KABUL, Afghanistan & SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, The Asia Foundation released findings from its most recent public opinion poll in Afghanistan, which covers the largest population sample ever surveyed at one time in all 34 of Afghanistan's provinces. "Afghanistan in 2007: A Survey of the Afghan People" follows polls conducted by the Foundation in 2004 and 2006. Collectively, the three surveys establish an accurate and long-term barometer of public opinion across Afghanistan to help assess the direction in which the country is moving in the post-Taliban era.

A copy of the 2007 survey can be accessed in its entirety at www.asiafoundation.org.

The 2007 survey captures the Afghan public's perceptions of reconstruction, security, governance, and poppy cultivation -- as well as attitudes towards government and informal institutions, the role of women and Islam in society, and the impact of media. The fieldwork for the survey was conducted in June 2007, and consists of a random sample of 6,263 in-person interviews with Afghan men and women 18 years of age and above, from different social, economic, and ethnic communities in rural and urban areas in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

The survey report opens with findings on the overall national mood in Afghanistan in 2007, which states that 42 percent of Afghans think the country is headed in the right direction (compared to 44% in 2006, and 64% in 2004); 24 percent feel it is moving in the wrong direction (21% in 2006, 11% in 2004), and 25 percent have mixed feelings (29% in 2006, 8% in 2004).

The 2007 survey -- which was funded through The Asia Foundation's ongoing cooperative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development -- was designed, directed, and edited by the Foundation, with all in-person interviews completed by 494 Afghan men and women employed by the Afghan Center for Socio-economic and Opinion Research (ACSOR) in Kabul. Similar surveys will be conducted in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

ABOUT THE ASIA FOUNDATION IN AFGHANISTAN

The Asia Foundation's Kabul office was re-established in February 2002 to launch programs in areas vital to the political, social, economic, and intellectual development of post-Taliban Afghanistan. Since 2002, the Foundation's Kabul office has assisted Afghans in their efforts to rebuild the country through the establishment of an interim government, the development of a new constitution, and the provision of support to implement national voter registration, civic education, media monitoring, and technical planning for the 2004 Presidential and 2005 National Assembly and Provincial Council elections. Since these elections, the Foundation has been providing long-term critical support to key institutions within the executive branch of government at the central level. Other Foundation programs have focused on creating educational and training opportunities for women and girls, supporting development of higher education, and promoting exchanges to foster improved international relations.

ABOUT THE ASIA FOUNDATION

The Asia Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental organization committed to the development of a peaceful, prosperous, just, and open Asia-Pacific region. The Foundation supports programs in Asia that help improve governance, law, and civil society; women's empowerment; economic reform and development; and international relations. Drawing on 50 years of experience in Asia, the Foundation collaborates with private and public partners to support leadership and institutional development, exchanges, and policy research.

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 on both a country and regional level. In 2006, the Foundation provided more than $53 million in program support and distributed 920,000 books and educational materials valued at $30 million throughout Asia.

For more information, please visit http://www.asiafoundation.org.