Self-Protection and Mental Coping for EWC Myanmar Alumni
Dr. Miemie Winn Byrd
Saturday, April 3, 2021
9:00 AM-10:30 AM (Myanmar Time)

In response to our Myanmar alumni’s request, Daw Miemie Winn Byrd will provide guidance on how civilians can protect themselves from harm in their day-to-day lives and how to cope mentally in the face of violent threat. She will share expert advice and specific resources with alumni from her 28 years of service in the U.S. Army and 16 years of civilian private-sector and research experience in areas including U.S.-Myanmar (Burma) relations; civil-military operations; and women, peace and security. Dr. Byrd is an East-West Center Adjunct Fellow.
 

Word Baskets and Witness Bearing: A Talk Story with Julian Aguon and Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner
Tuesday, April 6, 2020
7:00-8:00 PM HST

The East-West Center welcomes you to a special conversation between authors Julian Aguon and Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, both alumni of the East-West Center, on their art forms, journey, and the messages they hope to convey through their work. This event celebrates their contributions to the literature of the Pacific Islands, and the release of Julian’s new book, The Properties of Perpetual Light, a collection of soulful ruminations about love, loss, struggle, resilience and power. Join Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, a poet of international acclaim and member of the Climate Envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands government, and Julian Aguon, a human rights lawyer and writer from Guam, for an intimate “talk story” about what motivates them in their work, and what they hope to pass on to younger generations.

Watch the livestream recording of this event!

Julian Aguon is an indigenous human rights lawyer and writer from Guam. He is the founder of Blue Ocean Law, a progressive firm that works at the intersection of indigenous rights and environmental justice. He is deeply engaged in the struggles of peoples across Oceania to liberate themselves from colonial rule, defend their sacred sites, and obtain justice for a range of harms inflicted upon them by outside forces—from nuclear weapons testing and non-consensual medical experimentation to extractive industries and climate change. He serves on the Global Advisory Council of Progressive International—a global collective that launched in May 2020 with the mission of mobilizing progressive forces around the world behind a shared vision of social justice. 

Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner is a poet of Marshallese ancestry, born in the Marshall Islands and raised in Hawaiʻi. She received international acclaim through her poetry performance at the opening of the United Nations Climate Summit in New York in 2014. The University of Arizona Press published her collection of poetry, Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter in 2017. She has created art installations and performances with the Smithsonian and the Queensland Art Gallery, amongst others. In 2019, she was selected as an Obama Asia Pacific Leader Fellow and MIT Director's Media Lab Fellow. She received her Master’s in Pacific Island Studies from the University of Hawaiʻi, and is currently a PhD student at Australia National University. Kathy serves as Climate Envoy for the Republic of the Marshall Islands government and as Director for the Marshall Islands-based youth environmental nonprofit Jo-Jikum.

About the Book

Coming out in March 2021, The Properties of Perpetual Light is a coming-of-age story and a call for justice—for everyone but in particular for indigenous peoples, Aguon's own and others. With bracing prose and bouts of poetry, Aguon weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary about everything from nuclear weapons to climate change. Deploying the feminist insight that the personal is political, Aguon culls from the light of his own life experiences, from losing his father to cancer to working for Mother Teresa to meeting Sherman Alexie in a Spokane bookstore, to illuminate a collective path out of the darkness.

About the Event

This event is part of the Distinguished Leaders Speaker Series series hosted by the East-West Center’s Leadership Program. Each month, the series highlights a person leading at the edge of critical issues. This event is co-hosted by the Pacific Islands Development Program; the East-West Center Office of Alumni Engagement, Seminars Program, and Education Program; and the Pacific RISA program at the East-West Center.

