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(Today) Ceylon Today:(Editorial page) Doctrinal Transitions And Balancing Strategies To Pursue Interdependent Foreign Policies By Dr.Srimal Fernando( 100 Foreign PolicyColumns )
This week we celebrated 50 years of collaboration with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) on our US-Japan Young Political Leaders Exchange Program!
We hosted a group of five alumni from the past two decades of exchanges in Tokyo and Nagano. Participants had opportunities to meet with Japanese Diet members, government officials, businesspeople, and more to deepen their understanding of the US-Japan relationship on a diverse range of issues.
Some highlights included a visit to Zenkoji, one of the oldest temples in Japan, and a visit to a local middle school to join their English class as well as meetings with three Diet members and the governor of Tokyo.
A big thank you to everyone who met with the group and looking forward to organizing many more delegations to come!
About the program:
https://www.jcie.org/programs/political-exchange-programs/us-japan-young-political-leaders/
About the Trip:
https://www.jcie.org/programs/political-exchange-programs/us-japan-young-political-leaders/2023-2/
Amazing!!
Keep up the great work Chris Hipkins MP and Carmel Sepuloni MP 👏
American Council of Young Political Leaders continues to deliver on its development and support of successful leaders 🧡
Thank you American Council of Young Political Leaders City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government and the People of North Macedonia for this experience and for the honor of getting to know you. May this proclamation of gratitude serve as a small role of my thanks for all your generous welcome spirit and kindness to our delegation 🙏🏻 ❤️
🇺🇸 🤝 🇲🇰
Despite of the political turmoil in Sabah over the past one week, I will continue to advocate what I believe in regardless.
Over the past three years, I spent most of my free time participating, initiating, organising and planning activities for international NGOs such as American Council of Young Political Leaders, The Young SEAkers and Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative.
I'm going to continue advocating civic participation and youth development under International Republican Institute (IRI) and JCI Malaysia during this new year. From now on, I will not limit my postings to my engagement with Party Warisan only. I will also update my national, regional and international engagements.
Attached photo is some of my major achievements in civic society space:
1. Founded The Young SEAkers (TYS) Malaysia Chapter, a country chapter that advocates on ASEAN-China integration among Malaysian youths in January 2021.
2. Involve in Arus Anak Muda, a local youth organisation that advocates on employability, political and international awareness among Malaysian youths.
3.Selected to join YSEALI Good Governance and Civil Society Workshop 2021. Also successfully organised a series of youth employability workshop with Malaysian, Bruneian and Singaporean youths.
4. Co-authored a book chapter with my mentor, Dr. Ei Sun OH 胡逸山 under a book titled "Sabah From The Ground: The 2020 Elections & The Politics of Survival"
5. Run as Vice President (International) at JCI Lintas 億達國際青年商會 together with President Desmond Chong and Secretary Rebecca Wong in 2023.
6. Shared my research findings on youth employability with a group of experts (i.e., politicians, grassroot activists and researchers) in July 2021.
7. Shared my experience on leading TYS Malaysia Chapter via Malaysia Youth SDG Summit in November 2021. Also explained how my curated masterclasses series, industry insights and cultural exchange programs help to enhance skillsets and cultural exposure among Malaysian youths.
8. Wrote more than 140 articles and received numerous media interview requests from my research findings ranging from socio-economic issues, politics and concerns among East Malaysians.
I still believe that politics is the way to change people's life and create better policies for the people.
Will see what I can achieve more for a better Malaysia in 2023! 🙌👐💪🇲🇾
[Malay and Chinese captions come later]
I saw a post today on social media with Q’s wall-to-wall smile, and smiled to myself. But when I looked at that post closer my heart shattered into pieces. I cannot process that he is truly leaving this world and adequately find the words to honor the brilliance that is State Representative Quentin Williams. Never have I met someone who so generously shared their joy with the world. You could not avoid smiling when he was in your presence because his spirit was so infectious.
And beyond that, he was so good at showing up for his community. I fell in love with Connecticut even though it’s one of the 14 states I have not have the privilege of visiting yet. But he radiated pride for Middleton and his state. He was a champion for housing and it was one of the topics we most daydreamed about solving throughout the US.
