East-West Center in the News

(2011-10-20) Panetta most likely want to speak with Japanese leaders about the feasibility and affordability of the current plan, which is under fire by several powerful U.S. senators, said Denny Roy, an expert on Asian military affairs.

... "It's not that Secretary Panetta has reached any conclusions and will be pushing for a particular outcome," Roy said. "I have no reason to think that has happened yet. But it's very likely that he will want to hear, in a face-to-face meeting, what the views of the Japan government are on the issue."

(2011-10-28) (Online access by subscription only. The Pacific Business News is also available in the RIS Periodicals Room).

In Honolulu, seven positions have been eliminated and six employees will see a reduction in hours, East-West Center spokeswoman Karen Knudsen said. The center now has 143 full-time and 35 part-time employees.

... Knudsen said the center, located on the University of Hawaii Manoa campus, will continue to have visiting fellows, a program that she said does not rely on federal funding.

... Despite the reduction in federal funding, East-West Center President Charles Morrison said the center will remain committed to strong programs and outreach efforts.

"The center continues to strengthen its nonappropriated funding and partnership-relationships and will continue to have a robust program promoting U.S.-Asia-Pacific relationships in future years," Morrison told PBN in a statement.

(2011-11-06) "I didn't at all think we were a shoo-in. In fact, I thought we were a dark horse," recalled Morrison.

... "I thought maybe for the president himself to choose his native state would look like favoritism, so I thought that our bid had to be so good so that the bureaucracy would say to him, 'Our first choice is this," said Morrison.

(2011-11-07) "Nobody's building Genevas anymore, and hasn't for some time," said Charles Morrison, president of the East-West Center.

But Morrison said Hawaii can be an ideal venue for events like APEC in the future and, with the right coordination and organizational execution, can help build important cultural and financial ties within the region.

Thinking of APEC as a one-off event - like hosting a Super Bowl or a national political convention - would be a missed opportunity, he said.

"It might be true that we kind of exaggerate its significance. But part of the real reason for making a big effort on this is that it's not just a one-off event; it's something for the future of this state," Morrison said.