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Upcoming Events
A Film Screening and Discussion: "Kita Vs. Korupsi" (Us Vs. Corruption)
Co-sponsored with the The United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO)
Thursday, January 10, 2012
2:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052
David Timberman
Technical Director, Governance and Conflict Practice Areas, Management Systems International
Gerald Hyman
President, Hills Program on Governance , Center for Strategic and International Studies
Moderated by:
David Merrill
President, The United States - Indonesia Society (USINDO)
Please RSVP at : http://go.gwu.edu/pisausindo
A key part of any anti-corruption effort is educating people about what it is, the varied contexts it occurs in, how to recognize it when they see it, and the choices available to be made to deal with the situation.
As part of this effort in Indonesia, the film "Kita versus Korupsi" (Us versus Corruption) premiered last year in Jakarta and received widespread media coverage. It was produced jointly by Transparency International Indonesia (TII), MSI's USAID-funded Strengthening Integrity and Accountability Program (SIAP-1), and Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Comprised of four short films, "Kita versus Korupsi" has resonated with citizens, officials, government workers, and police officers. Each short film illustrates the everyday situations in which corrupt practices can appear, and educates audiences about the choices to be faced.
Please join us for this interesting discussion on educational efforts in Indonesia to curb corruption, and their effect. The event will begin with a screening of selected short films, followed by brief commentaries from the speakers, and a general discussion of the challenges facing anti-corruption efforts in Indonesia.
David Timberman has more than 25 years' experience analyzing and addressing governance and development challenges, principally in Southeast Asia. As a Technical Director at Management Systems International he manages and participates in the governance- and conflict-related analytical work the firm conducts for USAID and other clients. He also has served as a senior Democracy and Governance advisor to USAID in Indonesia and Washington and has held staff positions with the Asia Society, the Asia Foundation and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. He has designed and managed programs supporting anti-corruption initiatives in Indonesia and the Philippines and co-authored a monograph on Indonesia's efforts to curb corruption published by USINDO and CSIS Jakarta. He holds an M.A. from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a B.A. from Tufts University. He also has authored or edited numerous books and articles on the Philippines, Indonesia and Cambodia.
Gerald Hyman is President of the Hills Program on Governance at CSIS, and former Director of USAID's Office of Democracy and Governance. He provides assistance to the Hills-affiliated network of centers in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, manages the Hills Program in the United States, and conducts his own research on democracy and governance. He is also a member of the Advisory Council to the Center for International Media Assistance of the National Endowment for Democracy. Between 1970 and 1982, he taught courses on anthropology, social theory, modernization, economic development, American Indians, and Southeast Asia in the Departments of Sociology and Anthropology at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from the University of Virginia. He is the author, most recently, of A Cabinet-level Development Agency: Right Problem, Wrong Solution (CSIS, 2009).
David Merrill's career has been devoted to Asia. He is currently the President of the U.S. - Indonesia Society (USINDO). His posts in the U.S. government include U.S. Ambassador to Bangladesh (1994-1997), Director of USAID in Indonesia (1989-90), and USAID Director for East Asian Affairs. Following distinguished government service, he has managed private sector activities in Asia.
Ambassador Merrill holds an MPA in Asian economic development and public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; an M.A. in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; and a bachelor's degree from Brandeis University. He is married to Irrum Mehmood Merrill.
Please RSVP at : http://go.gwu.edu/pisausindo
Past Events
Dilemmas of Climate Wise Development in Thailand
Monday, December 10, 2012
12:30 PM -1:45 PM
Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052
Mr.Suppakorn Chinvanno
Research Advisor, Southeast Asia START Regional Center
Mr. Chinvanno will discuss the effects of climate change in Thailand and the challenges that Thai policymakers face as they begin to mainstream climate change into the country's development plans.
SUPPAKORN CHINVANNNO is a Research Advisor at the Southeast Asia START Regional Center and a leading expert on Southeast Asian climate change adaption strategies. He has been heavily involved in the development of a framework and methodology to mainstream climate change into both national and local development planning in Thailand. In support of this framework he coordinates a number of research teams conducting cross-sectorial analyses of the future effects of climate change on Thailand and the region. Prior to joining the Southeast Asia START Regional Center in 2002, Mr. Chinvanno had a successful 15 year career in the IT sector where he held a number of high-level management positions. Mr. Chinvanno received his M.B.A from the University of Bridgeport, and B.A. in Political Science from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand.
