In Asia » Luce Scholars Program http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia Weekly Insight and Features from Asia Fri, 20 Nov 2015 00:59:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.9 Thailand’s Parliamentary Digital Library Leads in Open Government http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2014/05/07/thailands-parliamentary-digital-library-leads-in-open-government/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2014/05/07/thailands-parliamentary-digital-library-leads-in-open-government/#comments Thu, 08 May 2014 00:20:36 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=18837 By

Since its launch in 2012, the Legislative Institutional Repository of Thailand (LIRT), the online library of the Thai Parliament, has stood out as an example of the open government trends spreading across Asia. Behind buzzwords like "e-government" and "open data," though, is the complex task...]]>
By

Since its launch in 2012, the Legislative Institutional Repository of Thailand (LIRT), the online library of the Thai Parliament, has stood out as an example of the open government trends spreading across Asia. Behind buzzwords like “e-government” and “open data,” though, is the complex task of implementing digital access to state-held information. The LIRT is a product of this dynamic back-and-forth among user demands, software capabilities, and the ever-changing technological landscape.

After nearly 100 years of operating a brick-and-mortar library, the Thai National Assembly started experimenting with digital resources in the early 2000s. Its original goals were to reduce the storage space needed for print resources, and to ensure long-term digital preservation of documents.

Now, the LIRT had grown to include over 400,000 items, including e-books, journals, newspapers, and videos. The collection has gone beyond its early goals of space and preservation, and has shifted its focus to helping the public gain greater value from the National Assembly’s collection.

One of the LIRT’s defining characteristics is its use of DSpace, the premier free and open-source software (FOSS) for managing institutional repositories. DSpace is most often associated with university libraries, research archives, and the push for open access to scholarly information.

“DSpace is iconic in the open access world,” said Adisak Sukul, a Computer Science Lecturer at King Mongut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang in Bangkok who advises the National Assembly on the LIRT. Sukul is also Thailand’s Electronic Information for Libraries (EIFL) Coordinator for Open Access and FOSS initiatives.

Using DSpace for a parliamentary library is an innovative departure from the software’s customary applications in academia. DSpace’s reliability and scalability made it ideal for the constantly growing LIRT collection. DSpace is also customizable, which has proven vital as the LIRT responds to National Assembly and user demands.

Because of the sensitivity of some National Assembly documents, the LIRT requires Digital Rights Management (DRM) – that is, a system that allows only authorized users to access and download licensed documents. The DSpace software, in contrast, has been developed primarily for use in academia, in which the goal is often to make all documents in a repository freely accessible. DSpace included no support for DRM, so the LIRT team had to make extensive modifications.

Finding the right search engine for the LIRT presented an additional challenge. The initial open-source search engine had trouble with the complexity of the Thai language. The Google search server Google Search Appliance (GSA) presented the best alternative. The LIRT worked with Google Enterprise and various developer groups to launch Thailand’s first Google search bar, including a built-in Thai dictionary, auto-complete, and spell check.

“Everyone wants to have a search bar and then get a result, like on Google,” said Sukul. “The GSA allowed us to let users search with Thai script, so now people can retrieve everything and get what they want.”

Since adopting the GSA, the LIRT’s search speeds have increased tenfold. Google Scholar and other outside search engines also increasingly point users to LIRT documents. Combined with the GSA’s more user-friendly interface, this has brought the LIRT a 200-percent boost in user traffic, with monthly page views jumping to 200,000.

The LIRT’s latest challenge is developing and promoting mobile apps. In response to growing mobile demand, the LIRT is now accessible on iOS, Android, and soon Windows devices. Mobile users currently account for 20-25 percent of the LIRT’s traffic. One of the most promising areas for growth in LIRT mobile use is not young students or professionals, but rather the older demographic of Thai Parliament members.

“Parliament members are used to walking into the physical library and checking out materials,” said Sukul. “Now they all have some kind of mobile device. We just need to teach them how to use the app.”

Looking ahead, the LIRT has several collaborative projects in its sights. First, the “Smart Library” initiative promises to connect the LIRT to existing in-house Library of Parliament document management systems. This will give users more comprehensive access to both digital and physical Parliamentary resources.

Next, the LIRT hopes to reach out and combine its resources with other repositories to create a single, searchable archive. This would let users gain access to many collections with just one search. Thai government ministries are the most likely potential partners.

“The Ministry of Public Health is pursuing digital archiving,” said Sukul, “and the Ministry of Justice would also be a great cooperation.”

Following the LIRT’s successful implementation of DSpace, GSA, and other technology, such cooperation would further distinguish Thailand’s open government efforts. With sustained digital development throughout the Thai public sphere, the stage is set for the LIRT to continue to reveal new dimensions of library-government cooperation.

Gennie Gebhart is a 2013-2014 Luce Scholar at the Chiang Mai University Library in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She can be contacted at gegebhart@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not necessarily those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2014/05/07/thailands-parliamentary-digital-library-leads-in-open-government/feed/ 0
Will India’s Telangana Residents Benefit from Statehood? http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/08/21/will-indias-telangana-residents-benefit-from-statehood/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/08/21/will-indias-telangana-residents-benefit-from-statehood/#comments Thu, 22 Aug 2013 00:58:03 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=17064 By

While the Congress Working Committee's July 30 resolution in favor of Telangana statehood may have put a light at the end of the tunnel for separatists, the question of whether a brand new state will work effectively enough to actually benefit Telangana residents looms over policymakers. ]]>
By

While the Congress Working Committee’s July 30 resolution in favor of Telangana statehood may have put a light at the end of the tunnel for separatists, the question of whether a brand new state will work effectively enough to actually benefit Telangana residents looms over policymakers.

Calls for statehood in the 10 districts of the former princely state of Hyderabad date back to the 1950s, around the time Andhra Pradesh itself was first formed on the basis of the shared Telugu language. In the past two decades, these demands have picked up steam due in part – according to Vamsi Vakulbharanan in an article on The New York Times‘ blog, India Ink –  to claims that the state’s new “business class emerged, almost completely, from the landed and the rich agrarian classes of the Seemandhra through state patronage,” which excluded rural Telangana.

