PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS

The LankaCorps Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for young leaders of Sri Lankan heritage to professionally engage in social, cultural, and economic development activities in Sri Lanka. The program aims to foster the involvement and understanding of young members of the expatriate Sri Lankan community who have limited in-depth experience wit… Read more

The Asia Foundation is leading a series of programs to encourage stronger relations between Thailand and the United States. Thailand is America’s oldest friend and ally in Asia, a connection dating to the presidency of James Monroe. However, bilateral relations have been under strain in recent years with the growing influence of China and the chall… Read more

Myanmar has long had a stated commitment to women’s role in public life. It was among the first countries in Asia to grant women the right to vote, in 1935. Myanmar endorsed the Beijing Declaration in 1995 and became a signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in 1997. The National Strategic Plan fo… Read more

More than 300 gender and youth practitioners convened last month in Washington, DC, for the Gender 360 Summit to explore the theme of positive girl and boy development. Panels examined how gender issues intersect with health, education, economic empowerment, and gender-based violence among girls, boys, and youth of diverse gender identities. Over t… Read more

Today, I voted for Pakistan. The national elections of 2018, preceded by controversy and political heat, have aroused the spirit of democracy that Pakistan deserves. Observers and analysts will have their say, but I want to share three revelations from Elections 2018. First, after working to educate first-time voters, including women, minorities, a… Read more

Recently, youth leaders from around Pakistan gathered to examine some of the most critical issues facing Pakistan: the water crisis and governance challenges in the water sector, and energy, food, and sustainable and efficient ways forward. The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the School of Leadership, organized a panel discussion on “Water-Ene… Read more

Turo-Turismo is a project run by The Asia Foundation in the Philippines, through our Coalitions for Change (CfC) partnership with the Australian government. Beginning with a pilot program in Bohol in 2014, later expanded to the adjacent island provinces of Cebu and Siquijor in 2016, the tourism-focused training and immersion program prepares high s… Read more

The Foundation’s “Urban Governance Project” works in close collaboration with the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar to strengthen sub-municipal governments’ capacity for planning and delivering local public services, and respond to the priorities voiced by citizens in the city’s vast, unplanned ger areas. Some of the ways this work has contributed to inc… Read more

At Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan Airport, young men and women snake through the international terminal, waiting their turn to begin what could be the world’s longest commute to work. More than 1,500 people depart the country in this way every day, mostly bound for temporary jobs as construction workers, domestic servants, or low-skill laborers in the Gulf… Read more

To increase civic engagement in strengthening government effectiveness in Indonesia, The Asia Foundation held a competition for civic tech apps through the “Innovation and Collaboration for Development” (In.CoDe) program. The competition kicked off by inviting civil society organizations, start-ups, local governments, and universities to propose te… Read more