PISA gratefully acknowledges our sponsor: George Washington University Office of Sustainability
Please RSVP at : http://go.gwu.edu/thailandclimatewisedev
Policy Briefing: ADB Accountability Mechanism 2012
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
12:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Chung-Wen Shih, Asian Studies Conference Room, Suite 503
Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St, NW
Washington, DC 20052
Rusdian Lubis
Chairman, Compliance Review Panel (CRP), Asian Development Bank
Head, Office of the Compliance Review Panel (OCRP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Manila
Geoffrey Crooks
Principal Compliance Coordination Specialist, Office of the Compliance Review Panel (OCRP), Asian Development Bank (ADB)
The ADB introduced in 2012 a new Accountability Mechanism which provides an independent forum where people affected by Asian Development Bank (ADB)-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and also report alleged violations of ADB's operational policies and procedures. The Accountability Mechanism has both a problem solving function, undertaken by the Office of the Special Project Facilitator (OSPF), and a compliance review function undertaken by the Compliance Review Panel (CRP).
As part of the ADB’s efforts to update its development partners and policy makers on the new Accountability Mechanism, Mr. Rusdian Lubis and Mr. Geoffrey Crooks will conduct a briefing session for members of The George Washington University community.
RUSDIAN LUBIS is Chairman for Compliance Review Panel (CRP) and head of the Office of the Compliance Review Panel (OCRP) at the Asian Development Bank in Manila (2009- present). Formerly, he was Director/Senior Advisor of PT ERM (Environmental and Resources Management) in Indonesia, where he advised international investors (mostly mining, oil, and gas and industry) in resource and environmental management, Equator Principles, WB/IFC/MIGA standards, corporate social responsibilities, and related processes regarding investments. He is also Chairman of the Boards for Dana Mitra Lingkungan (Environmental Funds) since 2008.
GEOFFREY CROOKS is Principal Compliance Coordination Specialist Office of the Compliance Review Panel (OCRP). Prior to joining the ADB had a long and successful consulting career culminating with his positions as Managing Director, Europe for Ernst and Young International and Knowledge Director for Ernst and Young. During this time he worked on knowledge management, privatization policy and enterprise restructuring issues in over 25 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union for both multilateral and bilateral donors. He later established his own knowledge management and consulting company and developed strategies for many number high-level clients including the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales, British Telecom, Maersk and Siemens.
Please RSVP at: http://go.gwu.edu/adbacctmech
Burma in Transition: Climate Wise Development and Sustainable Finance
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
8:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052
The unprecedented political and economic changes underway in Burma present new opportunities to improve the livelihoods of the Burmese people - lifting them out of a half-century of isolation. Nonetheless, as Burma opens it will be faced with a host of new challenges. It is critical that all stakeholders be involved in developing policies that balance the exigencies of economic development and environmental sustainability within the context of climate change. The Symposium will bring together experts and practitioners to discuss the current situation on the ground and share their suggestions for the future of Burma.
AGENDA
8:00 AM - 8:30 AM || Registration, Coffee and Pastries
8:45 AM || Welcome and Introduction
Linda Yarr - Director, Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA)
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM || Panel One - Burma in Transition - Implications for Human Security through Political and Economic Reform
Christina Fink - Associate Professor of Practice of International Development, George Washington University
Win Myo Thu - Director, ECODEV, Burma's Leading Environmental NGO
Maureen Aung-Thwin - Director, Southeast Asia Initiative, Open Society Foundations
Moderator: Suzanne Kelly-Lyall - Deputy Director, Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA)
10:15 AM - 10:30AM || Coffee/Tea Break
10:30 AM-11:15 AM || Panel Two - Sustainable Development, Environmental Governance, and Climate Justice
Jenny Springer - Senior Director, People and Conservation, WWF
Wynn Thane - Senior Regional Program Officer, PACT
Linda Yarr - Director, Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA)
Moderator: Suzanne Kelly-Lyall - Deputy Director, Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA)
11:15 AM - Noon || Panel Three - Sustainable Finance and Development in Burma
Alessandro Pio - Resident Director General, North American Representative Office, Asian Development Bank
Keiichiro Nakazawa - Chief Representative, JICA USA Office
Liane Schalatek - North American Office, Heinrich Boell Foundation
Moderator: James Foster - Professor of Economics and International Affairs, George Washington University
Noon - 1:00 PM || Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM || "60 Minutes to Save the World": An Interactive Working Group Session
In a timed session, three working-group teams will be presented with a development challenge to solve in scenario-based exercises using the information presented during the symposium panels.
