At a reception onMarch 29 in NewYork City, TheAsia Foundationand Books forAsia announced abrand-new tech-nology start-upfund, Access4Asiaand debuted thefilm, “Kabul ER:The Power of a

Book.” Special guest Dr. Vartan Gregorian, former President of the New York Public Library and current President of theCarnegie Corporation of New York, spoke to the crowd of publishers, donors, Asian government representatives, and executives from the philanthropy, education, and technologysectors at The Greenhouse at Scholastic.

The Asia Foundation’s longest-running program, Books for Asiaimpacts 9 million people each year through book donations touniversities, research institutes, and libraries in 18 developingcountries. Speaking at the event, Dr. Gregorian shared his per-sonal story of how books changed his life: “as a young boy inIran, books provided me salvation and imagination. Withoutbooks and access to stories, I wouldn’t be here today. I am eter-nally grateful to The Asia Foundation for taking the power ofbooks around Asia.” Viewers were transfixed by the film, “KabulER,” which examines the crisis in Kabul’s public hospitals –frontlines of care for Afghans – and the near total lack of accessto current medical textbooks there. Last year Books for Asia

Climate change combined with rapid population growth and urbanization is placing intense pressure on South Asia’s most precious resource: water. Per capita water availability in the regionhas decreased by 70 percent since 1950, according to the AsianDevelopment Bank. South Asia is also home to three of the mostdensely populated river basins in the world – the Indus, Ganges,and Brahmaputra – which support an estimated 700 million people. The basins straddle national borders, and relations amongcountries in the region are mired in tension, including aroundwater sharing. As water scarcity intensifies, effective managementof these river basins is increasingly critical to long-term peace, stability, and economic development in the region.

A new grant from the Skoll Global Threats Fund will help TheAsia Foundation address these challenges in the Teesta RiverBasin – one of the region’s most contested sub-basins, whichstraddles the border of India and Bangladesh. With the involve-ment of civil society partners from both countries, our work will

See Books for Asia in New York City, continued inside... See Water Sharing in Asia, continued inside...

SKOLL GLOBAL THREATS FUNDTO HELP ADDRESS WATERSHARING IN ASIA

BOOKS FOR ASIA HOSTS VARTAN GREGORIAN IN NYC, LAUNCHES TECHSTART-UP FUND

BULLETINSPRING 2012

NEWS FROM THE ASIA FOUNDATION

focus on increasing effec-tive cooperationon water gover-nance decisions.The first stepinvolves conducting astakeholdermapping andpolitical econ-omy analysis to better understand the power dynamics behind decision-making and policy implementation in the basin. The study will provideinsights into the realities of watergovernance, which will help to inform

civil society engagement and provide recommenda-tions for furtheractions. Thelong-term goalsthroughoutSouth Asia are to reframe the debate on water

governance to include social, human,and environmental perspectives, improve transboundary civil societycollaboration, and increase trans-parency and accountability in water governance.

donated 4,000 medicaltextbooks and referencematerials to Afghanhealth institutions.

“There is an informationcrisis in all the countrieswe work in,” said Booksfor Asia’s Naita Saechao.Building on its vast network of Asian partners, Books forAsia’s Access4Asia will support promising technology projects incubated by itsin-country staff that further the pro-gram’s mission to improve access to in-formation in developing Asia. “Weknow that an educated population isbetter equipped to combat povertyand disease, and to promote economic development and stability,” said AsiaFoundation President David D.Arnold. Publishers, partners, and

donors who attended the New Yorkevent included high-level representa-tives from: Wiley, W. W. Norton,Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Lexis-Nexis, Pearson Foundation, Associa-tion of American Publishers, andOOCL. Watch a slideshow of highlights from the event at: asiafoundation.org/media.

(CONTINUED FROM COVER)

WATER SHARING IN ASIA

The Lotus Circle is a community of philan-thropists working with The Asia Foundationto empower girls and women across Asia.

Last year, TheLotus Circleand The AsiaFoundationhonored Dr.David Ho withthe first-everLotus Leader-ship Award ata sold-out

event in New York City. He was recognizedfor his contributions to the health andwell-being of Chinese women and childrenthrough his pioneering HIV/AIDS research.

