January 28

In Asia: Weekly Insights And Features From Asia

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In Asia is the very informative blog of the Asia Foundation, which is a 50-year-old organization that aspires to create a just, prosperous, and peaceful Asia. The blog is published weekly and covers news regarding over 20 Asian countries, from Afghanistan to Vietnam, and with the insights of over 50 experts. On the right side of the page is the table of "Contents", which consists of "In the News", "Notes from the Field", which are features on the Asia Foundation's work, and "This Week". Visitors will find that the "Topics" section, on the right side of the page after a little scrolling, links to specific news by individual country. Some recent articles in the "Notes from the Field" include "Providing Psychosocial Services in Sri Lanka" and "From Cambodia: Survey Marks Improvement in Business Environment". The "Foundation Resources" section on the right side of the page provides reports, data, and surveys. Clicking on any of the links leads to well-organized and comprehensive information, such as "Afghanistan: 2009 Survey of the Afghan People". [KMG] From Scout Report\http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/
January 21

Technology For Transparency

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The Transparency for Technology Network was co-funded by Open Society Institute's Information Program and Omidyar Network's Media, Markets & Transparency initiative, during the first three months of 2010 it is creating an online mapping of over 30 case studies of technology projects that increase transparency, government accountability, and civic engagement in Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia, China, and Central & Eastern Europe. Users to the site may view summaries of the projects, listen to interviews with their founders and materials relating to them. They highlight good use of web 2.0 technology and citizen participation to increase democracy. Copyright and technical information is displayed on the website. http://transparency.globalvoicesonline.org/

From Intute.ac.uk

May 17

The Asian Barometer

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Asian Barometer
The Asian Barometer is a research project led by staff and researchers at the National Taiwan University. It is conducting public opinion research into citizen's attitudes towards politics, power, reform, and democracy in Asia. Research covers 13 Asian nations: Japan, Mongolia, North Korea; South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. The website provides information on the aims, methodology and activities of the survey. It includes access to a growing number of detailed working papers which discuss the findings. However, access to many of the datasets is currently restricted to subscribers only. Topics covered include political participation, voting trends and patterns, levels of confidence and trust in political and economic institutions; perceptions of the state of democracy in specific Asian nations and states of governance and development in the region. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.asianbarometer.org/
April 08

Justice For The Poor (J4P). World Bank

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"Justice for the Poor (J4P) is an attempt by the World Bank to grapple with some of the theoretical and practical challenges of promoting justice sector reform in a number of countries in Africa (Kenya and Sierra Leone) and East Asia (Indonesia and Cambodia). J4P reflects an understanding of the need for demand-oriented, community-driven approach to justice and governance reform, which values the perspectives of the users, particularly the poor and marginalized such as women, youth and ethnic minorities..."
February 23

Initiative And Referendum Institute – Asia

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IRI- Asia
The Initiative & Referendum Institute – Asia seeks to promote direct democracy in Asian nations. Its website provides information on its aims, membership and activities. It includes free acccess to press releases and reports. Thes einclude introductory materials on the nature of direct democracy, deliberative democracy and referendums and case studies and asessments of their specific usage in Asian nations. The latter includes reports on recent constitutional and other local referendums in Taiwan, Japan, China. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.iri-asia.net/
February 16

Asian Development Bank [Pdf]

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Created in 1966, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is headquartered in Manila. Their operations extend across 67 countries, and their primary mission is "to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people." In order to achieve this goal, ADB offers loans, technical assistance, grants, advice, and knowledge. Along the top of their homepage, visitors can make their way through the following sections: "Projects", "Countries", "News & Events", "Topics", and "Publications". The "Topics" area is a good place to start, as it contains information about some of their signature programs, which range from work on preventing bird flu outbreaks to law and policy reform throughout the region. Moving on, the "Publications" area is a real treat for policy types, and visitors can look at recent documents like "Revitalization of Historic Inner-City Areas in Asia". http://www.adb.org/ [KMG]

