Launching a New Institution: PACIFIC COUNCIL on INTERNATIONAL POLICY
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Launching A New Institution: PACIFIC COUNCIL ON INTERNATIONAL POLICY 1995-1996 Launching a New Institution: The Pacific Council on International Policy 1995-1996 Established in cooperation with the Council on Foreign Relations, Inc. To the Members of the Pacific Council 1 on International Policy Launching a New Institution 2 Programs and Meetings 15 Visiting Scholars and Fellows Program 24 Board of Directors 25 Corporate sponsors 26 Individual Contributions 27 General and Program Support 29 Membership Policy 30 Membership Roster 31 Staff 36 Pacific Council on International Policy University of Southern California Los Angeles, California 90089-0035 (phone) 213-740-4296 (fax) 213-740-9498 (e-mail) [email protected] To the members of the Pacific Council on International Policy n two years, the Pacific Council on International Policy has moved from a compelling vision to a vigorous and extraordinarily promising organization. We have made rapid progress in Iestablishing a leadership forum which will attract the participation of thoughtful and concerned leaders from throughout the western region of North America and around the entire Pacific Rim. The Pacific Council’s founding and charter members believe that there is a clear and urgent need for an international policy organization rooted in the strengths of the western United States — its leaders, resources and diversity — but which will consistently and creatively look outward to the kinds of relationships that should be developed with our neighbors to the west in the Asia Pacific region and south in Latin America. It is essential to bring together a broad based group of leaders from around the Pacific Rim to consider the challenges that face us all and to make recommendations for policies that would contribute to growth and stability. Robert F. Erburu, chairman of the board In the narrative report on the Pacific Council that follows, Abraham Lowenthal describes the of the Pacific Council, many projects underway, the support and participation that has been enlisted, and the challenges and Hirotaro Higuchi, Pacific Council board our organization faces as it seeks to build and diversify the membership and develop its many pro- member and chairman, gram areas. All of us are grateful to Abe and his talented staff for what they are doing to build a Asahi Breweries, Tokyo vibrant institution. They will be grateful, in turn, if all of us read this account, share our reac- tions and suggestions, and join in building the kind of Council we want. In launching this institution, we have been fortunate to have from the start the support of the University of Southern California and the Council on Foreign Relations of New York. On behalf of the board of directors of the Pacific Council, I want to convey our special thanks to President Steven Sample of USC and Council on Foreign Relations President Leslie H. Gelb and Chairman Pete Peterson. We are also enormously grateful to the foundations, corporations, governments and individuals who are providing the needed financial support, which has made it possible to begin the work of the Pacific Council. The future of the Pacific Council is dependent on the active participation of our membership and the generosity of donors who believe in what we do. I urge you to take every opportunity to join in and support our activities. Robert F. Erburu Chair, Board of Directors 1 Launching a New Institution The Pacific Council on International Policy in 1995-96: Launching a New Institution he Pacific Council on International connected with domestic problems. Policy is an independent and non- Designed and planned during 1994, Tpartisan leadership forum, based the Pacific Council was initiated early in in Los Angeles. It brings together diverse April 1995 when members of an informal leaders — primarily from the western Steering Committee incorporated the region of the United States but also from Council as a non-profit organization; elsewhere in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, constituted a Board of Directors and Pacific Asia, South America and Europe adopted by-laws; applied to the Internal — to exchange ideas and develop policy Revenue Service for 501(c)(3) tax status, recommendations on economic, social and which was soon granted; and invited a political issues with important interna- number of Founding Members to attend an tional dimensions. Inaugural Retreat, held in mid-May 1995. The Pacific Council aims to This report covers the development of inform and improve policy- the Pacific Council from its incorporation making in both the private in April 1995 through the end of Decem- and public sectors, to promote ber 1996. During this period, a relatively public understanding of global short time in the rhythm of institution- trends and their implications, building, the Pacific Council has been and to facilitate international successfully launched. We have attracted cooperation on shared con- an influential and committed Board and a cerns, particularly around the diverse group of members; recruited a Pacific Rim. It is premised on talented and energetic core staff; developed the belief that business, profes- infrastructure and software that will facili- sional and political leaders can- tate communications and exchange around not afford to be parochial when the Pacific Rim; crafted and strengthened borders are ever more perme- significant institutional relationships; able and when trade, finance, initiated a vigorous program of briefings, communications and culture workshops, Study Groups and Retreats; are all so relentlessly global. started a Visiting Fellows program; out- Established in cooperation lined a strategy for communications and with the Council on Foreign outreach; begun to design targeted efforts Abraham F. Lowenthal, to expand the participation of and outreach president of the Pacific Relations of New York and headquartered Council on the campus of the University of to communities not historically well- Southern California, the Pacific Council has represented in foreign policy discussions; nearly six hundred individual members. and adopted a diversified plan for the They include decision-makers in business Council’s medium and longer-term fund- and labor, politics and government, reli- ing. It is too early to be sure that the gion, the media, law, entertainment, sci- Pacific Council will take root and prosper, ence and technology, education and other but it is off to a promising start. professions — all of whom share the con- viction that international developments are increasingly significant and ever more 2 Board and Membership Progress toward these membership goals has been gratifying. As of December he Pacific Council’s Board current- 31, 1996, the Pacific Council has 591 ly includes thirty-four leaders from members, of whom some 80% reside in Tindustry and finance, law, the the western states, and nearly 10% each media and the academic world. In keep- east of the Rockies and ing with the Pacific Council’s regional, in 14 other countries. national and international character, the The Council’s members Board includes members from throughout include business lead- the western region of the United States; ers from many sectors: four members from the Atlantic seaboard; lawyers; accountants; and two international members (from publishers, editors, and Canada and Japan) with two others now journalists; religious being invited. Seven of the Board’s thirty- leaders; labor union two US members are African-American, officials; military Asian-American or Latino, and six are officers; creative artists; women. The Pacific Council’s Board scholars and academic members are committed and active; most administrators; state members serve on Board Committees (on and local government Membership, Finance and Development, officials; and officers of and Studies), or are officers of the Board, many kinds of non-governmental organiza- Linda Griego, Pacific Council board member and many have been attending Pacific tions. The Pacific Council’s members and president of Rebuild Council programs. include 225 from Los Angeles County, 145 LA (RLA), and Vilma S. others from California, and 118 from west- Martinez, partner in At its first meeting, the Board adopted Munson, Tolles & Olson detailed membership policies and proce- ern states other than California. About dures, summarized elsewhere in this report. 20% of the Pacific Council’s current US- The Board set a goal of attracting 1000 based members are female, while nearly members by June 30, 1998; it suggested as many are African-American, Asian- that 75% of that total should be persons American or Latino. resident in the western United States, with Plans for 1997 call for building a the other 25% divided among persons critical mass of Pacific Council members residing east of the Rockies or in other in Northern California and in Seattle to countries. The Board-adopted guidelines permit some programming in these popu- included commitments to seek diversity lation centers; significantly increasing the of professional background and political number of members elsewhere in the west- perspective; to incorporate women and ern states; substantially expanding interna- members of US minority groups which tional membership and participation, traditionally have not participated in for- especially in Canada, Mexico and East eign policy organizations; and to include Asia; reinforcing membership from high- younger people of leadership quality with tech industries, the entertainment and the potential to reach positions of senior other internationally-oriented