Leadership Reflection: Diversity

LEADERSHIP REFLECTION: DIVERSITY

EWC of UH through APLP programs mainly focuses on community-based development implementing by diverse individuality from different places around the world, especially from Asia Pacific region. Once Charles Morison said “EWC tends to build local community capacity and extend to the region of Asia Pacifi and the whole world”. The term of diversity probably composed of unique individuality. I am one of these components making this diversity. Rich diversity comes from the rich individuality; and capable individuality crystallizes sustainable community.

I am joyful to be a part of this diversity. I was born in a tiny, quiet village surrounding with uncertain political movements. My younghood was embraced by fear and tragedy. My parents passed away when I was very young. I am a youngest child in family; and looked after by two older sisters and aunt. My diversity is different from others who are accompanied by cultural background, gender, schools, race, ethnicity, age and opinion. But my diversity in that time was surrounded by division, bombs, shells, mines, fear, intimidation, retaliation, suffering, destruction and hatred. It happened among uneducated people and extreme environment. Unbelievably, this circumstance has taught and encouraged me to be strong and having self-reliance.

As I was raised by a Buddhist family; my mom was a nun and she always practiced meditation to calm her mind. She encouraged me to concentrate inside my mind. This helps me to strengthen myself and extend it to a larger diverse community. Though I was living in the poor and outdated place but the warm of Cambodian family society system and the peacefulness philosophy of Cambodia spirituality offer me a sense of contentment and strength. This is the mould of my cultural background. Once a movie star Angelina Jolie astonished with the strength of Cambodian people when she stepped into this land in which she has always thought as a divided and disappointed country. Starting from the glory of Angkor Wat ruins to the woeful killing field of the Khmer Rouge has underscored this reality. I have exploited a lot from this situation.

Gender has played important role in bonding society. I am very impressive in roles of different genders and their sexual orientation. In Cambodia, men respect women for their tense forbearance to overcome their natural phenomena and family responsibility. There are many Khmer proverbs mentioning the virtue and honoring women. For example, dying of dad is better than dying of mom. It means that dad dies first, child can survive; but if mom dies first, child is hard to survive. There are many other location or position names which start with word mom “mae” such as mae pteah mean head of family, mae teab means head of army and mae phum means head of village. And Cambodian women is strict in open their relationship with men. Some women they will never talk with men or look at their face. They accept to marry only one time in their whole life. Women try hard and patience to maintain their loving relationship because they don’t want divorced option happens in their life. In this perspective, it has two shapes of both positive and negative for women. But I am always optimistic and impressive by the high standard and consistency of Cambodian women.

Khmer is an ethnic tribe that has existed in the region of Indo China and Thailand for almost three thousand years. Khmer ethnicity can survive until now while other same period of ethnic people have been disappeared subsequently in this region. I have always heard the elders mention that “Khmer refers to a group of people who love peace, stability and prosperity. But when bad people or enemy comes to bother them; Khmer will never give up struggling and striving”. This convinces me more about the passing pages of Khmer history; they have experienced from the highest peak of grandeur and failed to the under zenith of zero. But the people who have lived with this spanning period have maintained their quality of living mode, the inside strength and patriotism. I am Khmer and this race makes me proud and legitimate. The startle ancient temples of Angkor Wat and other scattering ruins throughout the region have becomes the legacy of humanity; and this legacy re-affirms the forever Khmer existence. Through different decades of change of political instability; those government and political party have never ignored or neglected the picture of Angkor Wat in their national flag. They have never missed it, but there tragedy also happened. The Khmer Rouge leaders tried to reform agrarian society in Cambodia through the model of Angkor Wat period. They tended to build another grand temple and lead people to the glory of Angkorean civilization. But this is the mistake, the ignorance, the mismanagement, the failure and fundamentalism. I am often aware of this extreme and this wrong interpretation of my capable ethnicity and race.

