With presidential elections in the island nation of the Maldives approaching in September, anxiety over an increase in gang-led violence is on the rise, despite the Maldives Police Service having successfully reduced crime on the streets of the capital, Male, in recent months. As in most fledgling democracies, political uncertainty can breed violent acts in an effort to achieve narrow political gains. The Maldives is no exception – just last year, the country was torn by weeks of political violent protests on the streets, and clashes between the police and protesters ending with the unexpected resignation of President Mohamed Nasheed. This uncertainty, combined with social issues such as high unemployment and rising cases of domestic violence, have resulted in a significant number of people joining gangs.

Last year, The Asia Foundation conducted a seminal study that revealed the diverse reasons why people join gangs, including unemployment, a need to belong, a search for brotherhood and identity, drugs, desire for an affluent lifestyle, and bullying at school. The study indicated that there are 20 to 30 violent gangs in Male with 50 to 400 members each. The findings also suggest that due to high levels of domestic violence, divorce, and broken homes, joining gangs has become a popular choice for Maldivian youth looking outside of traditional family structures for support and protection. Since then, the Foundation has been piloting a series of programs in partnership with the Maldives Institute for Psychological Services, Training, and Research (MIPSTAR), a local civil society organization, to counter the growth of gang-related violence. Since the program began in September 2012, 34 gang members from 11 different gangs from across the city of Male, some of whom were gang leaders, have voluntarily registered for the program and have been actively engaged since its inception. While this sampling is small, the preliminary results have been positive.

Gang members visit Kudabandos island, an hour-long ferry ride from Male, for a workshop organized by MIPSTAR.

Monthly meetings with the police to discuss grievances and strategies to address potential violence serve as a fulcrum to bring all gang members together. They come dressed neatly; arriving promptly to discuss among themselves the key issues that they would like to highlight in the monthly meeting with senior representatives from the Maldives Police Service. In the meeting last month, *Azim, who has been involved in gangs since he was 16 and is now a senior member, pointed out frustration over police harassment on the streets and arrests without evidence. He also said that being labeled a gang member results in closer scrutiny by the police officers, which he said was acceptable as long as they are not wrongfully arrested for crimes not committed by them.

These meetings with the police result in some honest reflection, with both parties proactively collaborating to find solutions to their respective challenges. The discussions reveal that one of the root causes for harassment and wrongful arrests were the beat police officers (police constables and sergeants who are permanently assigned to a neighborhood) who tend to view all gang members with suspicion and hostility. To help mitigate this, MIPSTAR is beginning to organize regular meetings with the beat officers to bridge the relationship between gangs and the police officers patrolling the streets of the city. While the program is still new, we hope that it will also contribute to addressing the trust deficit, which currently runs high.

The gang members also participate in vocational training courses of their choice, which is a mandatory feature of the program. The courses range from training to be a water sport and diving instructor, tour guide, and computer programmer to completing formal education. *Ahmed Mahruf, a past gang member who recently completed his three-month water sports course, said that as a water sport instructor he is ensured of a job with a good salary. Six such gang members, the majority of whom have criminal records, completed the water sports course last month and are currently employed as assistant instructors, under probation, with resorts close to Male. For them to secure regular jobs, the Maldives Police Service will issue a letter of recommendation to ensure their employability. This is a significant step as it helps drive down unemployment, one of the key issues perpetuating gang violence. The three most dangerous gang members as identified by the police are enrolled in O-Level (High School Diploma) programs and regularly seek individual counseling also offered in the program. They expressed that the present context is challenging. On the one hand, they want to engage actively in the program and reform themselves; but on the other hand, there is also a pressure to engage in illegal activities including contract violence.

The program also helps gang members form goals for their future and develop realistic plans to achieve them. This along with psychosocial support offered through individual and group counseling sessions which focus on understanding their interests and motivations, managing anger and frustration, and developing conflict resolution strategies to keep out violence, are critical for self-development.

The project office serves as a drop-in center for gang members participating in the program, and is open until midnight during the week. It provides them with their own space not only to hang out and discuss their concerns with each other and the counselors but also to support the implementation of the program. For example, Ahmed and Azim have developed a five-minute video slickly edited to showcase the session on how to develop new career skills. Azim regularly types out the monthly meeting notes with the police and other gang members. He is also supporting MIPSTAR with the study of gang violence in the two atolls of Laamu and Fuvamulah by bringing the local gang leaders and some of its members on board.

Though the program is in the early stages and the sampling very small, it is noteworthy that none of the 34 gang members associated with the program has committed a crime over the past seven months. Based on this pilot, the Foundation will soon expand the program to work with gangs in Laamu and Fuvamulah. While it’s too soon to tell for certain, based on what we’ve seen so far, we are hopeful that by reaching a far greater pool of potential and current gang members, this program can contribute to addressing some of the most pressing issues in the Maldives.