Many in the business community see Andhra Pradesh’s split as potentially unlocking the Telangana’s untapped potential through increased state infrastructure investment, especially in Hyderabad where the IT industry aims to someday compete with Bangalore, India’s traditional tech powerhouse.

But the mere fact that the Congress has given Telangana the green light just before the 2014 elections raises a red flag to many doubtful of the central government’s ability to handle Andhra Pradesh’s break-up. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s pledge that the process will take less time than the creation of Jharkand or Chhatisgarh (which took about two years) means that many of these complex challenges will need prompt resolution:

  • Telangana currently relies on Andhra Pradesh’s Seemandhra region for much of its power and could face shortages if an arrangement between the states is not worked out. Likewise, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is opposed to the split, worries about water shortages in the remaining regions of his state, telling reporters that water projects “are inter-related and inter-connected” between regions. The Times of India reported that the central government is considering creating a “Krishna Control Board” to negotiate water disputes surrounding the vital Krishna and Godavari rivers.
  • Hyderabad will remain the capital of both Telangana and the remaining Andhra Pradesh for the next 10 years as Andhra Pradesh establishes a new capital on its own turf. India’s government will likely need to help fund the expensive construction of this new capital –the state of Chhattisgarh is currently spending around $3.125 billion building its new capital of Naya Raipur. For the next 10 years, though, the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments will be bumping elbows in Hyderabad, despite the vital negotiations over water, power, and other key interstate issues they must organize. It remains to be seen whether Seemandhra politicos, bitter over the split and potential lost opportunities for their state in growing Hyderabad, will share the city peacefully without allowing competitive patronage to become a real issue and slow growth.
  • The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party, which was the most vocal advocate for statehood, is rumored to have planned either a merger or coalition with the ruling Congress Party once Telangana is established. Just exactly what Telangana-based favoritism or other patronage the party may push for in exchange remains to be seen. The Congress’ expedient decision to support Telangana before 2014 elections underscores their need to regain lost ground in the region.
  • The home ministry’s 2011 report on potential Telangana statehood warns that a new state could serve as a home for violent Indian Maoists, known as Naxilites, who were driven out of Andhra Pradesh around a decade ago. Twelve of the 15 Maoist central committee members hail from Telangana, and concerns abound over the ability of a young state to continue tough policing. Cities like Karminagar, Warangal, and Adilabad that fall within Telangana are former hotbeds of Maoist activity. Telangana will need to establish a well-functioning police force from the get-go without succumbing to corruption.

Though Indians hope the new state’s government will be able to create a well-oiled administration to deal with these challenges swiftly, those skeptical of bureaucracy and corruption that plague so many of the country’s states are not holding their breath.

Adam Lerner is a 2013-2014 Luce Scholar working with India’s first and only publication devoted to narrative journalism, The Caravan. He can be reached at adamblerner23@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/08/21/will-indias-telangana-residents-benefit-from-statehood/feed/ 5
Luce Scholars Program Marks 40 Years http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/05/29/luce-scholars-program-marks-40-years/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/05/29/luce-scholars-program-marks-40-years/#comments Thu, 30 May 2013 00:01:39 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=16602 By

Since its launch in 1974, The Asia Foundation has had the honor of administering in Asia the signature program of the Henry R. Luce Foundation, the Luce Scholars program, a major effort to provide an awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society. ]]>
By

Since its launch in 1974, The Asia Foundation has had the honor of administering in Asia the signature program of the Henry R. Luce Foundation, the Luce Scholars program, a major effort to provide an awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society. On Sunday, May 19, 2013, at One UN Plaza in New York City, members of the boards of trustees of The Asia Foundation and the Luce Foundation, along with Luce Scholars, gathered to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Luce Scholars program, and to recognize this remarkable partnership.

Luce Scholar Program celebrates 40 years

Asia Foundation Executive Vice President Suzanne Siskel shares her experience as a Luce Scholar in Indonesia. Photo/Don Pollard

The Luce Scholars program remains unique among American-Asian exchanges in that it is intended for highly qualified young leaders – under the age of 29 – who have had limited experience of Asia and who might not otherwise have an opportunity in the course of their careers to come to know Asia. The year-long program for up to 18 scholars every year provides stipends, language training, and individualized professional placements in Asia. The range of organizations that have hosted Luce Scholars over the years reflects the extraordinary dynamism and rich diversity of Asia, and is as broad as the scope of talents and interests of the scholars themselves.

In his prepared remarks for the evening, Dr. Haydn Williams, President Emeritus of The Asia Foundation, touched upon the long and warm association between The Asia Foundation and the Luce Foundation. “Both Foundations were early patrons of higher education in Asia, especially colleges for women,” said Dr. Williams. “Luce was also an early important backer of The Asia Foundation’s programs in law and human rights, and was the principal underwriter of The Asia Foundation’s successful regional program, slowly building ASEAN’s private sector underpinnings.”

Over these four decades, what has remained consistent is the dedicated commitment of the staff of both Foundations in working together to identify, guide, and support generations of creative spirits and inspired talents. Of the nearly 700 Luce Scholars and alumni, many have gone on to demonstrate extraordinary and visionary leadership in their personal and professional careers, their ranks including Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, authors and artists, the world’s first female fetal surgeon, the recent president of the World Bank, U.S. ambassadors and senior government officials, and accomplished leaders and innovators across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors.

Asia Foundation President David D. Arnold introduced two members of the Foundation’s board, Terrance Adamson (Japan 1975-1976) and Missie Rennie (Philippines 1975-1976), as well as executive vice president Suzanne Siskel (Indonesia 1974-1975), who all movingly recounted their formative time as young Luce Scholars in Asia, and shared how this experience continues to this day to shape and inform their professional and personal lives.

Dr. Michael Gilligan, president of the Luce Foundation, spoke of the continued importance of the program, even as America’s understanding of Asia has changed significantly since the 1970s. “At the Luce Foundation, we still believe Asia matters,” said Dr. Gilligan. “We also continue to strongly believe that leadership matters.” Dr. Gilligan highlighted the key unique contributions to this program of two very special “Margarets” – Margaret Boles Fitzgerald, current chair of the Luce Foundation’s board of directors, and the late Margaret Williams, who he called “the soul” of the program.

