THE ASIA FOUNDATIONRELEASES SINGLE-LARGESTPUBLIC OPINION SURVEYEVER CONDUCTED INAFGHANISTANSURVEY FINDINGS ARE PRESENTED TO NATO

The Asia Foundation recently releasedfindings from the single-largest, mostcomprehensive public opinion poll everconducted in Afghanistan. The poll, “Afghanistan in 2006: A Survey ofthe Afghan People,” was designed, directed, and edited by the Foundation.

A random sample of more than 6,000 Afghan men and women fromdifferent social, economic, and ethnic communities were interviewed inperson for the poll. Rural and urban areas in 32 of the 34 provinceswere covered. The results reflect perceptions of democracy, security,poppy cultivation, and the 2005 parliamentary elections — as well asattitudes toward governing institutions, the role of women and Islam insociety, and the impact of media.

The survey opens with findings on the overall national mood inAfghanistan in 2006, which states that 44% of Afghans think thecountry is headed in the right direction, 21% feel it is moving in thewrong direction, 29% had mixed feelings, and 4% were unsure. This isin comparison to The Asia Foundation’s 2004 survey, “Democracy inAfghanistan,” when 64% of Afghans believed the country was headed

BULLETIN

NEW INDONESIA BOOK DONATIONPROGRAM IMPROVES ACCESS TOACADEMIC RESEARCH

The Asia Foundation recently established a new jointbook donation program in Indonesia in partnership withthe United States Library of Congress’ Regional Officefor Southeast Asia and Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.

This collaboration will foster the exchange of scholarlyinformation between the academic community inIndonesia and U.S. graduate programs focusing onIndonesian studies. This shared information will improveaccess to academic research conducted in each country

WINTER 2007

W W W . A S I A F O U N D A T I O N . O R G

See Indonesia Book Donation Program, continued inside... See Afghanistan Public Opinion Survey, continued inside...

Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, The Asia Foundation, and the United

States Library of Congress announce first-ever exchange of educational resources.

in the right direction, 11% felt it wasmoving in the wrong direction, 8% hadmixed feelings, and 16% were unsure.

The survey’s findings will be analyzed by experts in a forthcoming companiondocument.

The survey garnered a great deal of recog-nition for the Foundation in the globalmedia, including coverage in the New YorkTimes, CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and

more. At the invitation of the NorthAtlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), The Asia Foundation’s AfghanistanCountry Representative Jon Summersand Deputy Country RepresentativeGeorge Varughese presented the surveyfindings to the press corps assembled tocover the NATO Heads of State meetingin Latvia in late-November.

The 2006 poll was funded through theFoundation’s ongoing cooperative agree-

ment with the U.S. Agency forInternational Development. All in-personinterviews were completed by Afghan menand women employed by the AfghanCenter for Socio-economic and OpinionResearch (ACSOR) in Kabul. Two morepolls will be conducted in 2007 and 2008,allowing for the measurement of changingopinion among average Afghans.

AFGHANISTAN PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY (CONTINUED FROM COVER)

The Asia Foundation maintained an officein Malaysia from 1957 until 1995, andthen managed the country program fromthe Indonesia office. Last year, theFoundation reopened its office in KualaLumpur, and has been increasing its activ-ities there over the past twelve months.

The Foundation’s program in Malaysiacurrently focuses on four issue areas:increasing tolerance and democracy;increasing citizen participation in gover-nance and public policy; strengtheningregional and U.S.-Malaysia bilateral rela-tions; and promoting women’s right andopportunities. Through the Foundation’sBooks for Asia program, 8,000 books havebeen donated to the Ministry of Education,public libraries, NGOs, and universities.

Over the past year, the Foundation coordi-nated an exchange program for youngleaders in Southeast Asia and the U.S. togain a more nuanced understanding of the interplay of religion, society, and public

policy in the tworegions. Further workto strengthen regionaland U.S.-Malaysiabilateral relationsincluded a Malaysia-U.S. bilateral confer-ence to examine thehistorical, political,cultural, and strategicroots of the relation-ship, and to suggeststrategies forenhanced cooperationin the post-9/11 era.