*Names have been changed for privacy.

Gita Sabharwal is The Asia Foundation’s deputy country representative in Sri Lanka. She can be reached at gsabharwal@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not necessarily those of The Asia Foundation.

Yesterday marked the 18th World Book and Copyright Day, first introduced by UNESCO in 1995, in celebration of books, authors, and the joys of reading. It’s also an occasion to reflect on the importance of education, especially as a driver of poverty reduction. The link between education and economic empowerment is undeniable; accordingly, governments, civil society, and the international donor community have made notable efforts to increase school enrollment and improve literacy rates around the world.

While literacy rates have improved vastly over the past decade in Cambodia, improvements in functional literacy are more uncertain. Photo/Karl Grobl

Despite advancements, an estimated 250 million children are still unable to read and write, and in some developing countries, 25-50 percent of students who have graduated from primary school cannot read a single sentence, according to the World Bank.

Unfortunately, Cambodia is no exception. While literacy rates have improved vastly over the past decade – according to the 2008 National Population Census, currently at about 78 percent among those aged 15 years or older – improvements in functional literacy (the ability to read, write, and calculate beyond basic skills) are more uncertain. In 1999, functional literacy was just 37 percent, in comparison to the basic literacy rate of 68 percent. Unsurprisingly, a third of Cambodians live below the national poverty line, which is 61 cents. Moreover, Cambodia’s improvement in literacy has not necessarily been equitable, with girls, the rural poor, and minorities still facing the most significant challenges.

The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has been committed to expanding educational opportunities and is party to several international initiatives, including the Millennium Development Goals and UNESCO’s Education for All. Nationally, the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport (MoEYS), as part of its Education Strategic Plan 2009-2013, has prioritized expanding early childhood education, non-formal education, technical and vocational training, and access to secondary and post-secondary education. To address disparities in literacy rates, MoEYS has designed and implemented inclusive policies such as bilingual education in provinces like Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri with a large minority population, scholarships for girls and students representing other vulnerable groups, and non-formal education opportunities for youth and adults that are not integrated into the public school system.

While these initiatives have had positive impact, Cambodia’s education system still faces numerous hurdles, including issues related to governance and quality of services at subnational levels. Cambodia also faces growing demand for a labor force fluent in English. In 2008, only 5 percent of the population had working knowledge of the English language. Inadequate resources, such as textbooks and facilities, contribute to the problem. With the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, which will establish a free trade zone among ASEAN member countries, English-language proficiency will be even more critical for Cambodia’s growth and development.

The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program, in partnership with the RGC and a network of NGOs, has distributed over 900,000 books and other educational materials to Cambodian universities, primary and secondary schools, NGOs, government ministries, and public libraries. Read more about Books for Asia in Cambodia.

Cham Soeun is a program officer for the Books for Asia program and Lisa H. Kim is program officer for The Asia Foundation in Cambodia. They can be reached at scham@asiafound.org and lkim@asiafound.org, respectively. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual authors and not those of The Asia Foundation.

In July 2012, five strangers – Ann Selvadurai, Sabina Martyn, Seshma Kumararatne, Sahani Chandraratna, and Sivashankar Krishnakumar – boarded a plane to Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, under the auspices of a unique Asia Foundation fellowship program. All they shared was a Sri Lankan heritage and a common desire to reconnect with the country that their parents once called home. Some six months later, the group returned to North America as best friends, each with an enhanced understanding of contemporary Sri Lanka and a tangible contribution to the country’s recovery efforts. They had become the first alumni of The Asia Foundation’s “LankaCorps” program.

The 2012 LankaCorps Fellows, left to right: Sabina Martyn; Seshma Kumararatne; Sahani Anne Chandraratna; Sivashankar Krishnakumar; and Ann Selvadurai.

The fellowship was designed with two main goals in mind: to provide young adults of Sri Lankan heritage the opportunity to professionally and personally engage with the development of post-conflict Sri Lanka, and to bridge the gap between the diaspora and Sri Lanka. Speak with any of the five inaugural alumni and they will tell you with great enthusiasm that the program was a success on both counts.

To bring greater attention and awareness to the fellowship program, The Asia Foundation’s Asian America Exchange Unit (the San Francisco-based team responsible for the promotion and joint-administration of the program) asked the fellows to share their experiences on a 48-hour “reunion tour” in San Francisco and Los Angeles from March 22-23. Having been apart since the conclusion of the program in December 2012, the fellows were excited about the prospect of reuniting, especially to help promote the program that brought them together. Their first stop was the Foundation’s headquarters in San Francisco, where they reflected on their time in Sri Lanka and engaged with staff and outside guests in a lively discussion on the country’s transition. In addition to giving the audience a flavor for their work with their various placements, the fellows shared anecdotes and observations about everything from harrowing experiences with Sri Lankan public transportation to reconciliation efforts in the northern regions of the country.

