SEP 13 Envisioning & Imagining Change
We begin this semester’s program with the idea of visions and imaginings in mind. In order to create change, we must first visualize it so that we can bring it to life. With these dreams, we can bring care and love into the lives of others in our community. Our guests for this session continue to make a tremendous impact and remind us that we can all play a role in transforming our world.
Speakers and Performers
Student Presentation: Kainoa Keanaaina
Kainoa Keanaaina is a native Hawaiian student who learned the traditional knowledge and practices of his ancestors at a young age. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and is pursuing his MA in Hawaiian Studies. He is determined to make a positive impact for his community through traditional Hawaiian Healing. |
Performer: Kealoha
Kealoha is the first Poet Laureate of Hawaiʻi. As an internationally acclaimed poet and storyteller, he has performed throughout the world -- from the White House to the ʻIolani Palace, from Brazil to Switzerland. In the 7 years that he has represented Hawaiʻi at the National Poetry Slam, he has performed on the finals stage 4 times, was ranked in the top ten of the nations best poets in 2007, and was honored as a "National Poetry Slam Legend" in 2010. Kealoha was featured on HBO’s Brave New Voices series presented by Russel Simmons, and he has also made appearances on NBC, PBS, NPR, the Food Network, and the Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards. Kealoha is the founder of Hawaiʻi Slam, Youth Speaks Hawaiʻi, and First Thursdays Poetry Slam. |
Speaker: Selina N. Leem
Selina N. Leem is a 23-year-old climate warrior who was born and raised in the capital atoll of the Marshall Islands, Majuro. Leem, a “small island girl with big dreams”, credits her grandfather’s stories for her awareness of the fate of her island home. It was also through school that Leem further learned the repercussions that her people now live with because of injustice. At age 16, Leem moved to Germany to finish high school in the UWC (United World College) Robert Bosch College in Freiburg, where she became a climate change advocate for her country. Leem was a keynote speaker at the Geneva Peace Week conference where she spoke of the nuclear and climate crisis her country faces, echoing the loss of her people who were displaced. In March 2021, she was an Event Organizer for the 2021 Washington-Marshall Islands Nuclear Remembrance Day event. |
Sep 20 Holistic healing & Living
With this ongoing global pandemic, “health” has been at the forefront of our headlines and minds. In this session, we will explore ways in which we can care for our whole selves and be culturally responsive to the needs of those around us. Our guests will share their wisdom and experiences so that we can all ponder upon how we can integrate healthy practices in our everyday lives.
Speakers and Performers
Student Presentation: Chaowat (Chao) Siwapornchai
Chao is from Thailand and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Atmospheric Sciences. In regards to his passions, he says that living healthy is the key to wellness. As a part of EWC Fitness Program, Chao started a YouTube channel with workout videos this past summer to inspire others and build community. |
Performer: Amber Word
Amber Word (a. word) is the owner and founder of Inward, a donation-based “holding space for self-exploration” located in Jemez Springs, New Mexico. Through her work as a BodyTalk practitioner, guided meditation facilitator and sound therapy musician, Amber has seen firsthand how innerstanding and self-compassion can lead to profound shifts in the bodymind complex. She is constantly experimenting with different mediums to illustrate integration and embodiment. Her first short film, “Fear Embodied” is one such endeavor. Shot and edited entirely on an iPhone, this 3 minute story and media collage aims to touch on the empowerment and interconnectivity that can come when we give ourselves enough space to release fear, and the isolation it cultivates, from being an active part of our identity. |
Speaker: Dr. Kamanaʻopono M. Crabbe
Dr. Kamanaʻopono M. Crabbe has focused his personal, academic and professional career toward improving Native Hawaiian health and well-being. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and served as a licensed clinical psychologist for over 12 years. As OHA’s Ka Pouhana, the main post of the hale, he grounded the organization in Kūkulu Hou – his vision to reestablish and rebuild the mana of kānaka maoli. He also served as OHA’s International Liaison to the Polynesian Leader’s Group, an international governmental cooperation group bringing together eight independent or self-governing countries or territories in Polynesia. Uplifting the mana and mauli ola of the Hawaiian community through transformation and indigenous excellence are pillars of his leadership values. Crabbe serves his community as a hoʻoponopono practitioner, skilled chanter and orator, and ‘aha ‘awa ceremony and protocol expert. |
Sep 27 Continuing curiosity
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “curiosity” is marked by a “desire to investigate and learn” and an “inquisitive interest in others' concerns.” This session seeks to tap into this eagerness to understand that we all are gifted from a young age. Our guests will share different ways we can spark and practice curiosity ourselves to better connect with one another and care about existing issues.
