In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

Last week in Nay Pyi Taw, H.E. U Zin Yaw, Myanmar’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Asia Foundation President David Arnold signed an MOU marking the Foundation’s expansion of programs to support Myanmar’s democratic transition and plans to re-establish a resident office in the country. The Foundation also announced the appointment of Dr. Kim [...]

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The Asia Foundation just released its annual report, a review of the past year’s work and the culminating output of a year-long collaborative process to refresh its mission, vision, and values after nearly 60 years at work. Read highlights from each country office on how – as its new mission states – the Foundation is [...]

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On May 9-10, The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the Lowy Institute, Australian National University, and the University of Melbourne, will bring together leading experts at the University of Melbourne to examine the rise of Asia, the future of aid, and post-2015 development framework. The Foundation’s VP Gordon Hein will chair session one. Read more.

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The Asia Foundation sponsors the first Annual Himalayan Film Festival May 15-19 in Berkeley, CA. Showcasing a diverse collection of films, the festival will explore themes of compassion, conflict, occupation, love, peace, migration, environmental justice and human rights. View the complete listing of festival films, and join us Wednesday, May 15, 7:00 pm – opening [...]

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On May 1, acclaimed travel writer, historian, and journalist William Dalrymple will speak at the Mechanic’s Institute in San Francisco on his newest book, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan, called by critics: “the definitive analysis of the First Anglo-Afghan War, told through the lives of unforgettable characters on all sides and using, [...]

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With a special focus on climate change, The Asia Foundation and the Korea Development Institute last week convened 25 government officials, policy specialists, and development experts from more than 10 countries in Seoul for the 8th meeting of the Asian Approaches to Development Cooperation (AADC) dialogue series. Stay tuned for analysis in next week’s blog [...]

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On April 23, The Asia Foundation’s Washington, D.C., office in cooperation with USAID and UNDP, will bring together senior government officials and policy specialists from China, India, Indonesia, and South Korea for a high-level panel discussion on Asian approaches to development cooperation, post-2015 challenges, and the importance of emerging donors to future policy making. Space [...]

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Read about The Asia Foundation’s brand-new partnership with Beyond Access, an international coalition of organizations funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that draws attention to libraries that are powering development in their communities, and helps to strengthen their capacity through training and technical assistance. The Foundation recently participated in a Beyond Access needs [...]

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More than 75 percent of Asia-Pacific countries lack water security, and compared to other regions, South Asia is a hot spot where inequity of access to water is the highest. The Asia Foundation recently concluded a study on the political economy of the Teesta River Basin, in partnership with civil society organizations in India and [...]

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Democratic transition in Burma/Myanmar has so far been peaceful, rapid, and encouraging. The world is watching in anticipation to see whether these developments will result in greater political participation and economic opportunity for the nation’s people. On April 2 at California State University in Sacramento, Asia Foundation President David Arnold joins the University’s distinguished experts, [...]

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