PROGRAM SNAPSHOTS

After decades of authoritarian rule and isolationism, Myanmar embarked on a democratic and economic transition in 2010. A decade later, institutionalizing good governance and strengthening economic development continue to be urgent priorities. Urban spaces have the potential to be thriving centers of economic prosperity and social innovation, but u… Read more

On International Day of Education, The Asia Foundation in Bangladesh and United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Dhaka Office jointly announced the establishment of their partnership to develop and strengthen reading contents and reading activities on Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh. The partnership aims to utilize l… Read more

Asia’s rise is having a profound impact on the policies and practices of development and South-South cooperation (SSC). Anthea Mulakala’s chapter on “The Asian Century”: The Transformational Potential of Asian-Led Development Cooperation, is featured in The Palgrave Handbook of Development Cooperation for Achieving the 2030 Agenda. This chapter des… Read more

In Cambodia, scholarships provide important pathways to enable girls to achieve both secondary and university education. The Cambodia Tertiary Scholarship Program is a project of The Asia Foundation in close partnership with KAPE. The program has enabled more than 146 female students from vulnerable families in Kampong Cham province to obtain bache… Read more

With support from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, The Asia Foundation partnered with Engineering Good to engage with student teams from high schools and junior colleges to create simple, user-friendly solutions for youth with disabilities to improve their employability. Mentors from Google, Engineering Good, and local community partners gui… Read more

2019 Asia Foundation Development Fellow Farhad Wajdi is a young entrepreneur in Afghanistan whose innovative idea came at a pivotal moment. He started Banu’s Kitchen with the goal of helping women achieve financial independence in a country where women have limited opportunities. Farhad built a fleet of solar-powered rickshaws so women could start… Read more

Many marginalized persons, especially those in impoverished communities and women, find it difficult to access the legal system in Pakistan due to the stigma attached to approaching courts, inability to afford lawyers, and difficulty in understanding court procedures. As part of the Mainstreaming Alternative Dispute Resolution for Equitable Access… Read more

The Eastern Province of Sri Lanka is known for vast paddy fields, a vibrant fishing industry, and picturesque beaches. It is also ethnically and religiously diverse, with Tamil, Muslim, and Sinhalese communities living side-by-side. Since the end of the war, however, the province has been prone to sporadic outbursts of intercommunal conflict that h… Read more

The Asia Foundation announces the selection of Thuy Tran, a specialist in contemporary art and community-based engagement, as a 2020 Margaret F. Williams Memorial Fellow. She is an alum of Georgetown University and has received several grants and fellowships for her work focused on social justice, equity, and community dialogue including the Ebony… Read more

More than any other point in history, technology is a promising tool with the potential to accelerate development in countries around the world. If attention is not paid to offline communities, technology also has the potential to widen the development gap creating an even more dangerous learning and development divide. With a telecom partnership,… Read more