The Asia Foundation

Panel discussion featuring Dr. Bruce Tolentino, The Asia Foundation's Director, Economic Reform and Development; Dr. Veronique Salze-Lozac'h, The Asia Foundation's Regional Economic Director in Cambodia; Dr. Eddy Malesky, Harvard Academy Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs; and Dr. Neil McCulloch, The Asia Foundation's Director for Economic Programs in Indonesia. The panel discussed the Economic Governance Index, a tool pioneered and designed by the Foundation and used by local governments to determine how best to encourage private sector development in Vietnam, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

Offices of Commissioners/Assistant Commissioners of Local Government ñ Anuradhapura District; Amparai District; Batticaloa District; Galle District; Hambantota District; Kandy District; Kurunegala District; Matara District; Nuwara Eliya District ; Polonnaruwa District; Trincomalee District; Uva Province

Establish mobile libraries with a selection of books in all three languages, audio visual equipment and other resources for use by tsunami-affected communities. Hambantota Pradeshiya Sabha; Hambantota Urban Council; Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha; Kattankudy Urban Council; Thirukkovil Pradeshiya Sabha.

Making justice more accessible for marginalized communities by strengthening institutions and processes that are people's first point of contact with the justice system.

Local Partners:

Centre for Mediation & Mediation Training; Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies; Jaffna Bar Association; Kandurata Community Development Forum; Marga Institute; Muslim Foundation for Culture and Development; Muslim Women's Research & Action Forum; Rural Economic & Community Development Organization; Police In-service Training (Police Academy); TNS Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd. University of Peradeniya (Department of Law); Vehilihini Development Centre Viluthu - Centre for Human Resource Development

Acquisition and distribution of 111,523 books and journals to 1,641 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions throughout Sri Lanka and 20,325 books to 81 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions in the Maldives.

Regional partnership with the Department for International Development (U.K.), including 7 countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Timor-Leste, Thailand, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka), that is working to improve state-society relations in conflict-affected areas throughout the region. Helping to reduce mistrust and alienation between conflict-affected communities and state authorities. Strengthening and expanding locally driven efforts to improve governance and resolve disputes. Contributing to improved understanding of aid effectiveness in conflict-affected and fragile states.

Undertaking a public perception survey to understand the roles of religion, religious leaders, and institutions in Sri Lankan communities.

Local Partners:

The Nielsen Company Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.; Social Policy Analysis & Research Centre

Supporting voter education and new voter registration in the Northern Province. Raising public awareness on the importance of local government institutions and encouraging voter turnout in the 2011 local government elections, as part of a regional program.

Local Partners:

Federation of Sri Lanka Local Government Authorities; Peoples Action for Free and Fair Elections

Institutionalizing social accountability tools to make local government service delivery more accountable and responsive to citizens' priorities.

Local Partners:

Municipal Council Nuwara Eliya; Social Policy Analysis & Research Centre-University of Colombo; Urban Council Vavuniya

Facilitating dialogue and cooperation between religious and social leaders and government officials, to address national development challenges and priorities.

Local Partners:

Centre for the Holy Quran; Maldives Institute of Psychological Services, Training and Research; Maldives National University; Ministry of Islamic Affairs

Building sustainable partnerships between the private sector and local government to improve the business environment.

Local Partners:

Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce, Industries & Agriculture; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Central Province Commissioner of Local Government; Corporate Solutions Provider (Pvt.) Ltd.; E.C. Holdings; Government Valuation Department; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce; Initiative for Political and Conflict Transformation; Jaffna Chamber of Commerce; Jaffna Social Action Centre; Ministry of Local Government & Provincial Council; Municipal Council Batticaloa; Municipal Council Jaffna; Municipal Council Kalmunai; Northern Provincial Council; Social Organizations Networking for Development; Social Policy Analysis & Research Centre (SPARC)-University of Colombo; Sri Lanka Institute of Local Government; Trincomalee Chamber of Commerce & Industries; Urban Council Ampara; Urban Council Mannar; Urban Council Trincomalee; Urban Council Vavuniya

Undertaking a public perception survey in the Republic of Maldives to better understand the perceptions of influential leaders, the communities they serve, and the broader population regarding national development.

Local Partner:

Think Associates (Pvt) Ltd

Undertaking a national values survey to understand the role of religion and religious institutions in development in the Republic of Maldives.