LankaCorps fellow, Sivashankar Krishnakumar (above), worked with the Northern Development Initiative, the Murali Cup, the Seenigama project in the South and with projects at the Foundation for Goodness head office in Colombo.

The next morning, the alumni, escorted by three Foundation staff including myself, made their way to the home of Naj and Gwen Nagendran in Los Angeles. The Nagendrans are longtime active members of the Sri Lankan overseas community and helped to make the first ever LankaCorps program possible. They generously hosted an event that brought together some 40 members of the Sri Lankan community to learn about LankaCorps and how to support the program. Those in the audience, particularly second generation Sri Lankans, seemed visibly moved by the presentation. After over 30 minutes of lively discussion, the fellows broke off into smaller groups, answering further questions about how to get involved with the program as applicants or donors.

Watching the diaspora community react to the fellows’ presentation, it became clear that the vision of LankaCorps had been realized: These young, second-generation Sri Lankans, having had only limited exposure to their country of origin, were now engaging with the Sri Lankan community about contemporary Sri Lanka on a personal level. By giving them the opportunity to take ownership of part of Sri Lanka’s post-conflict development, the fellows formed lifetime connections with their ancestral home and each other. In just a few months, another even larger group of strangers will depart to Colombo. A lasting relationship with Sri Lanka awaits them.

Read more about LankaCorps and learn how to support the program.

James Grant is a program assistant for The Asia Foundation’s Asian American Exchange unit in San Francisco. He can be reached at jgrant@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not necessarily those of The Asia Foundation.

The Asia Foundation’s Wendy Rockett (left) and other Beyond Access team members meet with Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burma MP Aung San Suu Kyi.

“We want Myanmar to be a knowledge-based society, a learning society. One that is very open, one where everyone is treated with respect.”

With these words, Dr. Aung Tun Thet, senior adviser at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office in Myanmar, kicked off Beyond Access’ salon in Yangon with this vision for the country’s future. Although Myanmar has a high literacy rate and the number of news outlets has exploded since the dismantlement of state censorship, school drop-out rates are high and access to information remains a challenge, particularly in rural areas. Electricity is often unreliable, even in Yangon, and only 1 percent of the country has internet. In order to identify new ways forward, a wide coalition of people ranging from librarians and community groups to international NGOs and aid agencies to technology, publishing, and education professionals gathered at the National Museum on Tuesday to discuss Myanmar’s pressing information needs.

Local organizations highlighted the difficulties faced by rural communities and suggested ways in which libraries could be revitalized to play a central role in educating and informing remote communities. Daw Cho Cho Aung, a representative from the Bayda Institute, pointed out there is a lack of books in the Myanmar language. “English books are very precious. But those who live in rural areas cannot read them, which is why Myanmar books are needed.” U Htoo Chit, director of Thabyay Education Foundation, added, “We need not only books, but we need to also raise awareness about the importance of reading.”

The library at Sint Gu, a remote village outside of Mandalay. As is typical in rural Burma, a community leader funded the construction of the library and a volunteer acts as the librarian. Photo/Wendy Rockett

May Moe New, managing director of the Myanmar Book Center, emphasized that libraries need to address the specific needs of the communities they serve: “If it’s a normal public library, people are not so interested to come. What we can do is provide everyday, up-to-date info in Myanmar language to these community centers in rural libraries at grassroots level.”

Technology was a hot topic of conversation. Martin of Kant Kaw Education Center suggested that equipping rural libraries with computers and internet access be prioritized. He pointed out that villagers often have “little or no current information on what’s happening inside Myanmar.”

Ed Anderson, The Asia Foundation’s program manager in Myanmar, suggested: “Instead of focusing library by library, book by book, we should look at the bigger picture.” He urged the group to “think beyond the building” and examine how libraries use technology to provide enhanced services. iG Publishing’s Dr. Aung Maw agreed: “We need to think about ways and means for access. Libraries are one of them. Radios and call centers are another means of accessing information.” He also suggested collating information central to people’s lives, such as news on agriculture, business, and health, from Myanmar’s numerous news journals and distributing them to remote communities via DVD. Journals are one of the main sources of information in the country. Other topics discussed included the importance of open government initiatives and public-private partnerships.

Monika Elbert of EIFL neatly summed up the main challenges facing library development in Myanmar, identified as the 5 c’s: connectivity, computers, content, competence of librarians, and community needs.

Editor’s note: This version has been edited slightly from the original.

