Every day, the Pacific Council strives to be the leading voice for foreign affairs on the West Coast. Through our strong member community, events, workshops, international delegations, and conferences, the Council has committed itself to pursuing constructive, sophisticated discourse on today’s most pressing issues in global affairs.

To further our goal, we know that credible voices from all backgrounds must be part of the conversation. To this end, we created the Pay It Forward Annual Giving campaign in 2016 to support and grow our efforts to build a network of tomorrow’s thought leaders from all corners.

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"The Pacific Council has done an amazing job of fostering young members and has a renewed focus on specific programs geared for young members. The young member profile at the Pacific Council is much more diverse than many other organizations which is a critical component of fostering an active and contributing membership that has always been a hallmark of the Council," said Pacific Council member Andrew Christopher.

"I appreciate being a part of a community that invests in the next generation of leaders, not just by increasing young member participation but also by creating a diverse group of speakers and allowing an environment to develop new skills."

Ecem Yakut

This campaign is integral in helping the Council create new programming and opportunities for emerging leaders while promoting women foreign policy experts and investing time and resources into recruiting from underrepresented groups. Our commitment to this work is woven into the fabric of our organization. In 2017, we made a promise to feature women experts on all of our panels, and this year we made a public commitment to inclusivity to embrace the inclusion of all voices in our community, regardless of background or identity.

Our commitment to inclusivity includes supporting emerging leaders, members who are in the early stages of their careers and who want to make an impact on the world around them.

Through our Pay It Forward Annual Giving Campaign, you can help us continue to make a difference in foreign policy by investing in the next generation of global leaders.

"As an emerging leader, I’m trying to figure out the direction of my career and life interests. The Pacific Council has helped shape those directions through introductions to high quality academics and practitioners, as well as participation in truly important events such as RIMPAC in Hawaii and observing Guantánamo Bay proceedings, plus seminars that offer concrete skills-acquisition opportunities," said Pacific Council member Alex Su.

Thanks to the support of our generous donors, we’ve been able to move the needle on our program offerings and member composition. This year, we’ve hosted two-skills building webinars on writing and pitching op-eds and metrics and evaluation, traveled to Mexico City with an emerging leaders delegation to explore our bilateral relationship, held a dynamic member workshop about negotiation theory and practice, launched a virtual book club, subsidized member dues and event fees for members under 35 years old, and more.

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"Without the Pay it Forward program, I would not have been able to attend many Pacific Council events. I appreciate being a part of a community that invests in the next generation of leaders, not just by increasing young member participation but also by creating a diverse group of speakers and allowing an environment to develop new skills," said Pacific Council member Ecem Yakut.

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me as an emerging leader through the generous support of the Pay It Forward campaign, without which my participation in several rewarding events over the past two years would simply not have been possible."

Aaron Brooks

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have been afforded to me as an emerging leader through the generous support of the Pay It Forward campaign, without which my participation in several rewarding events over the past two years would simply not have been possible," said Pacific Council member Aaron Brooks.

Through our Pay It Forward Annual Giving Campaign, you can help us continue to make a difference in foreign policy by investing in the next generation of global leaders.

Will you join our efforts? Donate today at pacificcouncil.org/donate.

Thank you for your support!

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