On June 7, 2012, in the Loeb Boathouse inCentral Park, the second annual LotusLeadership Award will be presented to Dr. Sakena Yacoobi, Founder and ExecutiveDirector of the Afghan Institute of Learn-ing, for her groundbreaking and visionarywork empowering communities to bringeducation and health services to disen-franchised Afghan women and girls. TheAsia Foundation’s decade of partnershipwith National Geographic Society to pro-vide Afghan girls and women educationalopportunities, and to improve devastatedgirls’ schools in Afghanistan, will also be recognized.

The Lotus Leadership Awards were cre-ated by Lotus Circle Advisors Gina Lin Chu,Carol Rattray, Missie Rennie, and MasakoShinn. This year, Lotus Circle Advisor andHead of North America Asian ClientsGroup at Citi Private Bank, Ida Liu, willchair the awards luncheon.

(CONTINUED FROM COVER)

BOOKS FOR ASIA IN NEW YORK CITYCITI’S IDA LIU TO CHAIRLOTUS AWARDS 2012

Ida Liu (left) with SusanShin (right) at last year’sLotus Leadership Awards.

Vartan Gregorian embraces Scholastic’s Dick Robinson.

Photos: Srabani Roy

Photos: Don Pollard

Photo: Don Pollard

Earlier this year, The Asia Foundation announced the election offive members to our Board of Trustees: Karl Eikenberry, GeoffreyGarrett, Sunder Ramaswamy, Masako Shinn, and Alice Young. “Iam delighted to welcome this exceptional group of global leadersto our Board of Trustees,” said Michael H. Armacost, Chairman ofthe Board. “Each new member brings deep-rooted expertise andunique accomplishments in their respective fields.”

Former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and retired Army GeneralKarl Eikenberry brings extensive expertise, particularly onAfghanistan, having served two tours there, including leading thecivilian surge directed by President Obama to set the conditionsfor transition to full Afghan sovereignty. The ambassador alsoserved as the Director of Strategic Planning and Policy at U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii, as Defense Attaché to the People’sRepublic of China, and several operational assignments in Korea.He is fluent in Mandarin and has an advanced degree in Chinesehistory from Nanjing University. Geoffrey Garrett, a dual citizen ofthe U.S. and Australia, is founding CEO of the United StatesStudies Centre and Dean of the University of Sydney Business

School and was a Fulbright Scholar at Duke University, where heearned his Master’s and Phd. Sunder Ramaswamy is the Presidentand Frederick C. Dirks Professor of International Economics at theMonterey Institute of International Studies. Over the past 20 years,he has held visiting positions at distinguished universities in Indiaand the United States. His principal fields of specialization are Development Economics, International Economics, Issues in Applied Microeconomics, and Quantitative Methods. MasakoShinn is the founder of Graphis Asia, a publisher of books andmagazines on Asian design, and is one of The Asia Foundation’sLotus Circle Advisors. Shinn is also a trustee of the Japan Society,on the Board of the Sackler Gallery, and has served on theKennedy Center’s President’s Advisory Council on the Arts. AliceYoung is a returning Asia Foundation trustee, serving from 2003-2011. She is Partner and Chair of the Asia Pacific Practice Groupof Kaye Scholer LLP International Law Firm. Young was named by Crain’s in their list of the “Top 100 Minority Executives” andby Avenue Asia magazine as one of the most influential Asian-American corporate lawyers in the United States.

To mark InternationalWomen’s Dayin March, TheAsia Founda-tion broughtprominentspeakers fromAsia to Wash-ington, DC, to discuss

“Women’sChangingRoles in Asia,”

as part of our Asian Perspectives Series. Panelists included Dr. Hetifah Syaifudian Siswanda, a member of the Indonesian Parlia-ment; Ms. Seng Takakneary, the President of the CambodianWomen’s Entrepreneurship Association; and the Honorable SapanaPradhan Malla, Gender Advisor to the Prime Minister in Nepal.The discussion covered gender equality and local governance, con-flict resolution, entrepreneurship, and women and Islam. They alsothen met with Melanne Verveer, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large forGlobal Women’s Issues. As Director of the Department of State’s

office on Global Women’s Issues, Amb. Verveer coordinates foreignpolicy issues and activities relating to the political, economic, andsocial advancement of women around the world.

