting down together to solve it.

Malaysia is not an answer but a question, repeated constantly and in different real-life circumstances: how do we build community, how do we forge unity out of diversity, how do we manage tensions that set community against community? How do we prevent or reduce such divides? It is an attitude of constant openness to solutions around a single key challenge.

Malaysia is a steady focus on mending alienation, preventing polarization, and bridging social divides because there cannot be unity without a basic equity and a deep rooted sense that we all belong here.

Is our story of any interest beyond our shores? I think so. Malaysia is not alone in facing the challenge of diversity. Two things are happening which make the challenge of diversity global.

One is that nations are becoming more diverse through emigration, and that this diversity is challenging communities that were once more cohesive and homogenous. Cheap air travel and communications means not only that more people are migrating but also that people remain in close contact with their countries of origin after they have settled in their new homes. As a result, they have assimilated less rapidly by remaining connected with their past.

A second trend is that all over the world, we have seen ideology recede and identity rise to replace it as the organizing principle of social conflict. In Malaysia we have from the start had to deal with being a multi-ethnic society. We have always had the challenge to be 1Malaysia, and so we have had some experience in facing this issue squarely and confronting its many dimensions, cultural, social and economic. We may not always have come up with the right answers, and some of our right answers now need updating, and shall be updated, but above all we have stayed with this question.

Today, however, when we look around the world we find that even societies founded more securely on the European model of the nation state, that is, as sovereign entities whose political boundaries coincide with ethnic and linguistic ones, are turning into multi-ethnic societies. Already this has caused serious social conflict. The nation-state model is increasingly unworkable but the alternative to it is not well developed. Creating a cohesive society out of diverse communities has always been Malaysia’s key challenge. It is a challenge we have lived with from our birth. But today it has become everyone’s challenge.

The Malaysia question is about the unfinished business of nation-building with a full appreciation and acceptance of our robust and complex diversity. To Malaysians it is an invitation to find the answers to the problem of unity within the specifics of Malaysian life: with neighbours, friends, in local community and in our workplaces, schools and universities. To the world it is an invitation to join us in thinking about, and finding solutions to one of the most central questions of our time. I hope you will enjoy your interactions and deliberations over the next few days as you ponder on this issue and others concerns that affect us collectively as humanity.

Thank you.

(photo courtesy of Gen Kanai)

NGO FROM NEPAL WINS ASIA SOCIETY-BANK OF AMERICA MERRILL LYNCH ASIA 21 YOUNG LEADERS PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD

2009-11-24T11:00:00.000-08:00

Prisoners Assistance Nepal (PA Nepal), an NGO based in Kathmandu that conducts prison welfare work, bested 20 other NGOs from across the Asia-Pacific region to win the 2009 Asia Society-Bank of America Merrill Lynch Asia 21 Young Leaders Public Service Award (Asia 21 PSA). The organization, represented by its founder, Indira Ranamagar, received a cash prize of US$10,000 in ceremonies held at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in Kuala Lumpur last November 20-22, 2009.

Founded in 2000 by Ms. Ranamagar, herself an Asia 21 young leader, PA Nepal provides a home for children who would otherwise be in jail with a convicted parent, and further allows them the opportunity to attend school. It continues to rescue children from prisons around the country and currently supports more than 300 youth across Nepal, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years.

Ranamager recalls how she had to overcome extreme poverty and gender discrimination in order to obtain an education, eventually becoming a schoolteacher and providing literacy classes for women in her village. In the early 1990s, she met renowned Nepali writer and human rights activist Bishnu Kumari Waiba, also known as Parizat, and began working with her in the country’s jails. “It was then that I saw the work that needed to be done,” Ranamagar says. “It has meant that I have been able to work with the most vulnerable and the most desperate and I have been able to give them hope and assistance."

The Asia 21 PSA, now on its fourth year, recognizes an organization that has made an outstanding contribution in reaching underprivileged social/economic groups by providing a meaningful service to a community and the public in the region. The selection is overseen by the incumbent Asia 21 Fellowship Class, a core group of young leaders from across the Asia-Pacific, soliciting nominations for the Award and narrowing down the pool to five finalists based on project innovation and feasibility, quantifiable impact, sustainability and growth potential.