Local Partner:

Lanka Market Research Bureau (Pvt) Limited

Strengthening the organizational capacity of trauma treatment organizations to deliver effective treatment and healing services in the post-conflict environment.

Local Partners:

Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies; Family Rehabilitation Centre; National Institute of Social Development; Sarvodaya Economic Enterprise Development Services (GTE Ltd.); Shanthiham Association for Health and Counseling; SYNERGY Centre for Community Empowerment

An Asian Perspectives panel discussion featuring a journalist and community leader in southern Thailand, and a representative from the Colombo-based NGO Initiative for Political and Conflict Transformation (INPACT) in Sri Lanka, and The Asia Foundation's regional director for conflict and governance.

Facilitating the Sri Lankan delegation's understanding while providing first-hand perspectives on the topics of economic development and local governance by closely examining the case of Korea.

Symposium of Young Social Workers—a program to raise awareness about the skills of social work graduates and provides an opportunity for information sharing and networking with relevant government and non-governmental organizations and service providers.

Participation by the former Chief Justice of Delhi and Madras High Court to speak at the 2010 convocation of the Bar Association president.

Acquisition and distribution of 118,801 books and journals to 1,708 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions in Sri Lanka and 20,375 books to 106 libraries in the Maldives.

Mediation skills training for members of community mediation boards in the Northern and Eastern provinces; Stakeholder workshops in support of community mediation boards in the Northern and Eastern provinces.

Research on land-related issues concerning internally displaced persons in the Northern Province.

National and regional psychosocial forums to strengthen coordination mechanisms for psychosocial service providers (government and non-government sector) across 14 districts: Ampara, Anuradhapura, Badulla, Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota, Jaffna, Monaragala, Matara, Mannar, Puttalam, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya.

Technical assistance to revise the by-laws of local authorities in the Central Province.

Good Governance Resource Centers in each province to provide training and technical assistance on planning, service delivery, and revenue enhancement to local authorities.

Program to design, draft, and adopt a national disaster management policy; Mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in the local authority system in Sri Lanka under the project “Creating Opportunities for Economic Revival and Development.”

Training programs for school teachers on disaster risk reduction.

Technical assistance to Manmunai Pradeshiya Sabha, Koralaipattu North Pradeshiya Sabha, and Koralaipattu Central Pradeshiya Sabha and community-based organizations to incorporate pro-poor and conflict sensitive planning procedures in habitat, water, sanitation, disaster mitigation, and risk reduction projects; Capacity building of local government administration in disaster management.

Improving access and quality of psychosocial services and interventions for survivors of conflict-related violence, their families and communities across seven districts: Ampara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya.

Assessment of by-laws and regulations of the Matara Municipal Council to mainstream disaster risk reduction in local planning.

Enhancing revenue generation opportunities for 15 local authorities in the Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Uva Provinces.

Orienting politicians on the role of the private sector in economic development.

Comparative research on decentralization and devolution in Sri Lanka and other countries with a unitary system of government.

Research and advocacy for an improved subnational business climate, including developing socio-economic profiles of regions that are economic laggards and identifying the regulatory, infrastructure, and other constraints to private sector growth and investment.

Mapping levels of understanding of social accountability mechanisms and introduction of social accountability concepts and participatory tools among local authorities in the Northern Province.

Strengthening relations between traders associations and the municipal council to increase revenue collection.

Incorporating disaster risk management practices in local planning.

Study trip to Sri Lanka where six participants from Korean NGOs, government development agencies, and universities studied issues related to strengthening economic governance at the local level.

Twenty-four citizen-police discussion forums as part of community policing pilot projects in the districts of Kandy and Moneragala.

Human development report for the Eastern Province as a resource for strengthening engagement between civil society leaders and policymakers on issues of development, democratization, and peacebuilding in the Eastern Province.

Preparation of an industrial development policy for the Central Province.

Establishing community mediation boards in the Eastern and Northern Provinces; Developing a monitoring system and supporting the evaluation of the community mediation boards program.

Developing a system for assessing the performance of local government authorities in improving their service delivery and financial management over time; Preparation of the National Policy on Local Government; Study on the financial accounting systems requirements of local government authorities; Piloting citizens' charters in 21 local authorities in five provinces; Developing a local government performance monitoring system and manual.

Building a network of influential religious and secular leaders to promote social justice, gender equity, democracy, and peace in the Eastern Province. 

