aplp navigator vol. 2 -- winter 2005 - east-west center

to be rewarding as the partici-pants eagerly shared their sto-ries, food, and friendship secur-ing the success of their time together.

As with previous classes, the majority of participants this year were female (66%). APLP has consistently hosted more women than men, and this year�s class showed why as the women demonstrated their skills by taking the lead in many important projects and class discussions. The APLP women boast a wide-range of profess-

Story continued on page 5

his past August, the East-West Center (EWC) warmly welcomed the fifth generation of the Asia Pacific Leadership Program. This year�s class was the highlight group in what was the largest EWC student enroll-ment since the 1960s. Program faculty and staff were eager to begin the program�s fifth year with such a diverse and talented group of participants.

This year the program con-tinued its tradition of unparal-leled diversity by hosting 44

fellows from 19 countries. For the first time in program history over two-thirds of the class was from outside of the United States. Participants traveled long distances, making their way to the beautiful island of O�ahu from countries such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia, China, Korea, and Japan. Other countries rep-resented were Bhutan, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines, among many others. The coun-tries of Hungary, Sweden, and Slovakia were represented for the first time. The diversity that characterized this class proved

EAST-WEST CENTER WELCOMES FIFTH GENERATION Newest APLP Cohort Anchors Largest EWC Incoming Class in Over 20 Years

APLP Awards First Nainoa Thompson Scholarship By Monique Wedderburn �05

Thanks to an initiative led by members of the most recent APLP graduating class, one member of the newest cohort is having an experience at the East-West Center he might otherwise not have had.

The 2004-2005 cohort es-tablished the Nainoa Thompson Fund (NTF) as an APLP Fourth Generation Legacy Project. The idea for the NTF transpired during a visioning the future exer-

cise during the 2004 Molokai Field Study. The initial idea was to establish a sustainable source of funds that would work to bring awareness to catastrophic issues facing our world commu-nity.

The fund later evolved into a scholarship in honor of Nai-noa Thompson, a master navi-gator and community advocate who has been a regular guest lecturer with the APLP.


Winter 2005 Volume 2, Issue 1 T h e A P L P N a v i g a t o r is the bi-annual newsletter of the EWC APLP Alumni Chapter, written, edited, and published by APLP pro-gram alumni. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the East-West Center

Editor-in-Chief: Justin Liang �03 Contributing Writers: Leigh Blackburn �02 Thinley Choden �03 Keeranun Faiupara �04 Justin Fong �02 Melissa Gregorio �05 Eric Hanson �05 Vinh Ho �04 Saima Huma �03 Christina Monroe �05 Sirilux Patanapoothong �05 Ing Phansavath �03 Iris Prasetyo �03 Monique Wedderburn �05

Inside this issue:

D.C. Alumni Reunion

2

South China Sea Simulation

3

Staff Shuffles 4-5

Social Network Analysis Project

6-7

Habitat for Sri Lanka Project

12

Reconstructing Aceh and Phuket

13-14

Spotlight on Thailand

20

Alumni Profiles 8-9

APLP Spells �Relief�

9-14

Class Notes 15-19

Lhobsang Pandan at Lhasa Kungshan Language School in Tibet, the private school he founded 18 years ago. Pandan was named the APLP�s first Nainoa Thompson Scholar.

TT By Eric Hanson �05

TOP: Three generations of APLP women gather at the D.C. Alumni Reunion. From left to right: Leigh Blackburn �02, Ing Phansavath �03, Shanthini Black �03, Panitee Chongvisal �04, and Stephanie Schumm �04. BOTTOM: Alumni and current participants at Lauriol Plaza. From left to right: Ginny Saetia �06, Estrella Sybinsky OG �70, Myron Chiu �06 (front), Andrea Sybinsky �05, Ashvina Patel �05, Zarina Chekirbaeva �06, and Nick Barker.

Yaowarat Sriwaranun �05 (far left) presents a check to the principals of the Huay Sun School in Khon Kaen, Thailand, on behalf of her classmates.

By Justin Liang �03

On July 18, 2005, APLP�s fourth generation demon-strated that charity is an important component of leader-ship, donating 13,500 baht to the Huay Sun School of Khon Kaen, Thailand, which has graciously hosted the past two APLP cohorts during their annual field study to Southeast Asia. The rural elementary school welcomes the APLP each year with a medley of local song and dance, a mes-merizing presentation that represents the highlight of the Khon Kaen trip for many participants.

Yaowarat Sriwaranun �05, a faculty member in the department of agricultural economics at Khon Kaen Uni-versity, made the presentation to the school principals and children, who responded with a enormous khop kun (�thank you�). The benefactors wish to make clear that the gift was in no way connected to the soccer defeat their class suffered at the hands of the Huay Sun elementary school squad in January.

Fourth Generation Aids Rural School in Thailand

of reuniting with friends we had not seen in a long time.

At the dinner table that night were Leigh Blackburn �02, Daniel Williams �03, Shanthini Black �03, Ing Phansavath �03, Peter Morris �03, Panitee Chongvisal �04, Jesse Ross �04, Stephanie Schumm �04, Loren Nadres �05, Monique Wedderburn �05, Eric Hanson �05, Christina Mon-roe �05, Rosida Nababan �05, Sheena Black �06, Nick Barker, Scott MacLeod, and Gene Vricella. The evening went on into the early morn-ing hours, as we all were reac-quainted and remembering the good times in Hawaii.

Like true APLPers, we managed to pull ourselves together for brunch the next day, where the alumni were introduced to the current class. We were also joined by a couple more alumni, Jessica Wolf �03 and De-wardric �D.L.� McNeal �03, who both had just arrived from travels abroad. Throughout the week, the current class would chance to meet with alumni from all the classes who were unable to make the weekend reun-ion.

Every year, our reunions grow larger, but the good times remain the same. I left that weekend saddened to part from so many familiar and friendly places, but I look forward to the next time we get to meet.

By Ing Phansavath �03 As the first orange-red rays of

dawn lightly kiss the autumn Eastern U.S. sky, a red-eye flight from Los Angeles, California, lands at Balti-more�s International Airport. A weary traveler, too early to catch a train or bus, hails an airport shuttle to take her an hour away to a familiar haunt�Dupont Circle, the D.C. home of APLP. Three cohorts earlier, this traveler became a part of the APLP network and family. She was now coming back to old stomping grounds as an alumna, to catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and to pass along the value of her experi-ences to the new class who would clamor to meet this sister (and seem-ing twin) of a current participant.

Throughout the day, many planes that carried past and present partici-pants of the APLP would land. I ar-rived in D.C. shortly before noon, flying a short distance from Boston, Massachusetts. As I walked into the lobby of the hotel and saw a diverse group of exhausted travelers, I knew right away that APLP had arrived. In all, five generations of APLPers gath-ered in D.C.

That first night, allowing the worn-out troop of current partici-pants to rest after a ten-hour flight, the alumni trekked to Lauriol Plaza, a favorite among us all, to start a night

D.C. Alumni Reunion Reflection

The APLP Navigator

Volume 2, Issue 1

The APLP Fifth Generation gathers outside the Booz Allen Hamilton headquarters in McLean, Virginia, during their October field study.

By Christina Monroe �05 The Peace and Conflict Resolution

Working Group (PCRW), founded by APLP alumni Kirk Lange �03 and D.L. McNeal �03 and now an official 501(c)3 non-profit organization, continues to build bridges and invite APLP fel-lows as contributors and leaders of new initiatives.

Booz Allen Hamiliton (BAH), in partnership with PCRW, hosted the current APLP cohort at their Wash-ington, D.C., offices for a simulation on the South China Sea Conflict. Leigh Blackburn �02, Senior Consult-ant at BAH, initiated and organized the simulation. Fellows role-played as delegations from involved countries after researching positions, history of the conflict, and contemporary points of contention. The simulation added a top-quality event with tremendous learning and application for APLP 2006 fellows. Most valuable was the collaboration and presence of APLP past and current members in Washington, D.C., for the October all-day event. Kirk

Lange drove all night to make a 24-hour appearance.

In order to prepare for the Booz Allen Hamilton simulation, Ashvina Patel �05 developed a two-week module hosted by

the APLP Leadership and Professional Development Seminars. Local experts led sessions such as Exploring Conflict and

Peace by Donna Ching, Western Ap-proaches to Conflict Resolution by John Barkai, and Negotiation Skills by Robert Robertson. Fellows learned by doing interactive exercises and mini-

simulations. The Peace and Con-flict Resolution Working Group built on the success of the March 2003 Iraq Forum by hosting an-other town hall at the East-West Center entitled �EU-PRC Weap-ons Ban Summit: What are the Implications for East Asia, Taiwan, and Cross Strait Relations?� Patel spearheaded Honolulu coordina-tion of the town hall. The event was well attended by EWC and UH researchers and policymak-ers, including EWC President Charles Morrison. Congratulat ions to PCRW co-founder, D. L. McNeal, who recently joined The Brook-ings Institution as Assistant Direc-tor of the China Initiative. De-

spite his new responsibilities, he found time to join APLP alumni and fellows for events during the D.C. field study.

Peace and Conflict Resolution Working Group Partners with Booz Allen Hamilton to Host South China Sea Simulation for APLP

Current participants at the end of the Spratly Islands Nego-tiations. From left to right: Ginny Saetia �06, Catherine Truong �06, and Jamal Hadjiusman �06.

Volume 2, Issue 1 Page 3

Agnes Malate Fills Senior Program Officer Role

Agnes Malate, who has worked in the field of higher education for 18 years, fills the vacancy left by the move of Gene Vricella, who now works as an EWC Scholarships Coordinator.

