Civil Society
Nepal Survey: Does a Seat at the Table Guarantee Gender Equality?
May 8, 2019
Blog Post
Nepal’s constitution mandates that women hold at least 33% of seats in the national parliament and provincial assemblies, and at least 40% in local governments. These provisions, enshrined in 2015, have given a record number of women a place at the table in Nepal’s political sphere. In spite of this, meaningful, widespread participation in major de… Read more
Pakistan Election Day
August 1, 2018
Blog Post
On July 25, I voted for Pakistan. The national elections of 2018, preceded by controversy and enveloped in political heat, were conducted in the true spirit of democracy that Pakistan so deserves. Observers and analysts will have their say, but I want to share my experience of three inspiring aspects of Elections 2018. First, after working with my… Read more
New Survey Reveals Cautious Optimism in Nepal
August 1, 2018
Blog Post
In the course of roughly two decades, the people of Nepal have weathered a prolonged civil war, confirmed a national commitment to democracy, adopted a new constitution creating a federal state, and survived two massive earthquakes that reduced large parts of the country to rubble. Amid this history of national trauma, recovery, and political uphea… Read more
Pakistan Elections: Will Youth Right the Nation’s Course?
July 18, 2018
Blog Post
On July 25, roughly 106 million Pakistanis will begin casting their ballots for 272 National Assembly members and 577 Provincial Assembly members to serve for the next five years. The results of past elections in Pakistan have consistently been mired in controversy. Accusations of vote-rigging from losing parties are common, as in 2013, when the Pa… Read more
10 Years after Wenchuan Earthquake, A Silver Lining in Disaster Management
May 9, 2018
Blog Post
On May 12, China will mark the 10th anniversary of the devastating Wenchuan earthquake that struck Sichuan province, leaving more than 69,000 people dead and over 40 million affected. While the impact of the earthquake lasts today, the one silver lining is that the catastrophe has catalyzed improvements to China’s disaster management architecture…. Read more
Digital Governance in Indonesia: An On and Offline Battle
May 18, 2016
Blog Post
The data revolution has permeated beyond the closeted realm of computer science into becoming a linchpin of public policy-making. Data in all of its buzzy forms (big data, little data, open data) are transforming the face of public governance into a digital one. With the dawn of the data revolution comes digital innovation. But effective implementa… Read more
Breaking Down Silos of ‘Innovation for Development’
May 4, 2016
Blog Post
Innovation is a tricky word to define. It has a whiff of excitement as well as – increasingly –inevitability, since technology is coloring our work and our lives. Development partners are adapting to explore the enormous potential of information and communication technologies. This, in turn, is introducing new actors, partnerships, approaches – suc… Read more
Asian NGOs Expand Global Influence
May 4, 2016
Blog Post
Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have long played a crucial role in development cooperation, both in delivery of services and in policy advocacy. According to the OECD DAC, in 2013, DAC members allocated $19.6 billion in official development assistance (ODA) to NGOs. The majority of this (almost $13 billion) was channeled through NGOs based in… Read more
Civil Society Takes on the Haze Crisis in Indonesia
April 20, 2016
Blog Post
The Indonesian province of Riau declared a state of emergency last month as haze from agricultural fires across Sumatra continued to envelope the region. The fires are the result of an early dry period, which comes all too quickly after last year’s extended dry season that saw agricultural fires burn over two million hectares of peatland mostly in… Read more
In Photos: Unlocking the Potential of Bangladesh’s Youth
April 13, 2016
Blog Post
The global youth population has reached a remarkable 1.8 billion out of 7.3 billion, and most of them live in developing countries like Bangladesh. According to the UNFPA’s most recent State of the World Population Report, 30 percent of the 161 million people living in Bangladesh are 10-24 years in age. As Bangladesh aspires to attain middle-income… Read more
Tech for Good: Civic Tech and Indonesian Development
April 6, 2016
Blog Post
Indonesia’s digital era is well underway. Many start-ups have been established and achieved notable success, the number of technopreneurs is growing, and the government has now decided to open the economy to more investment in e-commerce. Add a new idea into the mix. Where some IT initiatives tend to focus on business and the economy, The Asia Foun… Read more
Local Pathways to Disability-Inclusive Governance in Indonesia
December 16, 2015
Blog Post
“Nothing About Us Without Us” has become a familiar slogan used by the international disability movement and relies on the principle of full participation for all. However, in Indonesia, where people with disabilities (PWDs) still face enormous barriers…
Signs of Hope for Pakistan’s Religious Minorities
December 9, 2015
Blog Post
The last few years have seen some of the most brutal attacks against Pakistan’s religious minority communities, estimated to make up approximately 3-5 percent of the total population of over 190 million.
