Peacebuilding in Asia
On the Anniversary of Independence, How Secure Is Timor-Leste?
September 25, 2019
Blog Post
Last month, Dili played host to visiting government officials from more than 20 countries, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Timor-Leste’s vote for independence on August 30, 1999. As the excitement and gravitas of the nationwide festivities taper off, and the dry-season dust resettles o… Read more
Asia Foundation and Korea Development Institute Host Annual Author Workshop for Publication on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding
Seoul, November 1, 2018
News Post
The Asia Foundation hosted the 8th annual author workshop of the Asian Approaches to Development Cooperation (AADC) dialogue series. Organized jointly with the Korea Development Institute, the AADC brings together development experts and government officials to address how Asian countries’ engagement in development and South-South cooperation is ch… Read more
The Nepal Peace Monitor: Annual Review 2017
October 10, 2018
Publication
The Nepal Peace Monitor: Annual Review 2017 report prepared by the Collective Campaign for Peace, presents data collected by the Nepal Peace Monitoring Project and is an effort to contribute to human rights and peace in Nepal by monitoring conflict and the nature of those occurrences. It provides a comprehensive overview of incidents documented thr… Read more
Approaches to Community Mediation in Asia
Washington D.C, Tuesday, September 11, 2018
Events Post
Community-based mediation is a proven alternative or complementary mechanism for resolving conflict and ensuring equal access to justice in countries that face a combination of capacity, time and cost, and social and cultural constraints that limit public access to formal legal services. In Asia, mediated dispute resolution has facilitated access t… Read more
The Asia Foundation Part of Global Consortium to Deliver Innovative Conflict Resolution Programs
September 10, 2018
News Post
This week, Alistair Burt, the Minister of State for the Middle East at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, UK, announced Smart Peace, a new four-year program which will deliver innovative conflict resolution programming. The Smart Peace program combines the expertise of consortium members to address the challenges of building sustainable peace i… Read more
Strengthening Relations between Thailand and the United States
August 1, 2018
Program Snapshot Post
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
Peace Caravan Held in Marawi for Ramadan
June 21, 2018
Media Coverage Post
The Manila Bulletin reports on a Peace Caravan in Marawi in the Southern Philippines. Members of The Asia Foundation volunteered in the “Duyon Ramahdan, Alang sa Kalilnaw” in Marawi City. The 10-day event, which was held from June 6th to the 15th, was organized by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). The Asia Foundat… Read more
Seven Takeaways on Asian Approaches to Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding
June 20, 2018
Blog Post
Despite rapid economic growth, conflict has persisted in many parts of Asia. Peacebuilding efforts have often focused on the role that Western nations or multilateral bodies can play in supporting statebuilding to build peace. South-South cooperation emphasizes supporting peacebuilding efforts in partner countries by drawing on a country’s own relevant experience.
Supporting Peace and Stability in the Philippines
June 4, 2018
Publication
The Asia Foundation is a longstanding partner working in Mindanao in support of peace. The Foundation cooperates with all stakeholders in search of peace, including the Philippine government, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Moro National Liberation Front, and a range of civil society partners across Mindanao. The Foundation supports national… Read more
Reforming Security in Timor-Leste: Can a Plural Justice System Work?
April 13, 2016
Blog Post
Three and a half years after the withdrawal of the UN peacekeeping mission from Timor-Leste, The Asia Foundation’s new survey on community police perceptions finds that Timorese people are optimistic about the security situation in their country, feelings of insecurity are at their lowest levels in a decade, and there is greater trust in the police… Read more
Young Advocates Use Art to Promote Peace in Southern Philippines
February 17, 2016
Blog Post
Late last month, a group of young peace advocates sponsored “Piece of Peace,” or POP, an art contest at a public elementary school in the town of Patikul in Sulu, Southern Philippines. The event attracted young artists from the area who showcased their talents…
Responding to Conflict in Asia: Why Good Data is Needed
December 16, 2015
Blog Post
The new set of post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals includes for the first time a target that specifically sets out to promote peaceful and inclusive societies, marking an increase in awareness that peace and security is critical for sustainable development.
Philippines: Polling the Peace Process
September 9, 2015
Blog Post
On August 13, the Philippine polling organization Social Weather Stations (SWS) observed its 30th anniversary with the publication of Filipino Public Opinion on the Bangsamoro Basic Law and the Mamasapano Incident. The report is based on the results of nationwide surveys in March and June, and a February survey in Mindanao, supported by The Asia Foundation.
Registration Symbolizes First Step in Integrating MILF in Philippines Electoral Process
March 11, 2015
Blog Post
It was an admirable effort. On March 7, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), understaffed with just four commissioners left after the retirement of Chairman Sixto Brillantes, held a symbolic special satellite voter registration of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members and their families….
Politicking in Nepal: It’s Not Just About the Constitution
January 21, 2015
Blog Post
January 22 marks the deadline for a new constitution in Nepal, as committed to by all political parties participating in the 2013 Constituent Assembly (CA) elections. But on Tuesday of this week, thousands of police were deployed and schools and shops were shut down in the capital…
Building A More Solid Evidence Base for Peace and Development in Mindanao
January 14, 2015
Blog Post
Conflict-affected areas of Mindanao in the southern Philippines form a complex, unpredictable, and highly dynamic environment that makes development programming very challenging against a backdrop of general urgency. Over the last 15 years, The Asia Foundation has been engaged in Mindanao…
Using Evidence to Improve Development Assistance
December 10, 2014
Blog Post
Development assistance is founded on countless theories about how foreign taxpayers’ money can be harnessed to instigate and catalyze economic and social development and provide humanitarian benefits abroad. Basic arguments for how positive change can be achieved…
Modern Conflict is Not What You Think
December 10, 2014
Blog Post
Research has transformed medicine, agriculture, and sanitation, and has helped lift many millions out of poverty. Most of the extremely poor people in the world now live in states suffering from conflict. Scholars have studied wars for millennia, but are usually concentrated on how to win them.
Academics, Practitioners, and Donors: Whose Evidence Counts and For What?
December 10, 2014
Blog Post
There is a difficult tension in the evidence-seeking agenda: on the one hand, donors seek short-term, project-related outcomes to support claims about their impact on a grand scale in a society; on the other hand, society-level impact does not seem measurable…
A Conversation with World Learning CEO, Development Expert, & Trustee Donald Steinberg
September 10, 2014
Blog Post
In Asia editor Alma Freeman sat down last month with The Asia Foundation’s new trustee, Donald Steinberg, president and CEO of World Learning, and former deputy administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, White House Deputy Press Secretary, and U.S. ambassador to Angola.
Implementation of Bangsamoro Holds Lessons for Philippines as a Whole
March 26, 2014
Blog Post
As we prepare for the long-awaited March 27 signing in Manila between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, one of the striking things of the peace process…
Civil Society More Ready Than Ever to Play Role in Forging Peace in Mindanao
February 20, 2013
Blog Post
In a study I wrote a number of years ago, I quoted a peace activist in Mindanao lamenting the lack of success in ending the war between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He was speaking in the wake of President Estrada’s 2000 “all-out war” offensive that overran fixed positions of the MILF.
Forging Sustainable Peace in Mindanao: The Role of Civil Society
January 1, 2005
Publication
A study by The Asia Foundation’s Philippines Representative Steven Rood, published by the East-West Center