Lead through empathy. Effective leadership is not about giving orders. Leadership comes by understanding where people are and what got them there, and most importantly, what motivates them. Leadership is about being flexible and knowing your own purpose in life. Leaders should empower as empowerment builds trust and strengthens teamwork.
- Dr. Soledad Muesco Manaay, President, Xicepta Services
#FilipinaDisrupter
A story of resilience and tenacity. Ex-trafficked Filipina domestic worker Judith Daluz is turning her fate around. Judith recently started her own cleaning business, Damayan Cleaning Cooperative, a worker-owned cooperative supported by New York’s city council's Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative, a $1.2 million dollar fund directed to 11 organizations with experience incubating cooperatives in low-income communities of color. News story from YesMagazine.org.
Stella Abrera made waves earlier this year when she became the first Filipina-American to earn the role of principal dancer at renowned ballet company American Ballet Theater in New York City. Filipino dancers all over the world rejoiced by using #PinayPower on social media to celebrate Stella's history-making feat. The new role came to Stella at age 37 after 14 years as a veteran soloist despite battling injury after injury. News story from Vox.
Whether we like it or not, packaging is a lot more effective than we think. Despite the fact that women only make 79 cents for every dollar paid to men, products marketed to women cost 7% more than products marketed to women. Are we being tricked? News story from The Washington Post.
Recently, President Obama cancelled the Visa Waiver Program in 38 countries. Now, individuals from these 38 countries who hold dual citizenship from Iraq, Sudan, Syria and Iran must now get a Visa to visit the United States. In the past, people from 38 countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Chile, could travel to the United States for 90 days with just a passport. Under the new changes made to the Visa Waiver Program, Iranian-Americans like tech entrepreneur and Code.org founder Ali Partovi have become second class citizens. News story from San Francisco Chronicle.
Healing at last? More than 70 years after the end of World War II, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement last Monday to resolve their dispute over Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japan’s Imperial Army. Recently, hundreds of South Korean protesters joined two surviving comfort women to denounce the agreement. The remaining survivors were not consulted by South Korean officials as they brokered an agreement with Japan. It is still unclear whether the comfort women will actually receive the compensation money. The 70 former comfort women in the Philippines, China, Indonesia, and North Korea, have yet to receive any financial compensation nor a formal apology from the Japanese government. News story from New York Times.
New dad Mark Zuckerberg had a clever response to a comment on a recent Facebook post he made about building an artificial intelligence system for his home. On the post, a grandmother commented that girls should "Date the nerd in high school" because he might turn out to be the next Mark Zuckerberg. In response, Zuckerberg replied, "Even better would be to encourage them to *be* the nerd in their school so they can be the next successful inventor."
Though 7/10 employees at Facebook are men, Facebook has recently made mindful, intensified efforts to both garner interest, and recruit women in the technological field.
It is with deepest sadness that we announce the passing of Philippine Ambassador to the U.S. Willy Gaa. He died peacefully after a battle with cancer with his loving wife, Mrs. Erlinda Gaa, at his side.
Gloria T. Caoile, FWN Advisory Board Member, recalls, "Ambassador Gaa brought to Washington, D.C. his consummate diplomacy - getting to know our communities, listening to our issues and working with our concerns! He opened his home to the community where conversations continued in a very comfortable setting. He will always be remembered as one of us!!!"
Ambassador Gaa's legacy will live on through the impact of his 36 years of service to both the Philippines and the Filipino diaspora community. He began his foreign assignment in the Philippine Consulate, San Francisco as Vice Consul then Consul General in New York from 1997-1999 before becoming Manila's envoy to Australia from 2003-2004, China from 2004-2006, and the U.S. in 2006-2009.