Now my age is growing up and it must grow up with experience, learning and leading. It directs our life toward oldness and death. My ideal is that how can we leave our legacy for our humanity? Life is uncertain but death is certain, and virtue remains forever. I have learned a lot about the experiences from my childhood, teenager and adult. This various spans of living have left me memories and lessons. Those are accompanied with bad and good, but it is still precisely to my leadership development and diverse experiences. I can still remember during Khmer Rouge regime, someone gave me a piece of rice crust; and it was very delicious which I have never tasted it before. It has become my reflection to that long period and long lasting memory. I was honest with my friends. Once, one of my child friends beat and toppled me fall against the ground. I felt no trying to fight back or retaliate in this matter. But I asked for advices from my mom about this situation. My mom’s instruction was very memorable and accurate that she suggested me to be compassionate, but not ignorant compassion. Next time you have to protect yourself and fight them back if they still persistently destroy you, she advised. This memory intensifies my future trend in developing my leadership ability. It has changed my personality from an inactive thought to be a flexible, progressive motivation. Beside this; compassion, tolerance, non-violence, flexibility, understanding, wisdom and striving are my affected ideology to identify my characteristic. They reshape my future tendency and redirect my professional goal of leadership development.

My past experiences, cultural uniqueness, family, meditation, natural surrounding, friends and diverse circumstance of APLP’s classes has been defining who I am. Especially, diversity of different ethnic background, capacity and thought of this small community of East West Center; it emphasizes this definition. With this new approach and some lessons I have learned from APLP’s class; I can set up some personal theory and practices to deal with differences such as:
- I prefer to listen and patient to listen to all opinions and rhetoric of my friends rather than to intervene or interrupt their appearance.
- I endeavor to learn from them all the time, but if some chaos or division happens; I will begin to use my leadership ability to mediate and reconcile such turmoil situation.
- I enjoy with emptiness solution. In every conflict situation needs us to be quiet in order to check inside ourselves to ensure that we have a relevant theory to deal with this division. Most of the time, peacefulness or emptiness offers us a sense of unity and understanding.
- We can find out the common sense which we have shared together as the metaphor or tool to deal with differences.
- “Action speaks louder than words”, this is my favorite proverb. So my often thought must be compatible with action. If it doesn’t match my practical ability and is not comfortable to do, I will never think about it.

Present current experience or critical instance in the APLP qualified by all these qualities.
- More competitive and challenges comes to my mind. I have ever had only lower able friends, but now I can observe most my APLP’s friends have higher ability than me. So this is the chance that I have to re-check my inner power to compete with them.
- I am very fond of different styles of professional performance of the APLP’s facilitators. Starting from Scott who is vivid in communication skills, to the practical Christina’s concrete theory, to the friendly Monique’s assisting; and to the exotic, strong spider net of Nick’s emptiness lesson.
- Again, diversity of APLP’s community truly reiterates my new effective learning approach. It is rich, unique and marvelous.
- Regional core issues, professional development and leadership are my superb current experience and critical instance of the APLP.

By Bhikkhu Vodano S. Sophan

August 28, 2006

Diversity: Harmony, Division and Solution

DIVERSITY
Harmony, Division and Solution

Diversity means differences or variations or unlikeness. In our modern world, diversity plays the important role as well as multiculturalism. Present study, diversity has been sorted with many different contexts such as human context, ecological context, radio and telecommunications, business context and politics. In human context, diversity discusses the variety of cultures, languages, ethnic groups, physical features, socio-economic backgrounds, opinions, religious beliefs, sexuality, gender identity or neurology[1]. Ecological context studies about the structure of ecological community, evolutionary computation and genetic variation. Radio and telecommunication of diversity refers to the spreading of individual actions that can shape community through space, frequency and time of diversity. In business context, diversity is approached as a strategy in improving employee retention and increasing consumer confidence. Further more, study of diversity as politics has no fixed definition. Some one thinks that this word is used to promote tolerance among diverse community.