In Photos: Elections Make History, Generate Hope for a New Myanmar
November 11, 2015
Blog Post
On Sunday, November 8, more than 30 million voters in Myanmar went to the polls to cast their votes for members of the Union Parliament as well as for the 14 state and region parliaments. These were the first elections in many decades in which an astounding 91 diverse political parties participated. Given that many were voting for the first time, the Union Election Commission, political parties, and hundreds of civil society organizations provided much-needed voter education.
Social Entrepreneurship: A Tool for ASEAN Integration?
October 28, 2015
Blog Post
2015 is a year of economic change for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as the region seeks to establish the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by December 31. The AEC will usher in a single economic market for the ASEAN member nations – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – allowing the free movement of goods, services, skilled labor, and capital. The reorganization of the region’s economy will be a step toward ASEAN’s “Vision 2020,” which calls for a unified partnership that is outward-looking, peaceful, stable, prosperous, and developing in a dynamic way.
Indonesia’s Forests Disappearing at Record Rates
February 25, 2015
Blog Post
In early November, less than one month after Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s inauguration, Siti Nurbaya Bakar, the newly installed Environment and Forestry minister, announced that the government would extend an existing moratorium on the issuance of new permits for logging in primary forests in an effort to halt deforestation. While environmentalists and concerned citizens alike certainly welcomed this news, the road ahead to improving forest and land governance in Indonesia is steep.
New Economic and Social Landscape in Cambodia Attracts More Users to the Internet
January 21, 2015
Blog Post
In 2014, internet usage in Cambodia grew at a rate of 42.7 percent, according to a report released by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications last year. This sharp growth rate is being driven by an increasingly dominant youth demographic that aspires to connect to each other…
Locally Led and Politically Smart Routes to Accountable Governance in Pakistan
January 14, 2015
Blog Post
Commentators on citizen-led accountability programs in persistently underdeveloped and conflict-prone states frequently advocate approaches that “work with the grain” of local social norms and institutions. At the same time, it is argued that local ownership…
Formalizing Mongolia’s Artisanal Mining Sector
December 3, 2014
Blog Post
With the appointment of Mongolia’s new prime minister, Saikhanbileg Chimed, in November, expectations are high for the further development of Mongolia’s mining industry, which accounts for 18.5 percent of the country’s GDP. While large-scale mining operations often make headlines…
Human Rights and Mongolia’s Small-Scale Mining Sector
October 29, 2014
Blog Post
Since the collapse of the socialist regime in 1990, Mongolia’s economic development has been dependent on an expanding formal and informal mining sector that for many years had little regard for the environment.
Indonesian Lawsuit Pushes Local Government to Regulate Massive Coal Mining Industry
October 15, 2014
Blog Post
In last week’s In Asia, I examined the growing environmental and social costs that the coal mining industry is having on Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province, home to 28 percent of Indonesia’s total coal reserves. Already, 6.6 million hectares have been allocated for mining across the province, and in the provincial capital…
In Indonesia, Decentralization and Direct Elections Two Sides of the Same Coin
October 1, 2014
Blog Post
Last week, Indonesians woke up to the news that in the dead of night the parliament voted for a bill that would end direct elections for over 500 local-level political offices (mayors, district and sub-district governors), and replace them with an indirect selection process in regional parliaments. Since then, the country has been engaged by the decision, and civil society groups have readied themselves…
Proposed Bill to Eliminate Indonesia’s Direct Elections Puts Price on Democracy
September 24, 2014
Blog Post
In what is yet another significant twist in this fascinating election year in Indonesia, the country’s national legislature (DPR) will vote today on a hastily cobbled bill that aims to eliminate over 500 direct local elections. Following heralded national elections in April and July and a decade of direct local elections, this bill has surfaced like a sudden malady afflicting Indonesia’s electoral democracy. Here is a brief diagnosis of this disorder as well as a prognosis for recovery.
Civil Society Organizations in Asia Press for More Open Environment
September 24, 2014
Blog Post
Indonesians have spoken out about a contentious bill to be voted on today that would eliminate direct elections for local mayors and district heads. Leading the charge against the bill, tabled just a month before President-elect Joko Widodo assumes office…
Emerging Chinese Foundations Expand Role in Disaster Management
September 17, 2014
Blog Post
Last month, the One Foundation, one of China’s most visible charitable organizations, presented a new strategy to government officials and national researchers that marks a major shift in the approach to disaster mitigation in the country.