Ms. Malla is a member of the technical subcommittee of Nepal’sconstitution drafting committee, where she is dedicated to ensuringa comprehensive women’s rights agenda within Nepal’s constitu-tional framework. She was a driving force behind passage of legisla-tion to criminalize marital rape, as well as in drafting the GenderEquality Amendment Act, Gender-Based Violence Act, and a modelHuman Trafficking Act. Dr. Hetifah chairs the Standing Commit-tee on Education, Science and Technology in the National Councilof Women’s Organization of Indonesia, and is a Board Member ofthe Indonesian Women in Parliament Caucus, where she promotesIndonesian women’s participation in politics and building the capacity of other women across Indonesia. Ms. Seng is Founder and Managing Director of Sentosa Silk, which employs disabled artisans to produce export-quality handcrafted silks. She is alsoPresident of the Artisans Association of Cambodia and works tohelp women and artists succeed in Cambodia’s growing economy.In a recent interview with Cambodia Daily, Ms. Seng said, “Therole of Cambodian women needs to change.”

ASIA FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FIVE NEW TRUSTEES

AMB. VERVEER MEETS EXPERTS FROM ASIA FOUNDATION PANELON WOMEN’S CHANGING ROLES IN ASIA

From left, Dr. Hetifah Syaifudian Siswanda; AmbassadorMelanne Verveer; Ms. Seng Takakneary; the Honorable Sapana Pradhan Malla.

In Afghanistan, physicians at training hospitals across the country struggle to update their skills andprovide adequate care to patients because of a lack of equipment, materials, and up-to-date medicaltexts and reference materials. In 2011, Books for Asia provided over 4,000 medical texts to healthcareinstitutions in Afghanistan – including Kabul Medical University. Watch this film on the reference materials shortage facing many physicians at training hospitals in Kabul, Afghanistan.

As Mongolia seeks to expand its mining industry, key questions arise regarding natural resource use in acountry that still maintains a strong nomadic culture with close ties to the land. Since 2006, we have beenpromoting and supporting responsible use of water and mineral resources in Mongolia. This film showsour approach to informing and empowering key stakeholders to participate in decision-making that has direct consequences on how citizens, government, and industry engage with each other.

M U LT I M E D I A O N L I N E AT A S I A F O U N D AT I O N . O R G

B R I E F LY N O T E D

VIDEO: Kabul ER: The Power of a Book

The phrase "gender equality as smart economics" has become the mantra of such women leaders asSecretary of State Hillary Clinton and UN Women Executive Director Michelle Bachelet. While partsof Asia are booming, this does not always lead to greater opportunities for women. Many womenacross Asia still lack access to education, face significant challenges in earning an income or startinga business, are vulnerable to human trafficking, and struggle to participate in policy decisions that affect their families. This slideshow explores how we are helping women in Asia fight these obstacles.

SLIDESHOW: Advancing Women in Asia

VIDEO: Engaging Stakeholders for Environmental Conservation in Mongolia

ASIA FOUNDATION PRESIDENTTOURS VIETNAM NATIONAL LIBRARYDavid D. Arnold visited the National Library of Vietnam, a key Books for Asiapartner, in February. Accompanied byCountry Representative Kim Ninh andBooks for Asia Officer Dinh Kieu Nhungin Vietnam, Arnold viewed the library’sexpansive collection of English-languagebooks and reading rooms guided by Director Phan Thi Kim Dzung. Since1993, Books for Asia has distributedmore than 350,000 books throughoutVietnam. The National Library of Viet-nam is Books for Asia’s local counterpart

and helps to distribute books to otherVietnamese libraries, most notably publicprovincial libraries and university libraries throughout the country.

