INASIA
Insights and Analysis
Thinking and Working Politically, a Conversation with Jaime Faustino
Since early 2012, The Asia Foundation’s Coalitions for Change project in the Philippines has been rocking the emerging discipline of “thinking and working politically,” which is…what, exactly? In a new book, Jaime Faustino answers that question with a tale of strange bedfellows, unexpected obstacles, and astonishing solutions.
Jobs and Small Businesses in the New Normal
In a still-locked-down Asia-Pacific, the world of work is becoming a world of screens. The digital economy can be a lifeline for both workers and small businesses as they struggle with Covid-19 and the future of work, but prosperity for all will require a delicate balancing act.
A Letter from The Asia Foundation’s President and Chair As We Reflect on 2020
In the sweep of The Asia Foundation’s 66-year history, 2020 stands out as a unique and challenging historical moment. Foundation President David Arnold and Board of Trustees Chair Sunder Ramaswamy remind us of the challenges Asia has surmounted in the past, and reaffirm our commitment to improving lives, expanding opportunities, and helping societies flourish.
Sri Lanka’s Youth Discover Values4All during the Global Pandemic
When discriminatory content broke out on social media during Sri Lanka’s ongoing coronavirus curfew, a program for young people, called Values4All, used its online presence and some special tools to push for tolerance, compassion, and unity in crisis.
Funding Women Entrepreneurs on Mongolia’s Covid Front Line
Mongolia has been a Covid-19 success story, but the early lockdown that kept the virus at bay has also battered the economy, and no one has felt it more than Mongolia’s small businesswomen.
Notes from Colombo: Sri Lanka Weathers the Covid-19 Storm
April is usually a festive month in Sri Lanka, but this year the New Year holiday was spent praying for a relaxed curfew and the end of Covid-19. As we enter July, the author considers how Sri Lanka has managed the crisis.
Philippines: The Virtual BookLab Makes Its Debut
With reading scores that trail the world, and access to the classroom threatened by the pandemic, children in the Philippines have never had a more urgent need for local-language reading materials.
Afghanistan’s Covid-19 Bargain
Battered by conflict and dependent on dwindling foreign aid, Afghanistan may have no alternative but to let the virus run its course. Yet, amid their suffering, Afghans are also finding solidarity and political initiative.
Mongolia’s Lessons on Democracy during a Pandemic
Mongolia holds parliamentary elections today, June 24, in a political landscape transformed by Covid-19. A case in point: the nation’s clever and ambitious “virtual” parliament.