About The Center
The La Jolla Center for Pacific Strategy is the world’s first Social Strategy Institute—a place where leaders come together to turn shared understanding into coordinated action. From San Diego, we’re building the civic infrastructure needed to shape a more secure, prosperous, and cooperative Pacific Hemisphere.
Our approach, called social strategy, reimagines how strategy is made. Instead of starting in government offices or corporate boardrooms, it begins with the people closest to real challenges—those who see problems first-hand and can act on them now. We bring these leaders together, guide them through a structured process, and help transform their insights into strategies ready for implementation.
At the Center, success isn’t measured by publications or policy briefs—it’s measured by the strategies we help bring to life. Through fellowships, research, and collaborative working groups, we translate ideas into impact and build lasting capacity for cooperation across the Pacific.
Vision
A Pacific Hemisphere united by cooperation, trust, and shared strategy — and a San Diego recognized as the gathering place for leaders solving strategic challenges together.
Mission
To develop the leaders and strategies that will shape a more secure, prosperous, and cooperative Pacific Hemisphere.
Our Pillars
Our work is guided by three pillars that define a thriving Pacific Hemisphere—security, prosperity, and cooperation—each advanced through collaboration, foresight, and shared responsibility.
Secure
We support strategies that uphold peace and promote a rules-based international system where everyone has a seat at the table.
Our work recognizes the full spectrum of security — food security, environmental security, resource security, economic security, human security, and national security — while emphasizing strategic foresight to address emerging threats.
Prosperous
We help leaders and institutions advance sustainable growth, resilient trade, and strategic innovations that benefit societies across the Pacific. Prosperity reflects both economic opportunity and the physical and digital infrastructure that enable inclusive, long-term development.
We believe the Pacific Hemisphere is strongest when its economies, communities, and institutions are most connected.
Cooperative
We advance a culture of trust, dialogue, and regional solidarity. Through our stakeholder-led strategy development method, we find opportunities to enhance cooperation, manage competition, and avert conflict.
Through multilateral coordination, cross-sector partnerships, and inclusive frameworks, we ensure all voices are heard in shaping Pacific futures.
Our Process
1. Define the Problem
We begin by surfacing pressing strategic challenges in the Pacific. Fellows identify issues, map the context, and identify stakeholders and their interests.
Outputs: Issue Briefs and in-depth Background Primers.
2. Convene Stakeholders
Through convenings and working groups, we bring stakeholders together to scope the problem, debate options, and define what success looks like—aligning ends, ways, and means. The process is transparent, iterative, and documented along the way.
Outputs: Stakeholder Readouts and real-time Substack Updates culminating in a formal Process Report documenting how the strategy was developed.
3. Design the Strategy
Once strategies take shape, we ensure they reach the right audiences. We distill findings into accessible formats and publish them on our website.
Outputs: The Strategy White Paper is published with accompanying visuals and infographics, policy briefs, and presentations.
4. Coordinate Implementation
Our strategies are designed for action. Stakeholders leave the process equipped to implement solutions within their organizations, governments, or communities. We track progress, capture lessons learned, and feed them back into future cycles.
Outputs: Stakeholders develop and publish Implementation Plans, provide Progress Updates, and Case Study Reports.
Take part in the process.
Social strategy only works when people participate. Whether you want to lead a strategy as a Fellow or contribute as a Working Group member, there’s a place for you in shaping the Pacific’s future.
