The Asia Foundation

The Third Annual Lotus Leadership Awards Luncheon

Save the date for June 6, 2013 at the Loeb Central Park Boathouse in New York City. To purchase tickets, click here. For more information on sponsorship opportunities or to join the benefit committee please contact Christine Madden at luncheon@cmaddenproductions.com

The 3rd Annual Lotus Leadership Awards Luncheon

The Lotus Leadership Awards recognize outstanding individuals and organizations that have made major contributions to the well-being of women and their communities in Asia. At the 3rd luncheon, the Foundation will highlight its groundbreaking, multifaceted work to end human trafficking in Asia—one of the foremost human rights abuses in the region today. The Women's Empowerment Program has been actively implementing projects to stop trafficking and protect women and girls in Asia since 1995.

The Lotus Leadership Awards Luncheon will pay tribute to The Honorable Sapana Pradhan Malla, a long-time Asia Foundation partner. Ms. Malla is a lawyer, advocate of Nepal's Supreme Court, and a leading women's rights activist. She is also a former member of the Nepalese Constituent Assembly and was the driving force behind the passage of the Human Trafficking Act, which has become a model for the region. We will also honor Dr. Chong-Moon Lee, a prominent Asian American philanthropist. This year Dr. Lee funded an anti-trafficking pilot program in South East Asia through The Asia Foundation, which will implement a public awareness campaign to educate women and girls about trafficking and provide vocational training scholarships to victims and women and girls who are at risk of trafficking.

The 2nd Annual Lotus Leadership Awards Luncheon

At the Second Annual event, The Asia Foundation's Lotus Circle celebrated its 10-year partnership with the National Geographic Society and honored Asia Foundation partner Dr. Sakena Yacoobi. The event also highlighted some of our Women's Empowerment programs that are transforming the lives of disadvantaged women and girls throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Featured panelists included Dr. Isobel Coleman, senior fellow and director of the Civil Society, Markets and Democracy Program at Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Yacoobi, and Carol Yost, director of the Women's Empowerment Program at The Asia Foundation. Broadcast journalism veteran Lynn Sherr, who has reported on women's issues for 30 years as an ABC News correspondent, was host and moderator

View a slideshow of images from the event.

The Asia Foundation's blog, In Asia, featured a special interview by Carol Yost with Dr. Isobel Coleman. The Lotus Leadership Awards were launched, conceived, and organized by Lotus Circle Advisors, including 2012 Luncheon Chair Ida Liu and 2012 Vice Chairs Carol Rattray, Missie Rennie, and Masako Shinn, and Gina Lin Chu.

Two new videos were also created by The Asia Foundation for the event: "The Lotus Circle 2012: Making a Difference" and "The Power of Girls' Education."

Past Honorees:

The National Geographic Society

Together over the last decade, The Asia Foundation and the National Geographic Society have made large-scale improvements to girls' schools that have impacted the lives of thousands of Afghan girls, their families, and their communities – with benefits that will last for generations to come.  In 2012, The Asia Foundation honored this partnership by presenting the National Geographic Society with a Lotus Leadership Award to recognize their commitment to girls' education in Afghanistan.

Dr. Sakena Yacoobi

In 2012, The Asia Foundation also honored Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, Founder and Executive Director of the Afghan Institute of Learning and an Asia Foundation partner, for her groundbreaking and visionary work empowering communities to bring education and health services to disenfranchised Afghan women and girls.

Dr. David Ho

In 2011, the Asia Foundation honored leading AIDS researcher Dr. David D. Ho with the first annual Lotus Leadership Award.  Dr. Ho revolutionized the world's understanding of HIV/AIDS; his groundbreaking research and advocacy catalyzed landmark treatment and prevention programs in China, and has dramatically improved the health and well-being of Chinese women and children.

Join Us

Learn more about The Lotus Circle and our Women’s Empowerment Program. Join us with a tax-deductible contribution.

Special Thanks to Our Corporate Sponsors

PREMIER

BENEFACTOR

PATRON