By Xueqiong Zhang

On July 23, 2009, I was informed that I was successful in my application to participate in the 6^th BABA Retreat. Since then I had been looking forward to September 13 to meet other fellows whom I just knew by email. It took me three and half hours to fly from Kunming to Beijing. Though I’ve been to Beijing many times, I still couldn’t help being excited.

It is well known that the Asia is the largest continents with the most population. The Asia is also the birthplace of the three major religions and three of the Four Ancient Civilizations. The Asia had been in the lead until the 19^th century. However, the Asia as a whole fell behind in the modern maybe except Japan. Why? Unfortunately, after the World War Two the most countries in the Asia were lost in internal unrest and mutual conflicts. Compared to the EU the ASEAN built in 1967 is still a loose union. At the same time, because of the WWII and with the rising of China and India, there is short of trust among almost all the countries in the East Asia and the Southeast Asia. As for the Central Asia and the Middle East, it seems that the most countries there can’t pursue independent diplomacy. Regional cooperation in the Asia is still in the low level.

The aim of the Retreat is very good. We participants are a new generation and most of us grew up during a relative peacetime. Maybe economic development, political democracy, social progress and equality occupy our mind more. The Retreat helps us be a responsible group for our community. I enjoyed the program and was especially encouraged by the introductions about the Retreat and the Nippon Foundation provided by M. Rajaretnam and Shuichi Ohno separately. Such organizations like IRC and Nippon Foundation are laying the foundation for building a better Asia. They are trying to rebuild the trust among countries by training future leaders. I also like the PPT shown by each of us. Yes, we are diverse but we can appreciate one another. The personal experience of Prof. Amitav Acharya is wonderful. He comes from Singapore (though he looks like an Indian from appearance) and married with a Chinese lady and now lives in the United States. When he communicated with us about “Asia Past & Present: An Asia View from Washington D.C.” I asked him: what does it mean about the Asia rising and what roles should Japan, India and China during the process? As the only superpower, whether or not the United States want the Asia to rise. In my opinion, the Asia rising means every country in the Asia develops and no one will be left behind. It also means the most population in the world can enjoy freedom, equality and prosperity. In a word, the Asia rising means a better Asia in the future. During the process Japan, India and China should play the roles just as Germany, Britain and France play in the EU. The United States can’t stop the Asia rising no matter it likes or not. The methods that the Retreat adopted were good, too. I was impressed by the film “12 Angry Men: Transforming Opinions and Groupthink” and the PPT about Analyzing Opportunities: Value Innovation, provided by Johnson Paul. Fantastic Four is another surprise. What they do not only make us relax, but also help us practice teamwork and leadership. Facilitators, especially Akira Uchimura and Rina Shahriyani Shahrullah, showed a good example how a leader is. From September 20, most of us began departing Beijing one by one. After that, Akira has been busy in building a network for us. I love May Kanniga very much. She is considerate indeed.

Of course, I’d like to make some suggestions on the Retreat.

–No participants came from the Central Asia and the Middle East. I noticed there are no Sylff Institutions in the Central Asia. Maybe when the Tokyo Foundation extends a global reach in the future, the Central Asia can be considered. There are three Sylff institutions in the Middle East. No person from there applied for the Retreat or no one succeed in application?

–Whether or not Keynote Speakers and Resource Persons from other places besides the Asia can be invited, such as the Europe (EU), even the Africa, the Oceania and so on. It’s the era of globalization, to build a better Asia the Asia needs learn from other places and know how they think about the Asia rising. Maybe scholars from the Sylff institutions in other continents can be chosen in the future.

–I think we stayed in the room more and go out to contact with the local people less. However, the latter will help us enhance our perceptual knowledge about what we were learning.

–The mother tongues of the most of participants are not English (except India and maybe Pakistan). I have to admit honestly that I hardly catch the whole ideas of some speeches. Yes, I must practice more in my listening English. However, if these speeches could be provided more slowly and clearly the effects of learning would be better.

These suggestions are for reference only. I just want the Retreat to become better and better.

(Sept 13 – 20, 2009)

I came to Beijing one afternoon in early Sept, where BABA 6 Retreat was organized from Sept 13 to 20, 2009. The weather was perfect and I was totally relaxed without any depression or pressures at all. I did attend similar workshops and retreats before, each time, I was so tired and worried as I had tried to fulfill what I was supposed to do. This time was completely different, I did not have to be responsible for anything, except, I was requested to prepare one presentation from home to share with everyone at the retreat. So interesting, because that was the first time to experience of Pecha Kucha presentation style, the topic was free of choice. I was supposed to present in ten slides to convey my ideas to the audiences with twenty seconds for each slide and not more than twenty words in each slide. My first thinking is that, it may be a bit tough for me as I am used to talking a lot whenever I have a chance to present and I thought that 200 seconds of presentation is just enough for my introduction only.

Pecha Kucha – style presentations

I have a habit, it is so much job orientation, that I always look forward to clear objectives set up at the beginning of each workshop or retreat and then review if those objectives are able to be achieved at the end. When Mr. Raja, on the first day, announced the retreat was for getting to know one another and building network for later on, I was so released. However, when I got more involved in later days I realized that I got a lot, more than my expectations. So what were the most significant things I gained for myself then?

First, a part from getting to know one another and building network, I did change a bit about my styles of a leader. I was so much Asian traditional orientation; never dared to step out of old box of thinking and not so much initiative as well.

Second, I was having so many privileges to be updated and shared with different perspectives from global speakers at the retreat on different international hot topics. Those topics are not new to all of us, but the motivations were that we realized our potentials of real leaders in this world, specifically in our Asia and our extended hands for sharing, discussing and solving international problems are inevitable with our full great honors. From those different perspectives, I feel like I have more encouragements and empowerments to work toward my communities and people living around me.

Third, I did learn valuable skills from Fantastic Four and Amazing Two, their approaching and mobilizing methods are what young leaders should learn for themselves. Amazingly, not only skills but also meanings brought to us throughout various games they facilitated, all were so meaningful. One of their games reminded me that it is not always good if a leader keeps chasing new things or new promotions but sometimes leaders should know where and when to stop for a while on their journeys, look back what have been done and value what leaders got and achieved . Diversity of designed activities was also one of special points need learning; interactions with different people, indoor and outdoor activities gave participants a sense of close cooperation, critical thinking and problem solving. Which, of course, urged and nurtured our common vision and bonding toward a betterment of ourselves and of an Asia.

One of the exercises with the Fantastic Four

Coming back to the meaning of this retreat; young leader with common good in Asia, yes, your leaders’ styles, your thoughts and your perspectives toward a better Asia may be different from mine. However, Baba 6 was a forum for such different leaders and different ideas from different countries in Asia to share and merge into one common vision. Moving forwards to one common vision of a betterment in Asia in the future, of which, efforts to build a better Asia may not possible for one individual but it is highly possible if a strong network with enthusiasm to share and act toward a betterment of Asia from all Asian families, especially, all BABA families. On the top of what had been going on in one week in Beijing, I have to say that the retreat really opened a new door to me. That door is not going from one room to another but it is a door outreaching my mind to a new world, where I have a network of fabulous international friends but importantly, I am empowered and motivated toward my next steps in my life. As a member of Baba 6, I also dedicate myself to a better Asia by trying my best to fulfill by current job of a development worker; working with the poor and vulnerable people to improve their lives. I believe that suffering from poverty and illiteracy are the main reasons affecting to a betterment Asia.

Tran Quang Tuan, Vietnam, Personal Reflection on BABA 6