As a Canadian of Sri Lankan heritage, I am part of the growing diaspora living in the West who grew up speaking English as my first language. Since arriving in Sri Lanka as a LankaCorps Fellow, I have been able to explore my “mother tongue,” taking lessons in both Tamil and Sinhala. In Sri Lanka, a nation embattled by decades of violent ethnic conflict, I have found that one’s identity is inextricably linked to language.

Language remains a strong dividing force among Sri Lanka’s population, comprised of 75 percent Sinhalese and 24 percent Tamil. Above, a police officer attends a Tamil-language training, supported by The Asia Foundation, in Vavuniya in the North. Photo/Karl Grobl

Sri Lanka’s population is comprised of 75 percent Sinhalese and 24 percent Tamil speakers (11% Sri Lankan Tamils, 9% Moors, and 4% Indian Tamils), with smaller communities of Malays, Burghers, and others. The Sri Lankan civil war, which ended in 2009, was triggered in part by the introduction of language policies that created divisions along ethnic and linguistic lines. In 1956, the Official Language Act No. 33 declared Sinhala as the only official language, replacing English which had been imposed under British colonial rule. In 1958, in response to the grievances of the Tamil-speaking people, the government passed the Tamil Language (Special Provisions) Act, in which Tamil was declared an official language in the Tamil-majority North and East. The 13th Amendment in 1987 to Article 18 of the 1978 Constitution stated that “the official language of Sri Lanka is Sinhala” while “Tamil shall also be an official language,” with English as a “link language.” While this recognized both Sinhala and Tamil as official languages, the wording was still contentious, as some perceived it as referring to Tamil in a secondary sense. In response, in 1988, the 16th Amendment to the constitution corrected the position by stating, “Sinhala and Tamil shall be the languages of administration throughout Sri Lanka.”

The integral role of language in the post-conflict reconciliation process was acknowledged in the 2011 report produced by the Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), appointed by the Sri Lankan Government. The report, which itself was initially released in English and only became available in Sinhala and Tamil languages in August 2012, includes these recommendations:

• The learning of each other’s languages should be made a compulsory part of the school curriculum. This would be a primary tool to ensure attitudinal changes amongst the two communities. Teaching Tamil to Sinhala children and Sinhala to Tamil children will result in greater understanding of each other’s cultures.

• The proper implementation of the language policy and ensuring trilingual (Sinhala, Tamil, and English) fluency of future generations becomes vitally important. A trilingual education will allow children from very young days to get to understand each other.

In fact, some action has been taken to achieve the goals of the LLRC report. The government has implemented a number of institutional mechanisms, including the creation of the Department of Official Languages, the Official Languages Commission, and the Ministry of National Languages and Social Integration, which leads official language implementation at the national level. The Ministry in turn has introduced island-wide language training and incentive programs for government offices to learn the official languages, intensified language training programs, and appointed several hundred officers at district and local levels to coordinate implementation  of the official language policy. The National Languages Project supports translator training programs and increased citizen access to services in their national language of choice, and is developing smaller-scale language policy implementation models at selected government institutes which interact with the public. Meanwhile, local and international NGOs are supporting the language policy through community awareness building and education, lobbying and monitoring, and other smaller-scale language projects.

While these initiatives demonstrate commitment to LLRC recommendations, language remains a strong dividing force in the country. Technically, government services are required to be available in each of the official languages; however, a common complaint is that forms are often only available in a single language and that translators are often unavailable. To achieve trilingualism, it is necessary to provide high-quality language instruction in English, Sinhala, and Tamil. However, not only is this expensive, Sri Lanka also lacks enough qualified instructors to do so. Civil society participation in the large-scale implementation of the national language policy needs to be strengthened, as do the monitoring and follow-up activities being carried out to improve the effectiveness of the government’s programs.

Through my experience as a LankaCorps Fellow with the National Water Supply & Drainage Board (NWS&DB), I’ve seen how valuable multilingualism can be. While the large majority of workplace operations are completed in Sinhala, as a national body, the NWS&DB is also responsible for providing services to Tamil-speaking areas, making it necessary to be able to communicate in Tamil. In addition, because many projects are funded or completed in partnership with international governments or aid organizations, the ability to communicate in English is also required.

A common theory in Sri Lanka is that the key to unifying the country as well as making sure that students are able to compete in a globalized economy is to introduce English as the sole, universal language of instruction, rather than the current separate streams for Sinhala, Tamil, and English instruction. While knowledge of English is a definite asset, it is also important that the next generation of Sri Lankans grow up learning to speak the two national languages. For example, in my discussions with local NGOs about community development, I have heard Tamil and Sinhala conversations peppered with English words such as “capacity building,” “sustainability,” and “livelihoods.”  This shows that already some concepts are being carried forward in English rather than the native Sri Lankan languages, affecting the transfer of ideas between native speakers.