Exploring Feminist Genealogies and Building Democratic Futures to End Violence
Aleyamma Mathew, Ariel Jacobson
Monday, March 8, 2021
1:00-2:30 PM HST

Women can change the course of history. This has been evident in the United States for decades, where even as women of color have suffered most from gendered harassment and violence, they have also been on the frontlines of change. Recently, women of color bookended of one of the most divisive US presidencies ever: The Women’s March marked the beginning of Trump’s presidency, and the votes of women of color marked the end of his presidency. Over this period, Aleyamma Mathew (APLP Generation 5) has continued to amplify the voices and work of women of color as they advocate domestically and build transnational networks for change. Ms. Mathew directs The Collective Future Fund, which identifies, funds, and uplifts distinguished action to eliminate sexual harassment and violence. Join us to hear her talk about why this work is important and the path that has led her to it. She’ll talk about what she has learned along the way, and share some of her biggest questions.

Trauma Awareness 101 for Leaders
Jenica Wright
Tuesday, March 16, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

After a short overview of what trauma is, learn how trauma shows up in our brains and our nervous systems. What are our neuro-biological responses to trauma and what are some practical tools to help us, as leaders and individuals, handle those responses? If you would like to bring modeling clay (or Play-Doh) to this session, and you can make a model of the brain along with Jenica (you will need four different colors).

Applying Trauma Awareness to our Leadership Roles
Jenica Wright
Tuesday, March 23, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

This session will focus on how leaders can apply trauma awareness in their everyday roles. How can leaders who understand trauma responses create a feeling of safety for themselves and their team members? You will learn about regulating the nervous system and creating healing spaces, and have a chance to share with other your ideas on applying these tools.

Trauma Informed Leadership
Jenica Wright
Tuesday, February 16, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Trauma awareness is increasingly recognized as a core leadership capacity. Join us to learn about trauma, its various forms, and how it shows up in the body. This interactive workshop will include tips for recognizing and dealing with trauma and building resiliency. This workshop is relevant for leaders working with teams and communities and for anyone who wants to learn more about human reactions to trauma.
 

2021 PILP Alumni Virtual Summit
Pacific Islands Leadership Program
Tuesday, February 23, 2020 - Thursday, February 25, 2020
1:00-3:30 PM HST & 5:00-6:30 PM HST

Due to Covid-19, we are unable to hold the 2021 North Pacific Alumni Summit in-person as originally planned.  Instead, we will co-produce a Virtual Summit (online), which means – happily – everyone in the PILP network who wants to join can join.  Of course, we would always rather meet in-person, but since this is not possible at present, we will leverage this opportunity to reconnect with as many of you as possible in an interesting, enjoyable and productive way.  East-West Center staff have been working from home for the past nine months and, like you, we now have valuable experience running virtual events and interacting online.  

We will meet for two sessions per day during work hours with an extended break in-between (excluding the break, that’s approximately 4 hours per day).  The first session, hosted by the EWC, will feature advanced leadership training linked to the workplace.  After the break, the second session, hosted by PILP alumni in the North Pacific, will feature local Distinguished Leaders from Palau, RMI and FSM discussing local opportunities and challenges which affect the Pacific region as a whole.  We welcome ideas and input on all aspects of the event.    

Registration for this event is closed to PILP alumni. Click here to visit the 2021 PILP Alumni Summit webpage for more information on this event.

Distinguished Leaders Lecture Series
Amanda Ellis
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
3:00-4:30 PM HST

Achieving gender equality requires learning from best international practices and pinpointing areas for improvement. The Gender Equality and Governance Index (GEGI) taps into some of the world’s best datasets to analyze gender discrimination on a global scale, using five critical pillars: governance, education, work, entrepreneurship, and violence. Join us, along with author and former World Bank Lead Gender Specialist Amanda Ellis, to learn more about the Index, and other tools for accelerating women’s empowerment and ensuring equal rights. The session will include an introduction to these tools and their use, examples of global best practice, and the opportunity to ask questions about pathways to gender equality.
 