By Vinh Ho �04 The new influx of APLP participants also

means new staff changes. Despite minor staff shuffling, comprising APLP�s core faculty are Dr. Nick Barker, who continues his fifth year as Program Director, and Dr. Scott Macleod, the Core Issues Coordinator who is continuing his role after joining APLP last year. The 2005-2006 year sees new staff in Beverly Honda, Christina Monroe �05, Eric Hanson �05, and Monique Wedderburn �05.

Honda is no stranger to the East-West Center, having served over 25 years as EWC Housing administrator; since November 2004, she has been working with the APLP staff as Program Assistant. A Hawaii native, Mrs. Honda is the type of person who is willing to volunteer and assist in almost any project. Her arrival from Housing has already created a stir�students and staff alike are raving about her famous homemade brownies.

Monroe was an APLP participant last year when she was tapped for her many years of experience coordinating internships for various colleges on the mainland. Instrumental in orga-nizing the APLP internship pilot program last year, which assists individual participants in obtaining work experience and provides net-working opportunities through internships in the second semester, Christina will continue to

work on program devel-opment. Last year, Ms. Monroe helped partici-pants secure internships in Hawaii, Washington, D.C., South Africa, and Hong Kong.

Replacing Vinh Ho �04 as the Leadership Seminar teaching assis-tant is Eric Hanson, a UH graduate with a Masters in Asian Studies. While at UH, Hanson has been deeply involved with East-West Center alumni, participating in the East-West Center alumni gathering in Tokyo, Japan, and serving on the EWCA Hawaii Chapter Board. He hopes to increase APLP and East-West Center alumni activity while on board.

The departure of Justin Liang �03, who is now working towards an MA in International Relations at the Australian National Univer-sity, brought aboard Monique Wedderburn to serve as the Core Issues Teaching Assis-tant. Having grown up literally around the globe, Wedderburn holds an MBA from UH-Manoa and has recently worked at the Pacific Business Center. She is excited to be back with APLP in her new TA role.

Staff Shuffles: EWC, UH Veterans Join APLP

Beverly Honda Named Newest Program Assistant

quently went on to become doctors. Since then, she has dedicated her career to opening doors to college and the health professions for promising individuals from disadvantaged and underrepresented back-grounds�first with the Imi Ho�ola pro-gram for 11 years, during which time she was able to travel throughout the Pacific Islands (including Guam, American Samoa, and the Marshall Islands), and more re-cently with HCOP. As Director of the program, she has worked collaboratively with UH college campuses and depart-ments, public high schools, and health and community organizations to build a di-verse healthcare workforce.

Agnes currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Imi Ho`ola and on the Advisory Boards for the Ba-yanihan/Minority Organ Transplant and


By Justin Liang �03 Agnes Malate, Director of the Uni-

versity of Hawaii�s Health Careers Op-portunity Program (HCOP) and an 18-year veteran of higher education pro-grams in Hawaii, was recently appointed APLP Senior Program Officer to fill the vacancy left by the recent position move of Gene Vricella.

Malate, born in the Philippines, immi-grated to Hawaii via Taipei, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. She earned a Bachelors degree in Journalism and Political Science and a Masters degree in Educational Foundations from UH-Manoa. Her graduate research examined the charac-teristics of success for students who participated in the John A. Burns School of Medicine�s Imi Ho�ola post-baccalaureate program and who subse-

Bev Honda joins the APLP after working for over 20 years in EWC Housing.

The APLP Navigator

NTF Scholarship (from page 1)

The NTF aims to reward indi-viduals who, like Nainoa Thomp-son, serve as catalysts to trans-form their local communities.

Lhobsang Pandan of Tibet, founder and principal of the first private school in Tibet, was named the first Nainoa Thomp-son Scholar. The merit-based award, launched in 2005, pro-vides full tuition plus a living sti-pend for one deserving incoming APLP participant.

Pandan holds a Masters de-gree in Tibetan religion and lit-erature, has taught at various universities, and has published more than 50 articles. He is also the chairman of the Lhasa Private Education Association and holds positions in numerous govern-ment organizations, including the Tibet Political Consultative Con-ference.

To find out more about the fund or to make a contribution, visit http://education.eastwestcenter.org/aplp/a_images/nainoafund.pdf

Volume 2, Issue 1

ure in the program, I have developed friendships I know will last a lifetime. I have moved forward to pursue a won-derful opportunity that opened up within the EWC Education Program: a chance to continue working with inter-national students, and at the same time to remain in closer contact with my family and friends in Washington, D.C., as I accompany a small cohort each year for an extended internship in the na-tion's capital. It has been great to see the developments and changes in APLP in the two generations I was involved with.� His wife, Jill, has also recently accepted a teaching position with the UH Richardson School of Law, officially resigning from her faculty position at the Georgetown Law Center.

-ional and academic experience hailing from professional roles that require high-levels of responsibility, such as the Director of Programs for a U.S.-based NGO, a PhD in Bio-chemical Engineering, a professor from one of China�s top universities, and a Director from the Center for Strategic Studies at a prominent university in the Philippines. To top it off, this year�s EWCPA presidency was won by an APLP woman! Great job, ladies!

The age range for this year�s class was 22-44 years. The incoming classes continue to attract older, and possibly more experienced, fellows as this year had a mean age of 29. This results in a significant amount of experience char-acterizing the group. The program was enriched by the diverse talents and occupations of the entering participants. This class was characterized by knowledgeable and compe-tent professionals including an NGO leader from Sri Lanka, a monk from Cambodia, a conflict resolution specialist from Mindanao, researchers from Bhutan and China, and a senior law enforcement officer from India, among many other professions.

More than 26 languages are spoken in this year�s class, with many fellows speaking three or more languages. The fifth generation of APLP has proved to be a valuable asset to the APLP and EWC community. The fellows this year arguably had more work piled on them by APLP staff than any other group in the program�s history. The fifth genera-

tion responded well by impressing staff members with their productivity and ingenuity. The fifth generation clearly left a positive mark on the EWC and are welcomed to the APLP community.

Tissue Education Program (MOTTEP) and the Domestic Violence Clearing House and Legal Hotline (DVCLH) Pili-pino Rural Project. She brings to APLP a vested commitment to grassroots community work and a strong sense of pride in advancing the careers of those from the Asia Pacific. Having devoted most of her life to mentoring youth, she looks forward to sharing the richness of her experiences with the APLP program.

�I was always fascinated by the EWC participants as an undergrad,� said Malate, who has long been acquainted with and mentored by EWC alumni and affiliates. �So I feel extremely privileged to be joining the Center and look for-ward to learning about the individual experiences of every APLP participant.�

Agnes also enjoys dancing�she has performed both Philippine folk dances and Latin�and has hiked many of O�ahu�s trails. She also has a penchant for stargazing, though she �relies on the real astronomers to navigate by them.�

Vricella, who joined the APLP staff in 2004 to replace Glenn Yamashita, has moved two doors down to assume the role of Scholarships Coordinator for the U.S.-East Timor and U.S.-South Pacific Scholarship programs, both funded by the U.S. State Department�s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Of his APLP experience, Vricella said: �The association with present and future leaders in the Asia Pacific region has been truly inspirational during my time with APLP. Despite my short ten-

New Class Underscores EWC Diversity (continued from page 1)

UH Veteran Named Senior Program Officer (continued from page 4)

APLP Cohort 5 Profile

Entering class size: 44 Age distribution: Age range: 22-44 Average age: 29 Gender distribution: Male: 15 (34.1%) / Female: 29 (65.9%) Entering with work experience: 43 (97.7%) Students with advanced degrees: 20 (45.5%) International students by citizenship (non-U.S.): 30 (68.2%) Countries represented (19): Bhutan (1), Cambodia (1), Can-ada (1), China (6), India (2), Indonesia (1), Japan (1), Korea (2), Kyrgyzstan (2), Lao PDR (1), Micronesia (1), Nepal (1), Philip-pines (4), Slovakia (1), Sri Lanka (1), Sweden (1), Thailand (2), U.S.A. (14), Uzbekistan (1) Languages spoken (27): Bicolano, Bojpuri, Bhutanese, Can-tonese, Dzongkha, English, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Kyrgyz, Lao, Malay, Mandarin, Nepali, Pohnpeian, Russian, Sinhala, Slovak, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, Ti-betan, Uyghur, Visayan

ure in the program, I have developed friendships that I know will last a life-time. I have moved forward to pursue a wonderful opportunity that opened up within the EWC Education Program: a chance to continue working with inter-national students, and at the same time to remain in closer contact with my family and friends in Washington, D.C., as I accompany a small cohort each year for an extended internship in the na-tion's capital. It has been great to see the developments and changes in APLP in the two generations I was involved with.� His wife, Jill, has also recently accepted a teaching position with the University of Hawaii�s Richardson School of Law, officially resigning from her faculty position at the Georgetown Law Center.

Find out how to give back to the APLP�s global community by visiting: http://education.eastwestcenter.org/aplp/a_images/nainoafund.pdf

By Eric Hanson �05

I don�t know how all of you feel, but lately I feel as though I live in air-ports. I am traveling so much these days just to keep up and interact with our APLP family my own family is starting to get jealous. While I find it extremely enjoyable meeting and talk-ing with all of the people who have shared the APLP experience, the community that we are building is vast (to date more than 200 magnificent people), and to try to keep up with the happenings in our APLP neighborhood spreads me thinner than the hair (or lack thereof) on the top of my head.

Try to visualize our APLP community and then think about all of the op-portunities we have to connect. In Thailand and Washington, D.C., we have annual reunions; any trip to the mainland of China or the US is peppered with mini-reunions, dinners, and nights on the town. Every day the myriad people of APLP on Instant Messaging (IM) and Skype keeps the computer beeping and ringing non-stop. Just the SMS messages and phone calls are enough to make your head spin.

Nearly every continent and region

has our gang on it�Australia, Southeast Asia, Europe, East Asia; from Iowa to Chuuk, and everywhere in-between, APLPers are there. This is exciting, but it can also be problematic managing all of these wonderful relationships. Even in our world of instant gratification and

immediate connectivity, managing how we connect and maintain relationships can be difficult. With this in mind, this year�s APLP set out to discover ways to help our APLP Alumni community better connect and reconnect.