In other aspects of diversity, Oxford English Dictionary casts some entries briefly for us to pay attention. They are pluralism, culture, gender, race, ethnicity, ethnic minority and affirmative action. In Merriam-Webster Online[2], pluralism means a state of society in which members of diverse ethnic, racial, religious, or social groups maintain an autonomous participation in and development of their traditional culture or special interest within the confines of a common civilization. In this concept, pluralism can be synonymous of diversity. Culture illustrates the meaning through different aspects such as beauty culture, a way of life, a corporate culture or cultivation and seeding. Among these, corporate culture informs well the similar concept of diversity as it says “culture is the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization”. Gender characterizes shape, social rank, manner of existence or sex, while race has shared these similar perspectives as it refers to family, tribe, people, or nation belonging to the same stock. But if we look at ethnicity and ethnic minority, author tries to distinguish these two as larger and smaller group. Ethnicity pertains to common racial, cultural, religious, or linguistic characteristics within a larger system; and ethnic minority is a group of people differentiated from the rest of the community by racial origins or cultural background. Author has also linked to affirmative action in diversity taken to affirm an established policy dealing with discrimination among minority group especially during recruitment or employment. However, diversity has complex definitions and yields different consequences. It can bring us both harmony and division.

Diversity is likely created by the developed countries like USA and Canada to identify their community which is enriched by migrants from every place around the world. It has become popular context heading beyond the concept of multiculturalism. This new concept of diversity brings peace, understanding, tolerance and harmony. It creates a sense of rich third culture. Diverse ethnic background, languages, ideologies, religious beliefs or capacities shall enhance and enrich third culture perspectives. Diversity can use to replace the word compassion, tolerance, non-violence and understanding. Basically, human beings were born with diverse dependencies caused by individual’s Kammas or actions. The Kammas qualify their appearance and dependences. Through thought commands individual to speak, through speech commands individual to act; and through action results differences or diversity that we can see it physically or mentally. And these differences of action exist in everybody. United Nations commissions their task in the context of tolerance and non-violence. UN’s mottos are rolling around compassion, tolerance, non-violence and understanding.

In this harmonious concept, diversity can be observed through the models in Canada. In 2003 census, Canada citizens comprise of 4.4% Aboriginal population, 18% foreign-born citizens and almost 80% immigrants. In this amount of immigrants, 60% Asians and 20% Caribbean, Central/South American and Africa[3]. This census can show us the most diverse population in Canada. My experiences more than 3 years in there reaffirmed my favor and contentment with this diverse society. Everybody respects each others. There are many competitions in civil administrations, public services, employment opportunities, education and innovations etc. Students in primary school, secondary school and high school are encouraged to learn at least two languages. They can choose any language that they like. It is the compulsory choice in learning second language. The slogan they use about learning languages is “more languages Canadian children can use, more tolerant, compassionate and intellectual benefit they deserve”. Nowadays, every school is trying to promote and bring more languages into school curriculum. Language is the important tool for culture and diversity. Through language, people can become the creative members of diversity; and this emerging diversity brings peace, harmony and prosperity to the community. Importantly, Canadians understand well about their obligation to abide by the state of law.

On the other hand, diversity brings along with conflicts and divisions. It is naturally diverse to differentiate people from each other. This differentiation is unique and complex. We can experience conflicts from this diversity through our daily contentment and discontentment. People share common dispute and jealousy with both close partners and strangers. This small dispute shifts to broader community. It starts from individual to individual, family to family, country to country and continent to continent. In Jerusalem, the conflict has been delayed since 8th century CE because of three diverse religious faiths which cannot be melt together because of its fundamental diversity. Now, the fundamentalism appears among the popular concept of diversity. They are afraid of modernized moving and globalization. This is the double edge sword of diversity. But the original meaning of diversity has implied conflict by itself. It diversifies people from each other. However, diversity enables the reality of human beings, and this reality which we have to realize.

