In late April, a little more than a month following the Great East Japan Earthquake, a group of 32 young leaders from 14 Asian countries gathered in the ancient capital of Nara in western Japan to participate in a “Building a Better Asia” [1] retreat to discuss various key issues confronting society and to deepen friendships.
Among the participants were 12 Sylff fellows from 7 countries. Following their stay in Japan, the fellows offered words of encouragement and support for the country that has been devastated by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear crisis.
Read the fellows' messages at the Sylff.Org website .
[1] “Building a Better Asia” is administered by the Information and Resource Center with the support of The Nippon Foundation, the donor of the Sylff endowments. BABA 9 in Nara, Japan, was held over six days to discuss such important issues as “leadership and governance,” “peace and dialogue among cultures,” “human security,” and “promoting a greener economy in Asia.”