Aloha from Honolulu

We hope this note finds you well. We are writing to inform you about some of the things going on at the APLP and to begin to introduce some materials and ideas for the coming time together.

First, we thank you for waiting while all of the files have been evaluated. We realize it is hard to wait for news about such a potentially life-altering event and thank you for your patience. We have had a large volume of excellent applications which warrant substantial review. Each application has been reviewed by at least three staff members, discussed by a committee and then, those making the second round have been interviewed.

So, imagine all the time it took you to create the application and multiply that by many! The good side of the waiting period is that the class of 2010/2011 (which is known as Generation Ten, or G10, because it is the tenth APLP cohort) looks to be an exciting group.

The broad outlines of acceptance are: 20 countries, average age 31.7, and just about an even male/female split. The actual grouping will vary somewhat from this when we get to August, but this is the start.

Our main focus at this time of year is working on preparing for Generation Ten. Beyond these activities we have some other exciting projects ongoing.

A group of the current class is currently in the field doing the independent elements of the ‘Group Independent Study Travel (GIST)’ project. They are in Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Mongolia and Laos. They meet at end of April to present their findings at a Conference hosted by an alum in Phnom Penh.

Some of our staff members are also in the field. Nick Barker is thriving on sabbatical in Japan where he has been teaching at University of Tskuba and giving talks across the country. He was joined by Monique Wedderburn for a week in which she worked on gender and leadership themes as well as with our partnerships with local institutions. Another staff member, Christina Monroe will soon be in Malaysia meeting up with Alumni from our State Department funded United States Institute for the Environment. Besides all this field work we are hosting visiting groups here in Hawai’i and designing new programs. But the real focus is on August. It is an exciting time for us, as we are sure it is for you.

We have a great respect and appreciation for the commitment you have shown in applying to our program. If you have any questions about the APLP or our processes over the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can reply to this email address.

For your information, please find below some materials which might be of interest to you as you begin to increasingly turn your mind to arriving at the Center;

Videos on East West Center’s 50th Anniversary

A video from a local television station on the Center’s 50 years. http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?ClipID1=4437448&h1=East-West%20Center%20celebrates%2050th%20anniversary&vt1=v&at1=Entertainment&d1=178167&LaunchPageAdTag=News&activePane=info&rnd=69566451

A video produced by the Center celebrating the our 50th Anniversary Activities (which occur over the course of this coming year). Most of the current participants you see in this video are from the 2009/2010 APLP class (Generation Nine).

http://www.youtube.com/user/EastWestCenter#p/u/0/-i7oWrYlCuI

A video of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent talk at the Center.

http://vimeo.com/8955432

A Short Publication

The latest East-West Center Observer (Our Quarterly Newsletter)

http://www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/stored/pdfs/ewcobs141.pdf

Thank you again for your decision to apply to the APLP and we look forward to continued communication.

Team APLP