It’s bittersweet - both an ending and a beginning. 

That was the heartfelt description Ken Chua Tsai (2024, Singapore) used to sum up the Final Convening held over two days in Khon Kaen, Thailand - and it was echoed by the 2024 Equity Initiative Fellows throughout. Marking the conclusion of a Fellowship year that brought the cohort to Hue, Wellington, Boston, Cebu and Manila, Penang, and, the Final Convening, was a priceless opportunity for reflection, re-orientation and charting a path forward.

With so much to process from the last 12 months spent together learning about health equity and leadership, the Final Convening provided crucial space for structured reflection and sensemaking about each Fellow’s personal and professional development thus far. An Induction Year walkthrough session allowed Fellows to reflect on the five previous learning events, focusing on key insights and areas for growth. Supported by the facilitation of Paul Marks, the 2024 cohort also went through a consensus building process to develop a shared vision and explore specific opportunities for future collaboration.

This look into the future continued as Fellows were introduced to the next steps in their journey - the EI Community and the Atlantic Fellows (AF) Global Community. With multiple opportunities to collaborate, contribute and lead impact through sustained connection and support, the goals and objectives of the Equity Initiative Community Building phase were laid out and explained. Lysa John, Executive Director of the Atlantic Institute also provided an orientation to the broader AF Global Community – 7 programs across the globe dedicated to empowering catalytic communities of emerging leaders to advance fairer, healthier, and more inclusive societies.

The final moments of the Final Convening and the Induction Year were a time for the cohort to acknowledge and celebrate each other’s growth, both personally and collectively. Leading the way was Dr. Roger Glass, President of the China Medical Board Foundation reflecting on his own career in global health and the emerging health equity challenges in Southeast Asia. More appreciation, hugs and lots of singing and dancing were in store at the Annual Forum, which directly proceeded the Final Convening. This marked the end of the Induction Year and the transition of the current cohort into the Equity Initiative senior Fellow community.

2024 EI Fellows cohort poem

“Together, like rivers, we flow,

Through challenges, stronger we grow.

With hopes burning bright, 

We push toward the light, 

A force for the world to bestow.”