Dr. Williams’ remarks closed with: “a simple salute and a thank you to the Luce Foundation for its vision. Congratulations to the scholars for giving life to the hopes and promises of the program, inherent in the minds of its founders 40 years ago – purposes and dreams which have and will continue to be realized with the passage of time.”

Today, as it has for four decades, the Luce Scholars program remains living testament to the commitment of both The Asia Foundation and the Henry Luce Foundation to building understanding and appreciation of Asia, and to strengthening the relationship between the United States and Asia one person at a time.

David L. Kim is The Asia Foundation’s Luce Scholar coordinator, based in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at dkim@asiafound-dc.org. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/05/29/luce-scholars-program-marks-40-years/feed/ 0
Lessons from India’s Pop-Up Megacity: The Kumbh Mela http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/04/10/lessons-from-indias-pop-up-megacity-the-kumbh-mela/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/04/10/lessons-from-indias-pop-up-megacity-the-kumbh-mela/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:52:41 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=16234 By Daniel Rubin and Cody Poplin

On February 10, 36 people were killed in a stampede at the Allahabad railway station. Allahabad, located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is the second-oldest city in India and plays a central role in the Hindu scriptures. Most of those caught in the stampede were devotees traveling to attend the sacred Maha Kumbh Mela, a massive Hindu religious festival held every 12th year in Allahabad. While planning to travel to the festival ourselves, news of the stampede was concerning. Taking in the reports from our offices in Delhi, we became increasingly skeptical that the authorities could pull off an event of the Kumbh's magnitude. We were surprised by what we found.]]>
By Daniel Rubin and Cody Poplin

On February 10, 36 people were killed in a stampede at the Allahabad railway station. Allahabad, located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is the second-oldest city in India and plays a central role in the Hindu scriptures. Most of those caught in the stampede were devotees traveling to attend the sacred Maha Kumbh Mela, a massive Hindu religious festival held every 12th year in Allahabad.

Kumbh Mela

The Maha Kumbh Mela is reportedly the world’s largest gathering of people. Estimates peg the number of devotees swarming Allahabad’s banks between 70 and 100 million. Photo/Cody Poplin

While planning to travel to the festival ourselves, news of the stampede was concerning. Taking in the reports from our offices in Delhi, we became increasingly skeptical that the authorities could pull off an event of the Kumbh’s magnitude. We were surprised by what we found.

After arriving in Allahabad, instead of the expected chaos, we found a highly coordinated city; one offering lessons for both a rapidly urbanizing India and other areas affected by mass migration, such as conflict zones and refugee camps.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is reportedly the world’s largest gathering of people. Estimates peg the number of devotees swarming Allahabad’s banks between 70 and 100 million. During the six-week festival, pilgrims press to take a holy dip in the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna, and mythical Sarasvati rivers. The water is believed to wash away sins and offer relief from the cycle of rebirth.

Kumbh Mela

Devotees take a dip in the Sagam at the Maha Kumbh Mela. While many come and go within a few days, the largest bathing day is estimated to have anywhere from 30-40 million people. Photo/Cody Poplin

The local government’s ability to successfully manage this human tidal wave is even more impressive when placed in context. According to the World Bank, roughly one-third of India’s population lacks access to electricity. However, in a city constructed and later deconstructed in a matter of weeks, electricity, safe drinking water, and police protection are all provided. It’s an instructive achievement.

When we first made our way to the “pop-up megacity,” some sights were expected. A friendly old Sadhu (a Hindu ascetic) immediately greeted us and promptly demanded baksheesh (“tips”) for our enthusiastic picture taking. Additionally, the Sangam water – used for drinking, bathing, and brushing teeth – appeared dark brown, even against the muddy banks of the Kumbhnagari (literally, “Kumbh City”). While many worshippers had already decamped, including the revered naked Naga Sadhus, the display of overwhelming piety was exceptionally moving.

What we did not anticipate in this “ephemeral city” made to accommodate a population the size of Texas, was a successful model of good governance. One night, while strolling back from the Sangam, we could fully take in the almost empty Kumbh site. Street lamps stretched out in grids for what looked like miles, and even during a short walk, we came across multiple police stations and hospitals.

The Kumbh is also a first-rate example of an effective public-private partnership. According to Harvard researchers and the Indian government’s Mela Administration, the state lays out the Kumbh Mela city grid and its various sectors, including roads, 41 police check posts, 36 fire stations, and 30 hospitals. However, nearly 5,000 private (many religious) organizations plan the inner tent cities, which hold as many as 700,000 tents. NGOs run the missing persons units in coordination with the state police. Making this task more difficult is the city’s elasticity, as its parameters are partially determined by the annual river recession, which comes into full view only in October. The entire city “pops up” in the subsequent two months.

The Harvard team noted that the Kumbh used only a few times the space of “Burning Man,” a yearly art festival in the United States, yet had nearly 1,000 times the participants. While many come and go within a few days, the largest bathing day is estimated to have anywhere from 30-40 million people. Because the Kumbh is held over 55 days (where other gatherings might be a weekend or, at most, a week), housing, road, latrine, and other public health considerations must all be taken into account. Local administration even coordinates with upstream dams to release more water on major bathing days in order to remove dangerous particulate build up.

As Luce Scholars living and working in India this year, we have observed a seeming disconnect between India’s global economic ambitions and oftentimes troubling social conditions. The challenges will grow as India rapidly urbanizes. According to the McKinsey Global Institute, India’s urban population is expected to balloon from 340 million in 2008 to 590 million by 2030. The Kumbh’s public-private partnership model highlights potential avenues for India to meet these daunting obstacles. By providing stable access to electricity and over 35,000 public toilets, laying 156 km of roads, constructing 18 pontoon bridges, deputizing 30,000 policemen for security, and expanding public transport, organizers successfully accommodated the dramatic groundswell.