Aside from receiving a financial grant, generously provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch, PA Nepal also gains access to the network of resources and expertise of the Asia 21 Fellowship Class. This may include mentoring in such areas as Strategic Planning, Capacity Building and Training, Resource Mobilization, Program Development and Management, and Legal Services.

That leader lies in you

2009-11-22T18:08:00.000-08:00

Article published in Daily News and Analysis India - Nov 23 2009

http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore

Philippines 21 Fellow is 2009 CNN Hero of the Year!

2009-11-22T03:20:00.000-08:00

"I am but a mere representative of every child who is determined to learn, every volunteer who unwaveringly dedicates his free service, selfless educators who teach beyond their call of duty and every person who makes a difference in simplest of ways." - Efren Penflorida, Jr.

He may have missed this year's Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, but 2009 Philippines 21 Fellow Efren Penaflorida, Jr. has so many reasons to celebrate. Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year at the third-annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood last November 21, 2009.

According to CNN, "Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast."

Congratulations Efren! And see you at next year's Asia 21 Summit!

photos from Kuala Lumpur 2009

2009-11-21T19:50:00.001-08:00

Day 2 at the summit

2009-11-21T11:21:00.000-08:00

The plenary session this morning facilitated by Steve Chung with Aaron Maniam, Kathleen Reen, Sutapa Amornvivat, and Gen Kanai set the stage for discussing the framework on how best to handle crises whether they are related to international security, the environment, the economy or technology.

A large number of the conference delegates participated in the brain-storming session offering historical as well as geographical perspective and ideas on how more inter-disciplinary work can happen. What are the risks of framing current events in a “crisis” framework which can exacerbate the severity of the problem? On the other hand, it was also pointed out that the Geneva Convention grew out of a crisis.

One of the strands from this discussion and that seemed to gather force during the day was that we can no longer wait for government or single entities to frame the debate or the solutions. Partnerships between the private and citizen sector that dialog with government are necessary. We also need a sustained focus on our priorities so that once the moment of crisis has passed we can still bring in true change.

Jamie Metzl summed up the deliberations saying that it was a crisis of the imagination and that imagination can be replenished both individually and collectively. One thing that I took from the first two hours was that it is imperative to cultivate redundancy. Redundancy being defined as anything that stands beyond the horizon of immediate return. To taking two analogies from Gen and Aaron; imagination is like a spare server on the internet which might one day prevent the global network from going down; it can step in and try to predict a “black swan” only if it has had time to exist and thrive.

The breakout sessions later in the morning addressed some of the ideas that had emerged in the plenary with greater depth and more specific sector focus. Topics ranged from Censorship and Free Speech to Gender Equality.

I joined the section on Creative Leadership run by film maker Nitin Das and novelist and professor Hsu-ming Teo. After discussing the challenges faced by the group we identified several best practices and the best strategies for achieving our goals. The interesting bridge that emerged in our session between artists and entrepreneurs was the emphasis on passion and authenticity.

Lobsang Sangay moderated our first afternoon session with a much needed dose of humor. The discussion on Islam and Multi-cultural Societies began with Zainah Anwar discussing the interpretation of the law and its implications for the status of women and families. The discussion centered on the role of religion in the public sphere. To what extent is the law open to public debate? Delegates from Iran, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Indonesia, and India also brought in the perspectives of their particular countries; it is essential to get the message out that Islam and modernity are compatible: Iran for example has more PhDs than any other country in the Islamic world; the performance in Math of students from madrassas in Bangladesh is higher than that of students from public schools. Jumaatun Azmi shared her personal experience promoting Halal meat and the interest this has generated among non-Muslim communities. She has also taken on the hijab and is now seeing how stereotyping works first hand.

The Asia Society – Bank of America Merrill Lynch Public Service Award was presented to Prisoners Assistance Nepal. Indira Rana Magar who founded the organization floored us all. An absolute firebrand, she spoke about the organization’s work with prisoners and their families. In her words she has got the policemen and the prisoners to dance! In addition to a monetary component the award includes access to Asia 21 fellows who will lend their specific resources and expertise toward PA Nepal. When asked what motivated her and drove her to give so much of herself to the cause Indrani replied I’m not giving them [something], the children are giving me [something] every time they smile.

Raj Bhavsar and Mitchell Pham got us all to get up and shake it and take a few deep breaths. It never ceases to amaze me what just a couple of minutes of returning to one’s body can do!