The Foundation also works to increase citizen participation in governance and public policy in Malaysia. TheFoundation supported a public opinionpoll of 1,500 Malaysian youth to gain an understanding of the background,aspirations, interests, and perspectivesthat youth have about their role in society.

The Foundation also works to promotewomen’s rights and opportunities inMalaysia. The Foundation is currently supporting a counter-trafficking organi-zation’s work to document the experi-ences of women who have been the victims of trafficking and are imprisonedin Malaysia.

MALAYSIA OFFICE MARKS ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF REOPENING

The Asia Foundation’s Malaysia Representative Julio A. Andrews (center) presents a donation of

books. Through the Foundation’s Books for Asia program in Malaysia, 8,000 books have been

donated to the Ministry of Education, public libraries, NGOS, and universities.

and foster cooperation between researchlibraries in the two countries.

In the first two years of the program, The Asia Foundation will contribute over50,000 books worth approximately US$2 million (Rp 18 billion) to thelibraries of six state Islamic universities. Inreturn, Syarif Hidayatullah State IslamicUniversity will provide the United StatesLibrary of Congress with copies of booksand scientific journals in both print andelectronic form produced by the stateIslamic universities and institutes. As the libraries in the six participatinguniversities grow, this collaboration willexpand to include participation from thestate Islamic institutes and state Islamiccolleges. The books, journals, and elec-tronic media contributed by the stateIslamic universities and institutes will beplaced in the collection of the Library of

Congress as well as in the Center forResearch Libraries in Chicago.

Syarif Hidayatullah State IslamicUniversity Rector Azyumardi Azra wel-comed the collaboration, saying, “Thiswill provide students and academics atthese institutions with access to current,high quality academic publications in awide range of subject areas.”

The Asia Foundation’s Indonesia CountryRepresentative Douglas Ramage added,“Syarif Hidayatullah State IslamicUniversity is a valued long-term partnerof The Asia Foundation and one ofIndonesia’s foremost higher educationinstitutions. The high quality of theresearch produced by the state Islamic universities and institutes in the area ofIslamic studies make it a natural partnerfor both The United States Library of

Congress and The Asia Foundation, in theeffort to provide broader access toIndonesian research in this area.”

The Asia Foundation has already made aninitial contribution of 4,000 books worthmore than US$150,000 (Rp 1.35 billion).In the future, two shipments will be madeannually, each containing over 12,000books. The books will be sent to SyarifHidayatullah State Islamic University anddistributed to state Islamic universities andinstitutes. These books are new publica-tions donated by American academic pub-lishers and managed through theFoundation’s longest running program,Books for Asia. Since 1954, Books forAsia has distributed more than 41 millionbooks, software programs, and other edu-cational materials to more than 50,000institutions in 40 countries.

INDONESIA BOOK DONATION PROGRAM (CONTINUED FROM COVER)

The Asia Foundation is in its third year ofworking with Vietnam NationalUniversity’s (VNU) University of SocialSciences and Humanities (USSH) inHanoi on a project to develop andstrengthen university-level AmericanStudies programs in Vietnam. The pro-gram is being supported by a grant fromthe Henry Luce Foundation.

Part of a broader effort to contribute tomutual understanding between Vietnamand the U.S., the program is strengthen-ing American Studies courses at USSH bybuilding faculty capacity, increasing theavailability of books and materials, andfacilitating information-sharing among

American Studies scholars and institutionsthroughout Vietnam. To date, the programhas supported the work of four U.S. andAsian faculty consultants with expertise inAmerican Studies who have collaboratedwith Vietnamese counterparts on curricu-lum development and teaching methods.A VNU faculty member began a two-yearmaster’s degree program in AmericanStudies at the University of Maryland, andanother completed a semester of researchas a Visiting Fellow at the University ofBuffalo. The Foundation has also providedmaterials and textbooks and has arrangedfor the translation of recommended textsinto Vietnamese.

STRENGTHENING AMERICAN STUDIES IN VIETNAM

T H E O B S E R V E R

Following its 2005 Emmy nomination for “Afghanistan Unveiled,” The AsiaFoundation is currently in post-productionon a new documentary film, “TheObserver.” The film is set against the chaotic first parliamentary election inAfghanistan in more than 25 years, and revolves around the complex, dangerous work of young election observersfrom across Asia. A series of special previewtest screenings were held in conjunctionwith the 29th Mill Valley Film Festival inMill Valley, California.