The railway stampede, initially a significant cause for alarm and skepticism regarding the festival’s organization, actually occurred outside the Kumbh’s jurisdiction, underscoring just how dangerous large gatherings like this can be without well organized management. Meanwhile, the Kumbh site saw police use an integrated computer system to register displaced or missing persons, frequent announcements on loudspeakers, well-placed identification posters, pictures on nine giant LED screens, and smartphone applications to guide loved ones back to one another.

The Kumbh, while far from problem-free, is a notable example of the state’s ability to accomplish significant feats in short order, not usually considered its forte. With an urban population set to double over the next 20 years, India should harness the exceptional planning skill displayed at the Kumbh. This would be one small step in capitalizing on a demonstrated potential to transform the lives of many living in India’s most impoverished conditions.

Daniel Rubin and Cody Poplin are 2012-2013 Luce Scholars in India, working in New Delhi with the Observer Research Foundation and the Centre for Policy Research, respectively. They can be reached at Dmrubin89@gmail.com and Cody.Poplin@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual authors and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2013/04/10/lessons-from-indias-pop-up-megacity-the-kumbh-mela/feed/ 0
The Filipino Child is Not Dispensable http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/12/05/the-filipino-child-is-not-dispensable/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/12/05/the-filipino-child-is-not-dispensable/#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2012 01:01:59 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=15462 By

This week, the Senate prepares to vote on House Bill No. 6052 which will lower the age of criminal liability in the nation from 15 to 12 years old. With the absence of a juvenile justice system, this means that children in conflict with the law...]]>
By

This week, the Senate prepares to vote on House Bill No. 6052 which will lower the age of criminal liability in the nation from 15 to 12 years old.

With the absence of a juvenile justice system, this means that children in conflict with the law (CICLs) as young as 12 will be susceptible to the same judgment and punishment under the law as 30- and 40-year-olds.

This bill will amend Republic Act 9433 or the Juvenile Justice Act passed in 2006. RA 9433 sets 15 as the age for criminal liability. It also prescribes other rehabilitative measures to help reform the behavior of youth who engage in crime and assist their integration in society as responsible citizens.

I consider the 2006 Act arguably to be one of the most progressive, triumphant stances this nation has taken on behalf of its most vulnerable members.

Prior to the passage of this Act, children as young as 9 were legislatively susceptible to the same judgment and punishment as adults. Many were imprisoned with adults – raped, tortured, starved, and abused. Some of these abuses were highlighted in the Ditsi Carolino documentary, “Bunso.”

Many of those who support the amendment are concerned children are increasingly being used by syndicates to commit crimes, and believe that incarcerating these children will deter syndicates from conspiring with them.

I would argue there is an issue deeper than the involvement of syndicates. This is an issue of values, and how much we value this nation’s children and their futures. As fiercely as we stand for the lives and futures of the unborn, so should we stand for the futures of children after their birth. Even if you label the little Juan “The Problem” and throw “The Problem” behind bars, one truth will remain: The Filipino child is not dispensable.

Joshua’s story

Children in poverty fight to traverse a dangerous landscape every day.

Children do not select their families. Children are unable to choose where they live and what kind of education they can afford. Children do not have the ability to decide on their socio-economic status. But when they step inside a courtroom, the consequences from all of these variables come weighing down on their shoulders with the swift stroke of a gavel. This is the end result of a life with little-to-no options that many CICLs faced before 2006.

Last week, I interviewed a young Filipino boy named Joshua from Barangay Batasan Hills. His story put a face on just how bright the futures of our Filipino youth are when they are given the chance to change – when we invest in their potential with communal support, rehabilitation, and opportunity.

Joshua is a soft-spoken, kind, sweet, and generous boy. The eldest, Joshua works several jobs to help with the finances. Abandoned by his birth father, instead of going to school, Joshua helps his stepfather with waste picking. It was among the mounds of waste that Joshua was befriended by boys who introduced him to theft.

Joshua explained that when he was offered the chance to make an honest living by working at a car shop, he jumped at the opportunity and was promised P10,500 for 3 months of labor. Excited about his new income, Joshua exerted all of his time, energy, and effort for his new boss.

At the end of his 3-month commitment, Joshua was dismayed when his boss paid him only P3,500 and refused to pay him the promised income. With the weight of supporting his siblings on his shoulders, desperation and rage seared his heart.

Joshua had been cheated.

With no adults to advocate for him, Joshua took matters into his own hands and stole two car parts to trade in for additional money. He was caught in the act.

Under the 2006 juvenile code, Joshua was paired with a social worker, linked to a barangay mentor, served a month in a youth home, enrolled in an Alternative Learning program, and completed 45 hours of community service that changed his life for the better.

Discernment vs. desperation

Joshua’s story personalizes who will be affected if this amendment is approved. The amendment says, “A child above twelve years old to fifteen years of age shall likewise be exempt from criminal liability…However, if the child has acted with discernment, in which case, such child shall be subjected to appropriate proceedings in accordance with this Act.”

When Joshua stole the car parts he knew that what he was doing was wrong. Joshua had discernment, so under the new bill he would have been punished as an adult.

However, what is also evident in Joshua’s case is that a lack of options due to poverty, exploitation, and the absence of adult support, left him in a desperate situation.

Morals become hazy in moments of desperation. Through the full implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006, support, rehabilitation, and access to education mitigate the desperate circumstances many CICLs face, so that they can seize positive opportunities.

Invest in the youth

The best investment any nation can make, to secure a brighter future, is to invest in its youth.

The Philippines has an undeniable love for children. Early in October, President Benigno Aquino III highlighted this commitment by establishing Juvenile Justice and Welfare Consciousness Week. However aside from a groundswell of consciousness, we need a groundswell of investment.

We need mentors, barangay leaders, social workers, and political leaders, who are willing to invest their time, talents, and energy into providing support and guidance to help reform our children in conflict with the law. Doing so will encourage them to value their own futures, thus becoming valuable contributors to the nation.

Communal support

Another former CICL Francis Francisco from Barangay Bagbag in Novaliches, is another example of the transformative power of mentors and communal support.