One major attempt at getting better at information management in APLP this past year has been through Social Net-

work Analysis (SNA). In concert with Wendi Backler of Boston Consulting Group, a valiant group of current fel-lows and staff (Kitty Chiu, Zarina Chekirbaeva, Blaine Baldwin, Jaylon Baykal, Basundra Kahnari, Scott Macleod, and Eric Hanson) have been

quietly yet diligently pursuing the study of social networks and how we can better man-age information within our community. The self-selected group has worked throughout the semester gathering infor-mation on SNA, meeting with Wendi Backler via conference call, researching the uses of SNA, and creating, distributing, and collecting the data from the now famous SNA Survey. Countless hours have gone into this project, with the main emphasis on adding value to our APLP experience. Having the ability to communi-cate more effectively will open up opportunities to share stories, share job and scholar-ship opportunities, disseminate information such as notices

about alumni reunions, and keep every-one up-to-date on the latest and great-est happening at the home-base in Honolulu. To help us understand more about Social Network Analysis I have interviewed Wendi Backler of Boston Consulting (see interview on following page).

Creating Stronger Connections: APLP and Social Network Analysis (SNA)

The APLP Navigator

The Skinny on Social Network Analysis

For more info visit http://www.insna.org

Social Network Analysis is a process whereby a visual picture (sociogram) is drawn of the social network of an individual (ego) or organization to be studied so that the group can be better managed, information can be transferred more efficiently, and the relationships in the group can become more productive. This visual picture is created by accessing important information, usually through a questionnaire or survey, (relationships, inter-ests, communication patterns, personal history, geographical location, etc.) and is then entered into a grid-matrix (such as Microsoft Excel) so that SNA software (Ucinet, Agna) can interpret the pattern of relationships. Once the SNA software has processed the information, a 3-D graph of an individual or organizational network is produced. This network is then analyzed so that the managers and individual people of the network can bet-ter understand the way in which the group interacts. To help explain this I have interviewed Wendi Backler of Boston Consulting. Wendi has been a superb resource for the APLP Social Network Analysis project and has been the lead consultant. See the interview on the next page.

Hubs and clusters in the APLP network. Can you guess who the connections are?

Interview by Eric Hanson �05

Wendi Backler is a management and business strategy consult-ant with expertise in several management disciplines, including strategic planning, marketing, organizational behavior and interna-tional business. She has 17 years of practical work experience and has also been involved in a range of teaching, research, and writing activities, working on almost 40 separate consulting assignments covering a range of sectors. For the past eight years, Wendi has worked for The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a leading busi-ness strategy-consulting firm with 54 offices worldwide. She cur-rently is a member of BCG�s core team of experts working with clients to develop and implement network analysis methodologies and tools in strategy and organizational practices. Wendi has a Bachelors in Communication from the University of British Co-lumbia and a Master of Management Science degree (Honours) from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Prior to joining BCG, Wendi worked on a variety of projects designed to improve the institutional and management effectiveness of public and com-munity organizations in developing coun-tries. Wendi has lived and worked in Asia for almost 10 years and speaks Indone-sian and Malay fluently. How do organizations employ Social Net-work Analysis to enhance organizational productivity and communication?

SNA is used in organizational con-texts to help identify strengths and diagnose problems, as well as provide information about activities that can help improve productivity and communica-tion. SNA enables the mapping of connections (�links� or �ties�) between individuals or groups within organizations. These connections can be based on communication or interactions, or they can represent who goes to whom for advice and therefore identify �trust� networks within organizations. What we find is that these informal, previously unseen networks in organizations are very different from the traditional organizational structures that identify the formal connections between people. These infor-mal networks often do a much better job of explaining what is really going on in organizations, where the problems exist, and what needs to be done to fix them. Can you give some specific examples?

We have used SNA with a large regional police force to iden-tify the nature of informal interactions between and among their various crime units and geographical divisions. We found that there was an astonishing lack of interaction between units that should have been communicating and sharing informa-tion. We also found a disconnect between the structure of the informal crime networks and the formal enforcement and investigation networks that had been put in place to fight them. What benefits do organizations utilizing SNA receive?

In the above example, the results of the SNA were used as

input into a major restructuring effort, which is currently in implementation phase. Communication and interaction between key units has already improved. As is often the case in SNA, just being able to visualize and quantify the gaps in informal communication networks can create an awareness that motivates individuals to take the initiative to start fixing issues on their own, even before any formal interventions are made at the organizational level. Why should APLP be interested in Social Network Analysis?

Networks in general have become an alternative lens with which to understand organizational and business is-sues. The fact is that with the advent of new information and interaction technologies, organizations also function much more like informal networks with complex webs of interaction than traditional hierarchies. I believe that any-one in a managerial or leadership role needs to understand the network perspective if they want to understand what really goes on in an organization. So SNA is important for

APLP members on an individual, professional level. But it is also important for the APLP alumni at the community level. An under-standing of what the APLP com-munity network looks like and how it works will enable its mem-bers to identify ways to strengthen the network and opti-mize its value to them, both on a professional and personal level.

What role does Social Network Analysis play within virtual or-ganizations? Social Network Analysis can be a useful tool for the dissemination of information throughout traditional organiza-tions, but how about those organizations that are absent of the traditional �water cooler talk� around the office (like the APLP Alumni organization)?

SNA in virtual organizations, like the APLP Alumni or-ganization, can help provide insight into how people com-municate and interact, and why. For example, this type of information is useful for designing activities and setting pri-orities around getting people in different parts of the or-ganization better connected. It can also help develop an understanding of who the �hubs� are that can help to �spread the word,� or reach out to the community. What other applications does Social Network Analysis have outside of business organizations?

SNA is widely used in many other contexts. Some of its most powerful applications outside of the business context have been in finding ways to prevent the spread of commu-nicable disease, such as HIV/AIDS. SNA surveys of high-risk populations of intravenous drug users and prostitutes have helped identify hubs of transmission and allowed focused allocation of resources for education, prevention and treat-ment.

An Interview with Wendi Backler of The Boston Consulting Group

�An understanding of what the APLP

community network looks like and how

it works will enable its members to

identify ways to strengthen the network

and optimize its value to them, both on

a professional and personal level.�

Volume 2, Issue 1

Interview by Vinh Ho �04 Thinley Choden, now an MPA candidate at UH-Manoa

and an EWC Graduate Fellow, comes from a country whose government is more concerned with Gross National Happi-ness than with Gross Domestic Product. But between juggling obligations for the United Nations World Food Programme, reviving a family-run travel and tour company in her native Bhutan, filming documentaries, and publishing papers on public service�all after she graduated from APLP in 2003�how does Thinley assess her own �gross happiness�? What did you do immediately following the completion of APLP?

I went back to Bhutan and worked there for two years. I was working for the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP), looking after the Food for Education, otherwise called the School Feeding, Programme. We fed 37,000 school children all across Bhutan, including students from primary to high school. The majority of our aid work was focused on rural schools (food insecure areas). Some of the rural schools are a seven days� walk, one way, into the mountains. I always enjoyed hiking out to the schools and visiting the students, teachers and com-munities, and I did this quite often on monitoring and regu-lar field visits. One of the main goals for providing food is to enable families and stu-dents to attend schools; at-tending schools not only helps children develop physically and mentally in a healthy manner through proper nutrition but also aids them in their education and thus builds human capi-tal, contributing to the country�s socio-economic growth and sustainability and reducing health problems due to lack of food.

Apart from my work with UNWFP, I was also trying to be entrepreneurial and started, or rather revived, an eco-tours and travels company, called Bhutan Tours and Travels (www.bhutantoursandtravels.com)�so everyone who wants to visit Bhutan should come through my company. I am doing it in partnership with my sister.

I was also very involved in a documentary production project in Bhutan on Gross National Happiness and Hydroe-lectricity. A production team from the U.S. was in Bhutan for two weeks and filmed all over Bhutan, and we are hoping the documentary will be out sometime next year and will be aired on PBS. It is a 60-minute documentary. Paul Horn, a two time Grammy Award winner�those of you who are jazz/trans-jazz music fans may probably know him�and Christopher Hedge, a Grammy nominee, were part of the team. I organized a Bhutanese traditional/trans-jazz music fusion concert in the capital . . . It turned out to be a great success; they got very good reviews in the national newspaper.

I have also tried to keep up my academics. I wrote a paper on public service for an international conference held in Bhutan and later got a shortened version of the same paper published in a D.C.-based magazine called World & I: Innovative Ap-proaches to World Peace in the November-December 2004 issue. My article was titled �Empowering Jimba.� What are your long-term goals? Where do you see your-self in five to ten years?

My long term goal is to travel and live around the world doing development work. I hope to be working for an interna-tional organization that does development work. In five to ten

years I would love to do com-munity-level development work. Further along, I see myself as a consultant doing development and public policy work, mainly dealing with socio-economic and environ-mental issues. In what ways did APLP, the East-West Center community at large, and your year in Hawaii inform your current field of

study? What role did APLP play, if any, in shaping or reshaping your career ambitions?

Initially, my plan was to get a Masters in Economics, but after my experience at APLP and EWC, it made me think twice about my choice. I wanted to get a practical degree that offered good theoretical background and was geared towards public service/policy. With that and my work experience in mind, I decided to get a Masters in Public Administration, with a con-centration in socio-economic policy and disaster management. What personal attributes make you successful in your field? Do you think APLP helped you cultivate some of these qualities?

I have always been involved in public service one way or another, from high school and throughout college and my ca-reer. My experiences studying and living several countries, commitment, open-mindedness, adaptability, and hard-working nature are the attributes that enable me to perform my job as an international public servant. APLP definitely helped me be-come more aware of my strengths and weakness and improved my ability to think critically and analytically. I think the first step towards leading or serving is introspection�knowing yourself and having a clear picture of yourself. Only then can you work effectively and serve with passion.

