EWC Non-Resident Senior Fellow Marcus Noland, who has done extensive economic and political research on North Korea, argues in an op-ed published in the current issue of Newsweek ’s international edition that the Obama administration and world community are unlikely to deter North Korea from staging another missile launch simply by the threat of a return to limited and “toothless” U.N economic sanctions, which have failed in the past. However, Noland writes, other, more substantive measures have previously proved more successful in dealing with the North Korean regime, including cutting off oil deliveries from China and freezing the regime’s overseas bank assets. Click here to read the Newsweek article.

(Note: This commentary originally appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser on March 8, 2009.)

By Shabbir Cheema

EWC Senior Fellow

The Obama administration has placed its relationship with Pakistan at the top of its foreign policy agenda, and for good reason.

Put simply, a solid relationship with Pakistan is key to a stable Afghanistan and, in turn, national and global security.

Many of the safe havens of al-Qaida, surely the No. 1 "enemy" in the war on terror, are in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan next to Afghanistan. This is where as many as 50,000 U.S. troops will be stationed in the near future.

For a limited time, EWC alumni and staff can make their support for the Center have even greater impact.  For first-time donations or when donors add $100 or more to their last contribution, the McInerny Foundation will match the gift up to $100 per donor.   Click here for more information. 

(HONOLULU) Jan. 9 -- Prominent Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, who was gunned down yesterday in Colombo, was a 1995 participant in the East-West Center’s Jefferson Fellowships for journalists. Wickramatunga, the editor of the weekly Sunday Leader newspaper, was shot by unidentified gunmen on motorcycles as he drove to work.

“Our deepest sympathies go out to Mr. Wickramatunga’s family and loved ones,” said East-West Center President Charles E. Morrison. “His tragic death underscores the courage with which so many of the international journalists who have participated in Center programs pursue their vital work at great personal risk.”

The latest edition of the EWC guide to Specialists on the Asia Pacific Region (2009-2010) is now available as a free pdf download here . It includes a list of the specialists affiliated with the East-West Center, their expertise, their contact info and a brief bio of each.

Using the guide’s cross-indexes by subject and region, you can quickly locate specialists in such topics as politics, international relations, economics, environment, energy, health, population, education and culture, indexed by regional expertise in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Pacific islands.

On behalf of the American Embassy, I want to welcome all of you to this very special international conference of alumni of the East-West Center…

Over many years, our Embassy has greatly valued the work of the East-West Center and its alumni in promoting international education and fostering mutual understanding. We know that Center programs build invaluable professional and personal relationships, enhance awareness and promote informed dialogue. We also know you serve the broader community. We were impressed when the East-West Center Tsunami Relief Fund several years ago generated more than $500,000 to assist with tsunami relief efforts and provide long-term support through education and research programs.

Ladies and gentlemen:

This conference is very timely. The world is now in the eye of an economic storm whose scale of destruction, if not contained soon, is comparable only to that of the Great Depression in the 1930s. This crisis can perhaps be called “the first crisis of the 21 century.”

Let us hope that we have seen the bottom of it all, and very soon the world is on the path of recovery. This crisis is global in nature. Although it was originated in Wall Street, it is the latest proof of how our world has become one, of how actions and decisions in a distant land can affect life in a different part of the world.

Terima kasih, selamat pagi, and aloha.  It is great to be here in Bali, among more than 500 fellow alumni, spouses, and friends.

A short video featuring East-West Center participants and alumni discussing their EWC experience is now available for viewing on the Web as part of the Center’s growing collection of online video .

The eight-minute “ East-West Center Experience ” video offers a concise overview of the Center’s history and mission, along with personal insights from participants about the Center’s impact on their education and lives.

“The relationships you build at the East-West Center really fundamentally change you,” says Asia Pacific Leadership Program participant Eric Hanson in the video. “…It’s really like a laboratory for human relationships, (and) a microcosm of how the world should be.”

EWC Annual Report Available Online

 
The East-West Center’s most recent Annual Report, for calendar year 2007, is now available for download online.

The East-West Center community expresses its deepest sympathy for those affected by the recent natural disasters in China and Burma. Our hearts reach out to the EWC students, alumni and all who have been impacted by these terrible tragedies. We hope that the international community can effectively help local citizens and authorities in the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

For those who wish to contribute to relief efforts in either nation, click here for a list of major aid organizations compiled by CNN. In addition, the Charity Navigator website rates relief groups and other charities according to rigorous evaluations of their organizational efficiency and capacity.

The 2008 EWCA International Conference in Bali, Indonesia, is just five months away! Early registration for the conference ends on June 30, so register now to get the discounted rate of $175 for EWCA members and guests, UH alums, and Fulbrighters, and $225 for non-EWCA members. Starting July 1, the registration rate will increase by $25. Registration is easy – just click here .

On May 10, the Burmese people will vote on a new constitution, a rare opportunity for the Burmese to express their political opinions about the ruling military junta's protracted path to "guided democracy."

In the latest edition of the East-West Center in Washington's Asia Pacific Bulletin series of issue briefs on current events, Zaw Oo, professor of international development at Chiang Mai University in Thailand, argues that, while the May referendum represents a significant step forward for the Burmese political process, procedural mishaps, opacity about the language of the constitution itself, and an imminent clash between the state news media's "yes vote" and the Burmese democracy movement's "no vote" campaigns may negatively impact the referendum process.

The Asia-Pacific region’s rising fuel consumption is leading to a shift in the global center of gravity for oil demand, a shift that has raised worldwide concerns about energy security and its implications for economic performance and political stability.

This dramatic shift in the global energy markets took center stage on April 24, when East-West Center researchers Kang Wu and Fereidun Fesharaki – editors of the recent book Asia’s Energy Future – presented a briefing to a packed house on Capitol Hill.

Click here to read a full report on the issues covered in the presentation, co-sponsored by the East-West Center and the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

The East-West Center community expresses its deepest sympathy for the victims of Cyclone Nargis, which devastated Yangon and much of lower Burma over the week-end.   The East-West Center enjoys a long relationship with the people of Burma.   Our hearts reach out to the EWC alumni in Burma, their families and friends, and all the people of Burma who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy.  We hope that the international community can effectively help local citizens and authorities in the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

HONOLULU (August 6) – There is an old joke that goes, “If you remember the 60s you weren’t there.” What about the 70s? No worries. At least 110 East-West Center (EWC) 70s alumni have already signed up to prove they were there and remember.

The EWC’s 1970s reunion, open to all “born into the family” back then, will be held August 24 through 27 at the Center. The 30-year gathering is more than just an old-time meet-and-greet. According to EWC Alumni Officer Gordon Ring, “There will be plenty of opportunities to discuss the issues we faced in the 1970s and how they have evolved, and the chance to meet current Center staff, researchers, and students. But, there will also be plenty of opportunity for fun.”