Developing community-based disaster risk reduction mechanisms.

Mapping private-public dialogues in the North, Central, Eastern and Southern provinces.  

Training medical officers in mental health on psychosocial wellbeing and interventions.

Twelve-month diploma course in counseling in Vavuniya and Jaffna for psychosocial workers (government and non-government sector) working in the North of Sri Lanka.

Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Badulla District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Exporters Chamber; Central Province Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Chamber of Commerce & Industries of Yarlpanam; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Uva Province; Galle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Galle District Women Entrepreneurs Chamber; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Jaffna Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agro-Business; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Killinochchi District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Kurunegala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matale District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Mullaitivu District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Sabaragamuwa Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Sabaragamuwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Supporting an association of presidents of leading chambers and industry called the "Regional Advocacy Forum" to advocate for policies to improve the business environment at the provincial and national levels.

Public-private dialogues in the Central, Southern, and Uva Provinces.

Improving access and quality of psychosocial services and interventions for survivors of conflict related violence, their families, and communities within the Jaffna District.

Website on provincial government services.

Tamil-language training for Sinhala speaking police officers posted in the Eastern and Northern Provinces by the police in-service centers in Kalutara, Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya, Jaffna, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa.

Public-opinion survey on perceptions of local government and decentralization in Sri Lanka.

Centre for Policy Alternatives; Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies; Facilitative Local Initiatives for Conflict Transformation;  Initiative for Political Action and Conflict Transformation; National Forum for People's Organizations; Practical Action Sri Lanka; Sarvodaya; Seva Lanka Foundation; Social Scientists Association; Transparency International Sri Lanka

Training of trainers program for national level non-governmental organizations on effective facilitation skills and techniques for promoting social accountability tools and concepts within local government using the customized Social Accountability Curriculum developed in collaboration with the World Bank Institute.

Evaluation of the economic, ecological, and social feasibility of using non-biodegradable solid waste material for housing construction in disaster prone areas.

Assessment of local government policy framework. 

Biweekly magazine for the Tamil-speaking public on issues related to human rights, local governance, democracy, economic development, and gender equality.

Legal-aid program to facilitate access to administrative justice for disadvantaged communities; Facilitating local government and civil society participation to promote social accountability tools to strengthen administrative justice in the Eastern Province.

Case study on a solid waste management pilot project involving the private sector.

Supporting local authorities to develop citizen charters to improve service delivery and social accountability.

Workshops for owners of more than 500 small businesses to develop skills in business planning and management.

Database management system to increase revenue for municipal councils, urban councils, and pradeshiya sabhas in Ampara District.

Training for local government officials in integrating disaster risk reduction strategies in local development planning.

Junior National Law Conference on post-war development and justice issues.

Acquisition and distribution of 127,591 books and journals to 1,268 schools, universities, public libraries, and other institutions in Sri Lanka and 16,045 books to 52 libraries in the Maldives.

Tamil- and English-language training program for officers of the Sri Lankan armed forces.

Workshop to develop an economic development plan for the province with private sector participation.

Mediation skills training for members of community mediation boards in the Eastern and Northern Provinces; Stakeholder workshops in support of community mediation boards in the Eastern Province.

Study tour to "Center for Study of Developing Societies," Delhi, to share lessons on electoral surveys and voter education and election observation programs; Workshops on roles and responsibilities of local government authorities for provincial journalists and editors.

Anuradhapura District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Badulla District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Central Province Exporters Chamber; Central Province Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Yarlpanam; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Uva Province; Galle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Galle District Women Entrepreneurs Chamber; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Gampaha District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Jaffna Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agro-Business; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kalutara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kegalle District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Killinochchi District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Kurunegala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matale District Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mannar District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Moneragala District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Mullaitivu District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Polonnaruwa District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Sabaragamuwa Province Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Sabaragamuwa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture; Vavuniya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

Supporting the creation of an association of presidents of leading chambers, of commerce and industry represented in the "Chamber Presidents Forum" to advocate for policies to improve the business environment at the provincial and national level.

Local government dialogues with business associations and civil society to discuss ways to improve the efficiency of local government services and improve public accountability.

Support to CHA's Regional Initiatives program (i.e. District Psychosocial Forum monthly coordination meetings), which strengthens coordination mechanisms for psychosocial service providers (both NGOs and government sectors) at the district and divisional levels.

