Page 5 - MidWeek Kauai - March 2, 2022

Vares-Lum: A Builder Of Bridges, Relationships
FROM PAGE 4
commissioned as a second lieutenant, entering active duty as a military intelligence officer. Her first of many overseas assignments was to Germany during the Cold War.
result of that, the 29th Infantry Brigade lost 18 in that whole year of deployment. One was one of my own soldiers, Sgt. Deyson Cariaga. He was not even 21.”
last June, she assumed her position at East- West Center in January.
to collectively accomplish combating the effects of the pandemic and climate change; support effective governance, public ac- countability and human rights; and create new knowledge and foster new ideas to pro- mote freedom, prosperity, peace and dignity.
“It was East and West Germany when I was there and ... my first assignment was as a fire support intelligence officer for the 3rd Infantry Division Artillery unit. There were very few females back then,” she explains. “In the ’80s-’90s, there were many restrictions on women in terms of what kind of roles we could take. I worked as one of the few female officers in that unit, but it taught me a lot.”
By witnessing the ramifications of warfare firsthand, Vares-Lum offers a perspective to the center that it hasn’t quite seen before.
At the inaugural ceremony, Vares-Lum received a lauhala mat that symbolizes “re- sponsibility for a community that’s woven together by many strands, as well as a place where people can sit together to build a bet- ter world.” The event’s theme, meanwhile, was ka ulana ‘ana i ka piko (in weaving, you begin at the center).
“Being a daughter of this region, I felt like I could connect very well with our regional brothers and sisters, you could say,” says the ‘Aiea High School graduate. “When this op- portunity came up, I just loved the idea of building bridges and making connections so we can help develop future leaders and relationships that will help us to address the critical issues of the region.”
Vares-Lum continued to advance — and break barriers — and eventually worked her way into leadership positions, never paying much attention to the barking dogs. She cred- its much of her success to the bridges she built along the way, perhaps foreshadowing the du- ties she would undertake decades later.
“Somebody asked me, being the president of East-West Center — a place where it is neutral ground to have dialogues about issues that relate to the region — if having a military officer in this position seems counterintuitive. But, really, if we think about it, a military of- ficer who has seen the consequences and cost of war would say, just as I would say, that we should do everything in our power to prevent using the element of national power in the mil- itary, and ensure that we’ve done all things possible — whether it’s dialogue, education or exchange — to ensure that we have that understanding.
“Just as the weaver brings together many fibrous strands and turns them into some- thing beautiful, strong and valuable, the East-West Center is about bringing diverse people and perspectives together, weaving together a community of our students, par- ticipants and center staff,” notes Vares-Lum. “In turn, these alumni are then woven into a greater community across the Indo-Pacific region, forging stronger bonds across cul- tures, nationalities and perspectives.”
Staff members of East-West Center beam with nothing shy of admiration for Va- res-Lum, who’s known by most as Suzy, and explain how she’s “hit the ground running.” And when all has been said and done, there’s no doubt the feats Vares-Lum will carry out are going to be louder than any noise
“I had to work through understanding that I had something to contribute,” she says. “I built a network of friends, many of them male, that encouraged me. I had mentors that I sought out who were willing to see beyond the exterior or how I was born. They were able to see that I had something to offer and to help better the organization.
“In 1960, this center was born out of this era of post-World War II — which had sig- nificant consequences — Korean War and a buildup into the Vietnam War for the United States. It really was born out of this idea that the United States, Asia and the Pacific needed to understand one another more, and we could do this if there were more people-to-people relationships. If more people understood one another’s nations, cultures and how to ex- change, we could solve conflicts, historical grievances, challenges or crises together.”
At the core of her mission, Vares-Lum shared in her opening speech that she hopes
the barking dogs can muster.
“I think building relationships is key, which really brings me back to the (East-West) Cen- ter, right? By building relationships, you can have the courage to overcome what people think and the boxes that people want to put you in, or even cultural boxes that we want to put people in throughout the region,” she continues. “If we understand more, then maybe we’ll think of the possibilities rather than the limitations. I feel like having those relationships with amazing people that I’ ve got to work with over the years helped me to realize that I don’t need to limit myself in these boxes.”
Here’s how we
n the years following, she came back to her island home to join the Hawai‘i National Guard, where she was a part of the 29th Infantry Brigade. In 2004, the unit was mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom 3
— the first time it was called upon for combat since Vietnam.
Thinking back on her time in the Middle East, Vares-Lum says, “In terms of a number, there were dozens of attacks a day across Iraq, and at least four to five times a week, we had indirect fire from rockets to Balad because we really didn’t have a very good strategy. As a
Despite East-West Center’s male-dominated history, its newest president, Suzanne Vares-Lum, is quite comfortable being the first woman to lead the institution forward.
or the last segment of her military ca- reer, Vares-Lum moved on to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, where she cul- tivated key relationships locally, in Asia
fight omicron.
and what she calls “the blue continent” or the Pacific, as well as spoke on key issues includ- ing leadership and mentorship, and women, peace and security. Following her retirement
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MARCH 2, 2022 KAUA‘I MIDWEEK 5