The LLRC recommendation for trilingualism is a lofty goal, but a worthwhile one. Language is a tool for cultivating a culture of trust and understanding, and the ability to communicate with someone in their mother tongue is an invaluable step toward healing ethnic divides to achieve lasting peace.

Read more about The Asia Foundation’s LankaCorps program.

Sabina Martyn is a 2012 LankaCorps Fellow, working with the National Water Supply and Drainage Board on water supply projects. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual authors and not those of The Asia Foundation.

When I first met Pandju Merali at his home in Seal Beach, California, in 2010, he told me a story about his life, which is recorded in his memoir, From Africa 2 America. Mr. Merali talked about what it was like growing up as a child of Indian descent in the Congo in the early 1900s. When he turned six, his father and mother tried to enroll him into one of the two schools in Kalemie. But because he was neither white nor black, he was not allowed to attend, and thus had no formal education. Later, when he started his business career he hired women in the Congo to cut wood.  The women had not had the chance to gain an education, and he recognized that they had few options to improve their own and their family’s lives. These two experiences – himself being denied access to education and observing how few opportunities women had due to lack of education – became a driving force behind his philanthropy, which he dedicated  to giving girls from low-income families in developing countries the chance to get an education and open up a path to a brighter future.

Mr. Merali became a very successful businessman, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and founded the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation in honor of his late wife, Shirin, to provide scholarships to young women in the developing world. Since 2010, The Asia Foundation has partnered with the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation to provide young women from low-income backgrounds with scholarships to pursue university degrees in hard and social sciences and technology – fields where women are severely underrepresented. Since the program began, it has grown to now support hundreds of young women in Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

With sincere gratitude, The Asia Foundation remembers Pandju Merali, whose legacy will live on in the young women whose lives are being transformed by his generosity, with positive repercussions for their children and families for generations to come.  In this slideshow, we share some of the stories of incredible young women who, thanks to scholarships from the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, are attending leading universities across Asia, and studying to become the next generation’s scientists, engineers, innovators, teachers, and more.

Carol Yost is the director of The Asia Foundation’s Women’s Empowerment Programs in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at cyost@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

Immediately following the recent release of the much-anticipated 2012 Survey of the Afghan People,

In this year’s survey, a majority of Afghans say that their families are more prosperous today than they were during the Taliban era, with, interestingly, more women than men saying so. What kinds of changes and developments do you think have contributed to this apparent feeling of greater prosperity?

This year, we saw a rise in a couple of areas that indicate that people have better access to basic needs, including schools (51% compared to 46% in 2011) and an overwhelming majority with access to drinking water. Financial well being is up seven points to 50 percent, health of family members is on the rise at 42 percent, and freedom of movement is a high 72 percent.

I think that greater participation of women in the political process, economic development, and increased access to education have also contributed significantly to an overall feeling of greater prosperity. While women’s rights issues still remain a grave challenge in Afghanistan, in the past few years, women have become more vocal about some issues, including violence against women. Greater women’s participation and involvement in governance, civil society, and social life has helped generate broader awareness of these issues among women and men, which has in turn influenced policy and decision-making.

There have also been some efforts from the government such as the establishment in 2006 of the family response unit within the police department and the strengthening of women affairs directorates. Recently, civil society and women activists have had more influence on policy and decision-making and media have been playing a key role in helping these voices reach the greater public.

Six years ago, you opened a private school in your neighborhood, one of Kabul’s most heavily populated districts. What is your reaction to the survey findings that cite access to schools as being one of two areas in which most Afghans report improvements over the past year?

That’s right, and we are still managing the school successfully. I certainly see the improvements in education that respondents indicate in the survey: 77 percent expressed satisfaction on availability of education services, while 89 percent expressed satisfaction with the government’s performance in this sector.

Although the number of girls in school is still smaller than the number of boys, there is more acceptance for girls’ education among families today than in the past, they have recognized that by educating their children, and specially their daughters, they have a greater shot at prosperity and a better future.

Unfortunately, there is a big divide between rural and city areas. Generally, the urban population has better access to education and greater freedom of movement. Also, the focus of development projects has always started in the urban areas, whether by the government or the international community organizations. While the challenges may vary, a lack of qualified teachers – particularly women – exists all over the country.

The Directorate of Women’s Affairs is by far the institution most frequently identified by Afghans as a place where women can go for assistance with their problems, and in 2012 it was cited at twice the rate as in 2011. What changes have you noticed in Afghanistan’s institutions?