Guest Artist & Speakers
Guest Artist & Speakers
Guest Artist: Jae Hwan Lim
Artist- Activist; Director of Humans of North Korea Jae Hwan Lim is a politically driven artist-activist focusing on human rights and the struggles for democracy in the Korean Peninsula. Collaborating with Koreans internationally, he works to find the political meaning of being Korean in contemporary society. Lim serves as co-founder and director of Humans of North Korea (HNK), an organization that advocates for North Korean defectors and for global citizenship, and as an advisor at the Republic of Korea’s The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, among other peace and political organizations. |
Speaker: Chrislyn Choo
Visual Storyteller Chrislyn Choo / 朱琦恩 is an Emmy-winning video producer, writer, and community builder curious about the narratives that shape who we are. An Enneagram-certified facilitator and member of the Asian American Documentary Network (A-DOC), she builds bridges across cultures by creating honest, inclusive space to celebrate our mosaic identities. In partnership with My China Roots, she documents the journeys of diaspora families to trace their ancestry and moderates an online community curious about exploring their Chinese heritage. As she traces her roots in China and Malaysia, she is drawn to capture 只可意会, 不可言传: what can be sensed, yet eludes words. |
Speaker: MCK
Founder, Qsata.com; Creator of the Bounce Conversation Framework, the Sounding Board Exchange, & the Self-Talk Superhero Bootcamp What’s a question that’s changed your life? (It's usually a tough one.) MCK’s most recent, "Why can I talk to pretty much anyone about anything... except for the person I'm supposed to be closest to?" Seeking the answer to this question led him to create spaces and practical tools that make it easy to ask and receive good questions – the key to finding our answers. Originally created to navigate his own challenges, since 2015 he's helped organizations, couples, and professionals across 25 countries find their way through 2,000+ Bounce Conversations. MCK has lived 10+ years in China and spent a magical semester at the EWC as part of APLP G13. |
OCt 4 Identity, language & culture
In this session, we will explore the relationship between language, culture, and one’s individual and community identities that are formed by them. Our world is filled with so many beautiful people and by learning about each other’s whole selves, we can appreciate and care for one another even more. Our guests will share their activities, experiences, and wisdom, and give you a good opportunity to think about your own community and identity.
Speakers and Performers
Speaker: Dr. Akiemi Glenn
Raised in the rural US South with ties to the forests and coastal areas of North Carolina and Virginia, Dr. Akiemi Glenn is a scholar and culture worker who now lives on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. A linguist who works in Indigenous language revitalization, a researcher, filmmaker, artist, and cultural practitioner, her work engages concepts of culture, race, and belonging at the intersections of art, social justice, and education. She is the founder and executive director of the Pōpolo Project, an organization whose mission is to redefine what it means to be Black in Hawai‘i through cultivating connections between individuals, our communities, our ancestors, and the land, highlighting the vivid, complex diversity of Black cultures and communities in the Pacific and around the world. She is also co-founder and principal of Hawai’i Strategy Lab, a research and data access endeavor that brings together data and culture in the service of social justice and re-centers models of leadership and expertise in Hawai‘i. |
Performer: Techung
Techung is a Tibetan folk and freedom singer and a composer. He is best known for his performances of traditional Tibetan music, dance as well as opera. His dedication and love for performing arts and years of training has come to fruition with his becoming a master musician and composer in his own right. He is a recipient of the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Folk and Traditional Arts and was recently nominated for the National Heritage Award by the National Endowment for the Arts. Whether performing traditional or contemporary songs, Techung's dual purpose has always been to revive Tibetan music in the Tibetan community and to promote the rich performing tradition of his homeland to a wider audience around the world. Techung has collaborated with world-renowned musicians such as Phillip Glass and blues master Keb Mo. Along with musicians such as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and others, Techung has performed at the famous Carnegie Hall in New York City. |
oct 18 Building bridges
As we have witnessed during the pandemic and even before it, injustice continues to exist in our world. Those who are marginalized face additional obstacles that inhibit equal access to the care and resources which are important for one’s well-being and quality of life. In this session, three amazing women will share how they build bridges instead of barriers to work in tandem with others for collective social change.