A Conversation with Chinese Fellow, Environmental NGO Leader Lican Liu
September 17, 2014
Blog Post
In Asia editor Alma Freeman recently interviewed co-founder and Director of Programs and Communications at the Greenovation Hub, a grassroots NGO that focuses on environmental protection and innovation in China.
After a Lively Election, What’s Next for Indonesia’s Mobilized Civil Society?
August 13, 2014
Blog Post
Just weeks after election results declared former Jakarta governor Joko Widodo (“Jokowi”) as Indonesia’s presidential front-runner, the president-elect’s team of volunteers announced that he would be crowdsourcing his cabinet. Through an online survey, anyone can choose…
A Conversation with Mongolian Free Press Advocate Naranjargal Khashkhuu
August 13, 2014
Blog Post
As The Asia Foundation recently marked its 20th anniversary in Mongolia, Country Representative Meloney Lindberg sat down with Naranjargal Khashkhuu, president and CEO of the Globe International Center…
Indonesia’s Reformasi, Bearing Fruit 16 Years Later
August 6, 2014
Blog Post
In this year’s hotly contested presidential elections, Indonesia’s democracy went through what probably has been its hardest test yet. Two hours before the General Elections Commission (KPU) announced the final results on July 22, when Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s victory…
Q&A with Indonesian Fellow, Women’s Movement Leader Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah
August 6, 2014
Blog Post
In Asia editor Alma Freeman recently interviewed Dwi Rubiyanti Kholifah, Indonesia country director for the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN), which focuses on the role of women in peace building and inter-faith cooperation. Kholifah was selected as one of the 10 inaugural 2014 Asia Foundation Development Fellows.
Media Campaign Ignites Push for Local Elections in Pakistan
July 9, 2014
Blog Post
There is much talk these days in Pakistan about democracy. Just over a year since national elections marked the first transition in the country’s history from one democratically elected federal government to another, some are already calling for new elections for reasons ranging from alleged malpractice at the 2013 polls…
Draft Media Bill Threatens Press Freedom in Timor-Leste
March 19, 2014
Blog Post
Google “newest democracy” and you are likely to find the young island nation of Timor-Leste among the top hits. Do the same for “media censorship,” however, and the top results are of nations not exactly known for promoting democratic values such as Russia and China. However, right now, Timor-Leste’s national parliament…
New Report Examines Impunity and Political Accountability in Nepal
March 12, 2014
Blog Post
Public disenchantment with Nepal’s political parties has been on the rise since the end of the decade-long conflict in 2006. Discussions about impunity have increased correspondingly, mirroring the growing frustration with the political process. A newspaper uncovers an instance of high-level corruption…
Timor-Leste’s Road to ASEAN
February 12, 2014
Blog Post
The Government of Timor-Leste has indicated that it is committed to joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2015, but as the date for the planned accession draws near, questions regarding the benefits of membership, and the young country’s readiness, remain unanswered.
Photo Blog: Improving Water Quality in Laos
February 12, 2014
Blog Post
Clean rivers in Laos are critically important to the well-being of local communities and to the country’s national development. Nearly 80 percent of the population of this landlocked Southeast Asian nation depends on river-fed subsistence agriculture for its survival.
Indonesia’s Election Activists Fight to End Money Politics
January 22, 2014
Blog Post
By the end of President Yudhoyono’s term, for the first time, Indonesians will have witnessed their first 10-year stretch of both democracy and stability. While there is no shortage of criticism of what democracy has yet to achieve, the last 10 years have proven a commitment to what the overwhelming majority of citizens…
China’s NGOs Essential to Disaster Preparedness
January 8, 2014
Blog Post
According to latest Ministry of Civil Affairs estimates, natural disasters in China last year killed 1,851 people, left 433 missing, and affected some 390 million people across the country. Indeed, China is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters – on May 12, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake hit Wenchuan City…
Mongolian Women Urge Amendments to Domestic Violence Law
December 18, 2013
Blog Post
Every year, a “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” campaign is held across the globe, including in Mongolia, to increase awareness about this global pandemic. This year in Mongolia, the spotlight was shone on domestic violence…
Civil Society Leaders Gather in Seoul for Inaugural Asia Democracy Network Assembly
October 30, 2013
Blog Post
As civil society in Asia has made significant progress over the past several decades, the need for a forum that brings together the major players to focus on key challenges to inclusive and participatory democracy has become increasingly important.