The Sasakawa Pan Asia Fund (SPAF) has been conducting People Exchange Programs to facilitate the creation of human networks since its establishment in 1992.
This year, the program worked to cultivate personal ties between Japan and India by inviting three Indian leaders to participate in an event entitled "Bridging Asia: Japan-United States-India Dialogue." For one week starting on July 17, Nawabzada Afridim, Honorary Consul General of Japan in Peshawar, Pakistan, visited Japan with two others to exchange ideas with researchers and economic organizations.
Under the program, the Information and Resource Center in Singapore also held two Conferences on an Alternative ASEAN Charter in Bangkok. Nine people participated in these conferences, including Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Member of the Thai Parliament, Surin Pitsuwan, former Thai Foreign Minister, and Amitav Acharya, then Deputy Director and Head of Research of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).
To support the development of a network of think tank intellectuals in the ASEAN countries, the program sent 10 people from the countries of Indochina to the 5th ASEAN People's Assembly held in Manila by the Institute for Strategic and Development Studies in the Philippines.