About Amanda Ellis
Amanda Ellis is the President of the East-West Center Association and an Adjunct Senior Fellow in the East-West Center’s Professional Development Program. Her endowment to the EWC provides an annual EWC scholarship for woman leaders. Amanda also serves as the Executive Director of Global Partnerships for the ASU Global Futures Laboratory. She is a former New Zealand Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva (2013-16) and Prime Minister's Special Envoy. An economist by training, Amanda held senior roles at the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and Westpac Banking Corporation. She is a founding member of the Financial Alliance for Women and the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women's economic empowerment. The author of two best-selling Random House books on women in business, five research titles on gender and growth in the World Bank Directions in Development series, and the co-author of the 2020 Gender Equality and Governance Index, Amanda is the recipient of the TIAW Lifetime Achievement Award for services to women’s economic empowerment.

Endings: Reflective Writing Session
Gretchen Alther
Thursday, December 17, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Experience a “slow” writing process that encourages reflection in a supportive environment. In response to prompts, you will write for 3-5 minutes, and then choose sections of your writing to read aloud to the whole group. Reflective Writing often reveals new ideas and generates a sense of community. As 2020 draws to a close, this session will explore “endings.” Materials needed: Just pen and paper (writing is done by hand) and an open mind!

Aloha, 2020! Pau Hana
Christina Monroe & Gretchen Alther
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
4:00-6:00 PM HST

Beginnings: Personal Action Planning
Christina Monroe & Gretchen Alther
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
4:00-6:00 PM HST

Guided exercises, using tools developed over 20 years in the Leadership Program, will help you draw on your past and present to consider the future(s).  Time will be divided between solo exercises and sharing, as you feel comfortable, with others. Those who have done Personal Action Plans before will benefit from revisiting a familiar exercise or two, while trying out new ones. All welcome!  

Gender-Inclusive Leadership Certificate
Gretchen Alther
Part 1: Monday, November 2, 2020, Part 2: Tuesday, November 10, 2020, Part 3: Tuesday, November 17, 2020, Part 4: Tuesday, November 24, 2020
2:00-4:00 PM HST

Gender-balanced teams produce better results, but most organizations lack women and gender minorities at the top. This four-week Gender-Inclusive Leadership course explores leadership within the contexts in which we work and lead. We consider barriers that "non-traditional" leaders may face; look at capacities like influence and emotional intelligence and tools for increasing them; and create action plans for ourselves and our teams.

This course is for anyone--of any gender--interested in exploring and creating gender-inclusive leadership.

Change Leadership
Christina Monroe 
Part 1: Wednesday, October 7, 2020 & Part 2: Wednesday, October 14, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM HST

This two-part session offers new insights on change leadership from the fields of organizational development, behavioral sciences, and positive psychology. You will learn new tools to help you manage and even thrive in times of change. We strongly encourage you to join both, but you won’t be turned away at the door (unless you are 15 min late, when we do actually stop admitting)

Recognizing and Using Power & Influence
Gretchen Alther
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
10:00-11:30 AM HST

Influence is a key leadership skill. In this workshop, we will explore sources of power and strategies for influence. We will think about and map out which power sources and influence strategies we have, which we prefer, and which we could grow and practice.

Hula Session
Lori Concepcion
Friday, September 4, 2020
3:30-4:30 PM HST

Why Positive Psychology Should be a Part of Your Life (and everyone else’s too)
Smaranda Ioana Lawrie
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
2:00-3:30 PM HST

This session is for anyone looking to become happier, more resilient, and build a better life (a flourishing life) or improve their organization and community. We’ll cover both the science and practice of Positive Psychology. Empirical work in neuroscience will be provided to explain that change is possible for anyone at any point in their lives. You’ll learn Positive Psychology interventions that you can try out on your own. The second half of the talk will transition away from the individual towards the community, and how it’s been applied in schools and organizations with tremendous results.

Reflective Writing Session on "Love"
Gretchen Alther & Miloni Gandhi
Monday, June 1, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Experience a “slow” writing process that encourages reflection in a supportive environment. In response to prompts, you will write for 3-6 minutes, and then choose sections of your writing to read aloud. Reflective Writing sessions often reveal new ideas and generate a sense of community. This session will be co-facilitated with LP alum Miloni Gandhi. Materials needed: Just pen, paper, and an open mind!

