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Mary Nakada's APLP Interim Report
Posted below is the Final Report by the APLP Scholarship Recepient Mary Nakada from Peru.
Read the report in Spanish.
Click here to see her Interim Report (Oct 9, 2006)
Lima, January 21, 2007
Aloha from Lima, Peru! I wish everyone in the WUB community a Happy and Prosperous 2007!
I have finally arrived home to Lima from my participation in the Asia Pacific Leadership Program (APLP) at the East West Center in Honolulu, HI. I feel so honored to have taken part in such a unique learning experience with such a talented group of young professionals from all over the world.
Soon after writing my mid-semester report posted on this site in October, we embarked on a 10-day study trip to New York City and Washington D.C. We visited the United Nations Headquarters, The Department of State, World Bank, IFC, and talked to dozens of government and non-profit experts about a wide range of topics concerning U.S. and Asia Pacific relations.
In mid-November, I visited Maui and met Clarence Uehara, President of WUB-Maui. Mr. Uehara took me on a tour of “A Day in the Life of a Maui Uchinanchu” and introduced me to many Maui Uchinanchu professionals actively engaged with the Maui community, among them Mayor Alan Arakawa, and Glenn Goya of Morgan Stanley.
My APLP experience culminated with a 3 week field study to Vietnam. Upon arrival we witnessed the impressive economic growth and development that is transforming Vietnam into one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in Southeast Asia, just as we had learned in our classroom in Honolulu. I came to understand how globalization is rapidly changing Vietnam’s economic and social landscape through conversations with Huong Nguyen, a young and cosmopolitan Vietnamese manager for a multinational corporation. She guided us through the Mekong Delta region and introduced us to her family in her native rural village in southern Vietnam. As we traveled through Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Delta region, Hoi An, Hanoi and Sapa, we met with equally bright, young Vietnamese who are proudly trailblazing change for their country. In Hanoi, we attended the East West Center International Conference “Building an Asia Pacific Community for Sustainable Development”. The APLP groups participated with six panel discussions; my group presentation was entitled “Social Entrepreneurship.”
Finally, after graduating from the APLP in Vietnam, I met with Robert Nakasone in Okinawa. With Mr. Nakasone, I met Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima, Honorary Consul of Peru Morimasa Goya, Okinawa International Exchange & Human Resources Development Foundation officers, the Okinawa chapter of East West Center Alumni and local media Ryukyu Shimpo and Okinawa Times.
APLP challenges all its participants to navigate change through an intense, engaging, inspiring and ultimately rewarding curriculum. Now I feel the change happening within: my outlook on our world has positively changed by learning from my colleagues and mentors, by visiting new places, and by being open to new and invigorating experiences and ideas. I also feel the change happening for our communities: the personal relationships established through the APLP and WUB networks are the building blocks to a solid foundation for cross-cultural understanding and collective growth.
I am truly thankful to WUB International for providing the WUB APLP Endowment Scholarship. Special Mahalo Nui Loa to Robert Nakasone, Edward Kuba, John Tasato, Clarence Uehara and Mitsuhiro Akamine (President, WUB-Peru) for their mentorship and support. And finally, “ippe nihe deebiru” to members of WUB-Hawaii, WUB-Maui, WUB-Okinawa and WUB-Peru for their encouragement and support.
Aloha Nui Loa, A Hui Hou
Fondest Regards, Until We Meet Again
Mary Nakada