Alumni Profile: Thinley Choden �03

�I think the first step towards leading or serving

is introspection�knowing yourself and having a

clear picture of yourself. Only then can you work

effectively and serve with passion.�

The APLP Navigator

Interview by Justin Liang �03

Dr. Leigh Blackburn just can�t get enough of APLP. After graduating with the pilot class in 2002, Leigh stayed on to work with Nick Barker as a Teaching Assistant. Now a Senior Consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, where she has special-ized in Strategy and Policy, Information Operations, and Intel-ligence Analysis in the Asia Pacific and Middle East for the past two-and-a-half years, Leigh has brought her knowledge and expertise back to the program by helping to organize a strat-egy simulation exercise for current participants (detailed on page 3). The Navigator recently sat down with Leigh to ask about her views on the APLP alumni network. In what ways have you been involved with APLP since graduating from the program?

Since completing APLP in 2002, I worked as a Program and Teaching Assistant for the Leadership course for the sec-ond APLP class. I attended the Molokai Reunion in 2004. Over the past 10 months, I worked to establish a strategic relationship between the East-West Center and my company, Booz Allen Hamilton. The first project that developed out of our strategic relationship was the development and produc-tion of a simulation exercise (a role-playing exercise) on the Spratly Islands conflict for the APLP fellows. APLP fellows took on the role of coun-try delegations attending an ASEAN Joint Working Group Meeting on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The ex-ercise was held at Booz Allen Hamilton headquar-ters in McLean, Virginia during the APLP field study to Washington, D.C. (October 2005). How did your APLP experi-ence inform your current line of work?

Quite a lot! APLP pro-vided me with a nuanced awareness and understand-ing of the critical issues of the Asia-Pacific region. On a re-cent project in Australia, my knowledge of the region was critical to understanding my client�s needs and interests and directly impacted my ability to deliver an innovative and in-sightful product. The program also enabled me to develop long-lasting friendships and professional connections which, have proved very important in the international consulting business. In the line of work that I am in, networks and con-nections are extremely important. What particular skills are valuable to people interested in entering the consulting industry?

There are several skills that are valued in my line of work:

Individual entrepreneurship (creating new work for the Firm and its clients and creating excitement to take action); Team-work (ability to work with others, sharing knowledge, skills, and resolving conflicts); and Flexibility and Adaptability (desire to take on new challenges and opportunities). Other skills include good communication/presentation skills, research and

computer skills, and an in-depth knowledge of a par-ticular issue, region, or country. How can APLP alumni better reconnect with their cohorts and take advantage of the growing alumni network? The APLP network is truly phenomenal and can be a significant resource to all of us. I believe that most classes have list serves where alums stay con-nected (if a class does not have a list serve, then that would be a good first step). I use my cohort's Yahoo

group all of the time to stay connected to my APLP friends. Also, I am anxious to see the results of the social network analysis that the current APLPers are working on, and I en-courage the publication of the results so that all APLP alums can have data on where and what others are up to. I am also looking forward to the upcoming reunion in Vietnam (December 2006) and believe that will serve as another excel-lent opportunity to get to know more people. Any plans or ideas for future APLP legacy projects?

I plan to maintain the strategic partnership between Booz Allen Hamilton and the East-West Center/APLP. I think that there is a solid foundation for a mutually beneficial relation-ship.

Volume 2, Issue 1

Alumni Profile: Leigh Blackburn �02

Leigh Blackburn �02 (far right) assists current APLP participants with their negotiations during the Spratly Islands Simulation at Booz Allen Hamilton.

DD By Justin Fong �02

ecember 26, 2005, marks one year since the tsunami struck countries in Asia and East Africa. With so many natural disasters and world events in recent months, it is sometimes difficult not to get distracted from or de-sensitized to the real impacts of such events. As most of us may remember, the disaster was widespread and resulted in complete destruction of most areas hit. The earthquake deep beneath the Indian Ocean that caused the tsunami was reported as measuring around 9 on the Richter Scale; it was fol-lowed by a succession of 15 smaller quakes across the Andaman region. The resulting tsunami inflicted mas-sive human and natural damage across 12 countries, with the loss of over 225,000 lives.

Beyond the lives lost, there are the millions whose lives have been uprooted and who, to this day, continue to face the difficult and sometimes over-whelming challenge of putting their lives back together. Whole villages were washed away leaving behind villagers with neither shelter nor possessions. Hundreds of families were relocated to �temporary� camps where many remain, far from their traditional homes and still without knowledge of what their futures hold. It will take years to reconstruct lives pulled apart by this tragedy.

It was difficult to know what to expect heading into southern Thailand a month after the tsunami. The fact is, there was no way to truly know what the situation was without going there. It is apparent now why before going

there it was impossible to describe. Even now, it is difficult to put into words what it was like being in the area.

A month before I arrived, the areas around Phuket, Khao Lak and the nearby islands were in a chaotic frenzy. Army and aid workers entered into the area to conduct search & rescue missions, care for the wounded, and begin to deal with the immense challenge of managing the thousands of corpses re-covered. One of the first large-scale and organized efforts was to restore electricity in the area. Kilometers of concrete elec-tricity poles were put into places where nothing else was left

standing. This was important to help relief efforts in affected areas as well as to maintain the conditions of less-affected areas caught in between af-fected areas. In some places, a change in elevation of tens of meters within a distance of a few kilometers kept villages above the wave mark and was the differ-ence that saved families from the direct impact of the tsunami.

The 90 kilometers of road traveling north from Khao Lak to the coastal areas off the Surin Islands near Kuraburi Town weaves through a wide-spectrum of tsunami-affected areas. Much of the area immediately around Khao Lak was entirely washed away. The ruins of large resorts situated right on the beach are a testament to the force with which the tsunami struck; it hammered buildings and tossed cars around in its wake. A 100-ton police boat was washed two kilometers inland across a road and up the side of a mountain. Many palm trees were left standing (a testament to their natural evolu-tion), many were uprooted, and others were simply snapped in


�The fact is, there was no way to truly

know what the situation was without

going there. It is apparent now why

before going there it was impossible to

describe.�

The APLP Navigator

APLP Spells �Relief�APLP Spells �Relief� One Year After the Tsunami, Alumni Reflect on Experiences in Affected Areas

APLPers are never ones to stand still in times of need. After the catastrophic tsunami hit Southeast Asia in 2004, members of every cohort put their leadership skills into action by volunteering directly in tsunami-affected areas. As part of their field study in Thailand, for example, the APLP Class of 2005 worked with the Thai Red Cross in Bangkok sorting clothes and moving boxes to be shipped to affected coastal regions. Inspired by the need to do more, Kathy Tran �05 subsequently led a group of APLP and UH students to Sri Lanka to rebuild homes through the Habitat for Humanity Global Villages project. Dedicated fundraising efforts raised $10,300 to support the trip, which brought aboard class-mates Loren Nadres �05, Nisha Onta �05, Sirilux Patanapoothong �05, Ashvina Patel �05, and Bruce Reynolds �05. In this issue�s spe-cial spread, APLPers volunteering in Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Thailand share their ideas, opinions, and stories about repair-ing the homes and lives of those affected.

The Tsunami Was Just the Beginning . . .

The ruins of Khao Lak beach, Thailand, after the tsunami of 2004. Justin Fong �02 worked directly on reconstruction of the village.

DD

half by the force of the waves. This is the kind of destruction one might expect to happen, but still not be prepared to see.

I spent five weeks in southern Thailand, working in NGOs, volunteer groups, local communities, temples, schools, and temporary camps. I learned that helping put the lives back to-gether of those affected by the tsunami will forever be an in-complete process. But, due to the great strength of the Thai culture, progress continues to be made. For many villages who lived by the seaside, getting boats repaired or replaced contin-ues to be a primary concern. Their boats were their livelihood and their way of life. Helping replace boats, squid traps, and fishing gear is one step in returning local villagers to their self-sustaining traditional livelihoods.

Another major ongoing effort is supporting the children affected. In the weeks following the tsunami, we held many art activity days in the temporary housing camps. For many chil-dren, being relocated in camps meant having no place to play, unfamiliar surroundings, and little stability. The Thai children who were affected were assigned new schools to attend; how-ever, most of their families had lost all of their possessions and money. Thus, we helped provide funds for tuition, school uni-forms, and school supplies. The Mokken and Burmese children affected by the tsunami traditionally do not attend school or because they are semi-legal immigrants are not able to. Also, they don�t often speak Thai well enough to attend classes. Pro-vided with paper and crayons, all the children began drawing almost instantly without need for direction or supervision. Most of the images drawn were of their villages, landscapes of the ocean and mountains, and many, many helicopters. Helicopters conducting search and rescue efforts were a daily sight during the weeks after the tsunami and left a deep impression in the

APLP Spells �Relief�APLP Spells �Relief�

Volume 2, Issue 1

minds of the children. We will continue to raise funds to sup-port counseling and psychological services for children and fami-lies. This is one of the most urgent and yet still unmet needs in the area. This is the relief work that will have to continue for years to come.

We are still collecting because there is still a great need for financial donations to support worthwhile projects. From the time I arrived through the five weeks I spent there after the tsunami, there was no International Red Cross presence to be found in the area. They had come, provided much needed triage services, but were not engaged in the long-term community recovery and rebuilding efforts. Among the people on the ground, it was mystifying where the millions of dollars that have been donated to international organizations for tsunami relief have gone. On meager budgets, small NGOs and individuals were providing emergency food, drinking water, and medicines to displaced communities. Those same groups are still providing much needed support in the form of building homes, creating jobs, granting educational scholarships, managing environmental restoration, creating handicraft projects, giving counseling, and meeting the many daily needs of communities as they arise.