As one of my favorite people in politics, and an incredible friend, this world will miss out on decades more of his leadership and kindness. Every place he went he brought people up and into the circles he was in, always making room for others, always welcoming them in like family. He was my regular conference buddy.
Little did I know, that Q’s outreach to wish me a Merry Christmas would be the most precious gift I would get from a friend I will miss dearly.
His colleagues words are so wonderfully descriptive of who he was:
“State Rep. Geoff Luxenberg, D-Manchester, said ‘No statement from any friend, colleague, politician or person will ever be able to capture in words his humility, his passion for justice, or his zeal for life. When Q laughed – his one-of-a-kind booming laugh – you felt his joy deep in your soul," Luxenberg said."When he smiled, the room lit up. When he spoke, everyone listened. And when he worked as Chair of this Housing Committee, or in any legislative capacity, you knew with a certainty that was both comforting and rare, the bedrock of his work was a passion and love for the people of Connecticut that was deeper and more authentic and more real than anyone. State legislators come and go but there will never be another Q.’
https://www.middletownpress.com/news/article/Cromwell-Route-9-wrong-way-crash-17696048.php
I am so grateful I had his friendship and so very sad for his passing. I wish to lift up his wife, mother, family, friends and colleagues during this time of mourning and ask us all to honor his legacy by being more kind to one another, always making room for others to join and feel welcome, and working to provide all of our citizens shelter.
We will all miss our Young Elected Officials Network, American Council of Young Political Leaders, and The NewDEAL colleague so very much. There is something to be said about the connectivity of these networks. They become a living, breathing, organism that beats with a unified heart. We share ideas and collectively collaborate to make the whole nation stronger and more resilient. As elected officials we work to grow with, learn from, better and look after one another. Today our heart is heaving with sorrow.
Much love Q
🤍🕊️🕯️
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/05/nyregion/connecticut-quentin-williams-killed-crash.html
Thank you to City of Cedar Rapids Iowa Government and Councilmember Ashley Vanorny for the Proclamation of Gratitude to the People of North Macedonia. Councilmember Vanorny and young political leaders from the United States visited North Macedonia through the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) program earlier this year. The ACYPL program brings young political leaders from North Macedonia and the U.S. exchange ideas about civic leadership, cooperation between political parties, and our countries’ political systems.
“Whereas, the Country of North Macedonia, through the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL), invited a member of the Cedar Rapids City Council and other nationwide leaders to experience their culture and political environment; and
Whereas, the ACYPL is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization supported by the U.S. Department of State and other organizations; and
Whereas, the People of North Macedonia were kind and welcoming to the visiting delegation and demonstrated values of bringing people together across borders and across the political spectrum to foster mutual understanding, respect, and friendship; and
Wheres, the People of North Macedonia, from the Prime Minister, to several enthusiastic mayors, expressed inspiring similarities shared by their communities with the City of Cedar Rapids–including historical ties to multicultural citizenship, an emphasis on the beauty of urban tree canopies, and a commitment to building a strong and resilient economy, among many others; and
Whereas, our gratitude extends to the generosity and kindness shown to Cedar Rapids through a proclamation honoring the ACYPL visitors’ arrival to witness budget hearings in Strumica, a welcoming reception by Parliament in Skopje, tours of commercial pharmaceutical production facilities at Alkaloid, tours of the production of local agrarian products–including pomegranates in Valandovo and trout and pearls in Ohrid–and visits to culturally significant sites such as the Painted Mosque in Tetovo; and
Whereas, in Cedar Rapids, Welcome is Our Language is a way of life and the City makes a point to welcome people of diverse backgrounds and share our history and culture with all.
Now Therefore, I, Tiffany O’Donnell, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, do hereby extend gratitude to the People of North Macedonia and invite the public to join me in recognizing the shared values of mutual understanding, respect, and friendship demonstrated by the People of North Macedonia and the Cedar Rapids community.
I call upon the People of Cedar Rapids to reflect on our similarities even as we are oceans apart. With open arms, we return North Macedonia’s welcoming spirit with an invitation to visit Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Signed 12/20/2022”
🇲🇰 🤝 🇺🇸
cc:
American Council of Young Political Leaders
U.S. Embassy North Macedonia
Alkaloid AD Skopje