The final plenary session of the day was moderated by Rashneh Pardiwala, Andrew Chan and Ruth Yeoh. The session began with a discussion on the global leadership framework needed to help address climate change. Though we began by hypothesizing that a global problem needs a global solution the delegate discussion revealed that most of us do believe that individuals can and must be the catalysts for this change beginning in local communities with corporations required to play a large role. The latter can enact rules within the workplace eg Meatless Mondays. The delegates also brought investor and business perspectives. Removing subsidies from other forms of energy and channeling them toward renewable energy, increased taxation on high carbon footprint consumables, and several more drastic measures were tabled as well. Lavanya Rama Iyer elaborated on the measures taken this year to make the Asia 21 Summit Green.

In our final breakout session we brainstormed on public service projects that fellows will take on this coming year.

A special thanks to the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Center for hosting us this evening. We were privileged to see wonderful dance and theater performances, some of which even the Malaysian delegates haven’t seen in decades. The informal discussion around my table revolved around what we will lose if some of these traditional forms disappear altogether.

For some of us from India at Asia 21 the music and the dance movements were hauntingly familiar, at moments close to our own tradition yet infused and transformed by the lilting beauty that in two short days has come to mean Malaysia.

Since a weekend conference with some hundred fifty delegates doesn’t leave enough time to connect with everyone personally we continued our evening at a KL green terrace and karaoke outfit to prolong the day. When I left them after midnight several of my new friends were still belting out Ricky Martin.

2009-11-20T09:03:00.000-08:00

The Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit kicked off to a great start! Asia Society President Vishakha Desai mentioned the 3Cs in her welcoming address: Convene, Connect, Catalyze. It might be right to put them in a different order; even before the conference officially convened this evening at 7pm at the JW Marriott KL, many of us had already connected — informally over breakfast, walking in the park, taking in the beauty of the artifacts at the Islamic Arts Museum. Thank you for enabling these connections, Asia 21!

H.E. Prime Minister YAB Dato’Sri Najib Tun Razak in his keynote address made the salient point that in today’s world we may not find once-and-for-all solutions to crises. Change is inevitable and part of the role of leadership is to prepare everyone for change. The theme of the conference emerged in Jamie Metzl’s talk as well; we need to speak across sectors and reach across the aisle to other ways of thinking.

What I’m taking away as today’s message in one word or less is C2: cross-connecting. Going beyond dialog to engage in a rich network of connections as the world becomes multi-polar. What makes the human brain function so seamlessly is that it connects our various sense organs and that the direction of information flow within each of these organs runs both upstream and downstream. So you have up-down, down-up, and side-to-side sharing and feedback of information. If the first day of the summit has been any indication, then we will have a lot of all three over the weekend.

(Posted on behalf of Abha Dawesar)

2009-11-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

Literally counting down the hours to the first official activity for the fourth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit here in KL. The first few Fellows and Delegates have started trickling in, and breakfast this morning was abuzz with old friends catching up and new ones being made.

Here's a photo of the Asia 21 Fellows 2007, and an adopted Fellow from 2008. At the Asia 21, we're all just one big, happy family!

(from L to R) Piya, Lobsang, Veronica, Robin, Shaffi, Niret, Aaron and Nader.

KL, thank you for the bright welcome!

2009-11-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

Three Lights in Night 1, KL
(Four ways to look at light in KL)

Petronas Tower, I look up
Bright tallest twins in the world
Like Castor and Pollux of Gemini
You are a street lamp to many a Jalan
Your fluorescence resembles
Rudimentary inflorescence
Dotting the busy streets
You look blooming at night.

From where I’ll look out
I will fly to you, I’d love to
Menara Kuala Lumpur
Like Betelgeuse of Orion
Adjoining Gemini.
You give directions still
To sailors down, navigating
The sea of bustling streets.

And this fountain looked on
The Pavilion’s fountain spewing
Mutating iridescence, stunning,
Schizophrenic light delight.
Seems a carousel taking my eyes
To a ride of sky, fire, and verdant hues
Serenaded with festive songs.

And so I look forward to
The jaunty sights and treats
When lights and stars from heaven ‘s
Glimmer, descend
Before I walk back to hotel
In burnishing Bukit Bintang
To refresh my spent eyes.

