In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

This month, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was at the center of a flurry of diplomatic activity as members gathered in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh for the annual summit meeting, as well as a series of high-level “ASEAN plus” meetings…

> More

While leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) met in Phnom Penh on November 18 for the 21st ASEAN Summit, concerns over the prospect of a unified ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) for 2015 spilled over into smaller discussions among the business…

> More

Immediately following the recent release of the much-anticipated 2012 Survey of the Afghan People, In Asia editor Alma Freeman spoke with Asia Foundation governance and education specialist in Kabul, Roohafza Ludin, for her reaction to the survey findings.

> More

On November 25, Nepal’s government released a report on gender-based violence that revealed some disturbing findings:  nearly half of the women respondents have experienced violence in their lifetime. Launched by the Gender Empowerment and Coordination Unit (GECU) in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) with support from The Asia Foundation [...]

> More

On Nov. 29, ADB Managing Director General Rajat M. Nag appeared in conversation with Asia Foundation President David Arnold at the World Affairs Council in San Francisco. They discussed Asia’s rapid growth, the widening gap between rich and poor, and challenges to the region’s stability. Watch video.

> More

“Is Afghanistan headed in the right direction?” For in-depth, province-by-province data on what Afghans think of this and other questions on security, reconciliation, and unemployment from The Asia Foundation’s just-launched 2012 Survey of the Afghan People, visit the Foundation’s interactive “Visualizing Afghanistan” interactive site. You can click to compare data from seven years across different [...]

> More

On November 14, The Asia Foundation released the results of its eighth annual Survey of the Afghan People in Kabul and Washington, D.C. The survey is the most comprehensive and credible nationwide public opinion poll available to the Afghan Government, international donor community, NGOs, and other institutions working for the improved welfare of the Afghan people.

> More

Last week, Barack Obama was re-elected to serve a second term as president of the United States. President Obama’s first trip abroad since his re-election will be to Southeast Asia from November 17-20 to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS), the regional grouping of 18 Asian-Pacific nations, including the United States…

> More

For the most part, Afghanistan is portrayed today as violent and war-torn and with an ineffective and corrupt government. The consensus seems to be that there is little hope that the country will hold together or defend itself against the Taliban and other terrorists after U.S. and NATO combat troops leave two years hence.

> More

Let’s face it – the women activists of Afghanistan, along with the international community’s support, have done a pretty good job of achieving critical gains for women. For example, we have three women in our cabinet, we have almost 30 percent women in our parliament and women in parliament are the most active participants…

> More