• Informasia #8, Monday, September 21, 2026

    Soren Dickson

    “A New Alliance Structure: How the Trilateral is Re-framing Indo-Pacific Diplomacy

    Vimeo video: will be posted September 22, 2026

    Audio: will be posted September 22, 2026

    Abstract

    Since the 2023 U.S.-Japan-ROK Camp David trilateral summit, there has been a sustained push for a new kind of "mini-lateral" U.S. alliance structure. Even a new U.S. administration with a penchant for shake ups and shock and awe, American engagement with the trilateral has been one of the few points of high interaction and low friction. How did this relationship come about, what are its advantages and limitations, and where does it go from here?

    Our Speaker

    Soren Dickson is a recent graduate of Temple University Japan and alumni of the 2025 Young Trilateral Leaders Program from the U.S. Department of State. He currently leads the DC branch of TogetherWeTri, a youth led public diplomacy organization meant to increase understanding and engagement in the U.S.-Japan-ROK trilateral among the next generation of young leaders.

    E-mail for Soren Dickson

    sorendickson@yahoo.com

    E-mail for Patricia Yarrow and Informasia

    yarrowp@gmail.com

    informasia_info@yahoo.com

    Recommended by Patricia Yarrow

  • NEWS

    The news is that I am focusing this summer 2026 on mastering this Informasia website.

    Right now, I am combing through the current layout and updating it.

    Once everything is order in a few days, I have arranged to contact the fine Support team at Strikingly, Informasia's web host.

    We will discuss the correct template going forward. A reasonable fee is involved.

    The current template is a long page with sections.

    That must change to individual pages. No more endless scrolling!

    Actually, I am excited to have reached this stage after four years.

    Looks like Informasia has a community and continuity!

    April 28, 2026 /Patricia Yarrow

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  • ABOUT INFORMASIA

    Informasia launch

    May 2020

    Chaos ruled and all compass points were lost in the onslaught of the newly arrived worldwide COVID pandemic. In April, as all university classes moved to Zoom, Patricia Yarrow was gazing blankly from her Ryogoku (Tokyo) veranda. Bereft of meeting companions, academically informative monthly lectures, and friendly discussions, inspiration struck on that spring day. “We could do this on Zoom!”

    A flurry of messaging later, a core group of eight castaways met (safely on Zoom) on 25 May 2020 to toss ideas around. Alex Byrne dreamed up the name “Informasia”, and the vision began coming into focus. Our Informasia ship cast off with an stalwart crew for shores unknown. Since then, our mailing list has grown from 10 to nearly 400. Our Facebook page counts some 280 friends.

    Informasia community

    Thanks to all the friends and colleagues of Informasia in Japan, Asia, Singapore, Maylasia, Australia, New Zealand, throughout the UK and Europe, and the hardy east coast of the USA, our Zoom community, launched June 2020. It has grown steadily ever since. Presentations in 2022 ranged from deeply academic translations of Korea, Japan, China, to research in progress, alarming lockdowns in Shanghai, to tranquil musings on cherry blossoms and ethereal meditations on life between death, with a helping of the foreign politics between China and Japan. If lectures were flowers, our Informasia bouquet would create quite the splashy ikebana display.

    The Informasia logo comes to us from designer Ritsuko Lynch, upon the recommendation of Alex Byrne. She is based in Santa Monica, California, and can be reached at: https://en.99designs.jp/profiles/2313262