Asia Society

Last Wednesday, I got to hear President Bush speak at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington D.C. The speech was part of the Asia Society's 50th Anniversary celebrations. The Asia Society is a non-profit organization society founded by John Rockefeller III in 1956 to increase understanding between the people in Asia and in the U.S. It also works to strengthen relationships between these countries and the U.S. Ever since its founding, it has been growing. It's now an international organization with its headquarters in New York City. It has regional branches in Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Melbourne, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Manila. It'll open a new branch in Mumbai, India on March 18th. It offers speeches by various important Asian, U.S. officials, and educators on Asia, art exhibits, classes on various aspects of Asian culture, and education programs. It is a multi-faceted organization. Their website can be found at www.asiasociety.org. Membership rates start at $35 a year for students. If you're interested in Asia and its people, it is an organization you might want to consider joining.