In January of this year, I will be returning to the area to rejoin ongoing projects. The people and places I have come to know in Thailand have become an indelible part of my life, and I will continue my efforts to contribute to the rebuilding of their lives.

If you would like to see pictures from southern Thailand and/or make a donation to support ongoing projects, please visit http://www.thedonationcenter.org/thailand/tsunami1.html. Justin Fong �02, from the U.S.A., is an NGO worker in Beijing.

The Tsunami Was Just the Beginning (from page 10)

Visit http://www.thedonationcenter.org/thailand/tsunami1.html for more pictures from Justin Fong�s trip to southern Thailand

Mokken and Burmese children at the Bak Jok camp for children, one of the many affected sites at which Justin Fong �02 volunteered.

Children of Bak Jok camp produce magnificent pieces of art after being given just a small box of crayons and drawing paper.

TT

universal Bollywood tunes; we shared sweet tea and spicy food. The weeks went by like a blink of an eye but left us with memo-ries that would last a lifetime. We became part of their family and their family history. We helped our family build an extension room, which they would use to make memories. We are part of

their life as much as they are part of ours. In those ten days we became immersed in the heat, the hu-

midity, and the culture of Anuradhapura. We were no longer strangers to the streets and the rivers and the lakes. We have dug the earth, sifted the sand, killed a lot of ants, and even en-countered snakes. We have learned so much from the families we helped, and they have given us love and respect�and an unlimited supply of coconut water.

One major thing that I realized in this trip is the resilience of the Human Spirit. In the words of the famous singer Stevie Wonder from his song �Free�: �Free - free like the vision that / The mind of only you are ever gonna see / Free like the river my life / Goes on and on through infinity.� Nisha Onta of Nepal was a member of the APLP�s Fourth Generation. She volunteered in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, from June 14-30, 2005, with the East-West Center�s Habitat for Sri Lanka team.

By Nisha Onta �05 he full moon marked our arrival in the city of Anurad-hapura in Sri Lanka as well as the city�s biggest Buddhist festival, Poson. Ten individu-als from various backgrounds got together for one mission to help the families in need

to build their homes. We were volunteers through Habitat for Humanity International and we chose to go to Sri Lanka after realizing the devastation caused by the Tsunami of 2004. The devastation of the Tsunami destroyed lives, homes and liveli-hoods across Sri Lanka. Almost 40,000 people were killed and thousands of those missing will never be recovered. Most of the small, coastal villages in southern and eastern Sri Lanka have been completely destroyed. Over a million people have been left homeless. There are a lot of or-ganizations working in rebuilding their lives and Habitat for Human-ity is one of them. A week before our trip we were told that we would not be sent to the tsunami-affected area as they were in need of more skilled volunteers. Our group decided to go to Sri Lanka none-theless, as we all realized we were going to help people in need irre-spective of what caused it. When someone calls for help, humanity does not ask for the cause for the despair but runs to the rescue.

Explaining to all my cousins and friends in Nepal why I was going to Sri Lanka was not enough practice, as I had a hard time explaining it to our immigration officers in my own country. They seemed genuinely intrigued and concerned if I would be able to get visa on arrival in Co-lombo with my agenda for the trip. It was an interesting situa-tion, as people were quite astonished to realize that I would go all the way to Sri Lanka to help poor people build houses. For me the answer was simple: an opportunity knocked at my door, and I had no choice but to embrace it. But for some it was somewhat strange.

When we reached our respective houses and started car-rying bricks and mixing cement, I realized the meaning of hard labor and of selfless acts. With little knowledge of each other�s language, the family and our team had a great time gesturing and communicating using basic English. We listened to the oh-so-

The APLP Navigator

A Helping Hand for Our Neighbors

Members of the Habitat for Humanity Global Villages Project to help reconstruct Sri Lanka, led by Kathy Tran �05 (second from left, front row), successfully raised over $10,000 for their trip.


�We have learned so much from the

families we helped, and they have

given us love and respect�and an

unlimited supply of coconut water.�

TT

By Iris Prasetyo �03 A few days after the tsu-

nami hit Aceh, Nias, and the surrounding areas, while the emergency relief efforts were just at their very early stages, the Ministry of National Development Plan-ning/National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) was instructed by the President of Indonesia to coordinate the development of a Master Plan for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias. Although it might seem premature, the appointment was indeed very logical. An effective and holistic plan was needed to ensure that movements from one phase to another would go smoothly. Whereas the massiveness of the destruction caused by the tsunami was overwhelming, it was expected that the emergency relief stage could be com-pleted within three months. Prohibiting the people of the affected areas from moving forward to further phases of as-sistance would only have prolonged their suffering. A comprehensive plan was nec-essary as well, seeing that almost every sector had been destroyed. The master plan, or the blueprint, was thus intended to serve as the main and common refer-ence for all line ministries, local govern-ments of the affected areas, as well as all concerned communities in rebuilding the affected areas.

Bappenas responded to the appoint-ment by forming a coordinating team, which consisted of representatives from all related ministries, and a secretariat. Later, because of the size of the task as well as the comprehensiveness of the sectors involved, almost every staff mem-ber in Bappenas was in some way en-gaged in the development of the blue-print.

At the beginning, comprehensive planning for every sector seemed very challenging. Almost everyone involved was overwhelmed by the enormous tasks of developing the blueprint. This is be-cause few in the team had prior experi-ence in managing a huge relief effort com-parable to the size of assistance necessi-tated by this tsunami disaster. To add to

that confusion, current and accurate data was very limited, and this left many ques-tions unanswered. For example, if an area had 100 schools before the tsunami, how many were destroyed? How many should be rebuilt? Will the area still have a similar number of children going to school? If two thirds of the electricity generation capac-ity was damaged, how much should be redeveloped? Will the electricity demands stay the same as before the event? How many houses should be built? Where are those houses going to be built? How should we deal with land rights when the land boundaries and land covers have severely changed? Although the counting of casualties and damage inventory had not yet been finished, the answers to these questions were urgently needed. In addition, the deadline to produce the blueprint was just around the corner, adding more pressure to everyone in-volved.

Realizing the urgent need of the blue-print and the limitations at hand, continu-ous cooperation and networking with various related parties�ministries, local governments, non-governmental organiza-tions, international agencies and the peo-ple in the affected areas themselves�have been essential to the development of the blueprint. The cooperation has not only eased the work burden but also improved the accuracy in the estimations of missing data. For instance, international network-ing has helped the environment sector to

better estimate the damage of the natural resources on the coastal lines. Data on the natural resources damage from neighboring affected countries together with aerial photo of the coastal lines and pre-disaster data on the areas have been the sources for damage estimation.

On April 15, 2005, the blueprint was enacted through Presidential Regulation No. 30/2005. One of the main principles in the blueprint is to rebuild Aceh and Nias through com-munity-oriented, participatory, and sustainable development approaches. These approaches will ensure that the voices of the people of Aceh and Nias are not only heard and considered, but that their voices will be the main foun-dation for rebuilding their homes. The completion of the blueprint marks the beginning of the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts for Aceh and Nias, which are expected to provide better and sustainable lives for the people of Aceh and Nias.

It is now more than one year from that time of great destruction. The rehabilitation and reconstruction ef-forts are well underway, yet much still needs to be done. Just as it was during the immediate emergency relief, there is always room for anybody interested in participating in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Aceh and Nias. What has been written by Bob Alexan-der, an EWC fellow, a year ago is still very relevant: �Contribute for reconstruc-tion and development, not just relief. While the emergency needs are great, even greater, far greater, will be the need for funds with which to help rebuild com-munities and livelihoods.� Every helping hand unquestionably will ease the bur-den of the tsunami victims in rebuilding their homes, and a better and safer Aceh and Nias. Iris Prasetyo �03 of Indonesia is on the planning staff of Bappenas and was a member of the Secretariat for the Reha-bilitation and Reconstruction of Aceh and Nias.

Volume 2, Issue 1

Banda Aceh and Nias, Indonesia, were two of the places hit hardest by the December 2004 earth-quake, which registered 8.7 on the Richter Scale.


Notes from the Field: Reconstructing Aceh and Nias

Opinions & Editorials: Do We Need Another Tsunami?

By Saima Huma �03 EDITOR�S NOTE: Saima Huma wrote this editorial on May 31, 2005, a day after someone carried out a suicide bombing on a mosque near her home in Karachi, Pakistan. hatever is happening in Kara-chi should not happen. This was the first thought that came to my mind while I was taking a rickshaw to my office, which is just a ten-minute drive from my home. This ten-minute drive raised a lot of questions in my mind as I saw burnt cars, buses, petrol pumps, pieces of mir-

WW


A Memo from Phuket By Sirilux Patanapoothong �05

I am currently working as a Project Manager under

the auspices of an organization called Hilfswerk Austria at the Austria-Phuket Community Center (APCC), which is located in Phuket and dedicated to reconstructing and rehabilitating the livelihoods of the people in the commu-nity affected by last year�s tsunami. We are now con-structing three main buildings: a kids� care center (nursery), a training center, and a public library, which includes a public park and civic space.

Working as a Project Manager here, I gain lots of experience, especially in getting in touch closely and talk-ing directly with the people in the community�the fish-ermen who lost their jobs, kids who lost their parents, and many others. These people make me see just how much this community center will positively impact their lives, helping them to regain their confidence once again and to go back and live a normal life.

The most challenging yet wonderful experience in this work here has been getting people united and re-united. I have been able to combine the cooperation with the local government with the headquarters in Vi-enna, plus the press, media and other parties to create support for the people. Sirilux Patanapoothong �05 hails from Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Sirilux Patanapoothong �05 (third from left, front row) works for Hilfswerk Austria, where she helps bring together delegations from Austria and Phuket, Thailand.

