The Asia Foundation

A Measure of Economic Governance at the District Level (June 2010)

The Asia Foundation releases a pioneering survey ranking the business-friendliness in 19 districts in Bangladesh. 3,800 firms – many of them micro, small, and...

A Measure of Economic Governance at the District Level (June 2010)

The Asia Foundation releases a pioneering survey ranking the business-friendliness in 19 districts in Bangladesh. 3,800 firms – many of them micro, small, and medium-sized businesses – were polled on their perceptions of the local business environment, such as entry costs, transparency, informal charges, tax administration, and land security.

Occasional Paper No. 2, July 2010

The processes of development are fundamentally shaped by powerful political, economic, and security actors in aid-recipient countries. These actors use their influence to shape formal governance...

Occasional Paper No. 2, July 2010

The processes of development are fundamentally shaped by powerful political, economic, and security actors in aid-recipient countries. These actors use their influence to shape formal governance institutions, policies, and the distribution of development assistance to advance their interests. The political settlements framework is an important new approach that may help international development organizations to better understand and respond to this reality and the challenges to developmental progress that is often affected by political dynamics in developing countries. This paper seeks to translate the concepts underlying political settlements into principles, strategies, and guidelines for practical action by donors and other development assistance organizations.

Thomas Parks, Regional Director for Governance and Conflict, The Asia Foundation
William Cole, Senior Director, Governance, Law, and Civil Society Programs & Program Strategy and Development, The Asia Foundation

Religious courts in Indonesia preside over family law cases such as inheritance, marriage, divorce, child support, and child custody. Gender bias has been a significant challenge to the principles of fairness and justice that religious courts...

Religious courts in Indonesia preside over family law cases such as inheritance, marriage, divorce, child support, and child custody. Gender bias has been a significant challenge to the principles of fairness and justice that religious courts in Indonesia are meant to uphold. In recent years, there has been a growing movement led by religious court judges intent on improving gender equality. The Asia Foundation is responding to this demand through partnerships with state and civil society actors to provide religious judges with the knowledge and resources they need to ensure gender equality in their court decisions.

Religious courts in Indonesia preside over family law cases such as inheritance, marriage, divorce, child support, and child custody. Gender bias has been a significant challenge to the principles of fairness and justice that religious courts...

Religious courts in Indonesia preside over family law cases such as inheritance, marriage, divorce, child support, and child custody. Gender bias has been a significant challenge to the principles of fairness and justice that religious courts in Indonesia are meant to uphold. In recent years, there has been a growing movement led by religious court judges intent on improving gender equality. The Asia Foundation is responding to this demand through partnerships with state and civil society actors to provide religious judges with the knowledge and resources they need to ensure gender equality in their court decisions.

A Case Study of Bangladesh

Occasional Paper No. 1, July 2010

In the midst of the recent financial and economic crisis, factory owners in Bangladesh showed remarkable confidence in the future of their industry in Bangladesh....

A Case Study of Bangladesh

Occasional Paper No. 1, July 2010

In the midst of the recent financial and economic crisis, factory owners in Bangladesh showed remarkable confidence in the future of their industry in Bangladesh. But, if the country wants to expand and remain competitive, this paper finds, it will need to make investments in human capital and technology, rather than just reduce input costs. The paper offers policy recommendations to improve efficiency at the factory level and suggests reforms to the business environment that could provide an overall boost to the economy as a whole. Research for this paper included extensive interviews with factory workers and government officials, and seven focus-group discussions with 33 factory workers.

Dr. Sanchita Banerjee Saxena, Associate Director, Center for South Asia Studies, University of California, Berkeley, Véronique Salze-Lozac'h, Regional Director for Economic Programs, The Asia Foundation

Paper presented at a conference on "The Influence of Media on U.S.-Korea Relations and Future of the Korean Peninsula," The Asia Foundation, Seoul, June 28, 2010.  The initial version of this paper was presented at a workshop on...

Paper presented at a conference on "The Influence of Media on U.S.-Korea Relations and Future of the Korean Peninsula," The Asia Foundation, Seoul, June 28, 2010.  The initial version of this paper was presented at a workshop on "Influence and Role of Domestic Stakeholders on the U.S.-ROK Alliance," Center for U.S.-Korea Policy and East Asia Institute, Seoul, Korea, February 22, 2010.

Paper presented at a conference on “Recasting the Korean Model of Development: Issues, Debates, and Lessons,” Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Korean Economic Association, and Korean Political Science Association, June 30-July 1,...

Paper presented at a conference on “Recasting the Korean Model of Development: Issues, Debates, and Lessons,” Center for U.S.-Korea Policy, Korean Economic Association, and Korean Political Science Association, June 30-July 1, 2010, Washington DC.

The Philippines suffers from endemic conflicts on many levels, some arising out of traditional cleav - ages and others from the complex responses of a society undergoing rapid change. Political insta - bility, intra-community conflicts over...

The Philippines suffers from endemic conflicts on many levels, some arising out of traditional cleav - ages and others from the complex responses of a society undergoing rapid change. Political insta - bility, intra-community conflicts over natural resources, and the conflicts in Mindanao in par- ticular, continue to undermine efforts to improve the country's economy and governance. The Asia Foundation aims to address conflicts through enhanced conflict resolution mechanisms; improved communication channels within affected commu- nities and between government and com munity groups; and policy-oriented substantive discussions with inputs from key stakeholders.

Paper presented by Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder at a conference on "Integration of the Korean Peninsula: Framework for a Positive Future," co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hansun...

Paper presented by Center for U.S.-Korea Policy Director Scott Snyder at a conference on "Integration of the Korean Peninsula: Framework for a Positive Future," co-hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Hansun Foundation, and Chosun Ilbo, Seoul, Korea, April 8-9, 2010.