The Asia Foundation

A Report by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (July 2010)

The Report is an output of CCHR's Human Trafficking Trial Monitoring Sub-Project, supported by The Asia Foundation, and part of the wider CCHR Trial Monitoring Project. The...

A Report by the Cambodian Center for Human Rights (July 2010)

The Report is an output of CCHR's Human Trafficking Trial Monitoring Sub-Project, supported by The Asia Foundation, and part of the wider CCHR Trial Monitoring Project. The purpose of the sub-project is to monitor human trafficking trials in Cambodia in order to assess their fairness, for both the victims and the accused, against fair trial standards; and to assess the impact of recent legal developments aimed at combating human trafficking, including the Law on the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation 2008 (the "LHTSE"). CCHR aims to use the findings of the Report as a basis for dialogue with the judiciary and other relevant stakeholders, and hopes that the Report will serve as a useful tool for research and study related to human trafficking and fair trial rights in Cambodia.

The Survey on Good Local Governance is a 38-item survey that aims to obtain a broader data to help set the agenda for local government reforms. It covers the following: citizen perception on the quality of local government services, trust...

The Survey on Good Local Governance is a 38-item survey that aims to obtain a broader data to help set the agenda for local government reforms. It covers the following: citizen perception on the quality of local government services, trust rating of local officials and institutions, citizen satisfaction on local government services, public-private partnership and citizen participation, and citizen perception of corruption in local governments.

The Rapid Field Appraisal (RFA) was developed as a monitoring tool by the USAID-funded Local Development Assistance Program (LDAP), and produced a wealth of information that was intended "to give decision-makers in the Philippines a ground...

The Rapid Field Appraisal (RFA) was developed as a monitoring tool by the USAID-funded Local Development Assistance Program (LDAP), and produced a wealth of information that was intended "to give decision-makers in the Philippines a ground level feel of what was happening throughout the country in the process of Code implementation." This RFA focuses on the progress of decentralization on the ground, i.e., what the local governments have done in exercising the powers that were devolved to them as provided by the 1991 Local Government Code (LGC), as well as the benefits to the people that followed from them.

Worldwide, Gender Based Violence (GBV) is the leading cause of death of women between the ages of 19 and 44 – more than war, cancer, or car accidents. Apart from the individual suffering, it carries high a cost for society and is a major...

Worldwide, Gender Based Violence (GBV) is the leading cause of death of women between the ages of 19 and 44 – more than war, cancer, or car accidents. Apart from the individual suffering, it carries high a cost for society and is a major obstacle to development. This mapping is expected to inform the Gender Based Violence Complaints Handling and Monitoring Unit set up under the Office of the Prime Minister, government ministries, organizations working in the field of GBV, and various other stakeholders on the activities being carried out on GBV around the country and the key actors involved. Thus, this preliminary mapping is expected to set the groundwork for more extensive research to ensure that overlapping and duplication is considerably avoided and to contribute towards the designing of a holistic plan and support for effectively addressing GBV in Nepal.

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.

Books for Asia is a program of The Asia Foundation that regularly distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels in over 15 countries. Since it was first started in September 1954, Books for Asia has distributed more...

Books for Asia is a program of The Asia Foundation that regularly distributes books and other reading materials for all educational levels in over 15 countries. Since it was first started in September 1954, Books for Asia has distributed more than 41 million books and journals to more than 50,000 academic and non-academic institutions throughout Asia. In the Philippines alone, the Books for Asia Program has distributed over 13 million books and journals to public and private institutions across the country, as a contribution to national development, international understanding, and English-language literacy.

Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, is home to the country's largest concentration of Muslims. The region suffers from poor infrastructure, poverty, and violence that has claimed more than 120,000 lives in the last four decades. The...

Mindanao, in the southern Philippines, is home to the country's largest concentration of Muslims. The region suffers from poor infrastructure, poverty, and violence that has claimed more than 120,000 lives in the last four decades. The violence and rebellion derive from internal Christian migrations to the region, sectarian clashes, war against Muslim/Islam separatist insurgents, clan feuds, and unfulfilled hopes of peace and economic prosperity.