Opinions & Editorials: Do We Need Another Tsunami? By Saima Huma �03

EDITOR�S NOTE: Saima Huma wrote this editorial on May 31, 2005, a day after someone committed a suicide bombing on a mosque near her home in Karachi, Pakistan.

hatever is happening in Karachi

should not happen. This was the first thought that came to my mind while I was taking a rickshaw to my office, which is just a ten-minute drive from my home.

This ten-minute drive raised a lot of questions in my mind as I saw burnt cars, buses, petrol pumps, pieces of mirrors, and burnt tiers, which happened in reac-tion to last night�s suicide attack on a mosque claiming a number of lives. A cluster of questions were bothering me�is this the way a community should re-spond to such attacks?

Should people hurt their fellow com-munity members to this extent that they turn to the barbarian examples witnessed by last night, setting a fast food restaurant on fire, which claimed six people�s lives? Their bodies were later discovered by the fire brigade department, according to Geo Television network.

Those who died in the restaurants were not linked with the terrorists who killed people at the mosque. Why did their families have to suffer?

We often blame the government for not protecting people�s lives. We also feel helpless when we read about short-circuits which claimed the lives of seven people of the same family at Gulshan-e-Iqbal residential area. How can we then take other people�s lives?

When are we going to understand that the purpose of such incidents is to divide us, and there are elements within our society that do not want to see us united as a community and as a nation? In these circumstances, we should sup-port each other and not become one of those who just want chaos and nothing else.

Or do we have to have another tsu-nami to understand the importance of human life?

Saima Huma �03 lives in Karachi, Pakistan.

WW

Page 14 The APLP Navigator

Jessica Wolf �03, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, met with George W. Bush in Tbilisi, Georgia.

A match made in Manhattan: Isaac Souweine �03 recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend, Andrea Pinkney. The two are tentatively planning an August 2007 wedding.

Compiled by Keeranun Faiupara �04, Melissa Gregorio �05, Justin Liang �03, and Ing Phansavath �03

MARCELYN THOMPSON recently graduated with a Masters degree from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. After spending Christmas in Kasilof, Arkansas, and New Years in New York, she is now in Florida �indefinitely.� �Basically,� wrote Marcelyn, �I plan to stay there until I find a job or go insane from living at home and decide to move somewhere else. I�m pretty sure I know which one will happen first!� She wishes everyone a Happy New Year�or �ju ni fa cai� to those in the Middle Kingdom. LEIGH BLACKBURN is still consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton in Virginia. She recently spearheaded a partnership between her firm and the East-West Center and organized a con-flict resolution simulation for the cur-rent APLP cohort. Be sure to read all about the event and about all of Leigh�s exciting activities in her Alumni Profile on page 9 of this issue! C�mon Pilot Generation, we need your input! Write the APLP Navi-gator at aplpnavigator@ yahoo.com to submit your Class Notes so we know where you are!

Members of APLP�s Second Generation have been traveling prolifically aboard two ships, though neither happen to be named the Hokule�a. They are united, rather, in Friendship and Leadership, taking their skills and talents east and west, as well as north and south, while remaining true to the values of inclusive-ness, honesty, humility, compassion, invigo-ration, and rigor championed by the pro-gram. The twin cities, of all places,

are now home to more than just a couple of �03ers. MYAT THANDA TUN moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in March 2005�a city she believes is actually �the coldest place on earth.� Myat is working at the Fairview Health Services Human Re-sources Department, and often complains about the weather via e-mail to ZHENGE ZHAO and SOE NAING. She was pleased to learn that APLP classmates ANITA COLE, presently attending law school in Minnesota, and BEN WAG-NER, now a UH law graduate whose home is in Minnesota, are around to keep her company. Prior to her move, Myat had a farewell dinner in New York City, at which a number of classmates reconnected�and then sadly bid their goodbyes. Anita, SHANTHINI BLACK, KIRK OKANO-LANGE, AYNNE KOKAS, DIVINA OJASCASTRO, ING PHANSAVATH, and JESSICA WOLF all attended but have since relocated to various parts of the U.S. and the globe. Shanthini earned her Masters degree in Urban Planning from New York University last Spring and is now working in real estate development at a Los Angeles-based urban developing firm called Ander-s o n P a c i f i c L L C (www.andersonpacificllc.com). Now living in Santa Monica, she occasionally sees Aynne, CHARLES BABB, Miloni

Continued on page 16 Gandhi �04, and Bruce Reynolds �05 in the �City of Angels.� Shanthini returned to the East Coast briefly in October for the D.C. mini-reunion�a chance to see her younger sister Sheena Black, a member of APLP�s Fifth Generation, and to touch base once again with area alumni. Chuck, meanwhile, is making the most of his expertise in me-dia, business, and Japanese language and culture; he is working in L.A. as a Marketing Coordinator for TokyoPop, the largest licenser/distributor of anime in the States.

Also in L.A. is Aynne Kokas, who is now in her second year of doc-toral studies at UCLA. She, THINLEY CHODEN, Ing, Charles, and Shanthini recently gathered in San Diego to cele-brate Shanthini�s birthday. Thinley is completing a Masters in Public Admini-stration at UH-Manoa. Her recent en-deavors, which include receiving a sig-nificant national service award and get-ting an article published in a major jour-nal, are featured in the Alumni Profiles section of this issue! Ing is still working on her MA in International Develop-ment and Social Change at Clark Uni-versity in Worcester, Massachusetts, but reports that she will be done in May. A true APLP ambassador, she organized a �Summer Babies Bonfire Bash� at Hunt-ington Beach this past summer with Aynne, Miloni Gandhi �04, and JENINE MAK, who is in her second year of law school at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Canada. �The Phans� also recently traveled to Japan, where she visited MIDORI OKUGAWA and Tatsuya Sato �04, both working at Wa-seda University in Tokyo, and heard rumors that ANH PHAM was in town studying abroad.

Class NotesClass Notes Who Did What, Where, When, and Why?

The APLP Alumni Chapter is actively seeking a Secretary to compile Class Notes for future

editions of the �APLP Navigator�!

E-mail [email protected] if interested.

Volume 2, Issue 1

Compiled by Keeranun Faiupara �04, Melissa Gregorio �05, Justin Liang �03, and Ing Phansavath �03

M A R C E L Y N THOMPSON re-cently graduated with a Masters degree from the Monterey Institute of International Stud-

ies. After spending Christmas in Kasilof, Arkansas, and New Years in New York, she is now in Florida �indefinitely.� �Basically,� wrote Marcelyn, �I plan to stay there until I find a job or go insane from living at home and decide to move somewhere else. I�m pretty sure I know which one will happen first!� She wishes everyone a Happy New Year�or �ju ni fa cai� to those in the Middle Kingdom.

LEIGH BLACKBURN is still consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton in Virginia. She recently spearheaded a partnership between her firm and the East-West Center and organized a con-

flict resolution simu-lation for the current APLP cohort. Be sure to read all about the event and about all of Leigh�s exciting activities in her Alumni Profile on page 9 of this issue!

C�mon Pilot Gen-eration, we need your input! Write the APLP Navigator at aplpnavigator@ yahoo.com to submit your Class Notes so we know where you are!

Members of APLP�s Sec-ond Generation have been traveling prolifically aboard two ships, though neither happen to be named the Hokule�a.

They are united, rather, in Friendship and Leadership, taking their skills and talents east and west, as well as north and south, while remaining true to the values of inclusive-ness, honesty, humility, compas-sion, invigoration, and rigor championed by the program. The twin cities, of all places, are now home to more than just a couple of �03ers. MYAT THANDA TUN moved to Minneapolis, Minne-sota, in March 2005�a city she believes is actually �the coldest place on earth.� Myat is working at the Fairview Health Services Human Re-sources Department, and of-ten complains about the

weather via e-mail to ZHENGE ZHAO and SOE NAING. She was pleased to learn that APLP classmates ANITA COLE, presently attending law school in Minnesota, and BEN WAG-NER, now a UH law graduate whose home is in Minnesota, are around to keep her company.

Prior to her move, Myat had a fare-well dinner in New York City, at which a number of classmates reconnected�and then sadly bid their goodbyes. Anita, SHANTHINI BLACK, KIRK OKANO-LANGE, AYNNE KO-KAS, DIVINA OJASCASTRO, ING PHANSAVATH , and JESSICA WOLF all attended but have since relocated to various parts of the U.S. and the globe.

Shanthini earned her Masters degree in Urban Planning from New York Uni-versity last Spring and is now working in real estate development at a Los Ange-les-based urban developing firm called A n d e r s o n P a c i f i c L L C (www.andersonpacificllc.com). Now living in Santa Monica, she occasionally sees Aynne, CHARLES BABB, Miloni

Continued on page 16

Class NotesClass Notes Who Did What, Where, When, and Why?

Jessica Wolf �03, a U.S. Foreign Service Officer, met with George W. Bush in Tbilisi, Georgia.

A match made in Manhattan: Isaac Souweine �03 recently proposed to his long-time girlfriend Andrea Pinkney. The two are tentatively planning an August 2007 wedding.

Charlie�s Angels? From left to right: Thinley Choden �03, Shanthini Black �03, Aynne Kokas �03, and Charles Babb �03 recently reunited in the �City of Angels� (Los Angeles, California).

Itadakimasu! Ing Phansavath �03, EWC Fellow Greg Dvorak, and Tatsuya Sato �04 do sushi in Tokyo.

Gandhi �04, and Bruce Reynolds �05 in the �City of Angels.� Shanthini returned to the East Coast briefly in October for the D.C. mini-reunion�a chance to see her younger sister Sheena Black, a mem-ber of APLP�s Fifth Generation, and to touch base once again with area alumni. Chuck, meanwhile, is making the most of his expertise in media, business, and Japanese language and culture; he is working in L.A. as a Marketing Coordina-tor for TokyoPop, the largest li-censer/distributor of anime in the States.