Speakers and Performers
Alumni Presentation: Natalie Roberts
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Intern, East-West Center Natalie Roberts is a recent graduate of the Master of Asian Studies Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She is a former student affiliate at the East-West Center. She was actively involved in East-West Center Participant Association initiatives as the Board’s Hale Manoa Representative and International Women’s Group’s Social Media Representative. After completing her undergraduate degree in Political Science, Natalie spent the summer in Washington D.C. interning for a small non-profit, highlighting her passion for human rights. She also spent time teaching English in Tokyo, Japan, where she found her passion for international and higher education and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Her main areas of research have focused on human rights in the Asia-Pacific region. Natalie is now working as a DEI Intern for the East-West Center. |
Speaker: Mahwish Gul
Consultant, Center for Communication Pakistan Mahwish Gul is a development professional with over 10 years of progressive experience in program management, particularly in the fields of strategic communication and knowledge creation. Gul holds master degrees in Anthropology and Development Management from Ruhr University, Germany. She is passionate about gender, youth development and reproductive health fields. Gul has extensive knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies and in basic and applied research. She is an alumna of East West Center’s leadership program, Asia Pacific Leadership Program 2015-16 and Innovation Fellow 2020-21. She presently contributes to a bimonthly German magazine and monthly e-paper D+C Development and Cooperation that discusses international-development affairs and explores how they relate to fields of policy-making. |
Performer: Amirah Sackett
Hip-Hop Dancer, Choreographer, Teacher An internationally recognized hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Amirah Sackett explores and embodies her Muslim American identity through combining hip-hop movement and Islamic themes. She is widely known for her creation of the choreography and performance group known as, “We’re Muslim, Don’t Panic”, which reached viral video fame after being featured on POPSUGAR Celebrity, The Huffington Post, AJ+, and Upworthy. Amirah was named one of “17 Muslim American Women Who Made America Great in 2016” by The Huffington Post. Sackett was honored to be a TEDx speaker, guest lecturer at Harvard University, and a cultural diplomat with the U.S. State Department in Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Kuwait. Based in Chicago, Amirah continues to teach the next generation and encourage emerging artists to use hip-hop culture as a way to uplift, inspire, and create social change. |
oct 25 Movement & migration
Today, many people around the world move for a variety of reasons, including economic, political, cultural, religious, and environmental reasons. Through their own migration or that of their ancestors, the culture of these new lands influences their own identities. In this session, our guests will share their activities, experiences, and knowledge about movement and migration, both in the present and in the past, to have a discussion on how we can care about those who have had to leave their homelands.
Speakers and Performers
Performer: Jess X. Snow
Jess X. Snow is a non-binary film director, artist, poet and community arts educator who creates queer Asian immigrant stories that transcend borders, binaries and time. Through narrative film, large-scale murals, virtual and augmented reality, and community art education, they are working toward a future where migrant and BIPOC folks may witness themselves heroic on the big screen and city walls & discover in their own bodies; a sanctuary for safety. Their short films, Afterearth and Safe Among Stars have screened internationally at over 30 film festivals. Their narrative short, Little Sky premiered at Frameline 45, Outfest 2021, and will be distributed by HBO Max. Their murals can be found on walls across the country, and have been featured on PBS Newshour, The NY Times Magazine, The LA Times, and the SF Chronicle. |
Speaker: Dr. Omar H. Ali
"Revisiting World History" Dr. Omar H. Ali is Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and Professor of Comparative African Diaspora History at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Born in South America, his mother is from Peru and his father was from India. Dr. Ali is the author of several books on the global African Diaspora in world history, Islam in the Indian Ocean world, and independent Black political movements in the Atlantic world. A graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, he studied at the School of Oriental and African Studies before going on to receive his Ph.D. in History from Columbia University. In 2020 he was named Knight in the Order of the Academic Palms (Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques) by the French government for his work with teachers around the world. |
nov 8 regeneration & restoration
This session will explore various perspectives on restoring nature, land, sea, animals, and people under the theme of "Regeneration and Restoration”. It will be a great opportunity to think about what we can do to regenerate life and resources, and to care for and protect the Earth.