From The Scout Report

October 17

White Rose East Asia Centre

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White Rose East Asia Centre T
The White Rose East Asia Centre is a joint research centre of the University of Leeds Department of East Asian Studies (DEAS) and the Centre for International Business University of Leeds (CIBUL) and the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) at the University of Sheffield. Specialist areas of research include: East Asia’s political economies; East Asian identities and cultures; social change and transition in East Asia and regionalisation and globalisation. It is possible to use the website to access information about the aims, organisation and activities of the centre. There are links to some online papers. Intute.ac.za
http://www.wreac.org/
October 02

South Asia Human Rights Index 2008. Asian Centre For Human Rights

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South Asia Human Rights Index 2008
The South Asia Human Rights Index 2008 was published by the Asian Centre For Human Rights in August 2008. ISBN 978-81-88987-17-7. It critically assesses the state of human rights, democracy and civil liberties in several South Asian nations: Sri Lanka; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Pakistan; Maldives; Nepal; Afghanistan; and India. Topics covered include human rights violations, torture and repression; freedom of the press; judicial and political system democracy and womens rights. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.achrweb.org/reports/SAARC-2008.pdf
April 30

UN Economic And Social Commission For Asia And The Pacific (UNESCAP) Three New Publications.

United Nations Development Energy Millenium Development Goals Asia Trackbacks (0)

The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has posted three new publications to its website.

April 15

Fighting The War In Southeast Asia, 1961-1973

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Fighting the War in Southeast Asia, 1961-1973
Source: National Security Archive

Previously secret U.S. Air Force official histories of the Vietnam war published today by the National Security Archive disclose for the first time that Central Intelligence Agency contract employees had a direct role in combat air attacks when they flew Laotian government aircraft on strike missions and that the Air Force actively considered nuclear weapons options during the 1959 Laos crisis.

The newly declassified histories, which were released through Freedom of Information Act litigation by the National Security Archive with the law firm James & Hoffman, include the Air Force’s detailed official history of the war in northern Laos, written during the 1990s but hidden in classified form for years. Also declassified were Air Force historical studies on specific years of the Vietnam War, documenting in great detail the Air Force’s role in planning and implementing the air war in North and South Vietnam.

Documents in PDF.

Docuticker

March 20

UN. 2007 Statistical Yearbook For Asia And The Pacific

United Nations Economic conditions and policy Asia Statistical information Pacific region Trackbacks (0)

 (More)

February 11

HIV/AIDS And Drug Addiction: Africa, Asia And Eastern Europe

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Combating the Twin Epidemics of HIV/AIDS and Drug Addiction: Opportunities for Progress and Gaps in Scale
Source: Center for Strategic & International Studies

This report examines on 12 countries in Asia, Africa, and eastern Europe that have experienced significant increases in reports of injection drug use, injection-related HIV, or both during the past decade. These countries receive significant aid from the United States either directly through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) or through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. The report focuses on a particular intervention—medication-assisted maintenance treatment for drug dependence—an area in which the United States has considerable experience and strength and that offers an opportunity to expand engagement in global HIV efforts. U.S. efforts should be coordinated with those of recipient governments and other donors in an integrated, comprehensive approach that ultimately will be the most effective strategy to curb the rapid growth of injection-driven HIV epidemics.

+ Full Report (PDF; 1.7 MB)

Docuticker

January 17

Asia And Pacific Economic Report, 2008. ESCAP

Economic conditions and policy Asia Trackbacks (0)

Key Economic Developments and Prospects in the Asia-Pacific Region 2008 has been issued by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) (full text, pdf, 2.36 MB). According to the announcement,

"The robust economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region will continue in 2008, despite uncertainties in the United States and continued appreciation of regional currencies. Strong growth in China and India, sound economic fundamentals and buoyant commodity prices will underpin the region’s resilience."
UN Pulse 
Permanent Link: Asia and Pacific Economic Report
January 11

AsiaMedia

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AsiaMedia
This is "a daily electronic publication that delivers news about all aspects of the media in Asia, including its role in regional and national economies, societies, and political debate. ... [It also] publishes commentary by a range of journalists, scholars, and policy makers." Covers topics such press policy in Korea, arrests of journalists in Pakistan, and the state of the media in Bangladesh. From the UCLA International Institute, University of California, Los Angeles.Annotation copyright LII.ORG
URL: http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/25205