Also in L.A. is Aynne Kokas, who is now in her second year of doctoral stud-ies at UCLA. She, THINLEY CHO-DEN, Ing, Charles, and Shanthini re-cently gathered in San Diego to celebrate Shanthini�s birthday. Thinley is complet-ing a Masters in Public Administration at UH-Manoa. Her recent endeavors, which include receiving a significant national service award and getting an article pub-lished in a major journal, are featured in the Alumni Profiles section (page 8) of this issue! Ing is still working on her MA in International Development and Social Change at Clark University in Worces-ter, Massachusetts, but reports that she will be done in May. A true APLP ambas-

sador, she organized a �Summer Babies Bonfire Bash� at Huntington Beach this past summer with Aynne, Miloni Gandhi �04, and JENINE MAK, who is in her second year of law school at the Univer-sity of Windsor in Windsor, Canada. �The Phans� also recently traveled to Japan, where she visited MIDORI OKU-GAWA and Tatsuya Sato �04, both work-ing at Waseda University in Tokyo, and heard rumors that ANH PHAM was in town studying abroad.

Neighboring Monterey, California,

finds DIVINA OJASCASTRO and HYUN MI CHOI among its newer inhabitants. Divina is currently spending her winter vacation at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS), completing a three-week certificate program in development management as part of her Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship. She will return to Colum-bia University to finish off her Masters degree in International Affairs this coming year. Hyun Mi accepted an offer to teach Korean at the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey after completing her internship with the Center for Strategic and Interna-tional Studies (CSIS) in December 2004. Since January 2005, she has been a professor at DLI.

Speaking of professors, Dr. LORI PIERCE reports that she is still teach-ing in the American Studies depart-ment at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. This past December, she ac-companied 14 undergraduates to�guess where?�the East-West Center in Honolulu. During the field trip, her group did some �great stuff,� including a class of hula instruction, volunteer work at Lyon Arboretum, and a tour of Kanewai Garden at the Center for Hawaiian Studies. Wrote Lori from her room in Lincoln Hall: �I'm working on a book on race and tourism in Hawaii, so when I'm not riding around on the #4 with these guys I'm in the arctic freeze of Hamilton Library. No one on the mainland really believes me when I say I came all the way here to re-search!�

Another aspiring academic is AN-GELA FA�ANUNU, who has com-pleted her Masters of Public Health degree and is now working towards her PhD in Urban and Regional Plan-ning at UH-Manoa. This past year, she received both an East-West Center Graduate Fellowship and a prestigious Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) Fellowship to fund her studies. The ELP, not to be confused with the APLP, is a national program designed to build the leadership capacity of the environmental field's most promising emerging practitioners from the United


Class Notes (continued from page 15)

The APLP Navigator

Charlie�s Angels? From left to right: Thinley Choden �03, Shanthini Black �03, Aynne Kokas �03, and Charles Babb �03 recently reunited in the �City of Angels� (Los Angeles, California).

Itadakimasu! Ing Phansavath �03, EWC Fellow Greg Dvorak, and Tatsuya Sato �04 do sushi in Tokyo.

Dyah Taroeprat-jeka �03 with her

baby, Praya

How ya goin�, mate? Justin Liang �03 feeds a joey in Queensland, Australia.

States, U.S. territories, and Freely As-sociated States. Congratulations, An-gela!

Jessica Wolf, our globetrotting U.S. Foreign Service Officer, is purported to be moving from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Seoul, South Korea, for the next two years. She recently had the opportu-nity to meet her big boss, known affec-tionately to most of us as �Dubya,� and was even caught posing with the infa-mous Commander-in-Chief (see page 15). Kirk Lange continues to enjoy his work with the International Relations Program at Tufts University and life in the Boston area. This past summer he was in Uganda�leading an internship for Tufts and Fletcher School students and alumni�and was able to advance some research on communal conflict that he had begun during APLP. He was grateful that he was able see Leigh Blackburn �02, DEWARDRIC �D.L.� MCNEAL, and Nick Barker attending the Spratly Islands simulation at Booz Allen in Virginia, squeeze in some work for the Peace and Conflict Resolution Working Group (PCRW), and meet/reconnect with APLPers from more recent cohorts. D.L. has assumed the Assistant Director position of the China Initiative program at the Brook-ings Institution, a major D.C.-based think tank.

Southeast Asia has perennially been a hub of APLP activity, so it is no sur-prise that a number of �03ers have been hard at work in the region. IRIS PRASETYO has been working in Indonesia for the past year on the de-velopment of the Master Plan for the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Aceh and Nias. She has written an article about her experiences for this issue (page 13) that details some of her many significant duties. Iris reports that she recently met up with Midori Okugawa in Bali and that DYAH TAROEPRATJEKA has moved to West Papua with her husband and

baby, Praya. In nearby Thailand, MAY NWE NWE

AUNG is working as a Regional Pro-gramme Officer for Disaster Risk Manage-

ment at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) based in Bangkok. On, January 1, she trans-ferred to a new department: �This unit, called the �International Disaster Response Law Unit� of IFRC, covers the entire Asia and Pacific region. Because of APLP, I have the confidence and knowledge that allows me to do humanitarian work at the interna-tional level.�

Our Filipino wave-rider J. P. ONG continues to search for breaks�and brakes�around Luzon. In December, he went on a Zambales surf trip in post-typhoon conditions, taking with him some board dings and a really bad cold, and shar-ing salami sandwiches and beers with the locals. Apart from auto factory life, he splits his free time at the FiveForty Surf Shop, learning how to shape and repair boards, and acting as a trustee on the Center for Integrated Urban Development and De-mocratization (CIUDAD), a group working closely with Habitat for Humanity aimed at developing sustainable and self-sufficient communities at newly built Habitat Sites through community building and industry development.

Enjoying a few water sports of his own is GREG MCPHEE, who just returned from a diving trip to Palau, Micronesia, and northern Michigan. �I now need a vacation from my vacation,� writes Greg, who is

currently taking classes in North Caro-lina and preparing for his job with Ernst and Young�s Business Risk Services Practices next summer.

JUSTIN LIANG has gone �Down Under� and is nearly finished with his Masters in International Relations at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, Australia. Though frustrated by the lack of surf in Canberra, he did have a chance to do some snorkeling around the Great Barrier Reef during his mid-semester break, spent along Queensland�s northern coast. In addi-tion to kangaroos and the occasional koala, Justin also runs into classmate KRISHNEIL MAHARAJ every now and then. Krishneil graduated from the ANU with a Masters in Public Policy in December and is considering moving back to Fiji.

Finally, wedding bells are a ringin� for two of our classmates. After com-pleting her MBA at UH-Manoa, ANH QUYNH LUU tied the knot and moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, with her new husband, who is a PhD student in economics at the University of Vir-ginia. ISAAC SOUWEINE, now working at Scholastic Inc. in New York, recently got engaged to his long-time girlfriend Andrea Pinkney, a doctoral candidate in Indian religion at Columbia University. Notes Isaac: �The moment of truth (and faith and hope and love) took place at the Noguchi Museum in Queens�the site of our first date just over four years ago. Preliminary odds are on an August 2007 wedding.� Best wishes to both couples!

Distance is no enemy to the APLP Class of �04; they continue to remain one of the closest cohorts and have been bumping

into each other all over the globe! Out on the U.S. west coast are JEANNA TRAMMEL, MILONI GANDHI , EUNICE CHANG , CAITLIN HARRINGTON, and ELIZABETH WILMOTT. Jeanna moved to California after completing her Masters degree at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London.



Volume 2, Issue 1

Dyah Taroeprat-jeka �03 with her

baby, Praya

How ya goin�, mate? Justin Liang �03 feeds a joey in Queensland, Australia.

Miloni recently quit her job as an Assis-tant Residence Hall Manager at UCLA and is now pursuing an MA in Social Sciences and Comparative Education at UCLA. Eunice is still working towards her PhD in Psychology at Berkeley. She spent the summer working for Kaiser Permanente Hospital, doing Industrial-Organizational Psychology consulting, and in November moved to North Oak-land�to a �much bigger house� with �better roommates��and now com-mutes to school via scooter. Of her new transportation method, she commented, �I officially look like a big lollipop with my sturdy helmet on, but oh well, I guess riding scooters has never been much of a fashion statement. The perpetual helmet-head is a dead giveaway.�

Caitlin is in her second year of law school at the University of Washington in Seattle. She spent the past summer in Germany, completing a legal internship at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. Sharing Caitlin�s city is Elizabeth Wilmott, who is working in regional politics in Seattle and remains in close contact with Caitlin and LEAH CHEN PRICE, now in Denver. In August 2005, Liz traveled to farthest northwest China to study student environmental groups. She traversed the Silk Road solo, then turned around on the Tajik border four hours southeast of Kashgar. On her way back, PENGCHENG QU treated her to a lovely meal in Beijing, and in Hong Kong, she was thrilled to see CAROL LEUNG. She reports that they are all doing well. Liz kept a diary of her jour-neys that can be accessed on-line at http://asiaperspectives.blogspot.com; she is considering compiling her adventures into a book!

The Pacific is all that separates these classmates from ASHWIN PANDIT, who is now working towards his second MA�this time in English as a Second Language�at UH-Manoa and sits on the EWCPA board as Alumni Representa-tive. Working with the EWCPA, Ashwin helped organize the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund in September, which raised over $2000. He has also been on the committees for international potlucks, costume and cookery contests, and per-formance nights.

On the other side of the U.S. are

STEPHANIE SCHUMM, PANITEE CHONGVISAL, and VINH THE HO. Stephanie moved to New York from Chi-cago this past summer and is working at The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Sales Office. She intends to enroll part-time at NYU in the fall to pur-sue a Masters degree in Tourism and Travel Management Marketing & Develop-ment. Panitee also recently moved to NYC with her husband. There, she is employed as a financial coordinator for a fashion firm. Both Stephanie and Panitee made cameos at the APLP alumni reunion in Washington, D.C.