Speakers and Performers
Student Presentation: Muhammad Ali Ijaz
EWCPA Community Garden & Sustainability Coordinator Muhammad Ali Ijaz is currently pursuing an MA in Communications and is passionate about documentary filmmaking on topics related to wildlife conservation and environmental issues. His nature films have been screened in hundreds of schools across Pakistan, helping fill a void in natural history programming in the country. He has been making documentaries and commercials for various national and international organisations including WWF, UNDP, UNICEF, USAID, and Oxfam. Ali Ijaz believes that documentary films are a powerful tool that can be used to tell great stories to inspire, educate, entertain and thus bring about positive change to individuals and communities. |
Speaker: Asty Kopong
Thresher Shark Indonesia Asty has been a member of Thresher Shark Indonesia (TSI) since 2019. She has been involved in the community development practice field for more than six years. She is responsible for TSI’s program implementation, especially empowerment of shark fishers and building relations with the government on various levels. TSI advocates for shark conservation regulation both in regency and village levels to advocate for the protection of thresher sharks while opening more opportunities to help the community from government and private sectors. Their empowerment program also reaches native youth to ensure regeneration and participation in conservation issues. |
Performer: Punahele
Nā Pua Kūʻē (Hawaii Dissenters) Punahele is a country moke Hawaiian from Makaha, Hawaiʻi that stands against anything that is harmful to ʻāina. He is a Hip Hop practitioner and a 2 time Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winner and Hawaiʻi’s first ever IRON MC Champion. He has been teaching community songwriting and poetry workshops to incarcerated and “at-risk” youths for over 10 years. The music he creates aims to build Indigenous solidarity in Oceania and beyond. He is also a proud organizer for Nā Pua Kūʻē AKA Hawaii Dissenters that fights for demilitarization and abolition in Hawaiʻi. |
nov 15 pathways to peace
In our final session for this semester, we will think about “pathways to peace” not only for us, but for those of future generations. Drawing from indigenous practices and epistemologies from here in Hawai’i and Oceania, our two guests will share ways to work through conflict with love and care. We hope that everyone can leave our Fall 2021 Exchange community and program with the thoughts and tools to build peace in ourselves, others and the world.
Speakers and Performers
Speaker: Dr. Manulani Meyer
Manulani Aluli Meyer is the fifth daughter of Emma Aluli and Harry Meyer who grew up along the shorelines of Mokapu, Kailua and Hilo Palikū. She is part of the larger Aluli ʻohana dedicated to ʻike kupuna and aloha ʻāina-- to ancestral knowledge and love of land. Manu is a native Hawaiian scholar-practitioner coming home to O'ahu after 40 years--27 years in Hilo, 7 years on the continent, and 6 years in Aotearoa. She is a world Indigenous scholar dedicated to the clear expression and creative activation of ancient knowledge systems to better address the needs of our time. She earned her doctorate (Harvard Ed.D, 1998) on the topic of Hawaiian epistemology - philosophy of knowledge - and remains dedicated to its mythic capacity to inspire, instruct and heal. Manu is active in the food sovereignty, aloha ʻāina, EA Hawaiʻi, and hoʻopono movements throughout Hawai'i and Oceania. She has been a 40 year practitioner of hoʻoponopono. |
Performer: Carol Ann Carl
Carol Ann Carl is a daughter of the beautiful island of Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia. She received her BS in Biochemistry at UH Manoa and currently is a Grant Writer at Kokua Kalihi Valley, a nonprofit community health center. An advocate and activist, her community work revolves around Micronesian youth and women. As a storyteller, her collective work KEWERIWER is a collection of writing and poetry that explores the social context of her life and her life as a transformer of that social context. Most recently her work has been featured in the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Celebrate Micronesia Festival, and the Why It Matters civic engagement docuseries for the Hawaii Humanities Council. |