PISA gratefully acknowledges our sponsors:
George Washington University Office of Sustainability
Elliott School of International Affairs
George Washington University Office of Alumni Relations
Adapting to Global Climate Change: The Role and Potential of Indonesia's Marine Resources
Monday, October 15, 2012
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052
Prof. Dr. Indroyono Soesilo
Executive Secretary/Deputy Senior Minister to the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare of the Republic of Indonesia
On September 24, Indonesia was recognized by leading conservation and international agencies for its natural resources conservation effort under President SBY's leadership, particularly under the multilateral Coral Triangle Initiative. Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, by its geodynamic situation is rich in marine biodiversity and offshore mineral, oil, and gas resources. Conversely, this geodynamic situation correlates with a high vulnerability to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and extreme climate variability such as El Niño and La Niña.
Great potential exists with Indonesia's marine resources, particularly in the areas of offshore energy, fisheries, marine biotechnology, and marine tourism. The presence of global climate variability due to ocean dynamics in the archipelago could have an impact to the region's agriculture and fisheries production, and may increase the prevalence of natural disasters, such as forest fires, long drought, and floods. These resources are also constrained by illegal fishing and illegal mining activities; all of which need to be monitored.
Partnerships for International Strategies in Asia (PISA) and The United States-Indonesia Society (USINDO) are pleased to welcome Dr. Indroyono Soesilo to speak about the challenges in coping with global climate change issues in Indonesia, particularly as they relate to the country's marine resources potential. Dr. Soesilo will also discuss the Government of Indonesia's Master Plan to Accelerate the Economic Development in Indonesia (MP3EI), and how it will speed up the development of fishing and offshore mining industries in the selected Economic Corridors, as well as other tasks to strengthen the institutional capacity to anticipate the emergence of natural disasters in the coastal areas. International cooperation and people-to-people contacts will also be addressed to sustainably develop Indonesia's marine resource potential and to mitigate the impact of global climate change.
INDROYONO SOESILO is currently the Executive Secretary/Deputy Senior Minister to the Coordinating Ministry for People's Welfare of the Republic of Indonesia. He has assumed numerous prominent positions within the Indonesian Government, including Director General for the Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (2000-2008); Director General for Sea Research and Exploration, Ministry of Sea Exploration and Fisheries (1999-2000); and Deputy Chairman of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) for Natural Resources Development (1997-1999). He chaired the APEC Marine Resource Conservation Working Group from 2006-2008.
As a remote-sensing technology scientist, Dr. Soesilo developed applications for geographic information system (GIS) for disaster planning and mitigation, land use planning, rice yield prediction, marine resource inventory, combating IUU fishing practices, and forest management. He has also researched and written on issues such as development planning, natural resource management, marine and fisheries, and the practical applications of science and technology.
In 2009, Dr. Soesilo was awarded the Bintang Mahaputra Pratama Medal, one of Indonesia's highest distinguished awards, for his dedication and service to the people of Indonesia. He has received other awards and recognition from the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Dr. Soesilo received an engineering degree in Geology from Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB - Indonesia) in 1977, a Master of Science in Remote Sensing for Natural Resources from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1981), and a PhD in Geologic Remote Sensing from the University of Iowa - Iowa City (1987). He lives in Jakarta with his wife, Dr. Nining Indroyono Soesilo, an expert in microeconomics for small and medium scale enterprises. They have three children and one grand-daughter.
Making Urbanization in Asia Sustainable: Trends and Challenges
Wednesday, August 29
12:15 PM - 2:00 PM
Lindner Family Commons, Room 602, Elliott School of International Affairs
1957 E St NW
Washington, DC 20052
Dr. Guanghua Wan
Principal Economist, Asian Development Bank
The number of people moving into Asian cities is historically unprecedented. Each year millions of people are migrating to urban centers, and as a result the number of densely populated megacities is rising rapidly. This trend towards urban migration is likely to continue as Asia's population as a whole remains concentrated in rural areas. While the scale and speed of urban expansion has contributed to Asia's rise, it also presents myriad challenges for the region and the world; most notable are those related to the environment.
This presentation will discuss policies that can help reduce the environmental impact of urbanization in Asia through urban agglomeration. Urbanization can promote the development of environmentally friendly service-sectors; prompt traditional manufacturers to relocate away from major city centers; economize the provision of environment-related infrastructure and services; help increase labor productivity; and facilitate green innovation. The rise in education levels, growth of the middle class and decline in birth rates that are typically associated with urbanization can also have far-reaching positive impacts on resource use and the environment.
