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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Afghanistan: India’s Afghan Policy Hostage to Domestic Politics
When India was celebrating its Independence Day on Aug 15, 2021, Taliban was concluding its blitzkrieg through Afghanistan and took over Kabul. Amongst all the governments in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood, India seems to have been completely unprepared for the consequences of the US withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
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An Overview of Bhutan’s Recovery Efforts
Bhutan managed to avoid large-scale domestic COVID-19 outbreak in the country through a series of proactive and well thought of actions, such as, stringent containment measures which included two nationwide lockdowns since 2020.
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Boosting the Vaccination Drive
The best shot to mitigate the profound risk of health crisis and move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic is by expediting the vaccination drive and ensuring that everyone is vaccinated. However, in Nepal, merely ten percent of the population have received a complete dose of the vaccine and an additional fifteen percent have received the first of the two doses.
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Nepal: Political instability, growth, and the role of think-tanks
In the 1990s, after the restoration of multi-party democracy, the hopes and aspirations of a free and prosperous Nepal amongst its citizenry were profound. The sentiment was fathomable, as the structure they envisioned meant that all people, even those that did not belong to the elite class, had an equal shot at prosperity. Unfortunately, after three decades of democracy, their hopes and vision have not yet materialized.
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Lessons from Bhutan: The Bhutanese Economy and the Private Sector
The Bhutanese economy commercialized only after 1961 when the first development plan began. Prior to that, it was a small and scattered population relying heavily on subsistence agriculture. The little trade that existed was bartering and exchange of surpluses within communities. Records show that external trade with Tibet in the north and the Indian state of West Bengal existed.
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Lessons from Bhutan: Nurturing Democracy
Bhutan has been an example of how good governance can form the backbone of democracy if nurtured deftly. In many respects, Bhutanese democracy is a success story in good governance. For a small landlocked country in South Asia, between India and China, Bhutan has carved out an exemplary approach to development and democracy. It has gone on to demonstrate how good leadership and foresight can sow the seeds of democracy.
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Tourism for Global Recovery
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the tourism industry very hard, both globally and in this region. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that 100 million jobs are at risk and US$2.7 trillion in revenue could be lost globally in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Social Media
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Our panelist for the next #restartasianeconomies on #labourmobility is Ms. Bhawani Rana. Ms. Rana is the chairperson of the Nepal - India joint business forum. She was former President of, Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FNCCI). Ms. Rana is associated with the Tourism council, Investment board, the World Union of Small and Medium Enterprises, among others. Being a #woman in a leadership role, she broke every glass ceiling that exists in our society. To listen to Ms Rana register here: https://fnfsouthasia.webex.com/fnfsouthasia/onstage/g.php?MTID=eea98da193c1e94dbf2c263874a708b18 #restart21
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After the outbreak of #COVID-19, the strength of #democracy faced a headwind worldwide. On this #internationaldayofdemocracy, let's review the state of democracy in #SouthAsia. We need to strengthen our democracies to fight unprecedented challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index 2020 www.eiu.com
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South Asian #economies possess a considerable potential of intra-regional trade in services, however, due to a variety of reasons the region fails to tap the potential. #Labour #mobility in South Asia is an issue that is looked up with utmost sincerity when it comes to the present scenario. With the advent of the #pandemic, the situation has become challenging. In order to vocalize the issue, FNF South Asia with the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry is back with its next program under the series of #RestartAsianEconomies "Unlocking the Region's Potential: Labour Mobility in South Asia" where speakers across #southasia will participate and talk about various sector-specific issues to benefit the #entrepreneurs across #southasian continent. Register here: https://fnfsouthasia.webex.com/fnfsouthasia/onstage/g.php?MTID=eea98da193c1e94dbf2c263874a708b18