When Francis was 17 he had a murder case filed against him. Although the case was eventually dropped due to lack of evidence, a local church reached out to Francis who was deeply steeped in a hopeless life of drugs and crime.

The pastor of the church was also a former CICL, and under his mentorship Francis submitted his life to Christ.

Although Francis’ tattoos prevent him from securing a job, he fills his time singing with the worship team at his church, and serving as a mentor for other at-risk youth in his community.

I know that not all children in conflict with the law will be success stories like Joshua and Francis, but I believe it is worth fighting for the futures of children who do have the capacity to change.

Jail is not the answer

The Filipino child is not dispensable.

Prison sentences are finite but their effects aren’t. Our communities will eventually have to face these broken children when they are released back into society as broken adults. Rehabilitation is not the goal of a prison cell.

We need to move forward with the full implementation of the Juvenile Justice Act of 2006 to ensure that the core needs of CICLs are addressed. These children need to be reformed and reintegrated as productive citizens.

Criminal acts cost the Philippines unknown millions of pesos in incarceration costs, and bring lost human capital, lost talent, lost labor, and losses to victims.

Rehabilitative measures for our youth, as established under the original Juvenile Justice Act of 2006, have the potential to restore these millions to the public sphere. Allow this potential to be realized.

This article was originally published on Rappler.com.

Amber Koonce is a 2012-1013 Luce Scholar working with the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation in Manila. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/12/05/the-filipino-child-is-not-dispensable/feed/ 0
Burmese Immigrants in Thailand ‘Want to Go Home’ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/08/08/burmese-immigrants-in-thailand-want-to-go-home/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/08/08/burmese-immigrants-in-thailand-want-to-go-home/#comments Wed, 08 Aug 2012 22:52:08 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=14587 By

Hours before her expected arrival at the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) office in Mahachai, Thailand, southwest of Bangkok, hundreds of people began to assemble around the building, hoping to secure a good spot to greet or at least catch a glimpse of "the Lady." ]]>
By

Hours before her expected arrival at the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) office in Mahachai, Thailand, southwest of Bangkok, hundreds of people began to assemble around the building, hoping to secure a good spot to greet or at least catch a glimpse of “the Lady.” Inside the room where the much-anticipated meeting would be held, a nervous mother instructed her young daughter on how to properly welcome the honored guest and deliver a symbolic bundle of white lilies.

Aung San Suu Kyi meets with migrant workers, journalists, event organizers, and local politicians at the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) office in Mahachai, Thailand. Photo: Perla E. Parra De Anda

Aung San Suu Kyi meets with migrant workers, journalists, event organizers, and local politicians at the Migrant Workers Rights Network (MWRN) office in Mahachai, Thailand. Photo: Perla E. Parra De Anda

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s recent visit to Thailand marked her first international trip after spending 15 of the last 24 years under house arrest in Burma (also known as Myanmar). With over four million registered and undocumented immigrants currently living in Thailand – of whom approximately 85 percent come from Burma – her visit was both momentous and symbolic. The migrant workers felt “loved and respected” by her presence in Mahachai: “It feels like someone is finally paying attention to us,” said Nai Khek, 35, a Mon migrant worker from Burma who came to Thailand six years ago and currently works in a shrimp processing factory. “My wife cried when she heard Daw Suu Kyi was coming,” he added.

A combination of anxiety and excitement swept the room as the vehicle transporting Daw Suu Kyi approached the MWRN building. Five Buddhist monks draped in burgundy robes stood with fixed expressions; strategically aligned inside the room to be the first to welcome her. “No security is needed on this side of the entrance,” an organizer of the event said. “Burmese people have high reverence for monks; they will not try to enter the building through this side as long as the monks are standing here.” Drenched in sweat, pre-selected reporters representing five networks ran up and down the stairs to secure the best locations to capture the historic entrance while organizers frantically scrambled to finalize last-minute details. “We forgot to buy bottles of cold drinking water for her!” a woman cried out.

Daw Suu Kyi waved from her car as she approached the MWRN library. She emerged – picturesque like so many of the posters that bear her image – dressed in a red traditional Burmese skirt, a soft, flower-patterned blouse, with a light white scarf and a matching strand of delicate flowers adorning her hair. Despite the pushes and shoves hindering her steps, she smiled and waved, calmly forging a path toward the entrance. The masses continued to push indiscriminately, producing strong waves that pressed against everyone already inside – Buddhist monks, police officials, staff members and children alike felt the pulse and energy of the growing crowd attempting to enter. The metal curtains descended to secure the building as soon as she passed through, trapping some intruders on the first floor.

The pro-democracy icon and Nobel Laureate was escorted to the third floor where she addressed the chanting crowd from the balcony. Over 3,000 braved the heat and dust to cheer “Mother Suu;” many carried placards that read “We Want to Go Home.” Daw Suu Kyi asked for patience with many of the changes that were yet to come in Burma and warned them against “reckless optimism.” She also promised to listen to their woes and raise these issues with the appropriate authorities. Despite living in foreign soil, she assured them that they were “not forgotten.”

Only 50 people were allowed inside the private meeting room for the one-hour session; 30 migrant workers, the remaining 20 consisting of journalists, event organizers, and local politicians. Daw Suu Kyi listened attentively to the stories shared by the migrant workers, expressing deep concern – the hint of a frown on her face and eyes wide-open fixed on the subject. Nai Htun, a 28-year-old migrant worker from Sa-Gaing province in Burma, told her about his struggles to gain lawful compensation after a work-place accident took his right hand three years ago. Saa, another migrant worker and member of the MRWN, explained some of the challenges involved with completing the National Verification Process (NV) to work legally in Thailand. “The process is confusing and expensive,” she said, forcing migrants to use the services of brokers. Although in theory the procedure should cost no more than $20, migrants often pay up to $400 to complete the NV. Other stories followed – passport confiscation by employers, hindrance of mobility, and cases of labor trafficking – highlighting the human-rights violations migrant workers have reported in Thailand.