I think the Directorate of Women Affairs’ (DoWA) role and mandate is more clearly understood by the government institutions and public in comparison to previous years. As we see from the survey, just over half of the respondents see the DoWA as the place where women can go for assistance. Indeed, there has been a lot of focus and support to strengthen the capacities of the DoWA in recent years and we see the impact of such efforts in the survey findings. Greater engagement and partnership with civil society and the DoWA has also been critical in strengthening its role in society and for women.

What do you think are the biggest accomplishments that Afghan women have made over the last decade? What are the biggest challenges ahead?

Women’s political participation is the biggest achievement over the past decade. We currently have 68 women members of Parliament in the Lower House, 28 senators in the Upper House, three women ministers, a female governor, director of the Human Rights Commission, a female director of the Red Crescent, and nine women are members of the High Peace Council.

The biggest challenges ahead for women will be improving the legal framework to provide greater protection for women’s rights in the society. Violence against women at all levels of society still remains a great challenge and concern. This year, we have witnessed disturbing cases of violence and loss of life for women leaders. In July, Hanifa Safi, director of Women’s Affairs in of Laghman province, was killed by a car bomb. The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has registered 3,000 cases of violence against women in the first six months of this year.

There is a dire need for more awareness of the laws, particularly the 2009 Elimination of Violence against Women (EVAW) law, and also improvement of existing laws in favor of women’s rights to ensure that these rights are safeguarded. Legislative processes need to be more consultative with the civil society to address women’s issues in the process of lawmaking and amending the existing laws.

It’s critical that all bodies of government and civil society work together to ensure that the achievements of the past decade are upheld, particularly during the transition.

Speaking of transition, as the country transfers security to Afghan control, what are your greatest concerns?

While there is confidence in the Afghan national security forces, it is widely understood that they still require training and are under-equipped to take full responsibility for security, particularly in the most volatile and insecure regions of the country.

Seventy-nine percent of respondents indicated that corruption is a major problem at the national level, while unemployment at the national level is at 27 percent, and 29 percent ranked this as their first concern. These are my major concerns as well, as these issues will be contributing factors to Afghanistan’s economy and security.

And, as a woman, I’m also concerned about upholding and promoting further progress of the achievements of women in the past 10 years.

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. In many ways, the survey findings reflect the more somber headlines coming out of Afghanistan daily: security and corruption continue to plague communities, and are sources of enormous concern. Despite these realities, the survey also reveals a strong yearning among Afghans for things like greater job opportunities and access to education which are direly needed to move their society forward.

This year, 52 percent of respondents said the country is “moving in the right direction.” However, security, unemployment, and corruption remain major concerns.

This year’s survey included 6,290 face-to-face interviews with respondents in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, revealing perceptions of national mood, security, reconciliation and reintegration, economy, development and service delivery, government performance, corruption, political participation, the justice system, women and society, and access to information technology.

This year, 52 percent of respondents said the country is “moving in the right direction” (up from 46 percent last year). As in other years, some originally identified survey sampling points in 2012 had to be replaced for security reasons; thus, respondents living in highly insecure areas (who might be more pessimistic about the overall direction of the country) are likely to be underrepresented. When asked the reason for their optimism, security was cited 41 percent of the time. For the 31 percent who felt the country is “moving in the wrong direction,” insecurity was cited as the reason for their pessimism 39 percent of the time. Additionally, nearly half of the respondents (48%) stated that they feared for their personnel safety. Clearly perceptions of security are a major determinant of the national mood and sense of well-being.

Unemployment is also identified as one of the biggest problems at the local level, cited by 29 percent of respondents. Other critical local-level problems include lack of electricity (25%), roads (20%), and drinking water (18%). Lack of job opportunities is also cited as the second-largest problem facing women, behind access to education and illiteracy.

It is significant that unemployment shows up among the top three problems facing the country at the national and local levels and has increased over last year’s survey. This is indicative of growing economic challenges facing the country with a demographic “youth bulge” (the average age of the population is 16), an unemployment rate already at about 35 percent, and signs of an economic downturn evident in the growing loss of jobs dependent on international development spending, such as the Provincial Reconstruction Teams set up around the country to support development which are now closing. In addition, 50 percent of the respondents state that the financial situation of their household is the second-biggest determinate of their overall perception of well-being.

As in previous surveys conducted by the Foundation, corruption continues to be perceived as a major problem affecting confidence in government and personal well-being. This year, 87 percent of respondents cited corruption as a problem in their daily life, and 69 percent said that government was doing a “bad job” fighting corruption.

Despite these challenges in security, unemployment, and corruption for which the survey participants largely hold the government responsible, sympathy for armed, anti-government groups has dropped significantly, from 22 percent in 2009 to 10 percent in 2012. The most often cited reason for the drop in lack of sympathy is that armed opposition groups are perceived to be “killing innocent people.”