Gen^2: A Generative Space Across Generations
The Leadership Program Team
Sunday, June 28, 2020 - Saturday, July 4, 2020

Gen^2 (Gen Squared) is a virtual summit for peer-to-peer collaboration and learning that enhances leadership, professional development and celebrates the cultures and arts of the diverse 'Ohana of the EWC leadership alumni. Apply to host a performance, demonstration, workshop, interview, panel, discussion, or a social hour on the topic of your choice. 

Purpose:

1. People make new connections that seem likely to persist post summit
2. People find new ideas that inspire them to do or think something, or learn more, or try something new
3. People's perspective of the EWC (and LP) increase in positive ways in terms of things like: relevance to current times, relevance to people's lives (personal and professional), value of the network, desire to be involved with EWC and EWC 'Ohana 
4. People learned something new of value to their work and/or personal life
5. Feel (more) positive about the possibility of communities creating positive change 
6. Interest in being actively engaged in future events like this, including helping organize one for their own community

Eligibility

Alumni from any East-West Center Leadership Program.

Click here to view the Gen^2 program to learn more about the alumni speakers and sessions.

Reflective Writing Session on "Movement"
Gretchen Alther & Hira Sidiqui
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 & Monday, May 11, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Experience a “slow” writing process that encourages reflection in a supportive environment. In response to prompts, you will write for 3-6 minutes, and then choose sections of your writing to read aloud. Reflective Writing sessions often reveal new ideas and generate a sense of community. This session will be co-facilitated with LP alum Hira Sidiqui. Materials needed: Just pen, paper, and an open mind! The workshop will be repeated. 

Change Leadership Certificate
Christina Monroe
Wednesdays, May 13, 20, 27, and June 3, 2020
4:00-6:00 PM HST

This four-part series offers new insights on change leadership from the fields of organizational development, behavioral sciences and positive psychology. You will learn new tools to help you manage and even thrive in times of change, as well as receive coaching support to make progress within the month on a goal you identify. We recommend you join the certificate together with a colleague/partner who is working with you on the change initiative. This is also a pre-qualification program for upcoming online EWC Innovation Fellows. This certification series is free (estimated value of 2000 USD) but we suggest a donation of 50 USD to an EWC Program of your choice. To meet all qualifications for this certificate, participants need to attend all four sessions.

Power and Influence
Gretchen Alther
Monday, May 18, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Influence is a key leadership skill. In this live workshop, we'll explore sources of power and also strategies for influence. We’ll think about and map out which power sources and influence strategies we have, which we prefer, and which we could grow and practice. 

Yoga Flow
Goi-Chawesa Fischer
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
3:30-4:30 PM HST

Stretch from head to toe with LP alum Goi-Chawesa Fischer. Goi will guide us in a restorative session that gives us time to care for our bodies and minds. The focus will be on relaxing and stretching, with a short meditation and a bit of pranayama (breath exercise). Goi is an experienced online yoga instructor from Thailand who lives with her husband and daughter in Colorado, USA.

Conversation: Environmental Sustainability beyond COVID-19
Ariana Loehr
Monday, May 25, 2020
4:00-5:00 PM HST

Have you noticed any dramatic changes in your environment since the stay-at-home notice was put in place? Join LP alum Ariana Loehr to learn about what impact COVID-19 has had on our environments and discuss future solutions to your sustainability woes. 

Leading Hope
Nick Barker
Friday, May 29, 2020
4:00-5:00 PM HST

In times of adversity, we all look for signs of hope. But what is hope? Leaders are under pressure to provide hope for others, but how do you do this? We'll explore the power and pitfalls of hope, map personal sources of hope, and identify ways leaders can broker hope responsibly and effectively. This session will be led by Dr. Nick Barker.

