As part of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), ICMA’s first cohort of Legislative Process and Governance Professional Fellows met with President Obama at the White House. The meeting came as their time in the United States draws to a close. ICMA Fellows, along with 53 other emerging leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries, gathered at the White House on Monday, June 1, for a town hall-style meeting on how they will use the educational and professional experience gained in the United States to address regional challenges and opportunities when they return to Southeast Asia.

During his remarks, President Obama recognized seven Fellows, four of whom were from ICMA. Here’s what he had to say about some of them:

“There’s Pern, from Thailand, a tireless fighter against human trafficking. And at the city manager’s office in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, she saw how a community takes a comprehensive approach to social services. So we’re proud to be your partner in standing up for the rights of women and children. We have to end the outrage of human trafficking, and we so appreciate the work that you do.”

“We’ve got Seth Suonvisal…So in Cambodia, Seth works with parliament. So in Tulsa, he witnessed city government at work, the legislative process in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And, Seth, we’re proud to be your partner as you strive to ensure that governments deliver for all of the Cambodian people.”

Patrick Barkhuff, DOS/IIP

Obama opens up the floor for questions. The very back row is Muyheng Hong with the Texas flag. His placement was Kennedale, TX.

He then closed his remarks with an anecdote about the meaning of leadership from one of the Fellows.

“And I want to close with a quick story that captures the spirit of our work together. Thongvone Sosamphan is here from Laos...In Atlanta, she visited the memorial and center honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. And she was struck by one of Dr. King’s quotes, which says, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’

“And that prompted her to think about the true meaning of leadership. And she wrote something very beautiful that I want everybody to hear. “Leadership is inside you,” she said. "'Everyone can be a leader, because everybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to lead. You don’t need to know more than the others. All you need is a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.' That’s pretty good.”

ICMA’s fellows are from Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines,Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The East Asian/Pacific countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The program involves knowledge-sharing opportunities and exchange visits.

The fellowship focuses on the themes of legislative processes and governance practices, accountability, and transparency. Fellows are learning practical skills focusing on local governments’ role and responsibility in civic engagement, promoting transparency while also fostering interaction with leaders from the federal, state, and local organizations.

Patrick Barkhuff, DOS/IIP

Some of ICMA's Fellows at the White House.

The goal of the program, funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,is to create long-term, institutionalized partnerships that support emerging leaders and their institutions in the ASEAN countries and the United States to inspire change in creating responsive, open, and accountable governance.