The Asia Foundation

San Francisco

Many young Pakistani women from low-income families can only dream of going to college or university. Now, however, some disadvantaged young women will have the chance for their dream to come true. With a generous donation from the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, established by Pandju Merali in honor of his late wife Shirin Merali, The Asia Foundation is set to launch a scholarship program that will enable young Pakistani women—”Merali Scholars”—to pursue undergraduate studies at eight highly respected colleges and universities in Pakistan. The Asia Foundation will enroll 66 women in hard-science degree programs, 67 women in medical degree programs, and 67 women in engineering degree programs.

The Pakistani literacy rate for women is one of the lowest in the world. If poor families cannot afford to send all of their children to school, they usually give preference to boys over girls. Many girls enrolled in primary school are forced to drop out before secondary school to contribute to family income. Poor girls who do manage to finish secondary school have few options to continue their education as their families cannot afford to pay for college and university tuition and books.

The Asia Foundation will partner with a local Pakistani non-profit, the CARE Foundation, to assist with scholarship recipient selection and manage the logistics of the program. The Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation scholarships will cover the cost of tuition, fees, uniforms, and educational supplies and books. Without this scholarship, the young women who will be selected would not be able to continue their education beyond secondary school.

Since 1954, The Asia Foundation has worked to improve access to and the quality of education across Asia—especially for girls and women. During the 1990s in Pakistan, The Asia Foundation worked with local non-governmental organizations in remote rural areas where there were no girls’ schools to enable girls to get at least a primary education. The Asia Foundation has also worked to strengthen the education system throughout Pakistan by bringing together educators, donors, policy-makers, and government officials to examine the state of education in Pakistan and make recommendations.

The Asia Foundation will implement this five-year, $560,359 project with support from the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation. The first Merali Scholars in Pakistan will enroll in the 2010-11 academic year and be supported until they attain an undergraduate degree.

For more information, please visit our Press Room.

In a Daily Times (Pakistan) article about the scarcity of libraries in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, due to declining interest from community members, The Asia Foundation’s book donation to the Municipal Library after damage from a 2001 flood is mentioned. Read the full article: “Rawalpindi making do with just two old libraries.”

In a USAID press release announcing the religious leaders conference in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on “the role of religious and community leaders in advancing development in Asia,” The Asia Foundation is credited for co-hosting the three-day event March 21-24. Read the full article: “U.S. Sponsors Bangladesh Conference for Religious and Community Leaders on Advancing Development in Asia.”

Islamabad

Today, The Asia Foundation hosted a forum for members of the justice sector from across Pakistan, primarily from the district level. Participants included police, lawyers, judges from the High and District Courts, academics, civil society representatives, and civil servants. The event was also attended by representatives of international donor agencies.

Against a backdrop of recent reform efforts initiated by the higher judiciary and the growing public demand for the rule of law, today’s forum provided a rare opportunity for a focused discussion among a diverse group of experts and practitioners. The discussants helped to identify priority areas for action and ways to increase the impact of justice sector reform efforts. The three panel discussions focused on: Access to Justice and District Courts; Police and Prosecution Reforms; and Justice Sector, Local Governance, and Civil Society. Dr. Faqir Hussain, Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan, gave introductory remarks on the National Judicial Policy.

At the event, The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative, Mr. Gareth Aicken, remarked, “The ordinary Pakistani man and woman value justice highly. In order to make the system work better at delivering justice, the fundamental causes of problems, not just the symptoms, need to be addressed.”

Read more about our programs in Pakistan.

Pakistan’s News International features a Books for Asia donation of more than 500 natural, social, and biological science books to the Quaid-i-Azam University library. Read the full article: “Asia Foundation gives 500 books to QAU.”

San Francisco and Islamabad

The Asia Foundation recently welcomed Gareth Aicken as its new Country Representative in Pakistan. Mr. Aicken brings a deep knowledge of development issues in Pakistan and the region, with extensive on-the-ground experience in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Mr. Aicken comes to the Foundation from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) where he most recently led the London-based Growth Research Team in designing and managing research programs. He has over seven years of experience working on development issues in Pakistan, beginning in 1990 when he joined DFID as the London-based head of DFID’s Pakistan program. He remained in this position for three years and traveled frequently to Pakistan in this capacity. From 2001 to 2005, he headed DFID’s country office in Pakistan during which time he oversaw significant staff growth and managed a budget that quadrupled in size.

From 1993 to 1998, Mr. Aicken worked in Malawi, first in the DFID regional office and then with the European Commission (EC) delegation where, as Civil Society Advisor to the EC and the Malawi Ministry of Justice, he worked on projects in governance, human rights, and women’s issues and managed the design of the EC’s first Rule of Law program. From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Aicken worked in DFID’s Conflict and Humanitarian Affairs Department, and briefly in its Caribbean regional office.

From 1979 to 1990, Mr. Aicken worked for the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation where he developed and managed training programs and placements for trainees from Africa and the Caribbean. Mr. Aicken has an MA in English from Cambridge University (Churchill College) as well as a postgraduate Certificate in Education from Cambridge. He also has an MA in Manpower Studies from the University of Westminster.

The Asia Foundation’s programs in Pakistan support electoral and governance reform, promote community security and alternative dispute resolution, and encourage women’s empowerment and human rights. The Foundation makes investments in the research and the dissemination of knowledge by hosting small seminars for development practitioners. Through its Books for Asia program, the Foundation donates more than 75,000 new books annually to more than 400 Pakistani universities, religious and secular schools, nongovernmental organizations, public libraries, government agencies, and medical institutes across all of the provinces. More than 40% of all books are directed to institutions in the remote Northwest Frontier Provinces and Balochistan. Read more about the Foundation’s programs in Pakistan.

For more information, please visit our Press Room.

An article in Pakistan’s Daily Times features The Asia Foundation’s donation of 300 books to inmates of Pakistan’s Central Adiala Jail to enrich the prison’s library. The Foundation’s Books for Asia Director in Pakistan  Syed Zahid Abbas is quoted. Read the full article: “Asia Foundation donates books to prisoners.”

In an article in The News International about the donation of electoral and political literature to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s library, The Asia Foundation is cited as one of the organizations that donated materials. Read the full article: “Capacity building key to meet modern day challenges.”

The Asia Foundation’s involvement in the media workshop “Rising Profile of Human Rights Issues Through Effective Media,” organized by Intermedia, is mentioned in an article in The News International (Pakistan) about the workshop. Read the full article: “Media access to information demanded.”

PBS’ Worldfocus features excerpts from the June 17 In Asia post “In Pakistan: Homeless in their Homeland” by The Asia Foundation’s Senior Program Officer in Pakistan Nadia Tariq Ali. Read the blog post: “Pakistan offensive nears end; refugee crisis just beginning.”

The Asia Foundation is cited in The News International for funding a mapping, undertaken by the Free and Fair Election Network, of human rights organizations working at national, national, provincial and local levels in Pakistan. The findings will be published in a report and online database. Read the full article: “Fafen to map working of HR organizations.”

In a Council on Foreign Relations article about the effectiveness of various communication strategies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, findings from The Asia Foundation’s 2008 Afghan opinion poll are cited. Read the full article: “Winning the Information War in Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

The Asia Foundation, The Walter H. Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, and the Peninsula Chapter of the World Affairs Council of Northern California present

Opportunities and Challenges in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan

With Special Guests:

The Honorable Karl F. Inderfurth
Director, International Affairs Program, George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs. Former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs and U.S. Representative for Special Political Affairs to the UN

The Honorable Teresita Schaffer
Director, South Asia Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies. Former U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs

The Honorable Theodore L. Eliot, Jr.
Dean Emeritus of the Fletcher School. Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan; Former Executive Secretary and Inspector General of the State Department

Monday, October 20, 2008

Palo Alto, CA

Refreshments at 6:00 pm
Program from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Levinthal Hall at the Humanities Center
424 Santa Teresa Street,
Stanford University

Seating is limited, reservations required.

Please reply to rdrsvp@asiafound.org, reference “October 20th evening event” in the subject line.

View maps and Directions.

The election of a new American president is an event of great importance to the entire world, not just the United States. From Japan to Afghanistan, the United States plays a crucial role in the security, political, and economic affairs of the region. America’s 44th president will face many challenges once in office including rebuilding trust in America, reviving the American economy without protectionism, and how to combat terrorism. Ultimately, the United States must effectively utilize and support multilateral institutions to uphold international law and foster the common interests such as international justice. Future U.S. relations with Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia depend on how these efforts unfold.

The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has released the report “Consumer Financing in Pakistan: Issues, Challenges and a Way Forward” with the support of The Asia Foundation. The report is getting coverage in the press, including this story in The News International.

The Asia Foundation was featured in Pakistan Press International on March 13 for donating 7500 books to the University of Balochistan. The Asia Foundation’s Pakistan Books Manager Syed Zahid Abbas is cited for presenting the books.
Read the full story.

San Francisco and Islamabad

Today The Asia Foundation, the premier non-profit organization devoted to Asia’s development since 1954, announced the appointment of Dr. Jon Summers as Country Representative in Pakistan. As one of the Foundation’s most seasoned representatives, Dr. Summers brings extraordinary experience and background to the Foundation’s efforts in Pakistan. His extensive experience in South Asia has fostered a deep understanding of development issues and dynamics facing the region, making him highly suited to lead the Foundation’s efforts there at this critical time. Since 2002, Summers has been the Foundation’s Afghanistan Country Representative, where he oversaw significant program growth during an important period in Afghanistan’s history. He replaces Mr. Hamid Sharif, who directed the Foundation’s country office in Pakistan from 2005 to 2007.

The Asia Foundation has maintained a continuous program in Pakistan since 1954. Responding to the country’s prevailing social and political conditions, the Foundation’s recent focus has been on strengthening governance and assisting in Pakistan’s return to democracy. Furthermore, building upon its deep ties with civil society, The Asia Foundation has been active in mediating dialogues between civil society organizations and government for creating a supportive environment to uphold the rights of vulnerable populations, including women and the poor.

Dr. Summers has worked for The Asia Foundation since 1979, holding with distinction the post of Country Representative in Malaysia and Singapore, Bangladesh and Nepal, Indonesia, Cambodia and Afghanistan. Most recently, he worked to strengthen good governance in Afghanistan’s young democracy, promoting civil society organizations, transparent elections, education and women’s empowerment. He also served as director of the Asian-American Exchange program in the Foundation’s San Francisco headquarters. Prior to joining the Foundation, he was executive director of the Afghan-American Educational Commission, and taught English at Kabul University with the Peace Corps. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia.