The Asia Foundation

Religious leaders of all faiths are highly regarded in Sri Lankan society, and an accurate picture of the current reality for this island nation is incomplete without considering Muslims. Sometimes referred to as Sri Lankan Moors, they...

Religious leaders of all faiths are highly regarded in Sri Lankan society, and an accurate picture of the current reality for this island nation is incomplete without considering Muslims. Sometimes referred to as Sri Lankan Moors, they comprise 7 percent of the country's population. Their mother-tongue is Tamil but they are a distinct ethnic group with their own customs. Muslims are found all over the island but the largest concentration is in the Eastern Province.

While one third of Mongolia's 2.7 million citizens are still nomadic, half of Mongolia’s population now resides in Ulaanbaatar, and harsh winters combined with the depletion of natural resources push more and more Mongolians to settle in...

While one third of Mongolia's 2.7 million citizens are still nomadic, half of Mongolia’s population now resides in Ulaanbaatar, and harsh winters combined with the depletion of natural resources push more and more Mongolians to settle in developed areas. The Asia Foundation works with government and NGO partners to support more effective service delivery, citizen engagement, and local government orientation on the skills and knowledge needed for the urban context.

Regulatory Impact Assessment, or RIA, is a method widely- used in developed countries to identify the need for certain regulations. The method calculates the costs and benefits of regulation, and weighs alternative solutions to the problems...

Regulatory Impact Assessment, or RIA, is a method widely- used in developed countries to identify the need for certain regulations. The method calculates the costs and benefits of regulation, and weighs alternative solutions to the problems that are identified.

Regulatory Impact Assessment, or RIA, is a method widely- used in developed countries to identify the need for certain regulations. The method calculates the costs and benefits of regulation, and weighs alternative solutions to the problems...

Regulatory Impact Assessment, or RIA, is a method widely- used in developed countries to identify the need for certain regulations. The method calculates the costs and benefits of regulation, and weighs alternative solutions to the problems that are identified.

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing...

Since 1999, The Asia Foundation has supported initiatives to simplify business licensing at the local level.Initially, programs supported local governments to establish agencies that integrated the "front office" receipt of licensing applications, but kept "back office" processing of permits decentralized across various other agencies. While this resulted in some improvements, the impact of these "One- Roof One-Stop Shop" (OSS) licensing reforms remained limited. The Foundation supports reforms that have resulted in "One-Door" OSS, in which both front office and back office authorities are united in a single location.

The purpose of the Asia Foundation's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative is to assist the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and private section to transform the concept of PPP into reality. The Foundation considers this initiative as a...

The purpose of the Asia Foundation's Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative is to assist the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) and private section to transform the concept of PPP into reality. The Foundation considers this initiative as a priority for the long term development of Bangladesh where public and private sections can join hands to achieve common development goals. Since July 2010, the Foundation has conducted analysis of PPP related documents for Bangladesh and few other countries in Asia, as well as held consultative meetings and group discussions with representatives for GoB and the private section on key facets of PPP including: key concepts, expectations, progress and challenges and respective partners role in the process among other things.

In this issue: "Afghanistan Poll," "Ten Years in Vietnam," "First-ever Survey on Thailand's Troubled South," "Luce Scholars," "Cambodia: Countering Domestic Violence," "Partner Highlight: Del Monte Foundation Gets Books to Children in the...

In this issue: "Afghanistan Poll," "Ten Years in Vietnam," "First-ever Survey on Thailand's Troubled South," "Luce Scholars," "Cambodia: Countering Domestic Violence," "Partner Highlight: Del Monte Foundation Gets Books to Children in the Philippines," "Spotlight: David D. Arnold Leads The Asia Foundation," and Program Highlights from Malaysia and Mongolia.

Since it reopened its office in Afghanistan in 2002, The Asia Foundation has established strong links with the formal education system, and also supports civil society organizations to provide remedial, vocational, and other non-formal...

Since it reopened its office in Afghanistan in 2002, The Asia Foundation has established strong links with the formal education system, and also supports civil society organizations to provide remedial, vocational, and other non-formal education and training for women and girls. The Foundation works both to increase girls' access to education as well as to improve the quality of education offered. During the years of conflict, the Foundation supported education for Afghan girls and women living in refugee camps in Pakistan. During the Taliban years, when girls were banned from school, the Foundation supported PARSA, a local Kabul-based organization that ran home schools for girls.

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels to 18 Asian countries. Since its inception in 1954, Books for Asia has provided nearly 45 million books and journals to more...

The Asia Foundation's Books for Asia program distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels to 18 Asian countries. Since its inception in 1954, Books for Asia has provided nearly 45 million books and journals to more than 50,000 academic and non-academic institutions throughout Asia. In Afghanistan, Books for Asia has donated more than 350,000 books and journals to government agencies, private institutions, and NGOs across the country, supporting national development, international understanding, and English-language literacy.

The Asia Foundation re-established an office in Kabul in February 2002 to launch new program initiatives in key areas central to the development of post-Taliban Afghanistan. Essential among these initiatives is the creation of a strong...

The Asia Foundation re-established an office in Kabul in February 2002 to launch new program initiatives in key areas central to the development of post-Taliban Afghanistan. Essential among these initiatives is the creation of a strong educational system that is vital for long-term reconstruction of the country. The Asia Foundation addresses strategic educational needs in Afghanistan by supporting initiatives in higher education as well as increasing educational opportunities for women and girls.

The Asia Foundation's second national survey of 1,500 Thai citizens explores the depth of color divisions in contemporary Thailand; key topics include the state of democracy in Thailand, elections, conflict and security, and options for...

The Asia Foundation's second national survey of 1,500 Thai citizens explores the depth of color divisions in contemporary Thailand; key topics include the state of democracy in Thailand, elections, conflict and security, and options for reconciliation.

Thai language version of The Asia Foundation's second national survey of 1,500 Thai citizens explores the depth of color divisions in contemporary Thailand; key topics include the state of democracy in Thailand, elections, conflict and...

Thai language version of The Asia Foundation's second national survey of 1,500 Thai citizens explores the depth of color divisions in contemporary Thailand; key topics include the state of democracy in Thailand, elections, conflict and security, and options for reconciliation.

Nepal Economic Forum Report - Issue 4

This series of quarterly reports, supported by The Asia Foundation, provides analysis on Nepal's economy. This issue provides a general overview of the overall macroeconomic state of Nepal's...

Nepal Economic Forum Report - Issue 4

This series of quarterly reports, supported by The Asia Foundation, provides analysis on Nepal's economy. This issue provides a general overview of the overall macroeconomic state of Nepal's economy, and analyzes capital markets and the ongoing Visit Nepal 2011 year.

Occasional Paper No. 5, March 2011

A review of the basic theoretical and programmatic rationale for the series of Economic Governance Indices (EGIs) conducted by The Asia Foundation in countries throughout South and Southeast Asia,...

Occasional Paper No. 5, March 2011

A review of the basic theoretical and programmatic rationale for the series of Economic Governance Indices (EGIs) conducted by The Asia Foundation in countries throughout South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia.

A look at the legal framework for labor migration of Cambodian women to Malaysia (for domestic work) and Cambodian men to Thailand (to work in agribusiness); and an analysis of the rules that govern regular migration while identifying...

A look at the legal framework for labor migration of Cambodian women to Malaysia (for domestic work) and Cambodian men to Thailand (to work in agribusiness); and an analysis of the rules that govern regular migration while identifying legislation that can be employed to protect those who become victims during irregular migration and that can be used against those who perpetrate and profit from it.

Khmer-language version of a report looking at the legal framework for labor migration of Cambodian women to Malaysia (for domestic work) and Cambodian men to Thailand (to work in agribusiness); and an analysis of the rules that govern regular...

Khmer-language version of a report looking at the legal framework for labor migration of Cambodian women to Malaysia (for domestic work) and Cambodian men to Thailand (to work in agribusiness); and an analysis of the rules that govern regular migration while identifying legislation that can be employed to protect those who become victims during irregular migration and that can be used against those who perpetrate and profit from it.

Chapter by Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder, in North Korea: Challenge for the US-Japan...

Chapter by Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder, in North Korea: Challenge for the US-Japan Alliance, edited by Yuki Tatsumi, The Henry L. Stimson Center, March 2011.