111809 rcguinaran asia 21 phils 09

OVER 150 ASIA-PACIFIC YOUNG LEADERS TO ATTEND THE ASIA SOCIETY’S ASIA 21 YOUNG LEADERS SUMMIT

2009-11-17T07:17:00.000-08:00

Raj Bhavsar, an Indian-American artistic gymnast and bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, now an Olympic sports ambassador working to raise sports awareness in India; Sabrina Singh, an astronaut trainer at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, teaching Japanese, Russian, European and American astronauts how to use their spacesuits and live sustainably on limited resources in space; Ka Hsaw Wa, member of the Burmese Karen ethnic nationality, a former student activist-turned-environmental advocate, and a 2009 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for emergent leadership; and Holly Chang, a former plant engineer who left her corporate career to become a Red Cross disaster relief volunteer, later establishing her own NPO to help channel philanthropic capital and volunteer expertise to build high-performing, trust-worthy organizations, are just four of more than 150 young leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, who will participate in the Asia Society’s fourth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, to be held for the first time in Kuala Lumpur from November 20-22, 2009.

Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak will provide the Keynote Address at the Opening Dinner of the three-day event, dubbed “The Changing Face of Leadership: Crisis and Opportunity.”

Even as the West continues to sputter economically, Asia forges on in leading the world out of the recession, with many of the next generation leaders taking on greater and more significant roles in driving growth and innovation. Building on the conference theme, these under-40 Asia 21 young leaders will engage in discussions on how crisis can be turned into opportunity, identify what characteristics are essential in a global leader, and explore ways to help national leaders develop a global vision. They will further look into how ethics and responsibility factor in such areas as censorship and free speech, gender equality, corruption and governance, healthcare, education, and the arts. A dialogue about Islam in multi-cultural societies will feature Zainah Anwar, Project Director of Musawah, A Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family, and selected Asia 21 Fellows.

Delegates are also tasked to develop joint Public Service Projects, which they undertake collaboratively to create innovative solutions to lingering and newly-discovered social issues, and have wide-reaching impact that transcends borders and cultures.

In its continuing pursuit of excellence and creating trailblazing paths, the Asia 21 Summit this year is also being positioned as the first conference in Malaysia to be a “Sustainable Summit,” where the organizers, sponsors and delegates take extra care to make environmentally-friendly and energy-saving steps such as using public transport, sourcing goods and services locally, and using recycled products.

The Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit is part of a larger initiative designed to help emerging leaders from across the region to develop common approaches to meet its shared challenges. It further seeks to build networks of trust across geographic boundaries and help next generation leaders to educate one another in the highest ideals of values-based leadership. “We need new types of leaders from every country who can both understand the transnational nature of the challenges we face and work together to address them,” said Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl, who spearheads the program.

Established by the Asia Society with support from Founding International Sponsor, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, the Asia 21 Summit is the pre-eminent gathering of Asia’s most dynamic young leaders from the Asia-Pacific region, from every sector including business, government, media, culture and civil society. To date, the network counts more than 500 of the most accomplished young leaders in the Asia-Pacific among its members, including businessmen, documentary filmmakers, environmental activists, human rights advocates, members of parliament, military personnel, performance artists, and social entrepreneurs.

“We’re proud to support the Asia Society’s Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit,” said Tom Montag, president of Global Banking and Markets at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “As a global organization committed to deepening and strengthening our public and private sector relationships in the Asia-Pacific region, we’re honored to be part of an initiative that encourages prominent young leaders to collectively confront Asia’s challenges and opportunities.”

This year’s main corporate sponsors include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Sime Darby and YTL Corporation Berhad. Partners include AirAsia, Thomson-Reuters, GoComm, Malaysiakini, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Zain & Co., with special support from Maxis, ASTRO, Powertek and KasehDia. Official venue of the 2009 Asia 21 Summit is the JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Nov. 4th press event in Malaysia

2009-11-17T06:53:00.000-08:00

Suryani Senja Alias, Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, and Ruth Yeoh represented the Asia 21 community at the press event in Malaysia this Nov. 4th. Details of the event and the full press release is available at YTL Community: Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit to be held in Malaysia for the first time this November.