Opinions of security, employment, and corruption have the biggest impact on perceptions of national mood regarding government performance and personal well-being. While these three factors still present the biggest challenge to government, people recognize the government’s achievements in the areas of education, maintaining security in some areas, and general reconstruction. Most importantly, sympathy for armed opposition to the government continues to fall. As the Afghan Government takes control of the nation’s security, it will be even more critical that this sentiment continues in this direction.

The 2012 Survey was conducted with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Mark Kryzer is The Asia Foundation’s country representative in Afghanistan. He can be reached at mkryzer@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

The streets of Kabul were packed as usual with cars as women scurried by in the street covering their faces with their headscarves to keep out the dust. But today, traffic was much worse than usual due to a new minister traveling in his convoy of armored cars flanked by heavily armed men. Despite Kabul’s growth and international presence, public streets are still very much male territory and most women still feel uncomfortable walking around. I watched this familiar scene from the office window of one of Afghanistan’s most prominent human rights activists, Hangama Anwari. Hangama very much represents the “other side” of female life in Afghanistan – the powerful, confident side not often seen in the news.

Despite gains, the streets of Afghanistan are still intimidating for most women. Photo/Janet Ketcham

Hangama now works with young Afghan women and men to promote respect for women’s rights. Hangama completed her degree in Law and Political Science at the University of Balkh and later moved to Kabul where she began her career as an advisor on women and children’s rights.

The streets outside Hangama’s office are clearly a man’s world, but in marked contrast, the atmosphere within the confines of the capital’s universities has visibly improved when it comes to women. Enrollment in universities is increasing for women – rising from nearly 13,000 in 2008 to nearly 16,000 in 2010 – who walk confidently around chatting to their friends and actively participating in classes with a confidence often surprising to visitors from outside the country.

In The Asia Foundation’s just-launched 2012 Survey of the Afghan People, education consistently ranks as one of the key areas that Afghans identify as an area of both improvement and need. In fact, 87 percent of respondents said that women and men should have equal opportunities in education. This is very good news. What’s not so good, however, is that women are still markedly underrepresented in leadership positions, such as teachers and politicians. The survey found that less than half (45 percent) of the population believes that females and males should have equal representation in political leadership positions. And while 53 percent agree that women should decide for themselves how to vote, many still say that men should play some role in advising or influencing women’s choices at the ballot box.

Starting in 2012, The Asia Foundation has been conducting training in Leadership, Peace- Building, and Conflict Resolution in the women’s and men’s dormitories at Kabul University, with Hangama as the trainer. As in most countries, the university students are traditionally known as being activists, and the dormitories can be political hotspots as different ethnic groups strive to live together and complete their studies in relative peace.

The trainings are also challenging concepts of leadership. They are helping the students see that they need to value the opinions of all to make a difference. When I spoke with Hangama, she told me that women are not so pressured by political parties, perhaps because they are seen as less important in the political process of the country. Both women and men initially saw the term “leader” as someone who is in control, unreachable, and according to the women, “definitely male and preferably tall.”

Hangama works with the students to encourage them to see themselves as leaders who can one day make positive changes in their classes, families, and communities. And, shifting this perception is critical in increasing women’s leadership:  in the survey, 80 percent of women and 55 of men say women should be able to work outside the home, but this number has slightly decreased over the last eight years. Hangama raises this trend as an issue for discussion sessions during the classes.

The classes on conflict management are the ones Hangama finds most interesting. She encourages the young men and women to focus on how smaller conflicts build up to bigger ones and that solving them is valuable for moving a peaceful society forward. Around half the survey respondents say they sometimes fear for the safety of themselves and their friends and family. “War” and “terrorism” seem impossible for university students to solve, but connecting it with increased respect for others and more informed negotiation skills is attainable.

On September 26, 90 women received their training certificates. One of the participants told me that the training had changed her perspective on who can be a leader and had given her confidence to manage issues with her professors, classmates, and even her dorm roommates.

The case studies in the training materials are mostly related to women’s issues. Hangama thought hard about whether to adjust them for the training in the men’s dorm, then decided to keep them as they are. She is adamant that nothing will change for women unless men are also educated to create a supportive environment for girls and women to grow up, study, and work in.

Last week, Hangama went to the men’s dormitory to facilitate a training and the guard at the gate didn’t want to let her in, as he couldn’t believe a woman was coming into such male territory to train them in leadership. One of the participants was walking by and explained to the guard that the training was useful for them and that Hangama was welcome.

Slightly more than half of the survey respondents in 2012 said that the country is moving in the right direction. By improving their leadership skills, these young people in the dormitories at Kabul University are no doubt helping to move Afghanistan forward.

