Source: https://ewcablog.org/2013/01/23/quarterly-report-from-ewca-alumni-chapters-january-2013/
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 20:12:03+00:00

Document:
HAPPY 2013! Despite the hectic holiday schedule worldwide, seventeen chapters managed to respond to the call for chapter reports. We continue to thank you for your response, though your respective chapter may not have much activity to report.
The following chapters responded: 1) Bali Chapter (Agung Muninjaya) 2) Brisbane Chapter (Iraphne Childs) 3) Chandigarh (India) Chapter (Rajesh Kumar Aggarwal) 4) Chennai Chapter (P. Subramaniyam) 5) Hawaii Chapter (Carl Hefner) 6) Kansai Chapter (Seiko Furuhashi) 7) Korea Chapter (Jeong Taik Lee) 8) Kuala Lumpur Chapter (Gan Siowck Lee) 9) Laos Chapter (Chanthavong) 10) Mumbai Chapter (Sarosh Bana) 11) Nepal Chapter (Nirendra Maske) 12) N.Y., CT, N.J. Chapter (Bill Armbruster) 13) Papua New Guinea Chapter (Solomon Kantha) 14) Singapore Chapter (Alice Seng Seok Hoon) 15) S. California Chapter (Claire Langham 16) Sri Lanka Chapter (GBA Fernando) and 17) Taiwan Chapter (Nora Chiang).
Two significant results came out of the Beijing Conference for the Bali Chapter.
Following on the lead of the EWC’s mission, first, the Conference provided a venue for the Bali Chapter leader (Agung Muninjaya) to have a productive and intensive collaborative meeting with Glenn Shive, the Chapter leader for Hong Kong. Glenn’s connections with Public Health Schools in Hong Kong and Agung’s management of Udayana Community Development Program in Bali paved the ground for a common linkage between the two chapters. For 2 years, five villages in Bali have been used as a field laboratory by students to organize a community outreach program to minimize poverty in the village based upon the 5 pillars of Education, Health, Economic, Agriculture and Environment. With the goal of benefiting students and universities in both places, both chapter leaders agreed on a joint field study on public health programs to be organized in Bali in 2013.
Second, after the Conference, communications continued including contact with the Dean of Public Health School of Hong Kong University and the Dean of Medical Faculty and Health Sciences at Udayana University in Bali. Specifically, a first Field Study Program on Public Health was decided and will be organized in Bali for 10 days in April of 2013, followed by 10 post graduate Hong Kong Public Health students to be paired with selected Udayana University students. Udayana University will organize the technical aspect of the field study and Hong Kong University will cover all costs of their field study to Bali.
Congratulations to the Brisbane Chapter for receiving the 2012 Outstanding Chapter Award plaque and certificate at the Beijing Conference.
Brisbane’s partner organization NAFA (Nepal-Australia Friendship Association) had a Christmas market stall in Brisbane, proceeds helped the Chapter’s project in Nepal which includes funding for remote area eye clinics, education programs and schools.
The Chapter Secretary, Karen Nunan, sent a condolence message to the Senator’s office, especially since several older chapter members remember the Senator with fondness. For this quarter, several members of the Chapter have traveled overseas or have been absent from Brisbane.
The Chapter wants to transmit that the Beijing Conference has been a wonderful experience- interacting, discussing and being informed about current issues relating to the EWC. Informal interactions among the Chapter members have continued after the Conference, with the hope that they could continue to expand chapter activities with the support of the EWCA community. Meanwhile, the Chapter welcomes EWCA members visiting Chandigarh and extends logistical and other related support towards this end.
The Chapter Leader reports that for this quarter, no significant activity took place. However, the Chapter is currently engaged in working out something innovative for 2013.
First, incoming EWC participants were welcomed by the EWC Community Building Institute. The Chapter Leader coordinated a very successful EWCA Alumni & Professionals Networking Lunch with the EWC staff on August 9, 2012. Invited were professionals and UH faculty, allowing new EWC participants to consult with the professionals and faculty regarding their respective discipline areas. At the end of the EWC CBI week, the Hawaii Chapter hosted the Annual Kapiolani Park Picnic on Aught 18th. The event had over 200 EWC staff, alumni, and incoming participants. Attendees benefited from the brief Hawaiian culture lecture by alumnus, Alapaki Luke.