Vinh, who is rumored to have trekked through Honolulu, Thailand, and Italy in 2005, contributed the following memo: �After ditching the History PhD route, I now find myself supplanted in Southwest Florida, creating boat canvas for our fam-ily-run business. Weekends are also dedi-cated to tending to our five-acre fruit farm, where we grow jackfruit, mangoes, and lychees. Toying with the prospect of pursuing law school and the hopes of one day working in Asia, I see light at the end of the tunnel as I devote my �free time� toward applications and visiting schools.�

Now for those who can�t seem to call

one place �home.� �Aloha� and �Howzit?� are no longer the greetings of choice for SHANE MENZA. These colloquialisms have been re-placed by �Konnichiwa� and �Genki?� in the Land of the Rising Sun. Shane is teaching English in Aomori, Japan, through the Japan Exchange and Teach-ing (JET) Program. He writes, �Besides the amusing, nightly battles that I've been having with the various insect species around my apartment, and the morning cackly serenades of the local crows, all has been pretty quiet. It is pretty isolated, but very comforting here, both in the surrounding natural beauty and the geniality of the locals. To one side, we have Mutsu Bay, where tons of fresh seafood is hauled in everyday; to the other, we have Mount Kamafuse, which hides Mount Osore, the �haunted� mountain area I've been going on and on about for the past few months.�

For ERIN HENGEL, fish and chips have been replaced by escargot and croque monsieurs. Erin earned her Masters degree from the London School of Economics last Spring, and



The APLP Navigator

From left to right: Eric Hanson �05, Maliwan �Buay� Pattanachaisiri �03, Chawesa �Goi� Thienprasert �05, Supranee �Liang� Lerttanakitcharoen �03, and Nick Barker reunited at the Pathumwan Princess Hotel in Bangkok during the APLP Class of 2006 Field Study.

after submitting her dissertation she moved to Paris, France, to work for the Organization for Economic Coop-eration and Development (OECD). Quoting Erin: �I work with the South East Europe Investment Compact, which encourages enterprise develop-ment and foreign investment in Croa-tia, Serbia and Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alba-nia, Moldova, and Macedonia. It's a lot of work and a lot of travel (I recently spent a week in Bulgaria), but I really enjoy it, and you really can't beat get-ting to live in Paris!�

In other parts of the world, GEORGINA MICHEL sends greet-ings from Mexico City. She is still working at the Central Bank, and though the job occupies most of her time, she did muster the energy to complete the Mazatlán Marathon on December 4�in an astonishing four hours and four minutes! Georgina�s post-marathon victory speech: �I should�ve bought a lottery ticket! Any-one up for the Hilo Marathon in March?� Georgina also brings news that LOLA SALIMOVA, living on the Big Island with her husband Ramon, gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby girl (Camila Susana Brenda) on Octo-ber 17. A warm aloha to the newest member of the EWC ohana!

Our whirlwind tour of the Third Generation concludes in Southeast Asia. In Thailand are PORNTIP �NOI� PROMMART and KEER-ANUN �OY� FAIUPARA. Noi works as a freelance journalist and is currently on assignment with a Ger-man TV station. Oy has assumed the

role of Industry Research Man-ager at the United Overseas Bank (UOB), a Singaporean bank with a branch in Bangkok. She produces internal research reports on the automobile, steel, port, and ma-rine industries. Still active with EWC alumni, Oy has contributed several Thai recipes to the forth-coming EWC cookbook. A sam-ple recipe�for her delectable Tom Yam Kung (Thai hot and sour soup)�is included in this issue. Happy eating!

Three members of the most recently gradu-ated cohort loved the APLP so much they just couldn�t leave. ERIC

HANSON, CHRISTINA MONROE, and MONIQUE WEDDER-BURN have all been working for the pro-gram since graduation. Eric has taken over for Vinh The Ho �04 as Teaching Assistant for the Leadership Seminar. After complet-ing his MA in Chinese Studies alongside his APLP certificate, Eric went to South Africa for an internship with TomorrowToday.biz, South Africa�s largest consulting company. The experience translated into a position as Director for Asia-Pacific operations. Eric shares a Burns Hall office with Monique Wedderburn, the TA under Dr. Scott MacLeod. Christina is now a permanent fixture in the program�a Program Associ-ate in charge of coordinating the increas-ingly successful internships program as well as the new Professional Development Semi-nar.

The Fourth Generation�s Thai contin-gent has also been making a difference at home and abroad. SIRILUX PATAN-APOOTHONG has been working in Phuket, Thailand, as a Project Manager for an Austrian NGO called Hilfswerk Austria. In 2005, she helped manage the construc-tion of three buildings in tsunami-affected areas of Phuket. Read more about her ex-periences (and see her in action) on page 14 of this issue.

CHAWESA �GOI� THIEN-PRASERT has been working as a consult-ant for an ESL program at Concordia Lu-theran Church in Phongh Phet. She is a board secretary for the church ministry but

plans to shift jobs to the Concordia Welfare Education Foundation-Thailand in June. Also planning her next career move is UDOMPORN �LAN� CHUTIKULRUNGSEE, who is busy preparing applications to several gradu-ate programs. She utilizes most of her time �reading, researching, and plan-ning.�

Not too far away is MEL GREGORIO, who is involved in a variety of activities in her hometown of Manila. Mel is working as a Legal Assis-tant at a local law firm but also teaches English classes to high school students on weekends and volunteers for the United Nations Online Volunteers as a contributor to the UNV-Manila news-letter. She hopes to do a Masters de-gree next year, most likely at the Uni-versity of the Philippines.

Last, but not least, a number of �05ers have opted to study abroad this year. Among them are ELIZA MASSI and AMIR FARMANESH. Eliza moved to Sweden following APLP, then to Frankfurt, Germany, where she has embarked on a Masters course in Inter-national Law and Finance at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University of Frank-furt. Future Iranian public servant Amir Farmanesh is now in Syracuse, New York, pursuing a joint Masters degree in Public Administration and International Relations at the Maxwell School. He was the recipient of a competitive World Bank Scholarship to study at Syracuse. A big congratulations to Amir on his many accomplishments!


Volume 2, Issue 1

Lola Salimova �04 gave birth to a healthy 6 lb., 8 oz. girl in October.

From left to right: Eric Hanson �05, Panitee Chongvisal �04, and Stephanie Schumm �04 wine and dine at Lauriol Plaza at the D.C. mini-reunion in October.

HELP BUILD AN EWC COMMUNITY!

More than 50,000 men

and women have been EWC participants in its 44-year history, and many have joined the 40 established EWCA chapters in 20 countries.

The EWCA, the Center�s official alumni organization, works with alumni to strengthen the East-West Center�s network.

Send the EWCA your current contact information so you can participate in the EWCA�s int ernat iona l n e t w o r k . E - m a i l : [email protected]

EWC Charles Morrison, President EWCA Kok Kian Poh, EWCA Chair Lawrence Foster, EWCA President Office of External Affairs Karen Knudsen, Director Associate�s Office Gordon Ring, Alumni Officer Noreen Tanouye, Assistant Alumni Officer Mary Okihara, Secretary Visit the EWCA on-line community: www.memberconnections.com/EWCA

SPOTLIGHT ON THAILAND

Submit your letters to the Editor! E-mail:

[email protected]

Cook Thai Food!

By Keeranun Faiupara �04 Tom Yam Kung (Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup) Cooking time: 30 minutes Serving size: 10 people Dish type: main/entrée Ingredients:

Shrimp 15-20, peeled Red chili powder 1-2 tbsp Olive oil 4-5 tbsp Sugar 1-2 tbsp Salt (or fish sauce) 1tbsp Lemon grass 4-5 stems (no leaves) Shallots 4-5 pieces Galingale ½ of a handful Straw mushrooms 10-15 pieces Small red tomato 4-5 whole Lemon juice ¼-½ cup Water 2-2½ cup Small red chili peppers 4-8 Kaffir lime leaves 4-5 leaves

Cooking directions: Prepare/clean ingredients: For shrimp: clean, peel, remove nerves. Lemon grass: cut into slightly horizontal pieces 1 inches long. Shallots: peel and crush slightly. Galingale: Slice into thin pieces. Red small chilis: ground or cut into small pieces (about 1cm.). Mushrooms: cut in half Cook: Fry fine ground dry red chili peppers with small amount of olive oil. Put water, lemon grass, galingale, and shallots into bowl. Wait until it boils. Add salt, sugar, shrimp, mushroom and tomato. Tear the Kaffir lime leaves into the pot, then turn the heat off. Put red chili powder and lemon juice (and fish sauce or salt, depend-ing on how salty you want it) to taste. That�s it!

Speak Thai!

Traveling around Thailand and having trouble communicating? Use these key phrases and peo-ple will think you�re a local in no time! Hello. Sawaddee kha (women); Sawaddee krup (men). How are you? Sabay dee mai? How much is this? Un nee raka tao rai? (tao rai = �how much�?) Where is the bathroom? Hong nam yu ti nai? Don�t make the food too spicy, please. Ow mai pet. Where is the nearest Thai massage? Mee nuat Thai paan boran gly gly ti nai? What is that awful smell? Arai klin man jang? Do you sell cheap DVDs? Mee DVD took took kaay mai? You�ve never heard of the East-West Center?! Mai kwam wa mi ru jak East-West Center rhua?!

The APLP Navigator

Personal anecdote about this dish: I cooked this dish for one of our APLP potlucks. It seemed to be a bit spicy for everyone, but I guess they liked it anyway. One classmate said, �It gives me a real kick.� This recipe is for a clear Tom Yam Kung. If you like a thicker soup, just add coconut or regular milk (about ½ cup) before adding the lime leaves.

aplp navigator vol. 2 -- winter 2005 - east-west center

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