The Futures Series, Continued: Foresight Roadmap for COVID-19
A Discussion with the Founder of Vision Foresight Strategy LLC
Dr. Richard "Kaipo" Lum
Thursday, May 14, 2020
4:00-5:00 PM HST

Join a discussion with Hawaii futurist, Dr. Richard “Kaipo” Lum, as he shares his company’s recently-released U.S. roadmap for COVID-19. Learn why and how they created it, as well as  how it can be useful to you and your organization/community in mapping possible and preferred futures. Attendees will get access to the roadmap before the session and submit their own questions and insights, which Dr. Lum will weave into the interactive session.

Four Trajectories for Post-COVID Futures
Alisha Bhagat
Thursday, May 21, 2020
2:00-3:30 PM HST

COVID-19 is exposing many fault lines in the global system and is having strong and unpredictable effects on all aspects of our lives: energy, manufacturing, food supply, finance, science, technology, politics, and social values. As a tool for collective understanding, Forum for the Future (based in NY with offices globally) has outlined four possible post-COVID-19 futures. In this session we will examine these futures and discuss ways to use them in our own organizations. LP alum Alisha Bhagat, a futurist and senior strategist at Forum for the Future, will lead the session.

Reflective Writing Session
Gretchen Alther
Thursday, April 2, 2020 & Tuesday, April 7, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Experience a “slow” writing process that encourages reflection in a supportive environment. In response to prompts, you will write for 3-5 minutes, and then choose sections of your writing to read aloud to the whole group. Reflective Writing Sessions often reveal new ideas and generate a sense of community. The first sessions will explore “change.” Materials needed: Just pen and paper (writing is done by hand) and an open mind! The workshop will be repeated.

Four Futures Workshop
Christina Monroe
Friday, April 3, 3030 & Wednesday, April 8, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Need help to think through a goal you want to achieve in the next year? This workshop will help you imagine multiple possible futures and what actions you need to take to achieve your goal in each. It can be a personal, professional or community goal. Bring something to draw with (paper/pen or device) and review this reading (pg 2-7) by Dr Jim Dator on the Four Generic Futures. The workshop will be repeated.

Reflective Writing Session
Gretchen Alther
Tuesday, April 21, 2020 & Wednesday, April 29, 202
4:00-5:30 PM HST

Experience a “slow” writing process that encourages reflection in a supportive environment. In response to prompts, you will write for 3-5 minutes, and then choose sections of your writing to read aloud to the whole group. Reflective Writing Sessions often reveal new ideas and generate a sense of community. These sessions will explore “resilience.” Materials needed: Just pen and paper (writing is done by hand) and an open mind! The workshop will be repeated.

Coaching 101: Learn a quick and easy model for professional and peer coaching
Christina Monroe
Thursday, April 23, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

The GOOD™ model is a simple executive coaching tool that can be used between colleagues or friends in sessions as short as 15 minutes to help get clarity and move forward on something. In the session, we will explain the model, provide guidance on how to use it, then give you the chance to practice coaching and being coached. Some EWC fellows have used the model for ongoing peer coaching sessions after this initial introduction. The model can enhance your listening skills and help you have more productive conversations with friends, partners, colleagues and bosses. EWC staff member Christina Monroe will lead the session. She is certified in well-being and positive psychology coaching from the College of Executive Coaching, founded Dr. Jeff Auerbach, the originator of the GOOD™ model.

Discussion: How Women Overcome Barriers and Make it to the Top
Gretchen Alther
Monday, April 27, 2020
4:00-5:30 PM HST

There is limited information about women leading at the top of organizations because there are so few women there! But those who do overcome structural barriers and reach the top of organizations have things to say about their success. In this session, we’ll discuss some themes and suggestions that come out of the research, and we’ll explore a strengths-based model that may help you see your one leadership strengths in a new light. This session is open to all genders, and is intended to help expand the conversation around leadership away from a dualistic gender perspective.

In preparation for this session, please read the following short article and send either a comment about something in the article that interests you, or a question it raises for you. When you send in your comment/question, we will send you the zoom link for the session. (https://hbr.org/2018/06/in-interviews-female-ceos-say-they-dont-expect-much-support-at-home-or-at-work)