In December, Itsuko Suzuki organized several members of the Hawaii Board to staff a table of handicrafts and jewelry at the EWC Christmas Fair. Funds went towards student scholarships.
By April 2013, the Hawaii Chapter plans to hold its annual Dinner/Fundraiser at the Pacific Club in Honolulu. In addition to the annual meeting, an art bazaar, Asian auction and EWC student performances will be held at the April event.
A Finnish exchange student to Japan, who the Chapter leader recommended for the APLP program, expressed his desire to do graduate work in Japan, after his undergraduate study in Finland. With Seiko Furuhashi and a Kansai University Professor’s help and tutelage, the student passed the entrance exam and was surprisingly granted a full scholarship at the university (the first case for a non-Japanese student at Kansai University). The Chapter Leader is convinced he would be a good candidate for the EWC in the near future.
The Kansai Chapter leader noted that the Director of the International Affairs Div., Hiroshima Prefectural Government, Mr. Maeda, was an alumnus of an EWC International Forum and always expressed that the EWC program changed his life and helped his career. On an official delegation visit to meet the Governor of HI, Seiko recommended to Mr. Maeda, EWC Charles Morrison as Speaker to the delegation, on the topic of the International Affairs between Japan and the US (Dr. Morrison accepted). The EWC invited Mr. Maeda to an official meeting with the EWC staff, which he greatly appreciated. The Kansai Chapter hopes to sponsor a reunion with Mr. Maeda in the near future on the occasion of his future visit to the Kansai region.
The Korea Chapter Leader emphasized that the next five years will be critical for the South-North unification and that he wishes that the EWC would provide an important bridge towards this end. He sees future multilateral seminars at the EWC with the participation of North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Japan, USA and the PRC. Jeong Taik Lee inquired about an EWC resource person that he could contact to initiate discussion on this issue. The Alumni Office responded that currently, the EWC cannot make program commitments as it is on a holding operation vis a vis Federal government funding.
We thank the Kuala Lumpur Chapter for their written response. At this point, since the chapter has not been active, they have nothing to report.
It is with deepest regrets that the Laos Chapter passed on the sad news that one of their member EWC alumnus, Mr. Sombath Somphone, has been missing since December 15, 2012. The Chapter suspects that he was abducted and will let us know on the progress of this issue.
December 2012 party: the Chapter reaffirmed their wholehearted support for the EWC as a member of the worldwide EWC family and discussed issue agendas for 2013.
The Chapter Chair, Nirendra Maske, was especially congratulated at the USEF-Nepal Fall 2012 Newsletter, for his 3 year Chairmanship of the EWCA Executive Board.
A joint lunch meeting between the Humprey, Fulbright and EWC Associations was held on November 26, 2012. The result: a collaborative Symposium will be sponsored by the three associations on the topic: “Corruption, Good Governance, and Peace & Development” to be held in April-May, 2013.
On December 9th, 2012, the Nepal Chapter was invited to a cocktail reception at the US Department of State in Nepal with the Branch Chief for South & Central Asia Academic Exchange Fulbright Programs and the Executive Director of USEF-Nepal.
Also on December 10th, the Fulbright Alumni Assoc invited the Chapter to a talk program on health in Nepal.
The Chapter had a dinner meeting in November. Of the 30 people invited by the Chair, 10 came. Likewise, 10-12 alumni responded that they were interested in the dinner get-together but had other commitments that evening. Bill Armbruster, the Chapter Leader, considered the response encouraging and asked the Alumni office for names and contact information of EWC alumni in the NY, CT, and NJ metropolitan area.
Noreen responded expeditiously to the report and will be sending out, by the end of the month, reports regarding recent alumni to the rest of the chapters. The Speaker at the dinner meeting was the Chairman of the US Catholic China Bureau, which follows religious developments in China, especially as it relates to Catholics.
The Chapter held 4 events in June of 2012: First, on the 8th, the Chapter held a lunch meeting to provide pre-orientation advise about the EWC, the University of Hawaii and the United States to 2 USSP (US South Pacific Scholarship) recipients. Second, also in June, the Chapter provided logistical arrangements in New Ireland Province and Morobe Province to the EWC Election Observation Team (from the EWC Pacific Islands Development Prgram). Third, on June 21st, the Chapter leader and the EWC PNG Election Observation Team were invited to a reception at the residence of the US Ambassador. Fourth, on June 28th, EWC alumni were invited to the July 4th US Independence celebration at the US Embassy (which serves PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. For the month of July, the Chapter leader was invited to join the EWC Election Observation Team in Timor Leste’s parliamentary elections held from July 2-10. Lastly, on November 2012, the entire Chapter was invited to the US Ambassador’s residence for the US Presidential election results.
