In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

On the heels of releasing its recommendations for the new U.S. administration – America’s Role in Asia – The Asia Foundation will co-sponsor the World Affairs Council’s 63rd Annual World Conference, “Global Priorities: Critical Choices for the Obama Administration.” On April 2-3, 2009, in San Francisco, political leaders, policymakers, scholars, and diplomats will gather to examine, and debate these issues at this turning point in U.S. history. Asia Foundation President Doug Bereuter will moderate a session on emerging economies, China, India, and sovereign wealth funds. William Cole, The Asia Foundation’s senior director for Governance, Law, and Civil Society will join a panel on state failure in Afghanistan. Co-sponsors receive a special discounted rate: sign up here for the member price. And for more information about the event, please visit the World Affairs Council website.

The toxic effects of arsenic contamination have been affecting the health of millions of people around the world, including in India, Nepal, Cambodia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and even the United States. In Bangladesh, where roughly half the population drinks contaminated water, this issue is a particularly heavy concern. The problem arose in the 1970s during efforts to provide an alternative to surface water, which is often highly contaminated with bacteria. Millions of tube wells were built in hopes of bypassing the bacteria-contaminated surface water and by accessing what was thought to be clean water. Unfortunately for the millions of Bangladeshis relying on tube wells for their water supply, many of the wells were found to have unearthed water contaminated by naturally occurring arsenic. Read more about this issue on Give2Asia’s blog.

Seema Khan is a Finance Associate with Give2Asia. She can be reached at skhan@give2asia.org. The below was originally printed in Give2Asia’s blog, Giving Forum.

Only a few hours’ drive from Laos’s capital of Vientiane, Vang Vieng is a small but growing town, and one of the country’s most popular ecotourism destinations. Here, the Nam Song River is the center of life. People from around the globe travel to Vang Vieng to enjoy kayaking, tubing, fishing, caving, and trekking along the river and its surrounding limestone cliffs. While local tourism and agriculture businesses thrive off the pristine waters of the Nam Song, villagers rely on the river for their main sources of protein: fish and aquatic insects. Local communities’ livelihoods and the success of the ecotourism industry in Vang Vieng are inextricably linked to the river’s health and surrounding ecosystems.

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How do you solve a problem like corruption? Do you catch the corrupt and pin them down?  Not necessarily, if you ask the cities of Calapan, Iriga, Roxas, Santiago, Sorsogon, and Tacloban in the Philippines. They do it differently. These cities have found a way to counter possible occasions of corruption through the The Asia Foundation’s Localizing Counter-Corruption project, which is supported by the British Embassy in Manila.

These cities do it in three ways. They institute reforms in selected government systems and procedures – streamlining processes and often digitizing them to lessen human intervention. They also open themselves up for partnership with NGOs and the private sector, boosting the confidence of those who demand transparency and accountability. And they implement a 12-month program called Public Service Excellence, Ethics, and Accountability Program (PSEEAP), to complement their reform efforts. PSEEAP promotes transparency in service delivery, strengthens the accountability of local bureaucrats, and encourages a customer-oriented culture in the delivery of basic services.

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History will record November 2008 as the crucial turning point for launching a new global order. No one knows what would exactly be the form of that order, but everyone seems to be in agreement that the existing international order cannot be sustained in light of two stunning developments. First, troubles in the U.S. financial market ignited a global economic crisis of historic magnitude. Second, the election of Barack Obama offered the United States a fresh opportunity to rejuvenate her status as the pre-eminent global leader in shaping a new international order.

These two developments within the United States have given the world cause for both despair and hope. The current economic crisis is so serious that there seems to be no promising way to overcome it in the foreseeable future. Thus it is a cause for despair. Yet President Obama is enjoying widespread support at home and abroad as a leader – perhaps the only leader – who could and should mobilize a global consensus to transform the international order in both economic and political spheres, and thereby put the world back on the path of global development.

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Cambodia has over 13 million people, but currently, less than 2 percent have regular access to the Internet. Cambodia’s official language is Khmer, but these Cambodians who chat, e-mail, and blog on the Internet – and the approximately 23 percent of Cambodians who text with their mobile phones – find it easier to use English. While low Internet penetration, language barriers, and technical issues with using the Khmer scripts limit the amount of Cambodians who can engage in online dialogue, those Cambodians who are entering the international blogosphere are breaking a pattern of devastating silence and isolation.

The former King (or King Father), Norodom Sihanouk, now 86,  makes regular postings about Cambodia’s past and present on his website. The former Prince – fluent in Khmer, French, and English – posts communiqués and reactions to media reports regularly. Originally launched in 2002, the King’s website became a new digital medium for global visitors.

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On January 29, 2009, in New Delhi, The Asia Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) convened top India and U.S. experts to examine U.S.-India relations under the new Obama Administration. The following is a summary of the day’s discussions and analysis prepared by CII.

Indian and American business leaders, academics, and journalists came together in late January to discuss and debate the “Future Direction of U.S. Relations with India and the Region” in New Delhi. Organized by The Asia Foundation and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the discussion focused on the Foundation’s recent report, “America’s Role in Asia: Asian and American Views” and highlighted issues needing attention to strengthen U.S.-India relations under the new U.S. Administration. The discussions covered deepening trade and commerce links, collaborating on technology innovations to address climate change, and developing counter-terrorism strategies, and ensuring stability in Asia. Given the sheer size and economic weight of Asia – and with India emerging as a major player – America’s future is inextricably linked to the region.

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March 8 is celebrated around the world as International Women’s Day. This historic day reminds us that the long struggle of the women’s movement for equal rights has not been easy and, in fact, is not yet over. In Indonesia, the theme for the 2009 International Women’s Day was “Supporting Women Candidates for Parliament.”  Indeed, as the country will conduct legislative elections on April 9th, electing representatives for national, provincial, and district level legislatures, this theme is very timely and appropriate.

In the Indonesian context, the theme is highly relevant. Women are still extremely under-represented in public and political institutions in Indonesia. At present, Indonesia only has four female ministers out of 34 cabinet members. Out of 33 governors across the country, there is only one elected female governor. Indonesia only has one female Supreme Court judge, and there are only 63 women members in the National Parliament (DPR) out of the total 550 representatives.

One may argue, and many have done so, that the sex of a member of parliament (MP) or a minister is not important. However, the reality on the ground shows that there are very few men who are sensitive to women’s issues and are able to bring the interests of women and marginalized citizens into the center of political discussions at the Parliament or in the cabinet.

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On February 25 – 26, 2009, participants from 11 municipalities in Mindanao gathered to share their different initiatives in making local resources work for effective governance.

One of the basic challenges to good governance in the Philippines is the ability of local governments to mobilize and manage local resources effectively to deliver quality services. Local governments can explore alternative and additional sources of income to finance and basic services for citizens.

In 1991, the Philippines initiated a historic process that resulted in the devolution of significant authority, responsibility, and government personnel to the local level. Under the Local Government Code of 1991, vital government services – health, social welfare, and agriculture – were entrusted to local governments. Local governments have become responsible for stimulating local development by restoring economic livelihoods, and supporting local businesses through more coherent land use and development plans.

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Roderick Brazier gives a touching farewell to a dedicated Asia historian and fellow countryman, Andrew Symon.  The below is an excerpt and link to the full article in The Jakarta Post.

Late in 1996, a disheveled beanpole of a man approached me in the Jakarta offices of The Castle Group (now Castle Asia). Sweaty, and panting after a walk through Jakarta’s mad streets, Andrew Symon was eager to tell me about his just-completed report on Indonesia’s chronic infrastructure failures. Before he’d even introduced himself, Andrew was worriedly bemoaning Indonesia’s creaking bridges, potholed roads and corrupt ports. He shook his head in sorrow at the emergent bottleneck that would surely crimp economic growth.

Read the full op-ed in the The Jakarta Post. 

Roderick Brazier is The Asia Foundation’s Country Representative in Cambodia. He can be reached at rbrazier@asiafound.org.