Good Governance Resource Centers in each province to provide training and technical assistance on planning, service delivery, and revenue enhancement to local authorities.

A unit in the provincial department of local government to revise the by-laws of local authorities in the Central Province.

Program to design, draft, and adopt a national disaster management policy and its integration in local development planning.

Technical assistance to local government authorities and community-based organizations for incorporating pro-poor and conflict sensitive planning procedures in habitat, water, sanitation, and disaster mitigation and risk reduction projects; Capacity building of local government administration in disaster management.

Technical assistance and training in the use of global information systems mapping for local development planning.

Improving access and quality of psychosocial services and interventions for victims of conflict related violence, their families, and their communities across seven districts: Amapara, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Jaffna, Mannar, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya.

"Sri Lanka Entrepreneur of the Year Awards" to honor outstanding entrepreneurs at the provincial and national level.

Technical assistance to develop and implement an economic development strategy for Hambantota District in consultation with the private sector.

Disaster risk reduction and management in landslide-prone areas of the Central Province.

Ambalangoda Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ambalangoda Urban Council; Ampara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ampara Town Traders' Association; Ampara Urban Council; Batticaloa District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Batticaloa Municipal Council; Batticaloa Town Traders' Association; Chamber of Commerce & Industry Trincomalee District; Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Central Province, Central Province; Central Provincial Council; Chilaw Fisheries Traders Association; Chilaw Jewellers' Traders Association; Chilaw Traders Association; Chilaw Urban Council; Eastern Provincial Council; Ekamuthu Traders' Association, Nuwara Eliya; Gampola Chamber of Commerce Industry; Gampola Urban Council; Hambantota District Chamber of Commerce; Hambantota Traders' Association; Hambantota Urban Council; Hikkaduwa Traders' Association; Hikkaduwa Urban Council; Industrial Services Bureau; Kalmuni Municipal Council; Kalmunai Tamil Traders Association; Kalmunai Traders Association; Kandy; Kandy Municipal Council; Kattankudy Urban Council; Kinnya Traders Association; Kinnya Urban Council; Kuliyapitiya Suhada Eksath Velanda Sangamaya; Kuliyapitiya Urban Council; Kurunegala Sinhala Traders Association; Kurunegala Women's Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agribusiness; Kurunegala Municipal Council; Matara District Women's Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Ministry of Industries, Central Province; Maruthamunai Traders Association; Matale District Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Agriculture; Matale Municipal Council; Matara District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Matara Municipal Council; Muslim Traders Association, Kandy; Nawalapitiya Traders Association; Nawlapitiya Urban Council; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agriculture; Nuwara Eliya Economic Centre; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Puttalam District Chamber of Commerce, Industry & Agribusiness; Puttalam Traders Association; Puttalam Urban Council; Regional Enterprise Development Agency; Ruhunu Chamber of Commerce Industry & Agriculture; Sainthamarudhu Traders Association; Sinhala Traders Association, Kandy; Southern Provincial Council; Tamil Traders Association; Traincomalee Urban Council; Wayamba Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Wayamba Provincial Council; Women's Chamber of Small Industries & Commerce.

Supporting private-public "working groups" of the participating chambers of commerce, trade associations, and local and provincial government agencies to improve the local and provincial business environment in 19 towns and four provinces.

Orienting politicians to the role of the private sector in economic development in the province.

Comparative research on decentralization and devolution in Sri Lanka and other countries with a unitary system.

Providing training in counseling for 40 psychosocial volunteers working with displaced communities in the North.

Institutional and program support.

Strengthening relations between traders associations and the municipal council resulting in increased revenue for the council.

Pilot community policing projects in Kandy and Moneragala Districts.

Study tour of business-persons from Mannar to Tangottuwa Industrial Estate to build business linkages in partnership with the Ministry of Industries.

District-level dialogues between civil society leaders and provincial and local government officials about development and human security issues in the Eastern Province.

Entrepreneurship awards in the Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

Training and technical assistance for local government officers in disaster mitigation.

Preparation of an industrial development policy for the Central Province.

Extending community mediation boards program to the Eastern and Northern Provinces.

Development of a system for assessing the performance of local government authorities in improving their service delivery and financial management over time; Supporting the new National Council of Local Government which will take the lead in reforming local government policies and laws; Study on the financial accounting systems requirements of local government authorities; A national symposium on local government; Development and broadcast of 12 radio programs on local governance issues in Sri Lanka; Drafting and adoption of a national policy for strengthening local government and establishing a National Council for Local Government to implement it; Technical assistance to pilot Citizens Charters in 21 local authorities in five provinces; Technical assistance to develop a local government performance monitoring system and manual.

A provincial symposium on development planning and service delivery for all local government authorities in the Northern Province.

Developing building guidelines for landslide prone areas.

Improving disaster management and risk reduction capacity in local government authorities across five divisional secretariats in the Nuwara Eliya District and creating a database of available lands to facilitate post-disaster relocation.

Tamil language training for Sinhalese police officers stationed in multi-ethnic districts.

A mapping study on the mental health and psychosocial services available in the districts of Batticaloa and Vavuniya.

Conference on "Development and Wellbeing in Sri Lanka" a forum that brought together academics and practitioners involved in the study of wellbeing, wellness, and the quality of life in Sri Lanka. A publication of selected papers from the conference is to be launched in 2010.

Facilitation for the former Minister of Panchayati Raj to attend a national seminar on best practices in local governance held in Sri Lanka.

Community mediation program in rural areas not served by the Ministry of Justice’s community mediation boards program.

Improving the access and quality of psychosocial services and interventions for victims of conflict related violence, their families, and communities within the Jaffna District.

Ambalangoda Urban Council; Ampara Urban Council; Batticaloa Municipal Council; Chilaw Urban Council; Gampola Urban Council; Hambantota Urban Council; Kurunegala Municipal Council; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Puttalam Urban Council; Trincomaleee Urban Council.

Solid waste management projects jointly planned and implemented by local government and the business community to demonstrate the benefits of effective private-public partnerships.

A website on provincial government services.

Providing support for a six month outreach diploma course in counseling in Vavuniya District.

Non-financial technical support for training Medical Officers in Mental Health (MOMH).

Legal aid program to facilitate access to administrative justice for disadvantaged communities in the Eastern Province.

Bi-weekly magazine for the general public on local governance, rights, and economic development issues pertaining to the Eastern Province.

Residential program to build cross-cultural understanding between undergraduate university students from different parts of the country.

Workshops with the business community to change urban council by-laws to improve the business environment.

Support for foreign policy experts from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka to attend a regional conference in New Delhi to discuss America’s Role in Asia.

Grant scheme for rebuilding small businesses that were damaged by the tsunami.

Development of a new town plan for Anuradhapura with the business community and civil society; Workshop for district chambers of commerce to discuss ways to improve the business environment with local government.

Five Korean development practitioners from government and NGO agencies were awarded fellowships to work in projects in developing Asian countries (Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam) for up to three months.

2008 Junior and National Law Conferences on the theme “Law at the Forefront of Social Change.”

Acquisition and distribution of 128,487 donated books and journals to 815 schools, universities, public libraries, medical institutes, and government bodies, including 3,838 books to 38 libraries in the Maldives.

Workshop on financial management and tax laws for non-profit organizations.

Study tour to India on successful women-owned small and medium enterprises.

Training of mediators appointed to community mediation boards in eastern Sri Lanka.

Legal empowerment program for internally displaced persons in Trincomalee and Puttalam.

Workshop on how conflict is affecting the business environment for chambers of commerce and trade associations.

Creation of digital archive of old documentary films on Sri Lanka.

Development of Tamil language training program for police officers based in multi ethnic districts.

Survey on the business environment and human resources among district chambers of commerce and trade associations; workshops on entrepreneurship.

The regional ECO-Asia program in Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation for Asia's urban poor; to strengthen national- and local-level environmental governance capacity; and improve transboundary conflict in the lower watersheds of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Creation of online referral system for victims of crime wishing to access legal aid services.

Improving access and quality of psychosocial services and interventions for victims of conflict, their families, and communities.

Support for the Hambantota Navodya Exhibition and Trade Fair 2008 and entrepreneurship awards.

International conference, “In Pursuit of Peace: Looking Back at 25 Years of ICES,” to showcase the organization’s unique contribution to conflict studies; Support for a researcher’s attendance at the conference.

Workshop to discuss issues confronting the legal fraternity in Jaffna with lawyers, judges, and policymakers in Colombo.

A study on traffic congestion in Kandy and how it affects business.

Support for local government dialogues with business associations and civil society to discuss ways to improve the efficiency of local government services and improve public accountability.

