The forum entitled "Private Initiatives in Poverty Alleviation in ASEAN Member States" was attended by the participating companies from across ASEAN and representatives from the business sector, academe and non-government organizations, a press statement of the ASEAN Foundation said here on Thursday.
Renelle Ivy Adan, the head of Programs of the ASEAN Foundation, formally welcomed the participants while Prof. Mike Luz, Associate Dean of the AIM Center for Development Management, facilitated the forum.
The forum provided an opportunity to learn how private sector companies and NGOs try to address issues and concerns related to poverty in Southeast Asia, to share best practices and to reexamine how to further improve these initiatives in tackling one of the perennial challenges of developing nations.
The discussions were based on 17 case studies conducted across ASEAN member countries on private sector initiatives in renewable energy, health and sanitation, agriculture, housing and water.
In the discussion, the case studies recounted the experience of private sector groups looking at market solutions to public problems. It raised common issues among ASEAN member countries such as need for systematic measurement of results, follow-up activities, sustainability and reaching out to intended beneficiaries.
The studies also explored the role of micro-credit institutions and NGOs working on alleviating poverty and human resources development. The discussion also raised issues of subsidies, investments and international funding support.
This case forum serves as the culminating activity of the project "Mainstreaming Poverty Alleviation Initiatives among ASEAN Member Countries", supported by the ASEAN Foundation through the Japan-ASEAN Solidarity Fund.
The project is seamlessly linked with the Asian Development Bank Regional Technical Assistance (ADB RETA) on "Regional Knowledge and Partnership Networks on Poverty Reduction and Inclusive Growth" that aims to harmonize poverty alleviation initiatives in ASEAN through information sharing, development of knowledge products and networking.
Outputs of this project also included brown bag discussions, presentations at ADB and AIM regional conferences and publication of the case studies.
(Uu.F001/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
