Cooperation between DVV International and its partners in Southeast Asia dates back to the 1980s. Since 2009, the Regional Office in Laos has been coordinating actions in Cambodia, Nepal and Laos, as well as cooperating with the regional networks ASPBAE and PRIA.
No region in the world developed as rapidly as Asia in recent years: Double-digit growth rates are, for a number of countries, currently on the agenda. Despite this growth, in many countries large sections of the population are affected by poverty. According to World Bank estimates, more than half of the world’s poor live in this region. The relationship between basic care provided by the state and private market development is out of balance in many countries, also and especially in the area of education. Regulatory mechanisms which were applied and previously valid are losing their meaning, public goods and resources are being uncontrollably lost. These facts lead to conclusions that directly relate to educational work with adolescents and adults: education as a public good promotes economic and democratic participation, as it does a more conscious use of resources.
In this context in Laos and Cambodia, DVV International advances measures for functional literacy and supports the development of learning centres in rural areas. While training plays an important role in Laos, in Cambodia projects for reconciliation with the past are a focal point. In Nepal, work for peace and the advancement of women is in the foreground.
In addition, DVV International supports the work of the regional networks ASPBAE and PRIA. The Asian South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE) focuses on representing the interests of civil society, youth and adult education at the national, regional and global levels, and offers programmes for further training of managerial personnel. The Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) specialises in practice-relevant research projects and the development and dissemination of training and distance learning courses that make development-related topics and approaches to adult education accessible for individuals in the region.