Foundations, Asian: International Activities

Charitable foundations based in Asia provide support for a variety of charitable activities both in the region and around the world. Over the past few decades, the social, economic, and political context in most regions of Asia has changed rapidly, which provides room for the development of nonprofit organizations, including charitable foundations. The western Pacific Rim countries with the greatest number of these foundations are Australia, Japan, greater China (mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), and Korea, although they also exist in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. Total international giving by Asian charitable foundations is estimated to be US$400 million.

However, in spite of the increasingly active and important role that charitable foundations play in regional affairs, there has been very little comparative research on Asian philanthropy in general and even less on what Asian foundations are doing in developing regions. Although some of these foundations are actively engaged in international activities, these can be deemed exceptional, and their areas of concern are rather limited.

The Japan Foundation, which was established in 1972, is one of these rare examples. Its mission is to engage in international cultural exchange and disseminate Japanese culture all over the world to promote harmonious relationships among nations. It now operates 22 overseas offices in 20 countries, with its headquarters in Tokyo. The Japan Foundation carries out programs and activities in the following three major categories: (1) arts and cultural exchange, (2) overseas Japanese language education, and (3) overseas Japanese studies and intellectual exchange. It dispatches specialists around the world to give lectures and demonstrations on Japanese culture and invites distinguished international guests to Japan for cultural exchange. The foundation also supports international film and visual and performing arts festivals, and translates international books and films into Japanese and vice versa. It also devotes a substantial amount of resources to overseas Japanese language education and provides grants to allow individuals and organizations to conduct Japanese research both in Japan and internationally.

Another example of an Asian charitable foundation that engages in international activities is the Tzu Chi Foundation, which was established in Taiwan in 1966 by Venerable Dharma Master Cheng Yen. For more than four decades, this foundation has participated in social and community services, medical care, and education and in promoting humanitarianism in Taiwan and throughout the world. It was originally domestic in nature, but expanded its services internationally in 1989 by establishing the [Page 591]Taiwan Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation USA in California. This arrangement was partly due to Taiwan's ambiguous international status and to the restrictions imposed by the Taiwanese government on the international activities of nongovernmental organizations. Since its participation in relief efforts after the severe flood in Bangladesh in 1991, Tzu Chi has engaged in charitable activities in 65 countries, including relief efforts following the 1994 Northridge (California) earthquake, the 9/11 attacks, the 2003 Southern California wildfires, and Hurricane Charley in 2004. Throughout the years, Tzu Chi has upheld the principle of respect for life and has catered to both material and spiritual needs. In the field of medicine, the Tzu Chi International Medical Association (TIMA) is made up of more than 5,000 medical professionals worldwide who volunteer their expertise and time to provide medical services both in their own communities and worldwide. During major disasters, TIMA members from different parts of the world team up to provide medical service to those in need. In the field of education, and based on the Buddha's teaching of the Four Immeasurables (i.e., kindness, compassion, joy, and unselfish giving), the organization established 19 Tzu Chi academies in the United States to teach Chinese language and culture and to encourage community service. The foundation also runs its own TV station and publishes Chinese- and English-language journals. Compared with the Japan Foundation, which focuses exclusively on cultural exchange, Tzu Chi's mission is wider in scope, but its participants are confined to those who share its religious affiliation.

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