APCSS Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dan Leaf provides opening remarks.

How can the countries of South Asia better cooperate in the planning and response to natural disasters? This was the topic of a workshop held April 22-28 in Cambridge, Mass. The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS), in collaboration with the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies (NESA) and the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) of Government hosted the weeklong workshop on ‘U.S.-South Asia Leader Engagement Program’ at Harvard University.

This workshop, the second in a series, expanded participation beyond the initial Afghanistan-Pakistan-India -U.S. participants of a May 2011 workshop which concentrated on the security dynamics among them. It brought together government officials and professionals from the U.S. and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries as well as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Maldives to consider integrated approaches to response to regional disaster. It focused on integrated, comprehensive approaches that involve multiple agencies and civil society and address not only responses to disasters, but collaboration in prevention, preparation and recovery.

Amb. Nick Burns addresses the attendees.

It was attended by 40 security cooperation practitioners and subject matter experts, 14 of which were APCSS alumni. According APCSS Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Dan Leaf this workshop “leveraged our faculty expertise and our network of fellowship to address a topic of great interest in Asia-Pacific.”

The week began with a series of interactive lectures on the Framework for Risk Management and Routine Crisis Emergencies from Harvard’s Dr. Herman “Dutch” Leonard.  These were complemented with a host of presentations by high level officials who had important experience to share in Disaster Management Cooperation.  They included: Amb. Nick Burns, former Under Secretary of State for Policy, who provided an overarching perspective of political dynamics in the region; Mr. James Schear, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Policy – Partnership Strategy) who presented on U.S. DoD Support to South Asia Disaster Response; Adm. (ret.) Patrick Walsh, former Commander Pacific Fleet, on his experience as the Commander for U.S. military support to the Japan Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear disaster response effort; and,   Ms. Juliette Kayyem, former Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Relations for the Department of Homeland Security during the Gulf oil spill and now a journalist for Boston Globe and a Harvard lecturer,  looked at the politics of a crisis “event” thru the lens of her experience in BP Oil leak crisis.

Captain Jim McPherson, former US Coast Guard spokesman during the Gulf Oil Spill, discussed dealing with the media in crisis. Complementing his presentation was on the evolving effects of social media in emergency/crisis situations by Molly McPherson, a public relations consultant

Other presentations included:  Operationalizing Regional Response by Phil Mead, Center of Excellence; Operational Considerations and Lessons Learned by Bill Berger of USAID Director for Asia; and NGO Role in Disaster Management by Jean Hacken (IRD).

The presentations enabled participants to work throughout the week in small groups to apply their lessons within the South Asian context using a series of regional scenarios to guide deliberations and tease out critical insights.  Each day the small groups briefed their plenary colleagues on the results of their work and received critical feedback. Recommendations for action were collated throughout the week and refined at workshop’s end by a nominated conference group and thereafter validated by the plenary.

The Workshop recommendations largely centered around the need for SAARC to be appropriately invigorated to be able to fulfill a coordination role especially in crises that have widespread cross-border impacts.  Participants throughout the week remarked on the value they placed on the event:  “The workshop built trust and confidence in working with each other in future disaster responses.”

Dr. Herman "Dutch" Leonard & Amb. Nick Burns are both from the Harvard Kennedy School.

One senior participant remarked to the plenary at the end of the workshop that South Asia in its evolution from national self reliance to globalization had bypassed an important and vital step – the invigorating of regional institutions and relationships.  Disaster Management, he remarked, is an area where such relationship and institution building had great promise.

Based on the success of this program, APCSS, NESA and the Kennedy School continue discussions to cooperate in future offering such seminars annually, on strategic issues of significance.

-END-

EDITED 5/4/2012

“Sammies” are the most prestigious national awards and celebrate everyday heroes in our federal workforce. Finalists will be announced in early May this year.

APCSS’ newest faculty member, Dr. Saira Yamin,  was recently featured in the Christian Science Monitor . Her Op-Ed entitled: “How a Glacier could Thaw Dangerous India and Pakistan Freeze,” looks at the impact of a recent avalanche which killed more than 125 Pakistani soldiers and civilians.

