Asia Foundation struggles to strengthen civil society
JAKARTA (JP): While many private organizations tend to shy away from issues concerning political development, the Asia Foundation, through its own quiet work, has clearly underlined strengthening civil societies as one of its objectives.
However unlike other crusaders for political rights, the foundation has gone about it in a discreet and unobtrusive fashion.
Douglas E. Ramage, the Asia Foundation's representative here, while underlining the importance of its work in areas of promoting democracy, political openness and free and open markets, also stresses that the foundation is not trying "to tell Indonesians what to do."
"We're not here to promote anything that the Indonesian people are not interested in doing," he told The Jakarta Post.
He claims that while the Foundation is active in areas of political development, it does not have a political agenda.
The Asia Foundation was established in 1954 with the aim of promoting U.S.-Asian understanding and encouraging cooperation and also focuses on strengthening representative governments and legal systems, an independent press, fostering market economies, accountability in both the public and private sectors and increasing broad participation in public life.
It receives its US$40-million annual budget from both the private and public sectors; about half is donated by the United States' government.
Though it has been involved in various projects here since 1955, it was not until 1971 that it set up a representative office in Jakarta. This year therefore represents the 25th anniversary of the foundation's activities here.
The Foundation now has 14 offices in the Asia-Pacific region.
Throughout the years its work has evolved from mere grant- making into a resource organization providing assistance in the design of policies and policy frameworks.
Some of its most recent initiatives include creating a framework for an alternative dispute resolution mechanism.
The work in this area began in 1993 with the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law. The foundation is also working with the National Development Planning Board on larger issues of alternative dispute resolution.
The foundation also supports cooperation programs with the Indonesian House of Representatives, the Supreme Court and the National Commission on Human Rights.
In 1995 it also launched a program with the Nahdlatul Ulama for a creative program of leadership development that is participatory, non-hierarchical and grass-roots oriented.
When asked why the foundation engaged in such activities, Ramage answered diplomatically: "the support of civil societies in itself is a good thing."
He added that helping to break down misconceptions between Asian and American societies is an important aspect of establishing closer cooperation in the future.
"It does no one any good to have misunderstandings," he said. (mds)