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| Asia-Pacific Mission Research Consortium | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asia-Pacific Mission Research Consortium |
| Type | Nonprofit research consortium |
| Headquarters | Manila, Philippines |
| Region served | Asia-Pacific |
| Formation | 1998 |
| Leader title | Director |
Asia-Pacific Mission Research Consortium. The Asia-Pacific Mission Research Consortium is a nonprofit coalition of faith-based and academic institutions conducting applied research across the Asia-Pacific region. It partners with universities, mission agencies, intergovernmental bodies, and indigenous organizations to study development, humanitarian response, public health, demography, and religious dynamics in contexts such as Southeast Asia, Oceania, and East Asia. Its work interfaces with agencies like the United Nations system, regional bodies such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and faith networks linked to the World Council of Churches and the Lausanne Movement.
The consortium was founded in 1998 amid post‑Cold War shifts affecting the Philippines, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, drawing initial core partners from institutions such as the Asian Development Bank, Ateneo de Manila University, and mission networks tied to the United Bible Societies. Early initiatives responded to crises including the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, coordinating research with NGOs like Oxfam and humanitarian actors such as International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Over time it expanded collaboration with academic centers at University of the Philippines, University of Malaya, and University of Auckland and with faith institutions like the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines and evangelical organizations connected to World Vision.
The consortium's stated mission emphasizes evidence-based research supporting mission agencies, faith-based development programs, and regional policy. Objectives include producing applied studies for stakeholders such as the United Nations Development Programme, informing disaster risk reduction work linked to the Hyogo Framework for Action and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and advising on health priorities intersecting with institutions like the World Health Organization. It aims to bridge scholarship from centers such as the Australian National University and the National University of Singapore with practical programming by partners including Caritas Internationalis and the Council for World Mission.
Governance consists of a steering committee, technical advisory panels, and an executive secretariat based in Manila. Member categories include university research centers (for example, the Research Institute for Social Sciences at University of Indonesia), mission societies (including groups from India and South Korea), and regional NGOs like The Asia Foundation. Institutional members often maintain ties to seminaries such as Southeast Asia Bible Seminary and theological colleges including Trinity Theological College, Singapore. The steering committee historically has included representatives with links to the Asian Development Bank and practitioners from Médecins Sans Frontières.
Programs span public health studies coordinated with World Health Organization country offices, disaster response assessments in collaboration with UNICEF and International Organization for Migration, and socioreligious mapping projects referencing work from the Pew Research Center. Projects have examined post‑disaster recovery following events like the 2009 Typhoon Ketsana impact in the Philippines, urban migration patterns affecting cities such as Jakarta and Manila, and indigenous rights issues among groups in Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu. The consortium publishes policy briefs, working papers, and collaborative monographs often coauthored with scholars from National Taiwan University, Seoul National University, and University of Otago.
The consortium has influenced programming by agencies such as USAID and regional initiatives by ASEAN technical bodies. It has convened conferences with partners like the Asian Development Bank Institute and engaged faith networks including the Asia-Pacific Theological Association to translate research into practice. Its fieldwork partnerships extend to community organizations in Cambodia, Timor-Leste, and the Solomon Islands, and it has provided technical support for policy dialogues involving the Pacific Islands Forum and legal advocacy groups referencing decisions from the International Court of Justice or regional human rights mechanisms.
Funding sources have included philanthropic foundations (for example, the Ford Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation), grants from multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, and project funding from mission agencies like Tearfund and Act Alliance. Governance mechanisms follow standard nonprofit practice with audited financial statements presented to members, and compliance reporting aligned with requirements from donors like the European Commission's humanitarian arm. The consortium also administers capacity‑building grants for member institutions and competitive fellowships in partnership with universities such as King's College London and Harvard University's Asia programs.
Critics have challenged the consortium on issues including perceived theological bias by evangelical partner organizations tied to the Lausanne Movement, transparency concerns raised by watchdogs such as Transparency International, and debates over research ethics in indigenous communities comparable to controversies involving Anthropological Studies in the Pacific. Some scholars associated with SOAS University of London and Australian National University have questioned methodological rigor in certain rapid assessments, while human rights NGOs have disputed policy recommendations that intersect with sensitive land rights adjudications in courts like the High Court of Australia and regional tribunals. The consortium has responded by revising ethics protocols, strengthening peer review with academic partners including University of Cambridge and Columbia University, and increasing public disclosure of funding and governance documents.
Category:Research organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in the Philippines