A national consultation on language rights.

Strengthening the network of women’s organizations and women’s study centers in Indonesia through the support for the 2nd Conference of Kartini Network for more than 100 institutions across Indonesia and Asia, including Bangladesh, Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India.

Extension of community mediation boards program to the Eastern Province and to Jaffna.

Development of a system for assessing the performance of local government authorities in improving their service delivery and financial management over time; Supporting the new National Council of Local Government which will take the lead in reforming local government policies and laws; Study on the financial accounting systems requirements of local government authorities.

Legal empowerment program for women-headed households in Ampara District.

Advocacy program to promote the draft legislation for the protection of witnesses and victims of crime.

Support for the annual Neelan Tiruchelvam Memorial Lecture.

Development of a website on local government services for the provincial Department of Local Government.

Legal empowerment program for women in plantation communities in Badulla District.

An information center on licensing procedures and other local government services for the business community and the general public.

Study on the business environment in the Eastern Province.

Support for live televised discussion between economic policy-makers, business leaders and a studio audience on food security and the rising cost of living.

A mapping of existing mental health and psychosocial support services in the districts of Batticaloa and Vavuniya and gaps between existing services and community needs.

Legal empowerment program for disadvantaged communities in Kantale District.

Legal empowerment program for communities in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Ampara Districts.

Chilaw Urban Council; Trincomaleee Urban Council; Gampola Urban Council; Kurunegala Municipal Council; Ambalangoda Urban Council; Hambantota Urban Council; Ampara Urban Council; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Puttalam Urban Council; Batticaloa Municipal Council.

Solid waste management projects jointly planned and implemented by local government and the business community to demonstrate the benefits of effective private-public partnerships.

Support for a local government-run mobile library that makes books available to children and adults in the town of Sooriyawewa.

Symposium on leading practices in local governance.

Development of a diploma program in Tamil for public service officials.

Support to write and publish a book on the Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Training for Tamil-language proficiency and cross-cultural understanding among Sinhalese police with Police In-Service Training Institute; Orientation on community-policing approaches in Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces; Study tour of Asia Foundation-supported community-policing initiatives in Bangladesh.

Kandy Municipal Council; Central Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Kattankudy Traders Association; Kattankudy Urban Council; Hikkaduwa Urban Council; Hikkaduwa Traders Association; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Nuwara Eliya District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Wayamba Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Kurunegala Municipal Council; Trincomalee District Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Trincomalee Urban Council.

Study tour for representatives from local government and business associations in four provinces on private-public partnerships in India.

Research on “Development & Wellbeing in Sri Lanka.”

Study tour to India for a delegation of mayors and business leaders from Sri Lanka working under the local governance programs. The tour included exposure to and discussion on urban management systems in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Study tour to India for a delegation of mayors and business leaders from Sri Lanka working under the local governance programs. The tour included exposure to and discussion on urban management systems in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

Legal empowerment program for women heads of households in Moneragala District.

A bi-weekly magazine for the general public on local governance, rights, and economic development issues pertaining to the Eastern Province.

Legal empowerment program for conflict-affected communities in Batticaloa District.

Legal empowerment program addressing the special needs of victims of domestic violence in Jaffna District.

Legal empowerment program for women-headed households in Ampara District; Training of trainers on legal rights awareness. 

Dispute resolution and mediation skills training for Grama Niladharis at the village level
in the tsunami-affected districts and in the Central Province.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses.

Support for Sri Lankan participants at the annual APPC conference in Pukhet, Thailand and
for an individual giving survey for Sri Lanka.

Support for the 2006 Junior National Law Conference; Support for a conference on human rights on the occasion of Human Rights Day; Continuing legal education programs on public interest litigation for members of provincial bar associations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses; Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in
the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Acquisition and distribution of 75,000 donated books and other publications to schools,
universities, public libraries, professional institutions, teacher training colleges,
technical colleges, and NGOs.

Mediation skills training for the Tsunami Special Mediation Boards; Mediation skills
development for revival of nine mediation boards in the Ampara District.

Public interest litigation program; Research on the law making process in Sri Lanka;  Support for public interest litigation cases related to citizens rights issues; Study on civil society organizations and their work on ethnic peace in Sri Lanka; Publication on the policy discourse related to disaster preparedness and disaster management in Sri Lanka. Development of training curriculum for Spoken Tamil for local-level officials.

