South Asia
The Foundation was established in Germany in 1958. It aims to promote the goal of making the principle of freedom valid for the dignity of all people and in all areas of society, both in Germany and abroad. The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom works in over 65 countries worldwide. In South Asia we have offices in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Additionally we work with partners in Nepal. We promote civic education, trainings and the exchange of ideas in the region in four focal areas. These are economic freedom, human rights, urban governance and digital transformation. In addition to the country projects, the Foundation supports regional programs.
News
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Restart Asian Economies: Ideas and Actions
The adverse economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is being seriously felt across the globe. Economies are on a free fall with a precipitous decline in employment, income, and consumer demand. Regional as well as global trade (import and export) has dropped sharply. In these difficult situations, entrepreneurs will have to find ingenious ways to survive as well as to open windows of opportunities to sustain and grow.
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#BornwithPride in a hetero-normative society
In a society where homosexuality is illegal and persons are not free to determine their gender, the choice of whether to express oneself freely or continuing to live a life in secret is an everyday struggle. South Asian countries are still plagued with homophobia, biphobia and transphobia as well as legal restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Homosexuality is still illegal in six out of the eight South Asian countries.
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#NewNormalStories
This year, as the corona-virus pandemic has affected billions worldwide, we want to show a hopeful side of humans, which is ready to move forward and tackle the challenges in hand. The Regional Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom South Asia invites people to join the #NewNormalStories photo competition to show persistence and perseverance of people during the pandemic and how people are coping up, moving forward and embracing the new normal in a positive light.
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Female Forward International South Asia
Not all heroes wear capes, but a lot of them wear sarees, dupattas and whatever they want to!
We at FNF South Asia are launching our #FemaleForwardInternational Campaign. Join us in our campaign to raise awareness around the issues that women face in their daily lives and convey the message that women empowerment is essential for a progressive world. Don’t miss the chance to tell their stories!
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More Governance than Government
The South Asian countries studied in this report—Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka— achieved a robust economic growth over the past two decades. Bangladesh and India achieved annual growth exceeding 7 % while Pakistan and Sri Lanka averaged around 5 % during the same period.
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COVID-19: A Global Stress Test for Governance and Resilience
We live in strange times. While probably half of the world—the US, over Europe to Asia—is in a lockdown, it is well worth giving a thought to what lessons this crisis can teach us. Every generation has its defining moments and for the 21st century, the current coronavirus crisis can be a major tipping point for the collective memory.
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Pakistan: Water Crisis is a Regional Political Challenge
Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has faced many political and economic challenges. Among others, one of the major and long-term challenges for Pakistan is neither extremism nor terrorism, but the lethal combination of climate change and a rapidly growing population. Both these issues are influencing water resource- scarcity on the one hand and monsoon flash floods on the other.
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What can be done to counter Fake News?
Fake news is a phenomenon as old as human history. Fake news can take many forms. While news satire stems from more mainstream sources like TV shows and satire websites and is readily distinguishable, other forms of fake news like propaganda, image manipulation, paid news and fabricated news are much harder to identify and propagate on the wings of their audience.
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RTI Amendment Bill 2019: Government is trying to fix something that ain’t broke?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”- is an age-old saying that has guided many a practical person, including governments. The National Democratic Alliance in its third term (NDA-III) seeks to encroach upon Parliament’s power to determine the salaries and allowances payable and the tenure fixed by The Right to Information Act (RTI Act) for Information Commissioners at the Central and State level.
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Countering The Threats To Sri Lanka’s Democracy
Sri Lankans have long experience with democracy and value the concept. A recent survey by CPA (Values and Attitudes Survey on 70 Years’ of Independence in Sri Lanka) indicated that 74% of Sri Lankans preferred democracy to any other kind of government.
The adverse public reaction to the abortive coup of October 2018, despite the unpopularity of the ruling coalition, was remarkable and probably contributed to its ultimate failure.
Social Media
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An entrepreneur is an entrepreneur, irrespective of whether it’s a man or woman, so why the need to differentiate, ask Anuja Narain and Dekyi Yangsto Chawla. The two, who were joined by Afsana Rahimi, were panellists in an online discussion organised by the Friedrich Nauman Foundation for Freedom, (FNF) South Asia office in its “Restart Asian Economies series: Ideas and Actions for the Women Entrepreneurs, on December 14.”
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#happyholidays from our family to yours! Stay safe this holiday season.
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