ASIA MEDIA WRITES – Two of America’s most gifted diplomats were honored here on the evening of 22 February at the 2018 Annual Award Dinner at the splashy InterContinental Hotel in Century City.
In front of an animated and enthusiastic audience of more than 200 friends, supporters and members of the Los Angeles-based Pacific Century Institute, Ambassador at Large Dr. Robert L. Gallucci pictured at right) and the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) represented by its President, Dr. Richard N. Haass received, respectively, individual and institutional awards for their efforts at diplomatic bridge-building.
PCI Chairman Emeritus Ambassador Donald P. Gregg’s welcoming remarks outlined PCI’s aim to achieve its goals of building bridges of understanding between the people living on the vast Pacific Rim. PCI’s activities range from gala events to exchange-student fellowship programs to quiet Track-2 diplomacy, especially regarding Korean Peninsula issues and tension.
Dr. Haass, who is in his fifteenth year as president of the Council on Foreign Relations — the preeminent, independent, nonpartisan organization in the United States devoted to issues of foreign policy and international relations — accepted the Institutional Building Bridges award on behalf of CFR. The title of his address was, “North Korea: Difficult Choices for All Concerned”.
PCI then honored Dr. Gallucci with the Individual Building Bridges award for efforts exemplifying PCI’s vision of building bridges of understanding. His address, entitled “The North Korea Situation: From Chronic to Acute,” emphasized how little was known about the real thinking and true ambitions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. His overall theme was that our lack of knowledge should be humbling, not empowering, as American policy moves toward making key. fateful decisions. The energetically delivered and imaginatively constructed address was very well received by the attendees.
PCI is an alliance partner with Asia Media International of Loyola Marymount University.