In this case, if we think of finding some regions which have the most complexity of diversity, it should be located in South East Asia. Indonesia has the most Islamic population, while Philippines have the most population of Catholic, and Cambodia or Thailand or Burma has the most population of Buddhist. These diverse religious faiths are significantly noticeable. This regional diversity has demonstrated the subsequent division including massacre, suicide bombing, racism and genocidal. Presently, the Muslim insurgents operating in Thailand still exists. There are approximately around 1,700 innocent people were killed. Buddhist monks have been beheaded inhumanly. If we look back around the year of 1975, there was racist atrocity in East Timor. This caused by territory invasion and religious extremes. Only mid-February of 1975, there were 60,000 civilians were raped and killed. This huge massacre was later intervened by UN and set up a war crime international court as well as the current Khmer Rouge leaders in Cambodia. In Philippine, there are still Muslim rebellions combat against the government dominantly by Catholics. In Mindanao is the place where most Muslims live there and try to struggle for their political self-determination. With this diverse political geography can lead to sharp risk of division in the future.

Comprehension of diversity with its play roles including the terminology, harmony and division lead us to be able to explore some effective solutions. More than this, learning about diversity is mostly affirming us to find the best solution. The reality of diversity is divisive and challenging. And when we realize this, we can learn to deal with it starting from our individual’s process. Individuals are the center of all problems, especially the conflicts in diverse society. When individuals experience peace, family will experience peace, country will experience peace and the whole world will experience peace. Different cultures in this planet; we cannot assume that our culture is the best, and other culture is out of date or worse. Every culture is valuable and acceptable. Each tremendous price of culture is negotiable and bargainable. It has no absolute moral or value. So this moderate perspective of cultural diversity is applicable to the concept of globalization, and someone has tried to call it as chastened universalism. The middle path which is not being extreme in neither materialism nor self-asceticism is accurate to the modern value of diversity, globalization or universalism.

Self is the center of all things including cultures, economics, politics, environments, information, and social form; so the self must be a pivotal core of our universe. Individual’s selves are the main composition of differences and diversity. Our diversity becomes bad or good depends on individuality. So how can we grow each self to become the advantageous components of our diversity? The answers will be various. But first of all, individuals have to develop their right thought and right understanding. They will never make our diversity peaceful progress if they don’t have right vision in living with diversity; and they will never get any benefit from diversity if they don’t have right understanding. Right vision starts with the expedition of middle path in which diversity is the compound of mixing together; and this combination has become a very tasteful seasoning. We can have a tasteful spoon because we can balance all important ingredients in our soup-pot. Balancing, negotiating, open-hearted or flexibility is the synonym of middle path. When individuals believe in glorious life of middle path, they will be aware of thinking, uttering and committing every time. Thinking, uttering and committing are the foundation of all productions. Especially, the productions of diversity which we have discussed in this paragraph. So, believe in Kammas or actions that “every thing comes around, goes around” and “we do good results in good, we do bad results in bad”. This is common sense to help sustain our diversity through moderate path and conscious actions.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity
[2] http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/pluralism
[3] http://www.ccsd.ca/pr/2003/diversity.htm

By Preah Bhikkhu Vodano S.

September 21, 2006

Global Flow: the truth of impermenant waves

GLOBAL FLOW
The Truth of Impermanent Wave

Preamble
I have learned a lot today about the “FLOWS” which signifies the reality of world’s movement. FLOWS can mean Flexible Leadership Oath of World Survival. In the context is eloquently delivered by our professor to digest the interconnected of our spider-net world. This flow mainly focuses on Capital, Information and People.

Capital
Capital flow refers to the flow of investment and saving inter-partnering between different continents. Now Capital Flow attracts the economic researchers, geopolitics experts and the trend of militarism. The flowing is specifically between USA and Asia Pacific. Some have considered this as the intention of USA to strengthen power through the militia investment. Japan, Korea, China and South East Asian are the main partnership of investment with USA. Presently, researchers found that USA has current account deficit because of their investment more than saving. USA seems prioritize in military investment which we always wonder this is a poor investment or smart one? However, this is the flow of interconnection between Asia Pacific and USA. And this money flow leads to the global flow. It mobilizes continually in every mana of individuals around the world.

