“One of the most powerful metaphors for the 20^th century model of global leadership is the official “family portrait” of the 1945 Yalta conference to determine the post-war landscape of Europe. The iconic image features Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin flanking a wan Franklin Roosevelt, the three seated leaders surrounded by a coterie of standing officers and aides.

It was the perfect representation of the second half of the 20^th century: an era in which the Atlantic was the central axis of world affairs, and in which it was believed that even the most vexing issues of the day could be solved by a privileged few over cigars and whisky.

That worldview was always incomplete, but now it’s also obsolete. Today, the portrait looks very different. The key challenges of our time involve unprecedented degrees of complexity and interdependence, and the Indo-Pacific is in the global spotlight as the most consequential region on the geopolitical playing field. Those once marginalized and excluded from the corridors of power are now demanding their rightful seat at the table.”

Read the full article by Sam Gill, Doris Duke Foundation President and CEO, and Suzanne Vares-Lum, East-West Center President