“The Observer” was produced by The AsiaFoundation’s Digital Media team — JohnC. Karr, Digital Media Director, KathrynBodle, and Ben Leslie. It was shot entirelyin Afghanistan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka,Indonesia, Pakistan, Cambodia, andThailand. The film is a production of theFoundation’s Digital Media Lab, whichidentifies and presents relevant Asia-Pacificregion stories to audiences around theworld. For more information, visit the filmwebsite at: www.observer-movie.com.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S A W A R D S

The Asia Foundation’s Communicationsdepartment recently won several designawards, including two gold, at the 2006MarCom Creative Awards. The exhibit“Afghanistan: An Emerging Democracy”earned Gold Awards for the design of the

exhibit’s website and for a companionpostcard used to announce the exhibit.The 2005 Annual Report and theSummer 2006 Bulletin each garneredHonorable Mentions for non-profit cate-gories. When possible, the Foundationuses 50-100% post consumer waste paper,manufactured with wind energy, green sealcertified, and printed with soy inks for itsprinted publications.

The MarCom Awards, one of the largest of its kind in the world, is an internationalcompetition for marketing and communi-cation professionals. It is administered andjudged by the Association of Marketingand Communication Professionals. Anonline version of the Afghanistan exhibit isavailable on the Foundation’s website at:www.asiafoundation.org. Click on thebutton “Afghanistan: An EmergingDemocracy” at bottom of page.

M O N G O L I A F R A M E W O R K F O R

R E S P O N S I B L E M I N I N G

On November 6, 2006, 35 Mongolianparliamentarians, and representatives ofthe executive branch, private sector, andnon-governmental organizations gatheredin Ulaanbaatar to discuss an initiative topromote responsible mining for the bene-fit of all Mongolians. The Asia Foundationhosted the roundtable as the first step in anew multi-stakeholder process to addresssustainable development and naturalresource use. The group believes improvedlaws and regulations, a coordinated andconsolidated water information system,stronger local level enforcement, publicengagement in legal and policy reform,and increased policy and legal training areneeded. The group intends to develop a

consensus definition of “responsible min-ing” and to establish a framework formulti-stakeholder engagement in developingmining-related policies, laws, and standards.

The second of the multi-stakeholdermeetings was convened on December 11,2006, which attracted more than 80 pub-lic, private, and NGO representatives. Thegroup identified a consensus list of princi-ples that underlay responsible mining, andagreed to form a working group thatwould seek to complete a definition by theMongolian lunar New Year in February.

N E W P E A C E C A M P A I G N I N N E P A L

The government of Nepal and Maoistinsurgents recently signed a comprehensivepeace accord, formally ending a decade-long conflict. The new agreement providesa broad framework for managing rebelarms, forming an interim government,and electing a constituent assembly towrite a new constitution. However, muchwork remains to successfully implementthe agreement. In order to maintain publicpressure for peace, The Asia Foundationlaunched a “Social Marketing for PeaceCampaign” through which local partnersproduced a variety of public messages topromote peace via radio broadcasts, streettheater performances, and the campaignlogo, pictured above, which features adove superimposed on the Nepali nationalflag with the caption: “For progress, Peace.”

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS: RECENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Carol Mercado is a Senior ProgramOfficer in The Asia Foundation’sPhilippines office, where she managesthe law and human rights unit.

Carol has always been drawn to serving society in some way, and hasrealized that goal throughout hercareer by focusing on conflict management and legal reform. “As alawyer, I have always believed thatthe law can be used as a tool tochange society,” she says. Her studiesin the Philippines, the Netherlands,and the U.S. and her experiencesteaching law, working as a lawyer fora consumer rights organization, andserving as a consultant to the AsianDevelopment Bank and to theWorld Bank prepared her well forher work with the Foundation.