However, Burma has a multitude of domestic troubles; a great deal of work is required before the Burmese refugees can return home. (An estimated 130,000 Burmese refugees live in camps in Thailand.) During a speech Daw Suu Kyi delivered at the 101st Session of the International Labor Conference in Geneva on June 15, she warned that labor rights concerns similar to those encountered by migrant workers in Thailand should also be monitored in Burma. She also addressed the issue of peace and security for migrant workers in Thailand, calling for a human-rights-based framework to better manage all migration in ASEAN countries.

Another challenge for Burma consists of developing political and racial integrity – the two concepts closely aligned in the country. As Daw Suu Kyi prepared to make her exit from the MWRN library, a migrant worker from Burma’s northern Shan State – which represents a third of the land mass and is home to several ethnic minority armed armies – whispered to the side: “She has never worn a Shan skirt.” Given the country’s political and racial history, it was not surprising to find that her attire could be interpreted as a political statement. “She wears the traditional clothes of all the other minority groups – Karens, Mons, and Kachins – but she has never worn a Shan outfit.” A simple assertion that underscores the multiplicity of the challenges involved in the true unification of Burma. Late last month, Daw Suu Kyi used her first speech in parliament to call for laws protecting the rights of the country’s ethnic minorities.

Though long regarded as a popular icon of hope and longing, “Mother Suu” may not be able to fix all her country’s problems or those of her countrymen abroad. However, like her father, Daw Suu Kyi has managed to revive a space for dialogue to address contemporary challenges and issues that are centuries old. As she departed from her Mahachai meeting with the migrant workers, some were overcome with emotion, unable to hold back their tears, while others hastily jotted down the license plate number of the car that carried her away. “I’m going to play the numbers in the lottery,” one of them said. “I believe everything Daw Suu Kyi told us, but maybe my fortune will change sooner.”

Perla E. Parra De Anda was a 2011-2012 Luce Scholar at the Human Rights and Development Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/08/08/burmese-immigrants-in-thailand-want-to-go-home/feed/ 0
Powering India’s Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/02/15/powering-indias-next-generation-of-social-entrepreneurs/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/02/15/powering-indias-next-generation-of-social-entrepreneurs/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 01:30:11 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=12061 By

Nearing its 65th year of independence, India, the largest democracy and second-most populous country in the world, is undergoing another transformation: a second freedom struggle. Birthed from decades of frustration over rampant corruption, a large-scale movement led by activist Anna Hazare has energized the country's youth...]]>
By

Nearing its 65th year of independence, India, the largest democracy and second-most populous country in the world, is undergoing another transformation: a second freedom struggle. Birthed from decades of frustration over rampant corruption, a large-scale movement led by activist Anna Hazare has energized the country’s youth, charging them with the desire to rebuild India. As a relatively young country, with an estimated 780 million Indians under 35 years old – or roughly 65 percent of the population – investment in the country’s young entrepreneurs will undoubtedly be a vital part of India’s future.

Mobile Phone Shopping in a mall in Mumbai

India’s broad development issues, the widening divide between urban and rural populations, lack of comprehensive public services, and freedom from strict regulations that exist in other globalized countries make an ideal testing ground for budding social entrepreneurs. Photo by Geoffrey Hiller.

Although India has become an increasingly important stakeholder in the global economy and its development over the next two decades will undoubtedly be looked to as a model for the rest of the world, it must first find ways to overcome the enormous challenges of infrastructure, healthcare, poverty, hunger, education, and corruption. It is clear that India will be relying on these 780 million young people to take the lead. As a Luce Scholar in Bangalore, I am working with Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs, observing first-hand the opportunities and obstacles these young leaders face.

In December 2011, I traveled on the Jagriti Yatra, an annual 7,500 km chartered train ride that takes highly motivated young Indians, and a few international participants under 25 years old, on a 15-day national odyssey to meet with entrepreneurs who have developed innovative solutions to India’s challenges. The 450 participants and facilitators came from 26 states and territories across India, and six continents abroad; 63 percent were from non-urban areas and 37 percent were from urban areas. The yatra took each of us out of our familiar surroundings, stripped away our comfort zones of language, physical space, and geography, ushering us into a new realm of learning.

View from the train on the Yatra

The Jagriti Yatra, an annual 7,500 km chartered train ride takes highly motivated young Indians, and a few international participants under 25 years old, on a 15-day national odyssey to meet with leading entrepreneurs.

Along the way, we heard the extraordinary experiences of successful social entrepreneurs like Bunker Roy of Barefoot College, who, upon moving to the small rural village of Tilonia in the 1970s, founded a solar-powered school that teaches people from impoverished villages the skills they need to become doctors, solar engineers, architects, and more. Mr. Roy urged us to find solutions to development challenges through the real-life accounts of people who are struggling the most, instead of relying on global reports or statements. For example, Anshu Gupta of Goonj, which repurposes clothing materials for India’s poorest, shared a heart-wrenching story of how it was only when he met a young child who lay beside dead bodies for warmth during a cold Delhi winter, that he was inspired to launch Goonj.

We also heard from doctors at Aravind Eye Care, one of the world’s most efficient and successful eye care centers. The family members of Dr. Venkataswamy, who founded the center at the mandatory retirement age of 58, shared with us his ambitious “McDonaldization” approach to cataract surgery. During another discussion in Ahmadabad with Harish Hande, the founder of Selco, a solar electric light company supplying affordable, environmentally sustainable energy services in rural India, offered sobering advice that many of us don’t take the time to really understand the issue or problem: “Live with the problem that you are trying to solve.”

While some of the yatris (yatra participants) already owned successful enterprises, most were simply intrigued by the idea of being part of the forthcoming generation of Indians to make an enormous impact on sustainable social business. Although many of the yatris were in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, they expressed interest in crossing over into the social sector, stating that a major reason for selecting their field was because of parental pressure. It became clear along the yatra that while the interests of my fellow yatris covered a wide spectrum, they shared the common interest of wanting to carry their nation forward.

