New Annual Report: Addressing Asia’s Critical Issues

The Asia Foundation has released its new Annual Report, outlining the vision for the Foundation in a rapidly changing Asia, and how it is adapting and innovating to address the most urgent issues facing Asia today. With images from award-winning photographers throughout, the report features highlights from each country office—from building foreign affairs capacity in Afghanistan and helping vulnerable communities strengthen their voice in Cambodia, to improving transparency in Myanmar and peacebuilding in Nepal. Read an excerpt from the report introduction below, written by Foundation president, David D. Arnold, and chairman of the board, David M. Lampton. Explore the full report on our website. 

The Asia Foundation has long been recognized for its ability to convene changemakers—individuals, organizations, and policymakers who are shaping Asia’s future—and to be the catalyst for creative solutions to the most critical challenges facing Asia. Leading up to the recent U.S. presidential election, the Foundation convened leading foreign policy experts from across Asia to share their input on the role the U.S. should play in maintaining regional security, supporting trade and economic growth, and addressing nontraditional security threats such as human trafficking, climate change, cyber-security, and natural disasters. Our resulting report—Asian Views on America’s Role in Asia—contains concise recommendations for policymakers, and was widely disseminated in Washington, New York, and throughout Asia. An overarching message is that sustained U.S. engagement and leadership is not only welcomed by most Asian countries, it is essential to advance U.S. interests in the region.

The Asia Foundation works across all levels, top to bottom, from governments and institutions to the grassroots. This year, to assist Myanmar’s nascent democratic transition, we piloted a new mobile app that for the first time allows municipal staff to review and input data in real time, dramatically improving efficiency and transparency. In Afghanistan, where we conduct the most comprehensive public opinion survey across the country, we are building foreign affairs capacity to ensure officials can effectively manage international relations with neighboring countries. And in China where the Foundation is helping implement the country’s landmark Anti-Domestic Violence Law, we organized a community task force of social workers, counselors, pro-bono lawyers, and women’s federation staff to provide counseling and legal assistance to abused children.

Across Asia, the Foundation empowers rising development entrepreneurs to pursue needed reforms in their areas of expertise. In 2016, the third class of Asia Foundation Development Fellows—12 emerging leaders selected annually from more than 800 applicants—completed a rigorous professional advancement program designed and administered by the Foundation. By investing in these young Asian change makers and their fields—as varied as law enforcement, women’s rights, and disaster management—we are investing in a more stable, peaceful, and inclusive Asia. By strengthening their leadership skills and expanding their professional horizons, the Foundation is making a strategic bet on their ability to make an even greater contribution to their communities.