GUANGHUA WAN is Principal Economist of the Asian Development Bank. Previously, he was Senior Economist in the United Nations and taught in a number of Universities in Australia and China. Trained in development economics and econometrics, Dr. Wan is a leading scholar on the Chinese economy and an expert on Asia, with an outstanding publication record of more than 100 professional articles and a dozen books including two published by the Oxford University Press.
As honorary professor of over ten top institutions in China including Fudan and Zhejiang Universities, Dr. Wan is among the top 10% of economists globally and top 5% in Asia according to the latest ranking of REPEC.
Foresight Scenario Exercise: Vietnam
On February 7, Linda Yarr, Director, and Professor Marcus King will launch PISA's new collaborative research project with Singapore Management University - "A Climate of Insecurity: The Climate, Food, and Security Nexus", by hosting a workshop at the Elliott School of International Affairs entitled Foresight Scenario Exercise: Vietnam. Led by Mark R. Read, doctoral candidate at Pennsylvania State University, the workshop will gather Washington-based experts on Vietnam, the environment, and security studies to consider possible future scenarios for Vietnam under the impact of climate change and represents the first in a series of related activities.
PISA Facilitates Workshop on Systems Dynamics
On January 28th PISA collaborated with the Millennium Institute and the George Washington Universty Chapter of Net Impact to host a pilot workshop on System Dynamics Modeling. We had a great turnout, with participants from many different disciplines. As part of the workshop, the participants explored the root causes of a variety of scenarios, including rising oil prices, childhood obesity, unemployment in America's Rust belt, and others. Those involved agreed that creating a visual map as a way of understanding problems was extremely beneficial.
We have one spot left for our February 11th System Dynamics Modeling workshop...contact us to participate!
PISA Releases Climate Change Video!
PISA's climate change colloquium has been featured in the local media in Hanoi! Click HERE to watch!
Vietnamese Officials Explore Global Climate Change Solutions at GW
Read the press release
A nation is learning to swim through its rising climate current
Read the article on ClimateWire.com
PISA Summer Institute on Global Climate Change
July 6 – 28, 2009
Washington, DC
This program is made possible by grants from The Ford Foundation and Chino Cienega Foundation.
Download Program Agenda items:
In January, twelve individuals from Vietnam were selected to participate in PISA's upcoming Summer Leadership Institute on Global Climate Change (PSIGCC) to be held in Washington, DC on July 6-28, 2009. Each individual is a former participant of the Leadership Institute on Creative Responses to Global Climate Change (LIGCC), which was held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in October 2008. Partipants from the LIGCC were encouraged to apply for this special intensive summer program, underwent a competitive application and selection process, and have been selected to participate in the PSIGCC based on their leadership potential within their respective ministries, businesses, associations or research institutes.
During the LIGCC, individuals will engage in a focused and interactive program on global climate change and its likely impact on sustainable development in Vietnam. The principal objective of the PSIGCC is to give the participants conceptual and analytical tools necessary to make policy decisions based on an understanding of the diverse impacts of climate change on all stakeholders in Vietnam.
Morning sessions will be devoted to systematic presentations, including a variety of visual techniques, on key topics. Afternoon sessions will engage participants in creative scenario building and discussion of selected cases and will be strongly interactive and foster new thinking about the day's topic.
Participants will also take part in off-site briefings, with experts in nongovernmental organizations and government agencies and participate in field trips to observe environmental projects. Emphasis will be placed on consideration of the interrelated consequences of development projects in relation to the anticipated effects of global climate change and how to prevent or mitigate potential damage to the environment, prospects for economic growth, and the welfare of human populations and biodiversity.
Summer Institute Participants
Ms. Doa Boa Ngoc, Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP)
Dr. Doan Duc Lan, Northwest University (Tay Bac University)
Dr. Doan The Loi, Institute for Water Resources Economics and Management (IWEM)
Mr. Ngo Tuan Nghia, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Political and Public Administration
Ms. Nguyen Hong Anh, Institute of Human Studies, Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Dr. Nguyen Van Be, Cantho University, College of Environment and Natural Resources
Ms. Nguyen Thi Vinh Ha, Vietnam National University, College of Economics
Dr. Nguyen Lanh, Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment - Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Dr. Nguyen Kim Loi, Nong Lam University
Dr. Nguyen Huong Thuy Phan, Asian Institute of Technology Center in Vietnam
Dr. Nguyen Thi Bach Yen, Hong Duc University
Ms. Tran Thi Hong, Vietnam Women's Union