East-West Center Fifty Years, Fifty Stories Index of Alumni Profiles Cover photos are in alphabetical order, left to right, row by row, beginning at the top. Below, page number of profile follows each name. Acknowledgments Nereus Acosta | 18 Hao Ping | 22 A special thank you to the more than Amy Agbayani | 46 Khaleda Rashid | 50 55,000 East-West Center alumni who Senen Bacani | 4 Nasti Reksodiputro | 23 share a common vision of a peaceful, Endy Bayuni | 13 Puongpun Sananikone | 20 prosperous and just Asia Pacific Carl Becker | 34 Thanh-Lo Sananikone | 20 Elizabeth “Betty” Bullard | 42 Didin Sastrapradja | 56 community. This book represents a Amanda Ellis | 19 Sachio Semmoto | 16 snapshot of the thousands of talented Arjumand Faisel | 54 Shankar P. Sharma | 55 and committed individuals who have Brenda Lei Foster | 36 Manmohan Singh | 6 participated in East-West Center Muhammad Jailani | 53 Pamela Slutz | 8 programs. We'd also like to thank the Kathleen Hall Jamieson | 25 Ann Dunham Soetoro | 15 Angela Kay Kepler | 52 Sombath Somphone | 14 many people who contributed to this Soon-Kwon Kim | 12 Chōkō Takayama | 49 book. Your advice, suggestions and Riley Lee | 40 Tin Myaing Thein | 35 wise counsel are greatly appreciated. Alapaki Luke | 32 Ricardo Trimillos | 30 Ashok Malhotra | 10 Jose Turquel | 26 Ratu Sir Kamisese K.T. Mara | 28 Margaret Valadian | 11 Khunying Supatra Masdit | 33 Rinchen Wangyel | 43 Tum May | 36 Albert Wendt | 27 S.R. Nathan | 45 Carl Wolz | 51 Santiago Obien | 38 Sung Chul Yang | 39 Muse Opiang | 31 Victor Yano | 24 Rajendra K. Pachauri | 17 Muhammad Yunus | 5 Mau Piailug | 44 Arfa Zehra | 41 Kitty Pilgrim | 48 Zhao Zhenge | 47 East-West Center | Fifty Years, Fifty Stories Introduction | 2 Sombath Somphone | 14 Hao Ping | 22 Alapaki Luke | 32 Riley Lee | 40 Kitty Pilgrim | 48 Preparing a Generation In China and Abroad, Awakening an The Shakuhachi Informing Viewers on a Senen Bacani | 4 of Leaders in Laos Bridging East and West Appreciation for the ‘Āina Goes Universal World of Economic Trends Sowing the Seeds of Peace and Development Ann Dunham Nasti Reksodiputro | 23 Khunying Arfa Zehra | 41 Chōkō Takayama | 49 Soetoro | 15 Spreading the Joy of Supatra Masdit | 33 A Voice for Women and Strengthening Muhammad Yunus | 5 Trailblazer for Microcredit Reading in Indonesia Championing Women’s Equality in Pakistan Hawai‘i-Okinawa Ties Nobel Laureate and in Southeast Asia Issues in Thailand Banker to the Poor (1942 –1995) Victor Yano | 24 Elizabeth Khaleda Rashid | 50 Revolutionizing Carl Becker | 34 “Betty” Bullard | 42 A Blueprint for Manmohan Singh | 6 Sachio Semmoto | 16 Health Care in the Pacific Pioneering Work on Born to Teach Livable Housing Navigating India’s Expanding Telecom, Issues of Life and Death (1930 –2008) Path to Globalization First in Japan, Kathleen Carl Wolz | 51 Now Globally Hall Jamieson | 25 Tin Myaing Thein | 35 Rinchen Wangyel | 43 Creating a Global Dance Pamela Slutz | 8 Making Sense of the Helping Immigrants Opening a Window to Community (1932 –2002) An Ambassador’s Life Rajendra K. Pachauri | 17 Media and Politics Get a Fresh Start ‘The Sacred Arts at Full Gallop Leader in Climate Change of Bhutan’ Angela Kay Kepler | 52 Awareness Jose Turquel | 26 Brenda Lei Foster | 36 Conservationist and Ashok Malhotra | 10 Nation-Building Promoting U.S.-China Mau Piailug | 44 ‘Old-Fashioned Naturalist’ Educating the Nereus Acosta | 18 in Timor-Leste Business Ties The Navigator Poorest Children Thinking Globally, Who Launched a Muhammad Jailani | 53 in India’s Remote Villages Acting Locally to Albert Wendt | 27 Tum May | 36 Renaissance in the Pacific Ensuring Child Rights in Fight Poverty Master Storyteller Boosting Public Health Southeast Asia Margaret Valadian | 11 of the Pacific and Opportunities S.R. Nathan | 45 Advancing Civil Rights for Amanda Ellis | 19 in Cambodia President of Singapore Arjumand Faisel | 54 Australian Aborigines Striving to Ratu Sir Committed to a Pakistan Empower Women in Kamisese K.T. Mara | 28 Santiago Obien | 38 Amy Agbayani | 46 You Don’t See on CNN Soon-Kwon Kim | 12 Developing Countries South Pacific Statesman ‘Guiding Father’ of Advocate for Fighting Famine (1920 –2004) Philippines Rice Industry Social Justice Shankar P. Sharma | 55 with ‘Miracle Corn’ Puongpun and Thanh-Lo Representing Nepal in Sananikone | 20 Ricardo Trimillos | 30 Sung Chul Yang | 39 Zhao Zhenge | 47 Washington Endy Bayuni | 13 The Power of Two East-West Music Man An Ambassador for Applying Leadership Editorial Voice Reconciliation and Skills, Valuing Diversity Didin Sastrapradja | 56 for Press Freedom Muse Opiang | 31 Peaceful Reunification Valued Leader in Science ‘Saving the Wildlife’ in and Public Service Papua New Guinea Celebrating 50 Years of Collaboration N Expertise N Leadership Women and men of high promise, East-West Center alumni have gone on to become presidents and prime ministers, leading educators and business executives, senior journalists and social advocates. In nations that span the