According to Yamin, in the wake of the avalanche, Pakistan Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani (APCSS Alumni, EC97-2) is calling for demilitarization, an opportunity that must not be missed by India.

Read the full article online at: http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0425/How-a-glacier-could-thaw-dangerous-India-and-Pakistan-freeze

Dr. Alexander Vuving recently wrote an editorial for The Diplomat which discusses former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski’s latest book “Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power.” Vuving summarizes Brzezinksi’s position on U.S policy on Asia as “Washington should accept China’s preeminence on the Asian mainland while staying focused on its dominant role in maritime Asia.”

However, according to Vuving, “the maritime domain, including large swathes of the Indo-Pacific oceanic theater, might well be the center stage of the geopolitical competition between China and India. The United States can no longer assume that its nautical dominance will remain undisturbed indefinitely.”

Read the full article online at: http://the-diplomat.com/2012/04/14/u-s-maritime-dominance-in-danger/

Comments are welcome!

The views expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of APCSS, the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

-END-
 

The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies recently hosted its second mobile Asia-Pacific Orientation Course in the Washington, D.C. area. The three-day course was held April 17-19 and was co-hosted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).

Seventy-six Fellows from DTRA, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and various service headquarters, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Agency for International Development and others, completed the course. According to one graduate, he felt “very enlightened by all the great presentations from the APCSS faculty and insightful comments from the other Fellows in attendance.”

APOC provide security practitioners from the United States, allies and key partner nations interacting with regional security issues, whether experienced or new to working with the Asia-Pacific, with two enablers. First, it provides a sound, current overview of the actors and dynamics in region and their relationships to one another; and second, it develops practitioners’ awareness of the need to form and implement coherent, integrated and effective policies and programs linked to one’s own national interests and taking into account the interests of other nations and actors.

The next Asia-Pacific Orientation Course will be held July 30-Aug. 3, 2012 in Honolulu.

-END-

APCSS Director Dan “Fig” Leaf travelled with a team of seven to China for exchanges of ideas and perspectives with partners, security practitioners, and alumni in several major cities from April 7-17. The theme of the discussions was “Securing Shared Prosperity,” which elicited enthusiastic participation from a broad range of institutions, including the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, Tongji University, the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy, the Hong Kong Police Headquarters, the Hong Kong Marine Department, and the National Institute for South China Sea Studies. APCSS alumni events were also held in Shanghai, Beijing, and Hong Kong.

“These meetings provided an opportunity to reconnect with previous partners and old friends, but also to begin developing relationships with a broader base of security practitioners in greater China,” said the team’s academic lead, APCSS professor Herman “Butch” Finley. “We also developed a deeper, more personal sense of the massive changes taking place in China.”

The trip was Leaf’s first visit to a foreign country as APCSS Director, and his first time to mainland China.

“This was a rich and productive trip,” said Leaf. “We had the opportunity to address complex issues in positive, thoughtful discussions. It was helpful for me to connect with several of our alums in China, and to gain both professional and personal insight into the country.”

Discussion topics ranged from maritime security, the South China Sea, and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to regional organizations and their impact on security in Asia. Other discussions covered non-traditional security issues including energy, food, water, and cyberspace security.

This was the fourth in a series of annual visits by APCSS to China since 2009. The team gathered many useful insights, contacts, and ideas for further collaboration with Chinese partners on issues of common interest.

-END-

The annual luncheon honors employees from many government agencies in Hawaii for their outstanding efforts, dedication, and contribution to the workforce and community. Each employee was selected by his or her organization.

According to APCSS’ Federal Supervisor of the Year/Manager of the Year Sheri Uyehara: “When I think of leadership I think about my team. There’s a great quote by Betty Linton – ‘ Being a leader is not about making yourself more powerful. It’s about making people around you more powerful.’

“I think this quote is a great reminder that in an age where we’re having to do more with less, having an effective team is incredibly important to drive work results.”

