Michelle Obama has been a busy woman since leaving the White House nearly three years ago. She’s written a top-selling book, gone on an international book tour, and now, our forever FLOTUS is setting off to Southeast Asia for the Obama Foundation’s inaugural Leaders: Asia-Pacific convening.
The author of Becoming will be joined by actress Julia Roberts on the trip that kicks off in Vietnam on December 9, according to a press release shared with ESSENCE. There the duo will meet with local young women and the organizations that empower them, on behalf of the foundation’s Girl’s Opportunity Alliance. Afterward, they will fly to Malaysia for a four-day meeting with 200 leaders from a total of 33 countries.
With this trip, Obama hopes to expand upon the Obama Foundation’s mission to “inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.” Each plenary session throughout the four-day convening will focus on that, offering skill-building workshops and leadership training.
Attendees of the Southeast Asia convening will have the opportunity to have questions answered by the Chicago native who had a successful career as an attorney prior to spending eight years as First Lady. She will share lessons on her leadership journey and discuss the path she took to get to where she is now.
Obama has always been an advocate for change and female educational empowerment. During her years in the White House, Obama passionately led her “Let Girls Learn” initiative which was aimed at “helping adolescent girls attain a quality education that empowers them to reach their full potential.” Her “Reach Higher” program encouraged students from all over the country to consider taking charge of their future by enrolling in an educational program post-high school.
President Barack Obama will also be in Southeast Asia for the inaugural event. On the last day of the conference in Malaysia, he will join his half-sister, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, in conversation. All plenary sessions will be made available via live stream on obama.org.