NINTH CONSECUTIVE FOUR-STAR RATING FROM CHARITYNAVIGATORThe Asia Foundation has been awarded afour-star rating for sound fiscal manage-ment and commitment to accountabilityand transparency. This marks the ninthconsecutive year the highest rating hasbeen awarded to the Foundation by Char-ity Navigator, an independent evaluator ofcharities. Only 1 percent of the charities

have receivedat least nineconsecutivefour-star eval-uations. Lastfall, Charity Navigatorlaunched a

new two-pronged ranking system thatdecreased the number of four-star charitiesby 20 percent. Each year, Charity Naviga-tor releases its ratings to provide donorswith information needed to give themgreater confidence in the charitablechoices they make.

Photo: Ted Alcorn

Photo: Matthew Pendergast

To receive the Bulletin electronically, sign up at asiafoundation.org.

On March 8, 2012, Dr. AshrafGhani spoke at a private infor-mal lunch at Asia Foundationheadquarters in San Franciscoto brief gathered guests on theupcoming transition inAfghanistan. A former granteeand long-time friend of TheAsia Foundation, Dr. Ghani,Afghanistan’s former FinanceMinister and former Special Advisorto the UN Secretary General onAfghanistan, now chairs the AfghanTransition Coordination Commission.The Commission oversees the transi-tion of security, governance, and economic development responsibili-ties for Afghanistan, from theinternational community to Afghangovernment institutions, through

2014. Foundation Trustee TheodoreEliot, U.S. Ambassador to Afghan-istan from 1973-1978, who hasknown Dr. Ghani since his time in Kabul, introduced Dr. Ghani andmoderated the discussion. Dr. Ghanisaid the crucial thing is for Afghans to voice their vision for the future, and for the country to focus on economic development.

ASHRAF GHANI BRIEFS ON AFGHANTRANSITION 2014

TRUSTEESMichael H. Armacost, Chair

Harry Harding, Vice Chair

Missie Rennie, Vice Chair

Susan J. Pharr, Secretary

Paul S. Slawson, Treasurer

David D. Arnold, President

Terrence B. AdamsonDavid R. AndrewsWilliam L. Ball, IIIMary Brown Bullock William H.C. ChangGina Lin ChuScott D. CookKarl EikenberryTheodore L. Eliot, Jr. Jared FrostGeoffrey GarrettKarl F. InderfurthKenneth I. JusterJames Andrew Kelly Ellen LaipsonDavid M. LamptonChien Lee Lee Hong-KooDouglas H. PaalSurin PitsuwanSunder RamaswamyThomas P. RohlenTeresita C. SchafferMasako ShinnFranklin TugwellJudith F. WilburAlice Young

TRUSTEES EMERITI:William S. AndersonAlexander D. Calhoun, Esq.A.W. ClausenThomas S. FoleyErnest M. HowellChong-Moon LeeJ. Stapleton RoyLinda Tsao Yang

PAST PRESIDENTS &PRESIDENTS EMERITI:Douglas BereuterWilliam P. FullerHaydn Williams

The Henry Luce Foundation is supporting the second phase of alongstanding program providing master’s degree fellowships and U.S.study tours for nine emerging leadersfrom China’s Ministry of Foreign Af-fairs; two-month internships in Chinafor nine master’s degree candidatesfrom the Fletcher School of Law andDiplomacy and Johns HopkinsSchool of Advanced InternationalStudies; and five-month travel grantsto China for three assistant professorsto pursue research for a planned publication. The innovative project,

administered by The Asia Foundation,works to improve mutual understand-ing and enhance prospects for greatercooperation on global issues, such asforeign aid policy, humanitarian intervention, and climate change. The new program will expand andincrease opportunities for Americansto visit and study and work in China,and builds on more than 30 years ofAsia Foundation programs on U.S.-China relations. The Young Diplo-mats Program alumni network nowincludes 86 Chinese diplomats anddates back to the early 1980s.

HENRY LUCE FOUNDATION RENEWSCHINA YOUNG DIPLOMATS PROGRAM

Photo: Whitney Legge

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ASIA The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit, nongovernmental organizationcommitted to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, andopen Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports Asian initiativesto improve governance and law, economic development, women’sempowerment, the environment, and regional cooperation. Drawingon nearly 60 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborateswith private and public partners to support leadership and institu-tional development, exchanges, and policy research.