The APCSS awardees for 2012 are:

- Team Excellence:  Information Services Department – Mr. Frank (Brad) Ong, Mr. Jerome Sajulan, Mr. Jason Scott, Ms. Debra Fikac, Ms. Tessie Magaoay, Mr. Matthew Samson, Ms. Sharon Godwin, SSgt Jennifer Swain, USAF, Mr. Ian Walker, Ms. Sheri Uyehara, Mr. Kevin Cain, Mr. Christopher Conde, Ms. Clarice Say, Ms. Carla Jean Jones, Mr. Kevin Kruse, Mr. Vidal (Kai) Badua, Mr. Dean Fujimoto, Mr. Paul Goto, Ms. Debra Castro, Mr. John MacLean, Mr. Dalton Nouchi, and Mr. Daniel Park

- Federal Employee of the Year (Clerical/Assistant):  Ms. Dorothy (Dottie) Kaneshiro

- Federal Employee of the Year (Professional/Admin/Tech):  Mr. Robert (Mike) Hogan

- Federal Supervisor of the Year/Manager of the Year:  Ms. Sheri Uyehara

- Leader of the Year:  Cmdr. Paul (PJ) Tech, USN

- Exceptional Community Service:  Lt.Col. Michael (Mike) Mollohan, Sr., USMC

- Mentor of the Year:   Lt.Col. Ronald (Ron) Sargent, Jr., USA

The Federal Executive Boards (FEBs) were created by Presidential Directive in 1961 to foster communication, coordination and collaboration among Federal field agencies. FEBs build interagency partnerships and community involvement to create and nurture working relationships that address issues of shared interest. Currently, approximately 88% of Federal employees are located outside the Washington, DC area. Across the nation, in 28 locations with a high concentration of Federal agencies and Federal employees, FEBs provide a forum for local Federal leaders to share management challenges and strategies to meet agency missions and goals, identify common issues, develop collaborative efforts to address those issues, and share best practices among their peers.

The Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies is a Department of Defense academic institute that addresses regional and global security issues.  Military and civilian representatives of the U.S. and Asia-Pacific nations participate in our comprehensive program of executive education, professional exchanges and outreach events, both in Hawaii and throughout the Asia-Pacific region. APCSS’ mission is to educate, connect, and empower security practitioners to advance Asia-Pacific security.

-END-

In “Noda has an SDF moment” , Hornung discusses two major challenges that the prime minister is facing. The include North Korea’s promised missile launch in mid-April and the concern that Iran will block the Straits of Hormuz and it’s impact to Japan.

Read this article online at:  http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/eo20120407a1.html

Dr. Jeffrey Hornung came to the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in September 2010 as an associate professor. His area of expertise includes East Asian security issues, primarily those related to Japan and the U.S.-Japan alliance. His interests at APCSS focus on maritime security.

-END-

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of APCSS, the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.

The first article entitled “How the F-35 May Hurt U.S.-Japan Ties” was published in The Diplomat Apr. 5, and discusses the decision made by Japan’s defense ministry to replace its aging fleet with the F-35 stealth fighter.

Dr. Hornung also had his article “Japan’s DPJ: The Party of Change” featured in this week’s Pacific Forum Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) PacNet Newsletter.

According to Hornung, “when the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) came to power in 2009, alliance watchers focused on two of its security-related promises: ending Japan’s refueling mission in the Indian Ocean that supported US and NATO forces operating in Afghanistan and renegotiating an agreement to relocate US troops within Okinawa.

“The promises were a giant step backward in what was interpreted as years of gradual expansion in Japan’s roles and missions and a push to deepen US-Japan relations. Despite these promises, a review of its tenure shows that the DPJ has actually initiated changes that better align Japan to meet current security realities.”

Dr. Jeffrey Hornung came to the Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in September 2010 as an associate professor. His area of expertise includes East Asian security issues, primarily those related to Japan and the U.S.-Japan alliance. His interests at APCSS focus on maritime security.

-END-

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of APCSS, the U.S. Pacific Command, the U.S. Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.