Kathmandu: The Nepal office of the Asia Foundation is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and its commitment to peace and development in Asia.

To mark the occasion, Dr. Barnett Baron, the interim President of the TAF, is expected to be in town. TAF sources say that apart from Dr. Barnett, some senior officers from headquarters will also attend the function.

In 2004, The Asia Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary as a private, non-profit grant-making organization in the Asia-Pacific region. Since its founding in 1954, The Asia Foundation played a distinctive role as a responsive and trusted partner in the Asia and the Pacific.

The TAF collaborates with the public and private sectors to build leadership and strengthen institutions in Asia by helping to improve governance and law, expand economic reform and development, increase women’s participation, and promote stable relations between countries of Asia.

With a network of 17 offices throughout Asia, an office in Washington, D.C., and its headquarters in San Francisco, the Foundation addresses these issues at both country and regional levels.

In 2003, the Foundation awarded more than $44 million in grants and distributed over 750,000 books and educational materials valued at almost $28 million throughout Asia.