She first became involved with TheAsia Foundation in law school, whenshe and her fellow students formed anon-profit organization, called theDevelopmental Legal AssistanceCenter, to serve the legal needs ofindigenous people of the Philippines.The Asia Foundation supported theorganization for five years, and theirwork with a network of other NGOsresulted in the passage of a law recog-nizing the ancestral domain rights ofindigenous peoples to own their land.

One of Carol’s accomplishments has been a program to drasticallyreduce the backlog of cases in the

Philippines’ courts. The Foundationhas trained 500 court mediators whohave mediated more than 36,000cases, significantly reducing the case-load. Inspired by the success of theprogram, Carol has become an accred-ited appellate mediator, to mediatecases at the Court of Appeals.

Carol is also very proud of theFoundation’s work to reduce over-crowded prisons. Because of the lackof a system to track prisoners’ recordsand a lack of public attorneys, pris-oners often remain in jail even aftercompleting their sentence. Over thepast three years, the Foundation hashelped release more than 6,000 suchprisoners from jails in Metro Manila.

Carol says, “I believe that my work at The Asia Foundation helps bringabout justice and social justice, makesthe Philippines a better nation, andfosters a peaceful society.”

CAROL MERCADOSenior Program Officer

TRUSTEES S TA F F S P O T L I G H T

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

William L. Ball, III, Chairman of the Board

Michael H. Armacost, Vice Chairman of the Board

Douglas Bereuter, President

Susan J. Pharr, Secretary

Paul S. Slawson, Treasurer

Terrence B. Adamson

David R. Andrews

Mary Brown Bullock

Alexander D. Calhoun, Esq.

William H.C. Chang

Gina Lin Chu

Scott D. Cook

Theodore L. Eliot, Jr.

Thomas S. Foley

Jared Frost

Harry Harding

Ta-lin Hsu

James Andrew Kelly

Ellen Laipson

David Michael Lampton

Chien Lee

Chong-Moon Lee

Lee Hong-Koo

Janet A. McKinley

Surin Pitsuwan

Milbrey Rennie

J. Stapleton Roy

Leslie Tang Schilling

Robert A. Theleen

Judith F. Wilbur

Linda Tsao Yang

Alice Young

TRUSTEES EMERITI:

William S. Anderson

A.W. Clausen

Ernest M. Howell

Lucian W. Pye

Robert A. Scalapino

Walter Shorenstein

PRESIDENTS EMERITI:

William P. Fuller

Haydn Williams

HEADQUARTERS465 California Street, 9th Floor

San Francisco, CA 94104 USA

Tel: (415) 982-4640

Fax: (415) 392-8863

Email: info@asiafound.org

WASHINGTON, D.C.1779 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

Suite 815

Washington, D.C. 20036 USA

Tel: (202) 588-9420

Fax: (202) 588-9409

Email: info@asiafound-dc.org

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmentalorganization committed to the development of a peaceful,prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. TheFoundation supports programs in Asia that help improvegovernance, law, and civil society; women’s empowerment;economic reform and development; and international relations. Drawing on more than 50 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.

With a network of 17 offices throughout Asia, an office inWashington, D.C., and its headquarters in San Francisco,the Foundation addresses these issues on both a country and regional level. In 2006, the Foundation provided more than $53 million in program support and distributed 920,000 books and educational materials valuedat $30 million throughout Asia.

For more information about The Asia Foundation, visit www.asiafoundation.org.

P.O. Box 193223

San Francisco, California 94119-3223

www.asiafoundation.org

PROGRAMS

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Cambodia

China

East Timor

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Japan

Korea

Laos

Malaysia

Mongolia

Nepal

Pacific Island Nations

Pakistan

Philippines

Singapore

Sri Lanka

Taiwan*

Thailand

Vietnam

OFFICES

ASIA

Bangkok

Beijing

Colombo

Dhaka

Dili

Hanoi

Hong Kong

Islamabad

Jakarta

Kabul

Kathmandu

Kuala Lumpur

Manila

Phnom Penh

Seoul

Tokyo

Ulaanbaatar

UNITED STATES

San Francisco

Washington, D.C.

* In Taiwan, The Asia Foundation operates through a partnership with the Asia Foundation

in Taiwan, a locally incorporated non-governmental, non-profit organization.