Information
Second is about the advancement of information. The world is becoming smaller and smaller by the modern technology of information. Telephone, television, radio, mail service and internet have transferred ideas, relationship and products faster and broader. Through these tools activates economic flow more sufficient than any other period. New imperialism emerges quickly in every corner of the world, especial the Pacific Region. Television and internet drives the generation X with more complications. And the influential tendency of the future, information will create our world as unique as one world, one model of product, one culture and one home. Everybody can experience with one model of suit, speak only one language and live together like a family. This information flow shall gather all flowers and rubbishes to put in one gathering space.

People
Third is the flow of people. Migration has moved from place to place. Tourism industry is promoting and attracting huge people to travel from place to place increasingly. The student exchanges program which enables the sustainable change of the region as well as the world; and this exchange makes our young leaders understand the flow and create the idea of third culture.

Consequences of Flow
The reality is the changing which emerges with different shapes depending on causes and effects. In politics, government is trying to modernize their domestic policy through democracy, decentralization and state of law in which this new approach can reduce corruption and instability. This new change, government officers seem to have greedier than before because of the new innovative products stunning. In economic, it is hard to equalize saving and investment. Some countries have saving more than investing; some have saving less than investing. If saving rate is higher possibly becomes over accumulation. In urban development place has resulted the eviction of low class people creating injustice and division in the country; or some greenery sites and ancient places have been bothered. The infrastructure development can impact the environment. Many places and cities are polluted and overbuilding. If we look at the population, the demography is not in balance, aging people can be more or youth bulge has increased.

Solution of Flow
Everything is not late if we are mindful with it. Scholars have adopted the solution idea to be called FS which means Flexible Specialization. This FS can deal with Unstable Globalization. Sometime they have called it Paradoxymoron which can be mean reacting immediately to all negative flows. These three components, we have to consider and apprehend are international flows, national flows and individual flows.

As I am writing this article, I have set up my personal formulation to face with these new flows, which is called FLOWS means:
- F represents Flexibility which means we have to be adaptable and not out of date.
- L represents Leadership which requires high standard capacity of front runner.
- O represents Oath which means willingness, commitment and persistency.
- W represents World or glob which is round, rotating, gravitating and moving.
- S represents Service which individuals have to be aware and responsible in nurturing our world together. Individuals have to develop their servant leadership capacity.

As we are all aware our world is changing and moving forward. Nobody can stop it moving, we have capacity only to help it move in the right trail avoiding from falling into a cliff. This moving is under the rule of original interdependence in which everybody shall face and experience it.

September 15, 2006

sophan @ hawaii.edu

Leadership Reflection: Servant Leadership (Molokai)

Possibly, there are two types of leadership in this world: a leader who has got the power after his/her sacrificing in serving humanity and a leader who has got the power by rebellion or enforcing others. These two manners of leadership have shaped both negative and positive aspects. Mahatma Gandhi has become a powerful and popular leader after his dedication to contest with the powerful English colony. His voice of non-violence and tolerance had widely spread out and the mass come to embrace him. His mission got success and he has become the idol of the humanitarian activists. Alexander the Great or Napoleon of French had become a hero and icon of humanity today because of their thirst for power. These two leaders were unavoidable using their force to grab the power; and did many good things and reformation for their country and also push our world moving forward to another brighter era later after that.

However, servant leadership is still my most impression because this option begins with peaceful movement and ends with peaceful result. It will have no revenge or bloodshed to be an activist as a servant leader. This characteristic of leadership starts from the bottom of our heart in committing to serve, to sacrifice, to share compassion and wisdom for the sake of humanity. It exists in individual’s heart and rarely to have such person in this world. Our present dynamic world acquires more and more the presence of servant leaders. Those are religious figures, social activists, reformers, pacifists and philanthropists etc. Now, I would like to take this opportunity to inspire you to take a glance at some past servant leadership and social movement of present time at Molokai isle.

Last few days we had a fabulous field trip to Molokai isle. Our purpose is to search more strength, capacity and comprehension about the people in the area as well as to enrich our leadership ability. The area comprises of fresh natural body lying in the landscape of rocks, mountains and beaches. Personally, I had surprising feeling and sense this new landing as my newest experience of my life. This is a site in such a small spot of the gigantic Pacific Ocean. The wind, dust, wave, birds, moonlight, stars, rocks, mountains, staffs and 42 distinguished cohorts have made this trip as the most inspirable classroom. I have observed some of the below aspects concerning servant leadership.