India’s broad development issues, the widening divide between urban and rural populations, lack of comprehensive public services, and freedom from strict regulations that exist in other globalized countries make an ideal testing ground for budding social entrepreneurs. However, while there is an abundance of promise in Indian social business, and a thriving technology environment (75 percent of Indians have access to mobile phones), significant barriers like low staff retention rates, lack of willingness to create partnerships with similarly focused organizations, scaling difficulties and a social space characterized by thousands of non-profits that unfortunately lack the resources to make a national impact, still exist. Consequently, as some of the yatra participants mentioned, many of India’s existing and budding enterprises are struggling to scale their impact.

Despite these challenges, such investments in India’s young people – like in the Jagriti Yatra – will provide better understanding of the tenacity, dedication, and passion needed to build and sustain the next generation of social entrepreneurs.

Zimuzor C. Ugochukwu is a 2011-2012 Luce Scholar at Ashoka in Bangalore. She can be reached at zim.ugochukwu@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/02/15/powering-indias-next-generation-of-social-entrepreneurs/feed/ 1
O and Sal: The Jaipur Literature Festival in Two Names http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/01/25/o-and-sal-the-jaipur-literature-festival-in-two-names/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/01/25/o-and-sal-the-jaipur-literature-festival-in-two-names/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:21:37 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=11855 By

Oprah Winfrey looked nervous. Making her way across the stage, she stopped to smile for the herd of photographers and then quickly sat down in her chair. Waiting for the applause to die down, she folded her hands in her lap. This was Oprah's first visit to India; the press has tracked her every move as she traveled across the country...]]>
By

Oprah Winfrey looked nervous. Making her way across the stage, she stopped to smile for the herd of photographers and then quickly sat down in her chair. Waiting for the applause to die down, she folded her hands in her lap.

This was Oprah’s first visit to India; the press has tracked her every move as she traveled across the country filming an episode for her new show, “The Next Chapter.” Among her stops: a visit to the Jaipur Literature Festival, held in the Northwestern State of Rajasthan. The festival features five days of readings, panel discussions, and musical performances. In just seven years, it has become the largest literary festival in the Asia-Pacific region, attracting more than 60,000 people annually.

Jaipur Literature Festival

Author Deepak Chopra speaks at the Jaipur Literature Festival. Attracting more than 60,000 people annually, the festival is the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Photo by flickr user Havelgotastory4u.

I thought I could sense curiosity and discomfort pass across Oprah’s face as she waited for her discussion, “O: Oprah in Jaipur,” to begin. When I landed in India seven months ago to begin my year as a Luce Scholar and writer-in-residence at the Sanskriti Foundation, I, too, had mixed emotions. Although I had experience living abroad, that hadn’t prepared me for the chaos, for the throb of life in India. Oprah said of her first impressions of India, “It’s a bit chaotic, and then I realized there’s an underlying calm, or flow, that everybody else here gets the flow, and that as a foreigner, you have to get in and move with the flow.”

As a writer, I spend most days alone, hunched over a laptop, so the festival was a welcome break. The festival offered the chance to hear from renowned writers like Booker Prize-winners Michael Ondaatje and Ben Okri, and best-selling Indian writer Chetan Bhagat. And I won’t lie: I was looking forward to seeing Oprah.

While Oprah had previously remarked to the media that this was her “first and last trip to India,” she told the festival audience that that wasn’t the case: “You can’t. You have to come back again, and then you have to come back again.” Before coming to the literary festival I often worried that I had not yet written a short story specifically about India. Oprah’s assertion that once isn’t enough helped me re-frame this concern. I should have known this on my first day: I’ll have to keep returning to India, again and again, to find its pulse and its place in my writing.

Oprah was not, by any means, the most talked about person at the festival. That distinction fell to Salman Rushdie, of course, whose 1988 novel The Satanic Verses garnered a fatwa from Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini and remains banned in India today. Rushdie, who lives in New York, attended the festival in 2007 amidst some protests, but this year was forced to cancel his visit due to reports from police officials that his life was in danger.

Rushdie’s absence was mentioned at nearly every panel I attended. Four writers – Ruchir Joshi, Amitava Kumar, Hari Kunzru, and Jeet Thayil – read from the still-banned Satanic Verses in protest. Afterward, festival organizers encouraged the writers to leave the festival and Jaipur or risk arrest. Criminal complaints were filed against the writers the next day. The Rushdie frenzy subsided when festival organizers confirmed that Rushdie would be joining the festival via video conference at 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. But when the time came, the owner of the festival venue climbed on stage and announced that Rushdie wouldn’t be seen. Authorities had indicated that protestors – who were said to be sitting among members of the audience – were threatening violence if the video conference went as planned. Festival organizer Sanjoy Roy told the audience that the organizers were “being made to step down in the fight for freedom of expression” and Rushdie’s forced cancellation was a disgrace for India. Before he could continue, he began crying and left the stage.

A few minutes of nervous silence settled in the audience after Roy’s departure. A group of festival panelists decided to host an impromptu debate on Rushdie’s exclusion. Once the debate began, it was easy to pick out the protestors from the festival-goers; the protestors stared grimly ahead and did not clap when a panelist called the cancellation of Rushdie’s visit a “win for bigotry” or lauded the writer. There weren’t a lot of answers, but there were lots of questions, and lots of talk of literature, religion, and free speech and what this means for the future of India. Everyone on stage and in the audience knew that the stakes are high and that the answer isn’t easy. The question of free speech and religious rights is one that India will have to keep returning to, again and again, long after the Jaipur Literature Festival has ended.

Mackenzie Smith is a 2011-2012 Luce Scholar and writer-in-residence at the Sanskriti Foundation in New Delhi, India. She can be reached at mackenzie.evan.smith@gmail.com. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the individual author and not those of The Asia Foundation.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2012/01/25/o-and-sal-the-jaipur-literature-festival-in-two-names/feed/ 0
U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa Reflects on Time with Luce Scholars http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2011/09/14/u-s-ambassador-to-new-zealand-and-samoa-reflects-on-time-with-luce-scholars/ http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2011/09/14/u-s-ambassador-to-new-zealand-and-samoa-reflects-on-time-with-luce-scholars/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:01:32 +0000 http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/?p=10888 Below is an article by David Huebner, U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, after his recent trip to Canterbury with the 2010-2011 Luce Scholars, originally published on his blog.