Development of a database of four decades of human rights-related newspaper clippings to facilitate public access to human rights information.

Legal empowerment program for Muslim communities evicted from the Northern Province.

Development of a database using psychosocial intervention data collected by organizations in the Northern and Eastern Provinces; Collection and coding of human rights data in preparation for statistical analysis to determine patterns and trends in human rights abuses in collaboration with the Human Rights Accountability Coalition;  Analysis of newspaper clippings to document cease fire violations.

Staff support to facilitate access to the National Disappearances Database Unit of the Human Rights Commission.

Tamil language training to non-judicial court staff (registrars and clerks) in selected multi-ethnic judicial zones.

Technical support services and capacity building for partners involved in the Human Rights Accountability Coalition.

Design and performance of street dramas for village audiences aimed at increasing public understanding of the impacts of torture on individuals and communities. 

Development of a tourism plan for Kurunegala District; Preparation of maps of physical and
social assets for improved local government planning.

Promoting public awareness in the Eastern Province of fundamental rights, environmental protection laws, domestic violence laws, the roles and responsibilities of local government authorities, and public interest litigation.

A seven-year ECO-Asia program in Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam that aims to increase access to clean water and sanitation for Asia's urban poor; to strengthen national- and local-level environmental governance capacity; and improve transboundary conflict in the lower watersheds of the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Public awareness program and environmental mediation services for disadvantaged communities in tsunami-affected areas.

District level meetings, public gatherings and annual commemoration ceremony for disappeared persons.

Psychosocial care and medical services for victims of torture and their families.

Systematic collection and coding of human rights data in preparation for statistical analysis to determine patterns and trends in human rights abuses in collaboration with the Human Rights Accountability Coalition.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Public interest litigation program on environmental issues; Legal documentation services for tsunami survivors; Training of special mediation boards in tsunami affected areas.

Participation of Hambantota Chamber President in the World Chamber Congress in Istanbul,
Turkey.

Collection, coding and computerization of human rights violations and provision of legal counsel to victims, in collaboration with the Human Rights Accountability Coalition.

Ongoing support for the National Disappearances Database Unit.

Dialogues to engage local government council members and selected provincial and national politicians in local government reform and development.

Judicial education programs for judges from the Courts of First Instance, the High Court and Court of Appeal; Paralegal training program to support legal empowerment activities at the community level; Training on social justice for members of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka.

Support for development of national policy for enterprise development.

Study on how the general public interacts with local government institutions; Preparation of
town profiles for selected local authorities in the Southern, Central, North Western and
Eastern provinces; Study on the factors responsible for traffic congestion in the Kandy
Municipality.

Establish victims solidarity groups to help torture survivors and their families receive legal aid and psychosocial care to support the process of reintegrating into mainstream society.

Legal empowerment program for the Tamil plantation community in Kandy District.

Research on the impact of human rights public interest litigation in Sri Lanka; research into procedural and judicial responses to the problem of torture in Sri Lanka.

Public scrutiny and advocacy on draft legislation on protection of victims of crime; Support for a consultative process for selecting strategic research priorities for reform in the criminal justice system; Review of substantive and procedural laws to eliminate law delays; Publication of book, The Evolution of Constitutional Government in Sri Lanka from 1832-1978; Research study on the Customary Laws of Sri Lanka; Workshop on reducing law delays.

Study on the status of displaced Muslim women in Puttalam District.

Public interest litigation program focused on rights of marginalized and disadvantaged groups; Paralegal training program to support legal empowerment activities at the community level;  Nationwide legal empowerment program for women activists of the Kantha Kariya Samaja on issues of violence against women. 

Support for development of national policy for enterprise development.

Setting up new community mediation boards in the Northern Province.

Establishment of Special Tsunami Mediation Boards; Training of Special Tsunami Board mediators; Community-based awareness program and documentation of mediation cases through capacity building and technical training for Ministry program assistants; Support for National Mediation Day 2006; Supporting mediator training and creating awareness about mediation skills and techniques; Tamil-language training for members of the community mediation boards.

Coordination of local government strengthening program with 35 local government authorities in six provinces; Support for participation by Sri Lankan local government officials in a study tour of Good Governance Resource Centers in Karnataka, India.

Training and awareness-building on women’s rights for imams affiliated with mosque
federations in the Eastern Province.

Design and performance of a stage drama on torture-related themes aimed at encouraging constructive interaction with audiences on individual, social and political impacts of torture and torture prevention.

Capacity building program for law enforcement officers to address the psychosocial needs of victims of crime; Public advocacy campaigns to promote the rights of victims.

Support for Ms. Kamani Perera to attend the “International Conference on Digital Libraries
2006” in New Delhi, India.

Capacity building on equality issues for members of community mediation boards.

Legal empowerment program for women in the plantation community in the Badulla District.

Tamil language training for police officers in the Nuwara Eliya District; Awareness program for government officials on the language legislation; Language audits of selected government departments and police stations in multi-ethnic communities.

Legal empowerment program for women-headed households in Ratnapura District.

Research on the impact of the security environment on business activity in the Eastern
Province.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Participation in a study tour of private/public partnerships in the Philippines.

Community-based working groups to provide emergency legal aid and psychosocial care to torture survivors and their family members.

Legal empowerment program for disadvantaged communities in the Kantale District.

Legal empowerment of marginalized and vulnerable communities in 25 districts; Community-based dispute resolution with specific focus on settling family and domestic disputes; Support for annual convention.

Psychosocial care and medical services for victims of torture and their families.

Legal empowerment program for tsunami-affected communities in Moratuwa, Hikkaduwa and Matara.

Research program to develop and test culturally relevant and ethical assessment methodologies based on local concepts of wellbeing; support for program on psychosocial assessment of development and humanitarian initiatives.

Training program on psychosocial and psychological support tools for state judicial medical officers; training program on investigation and documentation of torture for judicial medical officers, forensic pathologists, psychiatric medical officers and lawyers.

Development of a Diploma in Spoken Tamil Language and Spoken Sinhala Language for public officials serving in multi-ethnic areas.

Support for local government training.

Training in Tamil and cross cultural relations for police officers.

Weekly drama and theatre workshops for tsunami-affected children in six selected districts.

Technical assistance and training, participatory skills development, and support for local government planning and service delivery; Staff enhancement and critical reconstruction and recovery support for tsunami-affected communities. Aalaiyadivembu Pradeshiya Sabha; Akkaraipattu Pradeshiya Sabha; Anuradhapura Municipal Council; Chilaw Pradeshiya Sabha; Eravur Pattu -- Chenkalady Pradeshiya Sabha; Galle Municipal Council; Hambantota Pradeshiya Sabha; Hambantota Urban Council; Hatton ñ Dickoya Urban Council; Horowpathana Pradeshiya Sabha; Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Sabha; Hikkaduwa Urban Council; Kahatagasdigiliya Pradeshiya Sabha; Kalmunai Municipal Council; Kalpitiya Pradeshiya Sabha; Karaithivu Pradeshiya Sabha; Kataragama Pradeshiya Sabha; Kattankudy Urban Council; Kebitigollewa Pradeshiya Sabha; Koralaipattu -- Valaichenai Pradeshiya Sabha; Kuchchaveli Pradeshiya Sabha; Manmunai South Eruvilpattu Pradeshiya Sabha; Ninatavur Pradeshiya Sabha; Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council; Nuwaragampalatha Central Pradeshiya Sabha; Panduwasnuwara Pradeshiya Sabha; Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha; Sooriyawewa Pradeshiya Sabha; Tangalle Urban Council; Talawakele Lindula Urban Council; Tissamaharama Pradeshiya Sabha; Thirukkovil Pradeshiya Sabha; Trincomalee Town -- Gravets Pradeshiya Sabha; Wariyapola Pradeshiya Sabha; Weligama Urban Council

Psychosocial services for clients affected by torture.

Institutional strengthening for a tri-lingual regional newspaper to improve coverage of
local governance in Kandy District.

Data collection for the 2007 Economic Governance Index, a measure of the business
environment in municipalities and urban areas of Sri Lanka.

Small business recapitalization program to provide grants to small business owners to
strengthen their businesses; Participation in a study tour of local government in the Philiippines.

Survey on the impact of disappearances on the lives of women of the Moneragala District; Paralegal training for women community leaders in the Moneragala District.

Legal empowerment program for women-headed households in the Moneragala District.

Paralegal training and legal awareness program for victims of domestic violence.

Legal empowerment program for women-headed households in the Kurunegala District.

Informal interdisciplinary forum for networking, collaboration and crisis management around torture prevention, redress and assistance strategies for torture survivors.