Fiona Rowand is The Asia Foundation’s education program director in Afghanistan. She can be reached at frowand@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

Rangoon shimmers under a blue sky in mid-October, but the gentle breezes announcing the coming end of the year soften the edge of the heat and allow for the day to ease gracefully into the evening. The city is more spread out than one would expect, with tree-lined streets wrapping around lakes and gardens, watched over by the great Shwedagon pagoda with its gilded stupa. Many of the taxis have seen better days, ambling along with their windows down.

Burma’s iconic Shwedagon pagoda reflects off of a lake in the capital, Rangoon. Photo/Flickr user Ko Aung

Coming from Vietnam, it took me a while to register a much lower level of traffic noise without the constant beeping of car horns and the whooshing sound of an impatient army of motorbikes trying to bypass everything in their way. Motorbikes are not allowed in Rangoon, the taxi driver said; they are too dangerous with many cars around.

But the somnolent air is deceptive. Signs of construction are visible with new buildings and shops dotting the streets of Rangoon, and hotels and restaurants are overflowing with tourists and businessmen. A sense of movement permeates the conversations we had with educators, legal experts, civic leaders, government officials, and domestic and international analysts about the wide-ranging set of reforms Burma (also known as Myanmar) is undertaking. These are heady days for the country, with the government and the Parliament engaging in an extraordinary lawmaking agenda. In the past year and a half, Burma has passed more than 30 laws in more than 10 substantive areas, ranging from election and political parties to banking and finance to environmental protection. Vestiges of the old regime are being dismantled; at the end of August the government announced the abolition of media censorship after being in effect for almost 50 years. A new media law is being discussed, under which the citizens of Burma may finally have the choice of private daily newspapers. The pace and depth of the changes being discussed are breathtaking.

Signs of recent growth and construction are evident on the streets of Rangoon. Photo/David Kim

Resources and capacity are still very real issues, however. The needs of the country’s intellectual and institutional structure are considerable and appear to be on everyone’s minds. Universities are in need of books and journals and facility improvements, but updated research and teaching methodologies will also be required for educators to properly train a new generation of young people confident of their places in society, in the region, as well as in the world. Government ministries are racing to prepare for a Burma without media censorship, the competitive rigor of a more open economy, and the regional and international demands as Burma assumes the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014. Civil society organizations are finding ways to engage with Parliament, political parties, and government at both national and local levels in this new phase, going beyond service delivery to advocate for their work and for the people and communities they serve. In so many areas, basic capacity-building will have to be carried out at the same time as complex solutions are devised and implemented to address economic growth, political stability, and social cohesion within a democratic framework.

The reality is that Burma’s strong English language base has deteriorated over the decades from isolation and suspicion of the West, and so the opening process does not mean critical information can reach the public easily, but instead must be rendered through translation both in substance as well as language, given the country’s large number of ethnic groups. More importantly, the rapid pace of change carries risks of which many in Burma are well aware. Democratic transition takes time to be established and consolidated, while reforms of this magnitude require a high capacity for change management in government and bureaucracy. This challenging context for reforms also needs to take into account a Parliament with political parties new to the process of constructive debate and governing. Serious macro economic reforms and long-running, violent ethnic conflicts have to be tackled if Burma is to chart a new development narrative, and growth is needed to gain public support for the reform process as well as financing it.

For all of these challenges, it is the extraordinary frankness and passion of the discussions we have had with many in Burma, both inside and outside government, which underscores the one common desire:  to fundamentally address systemic problems that are so intertwined that past efforts to resolve them piecemeal have ended in failure. Time is a luxury because so much time has been lost, and the risks are worth taking because this is a particular time in the country’s history to seize the moment for a long-awaited transformation.

This week, President Thein Sein signed the Foreign Investment Law that emphasizes Burma’s commitment to an open economy and an investor-friendly business environment. This was achieved only after an intense period of debate, and there will be many more such debates to come as the country considers what should be at the heart of the new Burma. The abstract principles of democracy need to be translated into tangible benefits of reforms affecting people’s daily lives from health to education to infrastructure between now and the 2015 elections, and hopefully the new Foreign Investment Law will play an important part in that process. “Positive frustration” is how one Burmese intellectual characterized the current situation and the work at hand, which nicely captures both the remarkable sense of hope as well as the palpable sense of urgency.

The author has made several visits to Burma and was part of an Asia Foundation delegation to Burma in October led by President David D. Arnold. Read more about the visit; see slideshow of meetings at the presidential palace with President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar U Thein Sein in Nay Pyi Taw.

Kim N. B. Ninh is The Asia Foundation’s country representative in Vietnam. She can be reached at kninh@asiafound.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.