The Chapter held 2 events for the quarter. The Nov. 6th event was in honor of EWC grantee Tim Hoffman who performed the traditional Indian Music Gathering at the Singapore Management University. The Dec. 24th event was a lunch get-together for Garrett Kam, EWC alumnus who was in Singapore to present his Masked Dance Performance. A UH alumnus discussed the link between the EWCA and UH alumni.
Currently, the ex-officio former Chapter Leader, Claire Langham Richmond, is the Chair with the departure (without an election) of the previous Chapter Leader. The Chapter had 2 events to report for 2012: On June 23rd, nineteen members held an Aloha Pot Luck celebration at one of the EWC grantee’s home. Earlier, in January 21st, 18 Chapter members were treated to Indian dinner and a PowerPoint presentation update on Afghanistan. Bonita Chamberlin, the presenter, started a project 10 years ago to support income-generating projects in Nuristan, which the Chapter supports. The project has generated 1.5 million US dollars, which has been instrumental in building orphanages, a clinic with a doctor, a school and training of 400 teachers and the clearing of mine fields for conversion to fruit and nut trees. February 16, 2013 is the next scheduled chapter gathering.
The Chapter held 2 events for the quarter. First, the group created awareness among the potential candidates for the Asia Pacific Leadership Program by providing information on the 2013-2014 Fellowship Competition. Second, the chapter sponsored a meeting on the re-organization of chapter activities. It was strongly suggested that new members take over the Chapter responsibilities. A general meeting will soon be set to follow up on this re-organization.
The Chapter has an impressive number of board members – nineteen representing UH graduates and EWC fellows. The Chapter held a lunch gathering reunion on general matters on September 7th. The former President, Tony Kao, proposed a change of name for the association to accommodate the inclusion of non-EWC grantees that graduated from UH. The Chinese name is registered with the Ministry of the Interior, ROC. They anticipate further expansion of membership in the near future.
Representing South and Central America, the Chapter has been formed and has in October 2012, submitted to Noreen (Alumni Office) their By-Laws and Board member signatures. The Chapter will have co- chapter leaders: Michelle Taminato (APLP 2012) and Laura Viana (Graduate Degree Fellow, 2008-2012). The Chapter wishes to be officially recognized by the Executive Board at this meeting and I will make a motion to approve the chapter at the meeting.
IMPORTANT NOTE: FUNDRAISING KITS ARE GOING TO BE MAILED TO ALL CHAPTER LEADERS. THE OKINAWA CHAPTER, WHERE EVERY MEMBER NO MATTER HOW SMALL CHIPPED IN, IS A GOOD MODEL FOR ALL OF US TO COPY. KINDLY ENCOURAGE YOUR MEMBERS TO DONATE TO THE ALUMNI ENDOWMENT FUND FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS. SENATOR DAN INOUYE (OUR STRONG US CONGRESSIONAL SUPPORTER) HAS PASSED ON, CREATING FUNDING UNCERTAINTY FOR THE EWC. OUR EWC STUDENTS COULD DEFINITELY USE OUR HELP. TO OKINAWA, KOREA, MYANMAR (AND OTHERS I MAY HAVE MISSED), YOU HAVE THE EWC’S GRATITUDE.
ALOHA & MAHALO TO ALL OF YOU THAT RESPONDED.
This entry was posted in Alumni, EWCA Chapters, Uncategorized and tagged EWCA Bali Chapter, EWCA Brisbane Chapter, EWCA Chandigarh Chapter, EWCA Chapters, EWCA Chennai Chapter, EWCA Hawaii Chapter, EWCA Kansai Chapter, EWCA Korea Chapter, EWCA Kuala Lumpur Chapter, EWCA Laos Chapter, EWCA Mumbai Chapter, EWCA Nepal Chapter, EWCA New York Chapter, EWCA Papua New Guinea Chapter, EWCA Singapore Chapter, EWCA Southern California Chapter, EWCA Sri Lanka Chapter, EWCA Taiwan Chapter. Bookmark the permalink.

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