Kuala Lumpur, November 4, 2009

Asia Society announced that the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit (the “Summit”) will be held in Malaysia for the first time this year from November 20-22, 2009 at the JW Marriott Hotel at a press conference held recently. The Summit will bring together over 150 of the most dynamic emerging leaders under the age of forty from across the Asia-Pacific region to develop shared, innovative approaches to resolving the region‘s greatest challenges and will focus on “The Changing Face of Leadership: Crisis and Opportunity”. The Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak will be giving the keynote address at this Summit.

Speaking at the press conference were Asia 21 Fellow for 2007, Ms Suryani Senja Alias, Hajjah Jumaatun Azmi, the only Fellow chosen from Malaysia for 2009, and Ms Ruth Yeoh who was an Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit delegate and participant in Tokyo in 2008 and Director of Investments at YTL Corporation Berhad, one of the main sponsors of the Summit. Y.B. Dato’ Aziz Bakar, Chairman of Air Asia Berhad was also present to talk about Air Asia’s involvement as the main sponsor.

The 2009 Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit

2009-11-17T06:48:00.000-08:00

See you in Kuala Lumpur!

Preparations are now well underway for the Asia Society’s fourth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, scheduled to be held on November 20 to 22 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With the theme, “The Changing Face of Leadership: Crisis and Opportunity,” the three-day conference will bring together close to 200 of the most accomplished emerging leaders from the Asia Pacific region and the U.S..

Asia 21 Young Leaders Initiative

2009-11-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

Making culture relevant in our changing world

2008-11-15T17:02:00.000-08:00

Breakout Session 5: Cultural Resources

It's been a great three days here in Tokyo, Japan and I'm very happy to have met a lot of new friends from all over the region. I was part of the Cultural Resources breakout group and we talked about the challenges facing the cultural sector and the need to highlight its relevance to get the attention in deserves.

We took note that culture always has to defend itself to get noticed by the government or even private corporations. There is always the question of economic worth and the need to provide deliverables before it gets the attention it needs.

But cultural workers need not wait for government funding to get the ball rolling. I shared how local communities in the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras are leading community-based efforts to preserve the rice terraces and the culture that surrounds it. Here is some information about a cultural tourism program there from my travel blog.

Delegates from the Philippines in their national costumes

But many do not realize that culture is the tangible and intangible manifestations of who we are as individuals, communities and nations. And if we take culture for granted, we are in effect disregarding our own identities.

How can we make culture relevant, especially to younger people, who will be the future bearers of traditions? Do you think government should support cultural program as a national policy? How can individuals like ourselves contribute to the safe-guarding and promotion of culture?

What's your POV?

2008-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

How can young leaders help heal our divided world?

Let us know what you think!

Asia 21 Tokyo Summit Opens with a Bang

2008-11-14T09:05:00.001-08:00

The Asia 21 Summit 2008 in Tokyo, Japan opened with a bang - literally! - with Asia Society President Vishakha Desai and Hon. Taro Kono, Member of the House of Representatives of Japan, tapping kizuchis (wooden hammers) against a barrel of sake in a ceremony that signaled the opening of the three-day conference. Ms. Desai and Mr. Kono were joined by Asia Society Executive Vice President Jamie Metzl, Asia 21 Fellows Claire Chino and Nami Matsuko, and Merrill Lynch President, Pacific Rim Region, Jason Brand.

The Asia 21 Summit, ongoing from November 14 to 16 at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo in Chinazan-so, brings together 160 of the most dynamic new generation leaders, all under the age of 40 and representing a wide range of sectors, to talk about issues revolving around the theme "Challenges Across Borders, Solutions Beyond Cultures." Discussions will likewise explore the possibilities of using values-based leadership to develop equitable and sustainable solutions to shared challenges in the Asia-Pacific community.

Later that evening, the young leaders broke up into smaller groups for some interactive nightcaps, where they either watched a demonstration of a traditional tea ceremony, enjoyed a performance of classical Japanese musical instruments, learned to dance the Ceroc French Jive, or engaged in folk song-storytelling.

In his keynote address, Mr. Kono, who is also Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, encouraged the young leaders to move forward together toward a new age of democracy. He also underscored the importance of increased regional cooperation within the Asia-Pacific as we continue to see the rise of China, India and Japan as global powers.

Activities over the next two days include a debate by select Asia 21 Fellows on whether The Scarcity of Global Resources is a Myth, breakout sessions on how to Manage the Competition for Resources across different sectors, and discussions on developing joint public service projects.

Keep posted to this blog for more updates and photos!