Report on the in - house evaluation of grant AID/ASIA-G-1420 : expanded program for furthering human rights in Asian countries

A total of 66 grants were made, 33 to support 28 projects of institutions, 33 to support libraries and travel by individuals. Overall, the grants helped thousands appreciate their human and civil rights and laid the basis for expanding HR concepts and practices. Specifically, objectives were met by wide-ranging activities in the five target areas. (1) The poor received legal aid via outreach programs of the Bangladesh Society for the Enforcement of HR and the Women Lawyer's Association of the Philippines, legal aid seminars at Chulalonghorn University, and distribution by the Seoul Judicial Scriveners Association of a Legal Aid Guide for Lay People. (2) Women's rights were promoted, especially by the Women's Legal Aid Seminar in the Philippines and the Thai Women Lawyer's Association's program. (3) To a limited extent, the administration of justice was made more humane through various types of cooperative action programs - in Korea, a movement to install a modern probation system was begun and freedom of the press discussed; information linkages on crime and violence was increased in Thailand; and assistance was provided in the Philippines to detained prisoners and to class action-type cases. (4) HR outreach via legal literacy and clinical education programs was extended by universities in Papua, New Guinea, the Philippine, Thailand, and Malaysia and by a research project in Thailand. (5) Asian participation in regional and international HR activities was realized via project-funded seminars, internships, study tours, and visiting U.S. consultants. Limited success or failure of projects was attributed to insufficient planning, commitment, or leadership and at times to a changed political climate. The project taught: the necessity of Asian initiative and commitment and of an established organizational base to program success; the value of small-sized incremental and integrated grants; and the need to respond quickly to and follow up on project opportunities. Also, a stress on institutional development rather than on delivery programs might have resulted in longer-term benefits.