Firstly, hiking in the Pali Trailhead of either getting down or getting up offered me a sense of leadership challenges. Especially, we focus on servant leadership who uses their head and body to breakthrough all deficits and barriers. To service others is not easy like putting food into our own mouth. It requires our willingness, persistency, wisdom and understanding. Furthermore, to serve or to lead others is easier than to serve and lead ourselves. Hiking this high mountain contributed us a sense of serving and leading ourselves. We need both mind and body to step down and step up. Stepping down is easier than stepping up. I have to take break several times, and thought of using some strategies to reach my destination at the top of mountain. Primarily, I walked up very fast and made me so tired. I breathe fast and felt like falling down. So I started to walk up slower than, moderately, step by step and used mindful walking(walking meditation). I felt having new energy embedded in my body until I reached the goal finally.

Secondly, we explored the sample servant leadership of Father Damien at Kalaupapa National Heritage Park. It is extraordinary for the past of 1896. He left the legacy of good sample to our young generation. Though he is a religious man, but the task took him a more challenged than the concept of his Christian faith. It must come out from his own heart and willingness to devout himself to live with those 4,000 leprosy patients. He was not an effective physician, but he consoled those patients psychologically to have hope and value as human being. His humanitarian work intensified the commitment to service others. He finally got contact and died by leprosy symptoms. It is hard to find somebody who wills to sacrifice like Father Damien.

Thirdly, the struggle of local people who have called themselves as the native people or Hawaiian descendants. I heard and saw many movements among them. It is very admirable and memorable. I have shared many ideas and emotions with them. I felt sad and enjoy mixing together while listened to their memoirs, complaints, narratives, songs and invocations. I have never thought that my first impression was to see them at State Capitol protested with State of Hawaii; and I could anticipate them to their motherland of Molokai. This intensifies my curiosity to hear, share and feel comfortable to help them as much as possible I can. Their vision is simple. They created Hawaiian Learning Center comprising of fishing pond, weaving house, art displays, village lifestyles, Hawaiian games and dances etc. Their speech stresses on localizing development. It seems they are trying to walk reverse the huge stream of flowing water of globalization network. But it sounds good and inspirable for servant leadership. Those olds, youngs and kids have shared the same common sense of anti-development which can impact badly to their identity, nature, spiritual faith, language and ways of life. Even though, most of the time I felt despaired with their effort that compared like trying to kick the wind, but I am still proud and optimistic with their willingness, commitment and strong stance.

Fourthly, the activities of all participants and staffs reshaped many other aspects of my servant leadership orientation. The story-telling ensured the comprehension of individual’s traits and thought. It is more accurate to deal with many different styles of people, diversity and difficult individuality. Servant leadership has to be aware of individual’s traits and tendencies. Under the moonlight entertained by whispering speaking voice, humming wind, hitting waves and crying crickets embodied more meaning of future leadership capacity. The deep sense with such surrounding signifies the deep sense of servant leadership in sharing empathy and struggle. Significantly, the Hula and Slapping Dance which were performed lively by our colleagues is to inform our intention in sharing simple common sense with local people. Individually, our participants have uplifted the servant leadership ability with different manners and performances. Also, I enjoy skits perform by staffs and groups creatively. More than this, we all have participated in building local community-based development with them. Some helped to move rocks and stones to build the fishing pond dikes, to catch fish, to weave, to cut some pieces of wood and to clean the pavilion. We enjoyed with their local food and many, many socializing.

This is the moonlight of humanity, the wave of struggling, and the blowing wind of moving forward and changing. Our moving is not stuck by any obstacles or barriers because we are all aware of servant leadership. We sacrifice our time, wisdom and material. Our ideal is not for personal power or benefit, but for the sake of the welfare, stability, prosperity and peace of human beings.

Preah Bhikkhu Vodano Sophan S.

sophan @ hawaii.edu