globe, alumni continue to further the mission of the Center. Many are trailblazers influencing change at the grassroots, local, national, regional and international levels. They have earned recognition for pioneering solutions to long-standing problems. Others are emerging leaders dedicated to forging better futures for their communities. In the work they do, alumni demonstrate that leadership is tied to service — changing the world in ways that serve others. They apply their expertise to areas of public health, environment, education, agriculture, commerce, human rights, diplomacy, media and technology, science and the arts. They embrace collaboration, an appreciation many alumni trace to their days at the East-West Center. The 50 alumni in this publication, prepared to commemorate the East-West Center’s 50th anniversary, are representative of a vast network that stretches beyond the Asia Pacific region and their countries of origin. The East-West Center experience unites more than 55,000 students, scholars and professionals from more than 50 nations. For many, the Center provided a defining chapter in their lives, influencing their perspectives and aspirations, and initiating lifelong personal and professional associations. As you read of these 50 individuals, you’ll see how East-West Center alumni are contributing to global understanding, building an Asia Pacific community and shaping the future in a region undergoing dramatic transformation. N E S D U N K G 2 | EAST - WEST CENTER E R G : O T O H P FIFTY YEARS, FIFTY STORIES | 3 Senen Bacani Sowing the Seeds of Peace and Development As Secretary of Agriculture to While with Dole, Bacani took note of the Senen Bacani President Corazon Aquino, potential of Mindanao: fertile land, the right Philippines 1966, M.A. Senen Bacani visited every climate and an available workforce. He approached province in the Philippines. Chiquita Unifruitti International to invest in banana Wherever he traveled, he witnessed the poor in farms in a predominantly Muslim area on Mindanao. the countryside struggling to raise enough to feed In 1996, La Frutera, Inc., the first large-scale their families. banana plantation in the Autonomous Region Bacani’s father was a doctor and many of his of Muslim Mindanao, was formed. Today the patients would present farm produce as thanks for plantation is one of the top 10 banana producers the medical care they received. That memory and in the country, exporting Cavendish bananas to seeing first hand the agricultural needs of the rural Japan, Korea, China and the Middle East. Perhaps poor compelled Bacani to work for shifts in policy more significant, with Bacani as chairman and and programs — and later when he re-entered the president, La Frutera’s success has transformed the world of agribusiness, to provide employment and once war-torn area. It employs some 1,745 people management opportunities to alleviate poverty in — 90 percent Muslim and 10 percent Christian. rural areas in the Philippines. Among the staff are former rebels of the Moro Most notably, on Mindanao, he launched a National Liberal Front and the Moro Islamic venture that brought not only jobs but peace Liberation Front. where there had been years of unemployment, Bacani’s hope is that La Frutera’s success will crime and inter-ethnic conflict. inspire other companies to see how providing After receiving an M.B.A. from the jobs, especially in rural areas, is a sustainable way University of Hawai‘i in 1968, the EWC to alleviate poverty — and strife. At one grantee spent a successful 20-year career point when conflict intensified between with Dole Food Company, including as the government and the rebels, La country manager of Dole in Costa Frutera workers rejected efforts to Rica and then the Philippines. rejoin rebel forces. That affirmed Senen Bacani (R) examines bananas that helped transform the In 1993, after serving in Bacani’s belief that “peace and livelihood of thousands of Filipinos. Aquino’s administration, Bacani development go together.” started his first entrepreneurial “We cannot keep on “My East-West Center experience primed me venture, which managed waiting for peace to come to be more sensitive to cultural differences in corporate banana farms. first,” he says. “The reason dealing with people, and at the same time made It was step one of a there is no peace is that there me more cognizant of the inter-relatedness of business plan that linked is no development.” N different events in the world and their impact development with peace. on countries and their people.” 4 | EAST - WEST CENTER Muhammad Yunus Nobel Laureate and Banker to the Poor During a field trip to a across Bangladesh. The visionary economist to launch their cottage industries, encourage Muhammad Yunus village, Muhammad reasoned that providing even the slightest village-level enterprise, and put them on the path Bangladesh 1973, Workshop Yunus and students in economic cushion would encourage initiative — to sustainable futures.