Before leaving for Washington last month I spent a couple of days in Canterbury with a very special group of folks – the 2010-2011 Luce Scholars. I myself was a Luce Scholar back in the stone age (1984-1985), before the current class of Scholars was born, and I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with an important part of my early personal and professional development.

The Luce Scholars Program promotes and broadens an awareness of Asia among young future leaders. Launched by the Henry Luce Foundation in 1974, it targets Americans under the age of 29 across a variety of professional fields including medicine, science, public health, journalism, law, the arts, and policy studies. The participants are chosen through a rigorous multi-step process that emphasizes leadership potential and adaptability.

David Heubner with Luce Scholars

Above, David Huebner with Luce Scholars on a recent trip to New Zealand. Photo by Ted Alcorn.

One of the unique elements – and great strengths – of the Program is that it is targeted at young leaders who have had little or no experience of Asia, and who otherwise might not have an opportunity in the course of their careers to come to know Asia. Thus, it attracts a dynamic, eclectic group of people-in-progress rather than a homogenous group of already-Asia-focused careerists.

The other defining feature and great strength of the Program is that it is oriented around individualized, year-long professional placements in Asia, rather than academic study or general travel. Using its extraordinary network of relationships, The Asia Foundation finds a job for each Scholar based on the person’s individual career interests and experience.

Back in 1984, for example, I was placed in the office of the Hon. Koji Kakizawa, Member of the Lower House of the Japanese Diet and Parliamentary Vice Minister for the Environment, because of my interest in environmental law and policy. One of my Luce compatriots worked on a medical helicopter team that flew into the jungles of Borneo. Another worked for the Far Eastern Economic Review in Hong Kong.

The Class of 2010-2011′s placements were as diverse and exciting as ever. For example: implementing village-based solar power projects in Laos; producing Shakespeare at the Seoul Metropolitan Theater; working at an environmental NGO in Ha Noi; researching end-stage liver cancer in Ulaanbaatar; producing and hosting an English-language radio program in Jakarta; preserving Malay classics at the Asia Film Archive in Singapore; staffing an anti-trafficking-in-persons shelter in Chiang Khong; helping launch a social entrepreneur institute in Shanghai; working at the Legal Aid society in Phnom Penh; developing molecular diagnostics for viral encephalitis in Bangkok; evaluating primary school teaching techniques in Taiwan, just to name a few.

Each Luce year starts and ends with all of the current Scholars and the Program’s coordinators meeting together for a week of discussion and group activities. At the end of my year as a Scholar, we convened in Bali for several days of presentations, sightseeing, and goodbyes.

When my friend Helene, godmother of the Program, attended my swearing in at the White House in December 2009, I invited her to bring one of the future groups of Scholars to New Zealand for their wrap-up. She started the wheels turning, and her successor Ling made it happen this year.

The 18 Scholars and several Luce directors flew into Christchurch and proceeded to the Terrace Downs resort in the high country of Darfield. The Scholars spent three days presenting reports – many of them with videos and other creative visual aids – about their individual work and cultural experiences. Dr McWaine and I were able to join the group for one of the days.

I smiled to myself throughout that day’s presentations because the room was filled with the same excitement, sense of accomplishment, frustration, camaraderie, complaints, changed perspectives, and uncertainty about the future that I recalled when my own group met on the beach in Bali 26 years ago. In fact, the déjà vu was so strong that I found myself associating certain of my old cohorts with particular current Scholars as they spoke.

A Luce wrap-up, of course, is not all work. After a long morning of presentations we went for a vigorous hike into and through the Rakaia Gorge, spent time talking and comparing notes, and had a barbeque dinner in a sheep shed near the resort. At dinner I gave a speech about innovation in the diplomatic arts, with more undiplomatic examples and asides than I would normally employ. Thereafter ensued a rollicking Q&A discussion with my unruly fellow Lucers.

After three days in Canterbury, the Luce brigade traveled north by bus and ferried across the Cook Strait. In Wellington we arranged meetings for them with various policymakers and my student advisers. Unfortunately, I missed a dinner for the group hosted by Dr McWaine at our official Residence because I had to fly to Washington to prepare for Prime Minister Key’s visit.

The Scholars’ two days in Wellington marked the official end of their Luce year. As my group did more than two decades earlier, they scattered back into their separate lives with bittersweet memories, life-long friendships, changed perspectives, new strength and confidence, and a sense of excitement about what comes next. A few planned to remain in Asia for awhile, a few took time to explore New Zealand or Australia, and a few flew straight home.

The Luce Program was one of the turning points in my life. It was exactly what I needed in 1984  – a productive break from school, an opportunity to work in my chosen field without fully committing, and total immersion in something mind blowingly different. The year reoriented my thinking and priorities, including in ways that I didn’t recognize until many years later. If I hadn’t been selected for the Luce then, I would not be sitting in Wellington now.

That explains in part why I’m such a partisan of youth and education exchange programs – particularly the old-school, people-to-people types that truly give folks time to learn, experiment, and explore without economic expectations.

I’ll take a relationship over a transaction any day. And my Luce year helped teach me that very important lesson.

]]>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/2011/09/14/u-s-ambassador-to-new-zealand-and-samoa-reflects-on-time-with-luce-scholars/feed/ 0
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/tag/luce-scholars-program/feed/
asiafoundation.org
crawl=CC-MAIN-2015-48
79866
application/http; msgtype=response
sha1:JYQD6FY37CMBQ3HZ3VKTRRQEIZRNIFZG
<urn:uuid:910e62ab-dd62-4b45-9975-afea2610d0de>
2015-11-30T04:25:09Z
69.167.149.32
sha1:UYWGNJI5F6YZYV5RYTRKRXMGKAPLNRHU
<urn:uuid:e0095c1e-e1f4-41a7-abea-8257f3c7475c>
http://asiafoundation.org/in-asia/tag/luce-scholars-program/feed/
length
response
<urn:uuid:16f3441a-19f0-4833-bdb7-8b32613fc599>
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-71-132-137.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-48
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for Nov 2015
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf