Statements of Panelists:

Carol Lee Hamrin
Dr. Hamrin is a Chinese affairs consultant and Research Professor at George Mason University, where she works with the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution and the Center for Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. Dr. Hamrin's current research interests include the development of the non-profit and non-governmental sector in China, cultural change, human rights and religious policy, and indigenous resources for conflict management.

Qiusha Ma
Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies at Oberlin College and Research Associate at the Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University. An expert on Chinese NGOs and civil society, Professor Ma's publications include, among others, "Defining Chinese Nongovernmental Organizations: Autonomy and Citizen Participation."

Karla Simon
Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for International Social Development at the Catholic University of America. Professor Simon is also the co-founder of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Civil Society Law, and has published widely on these topics. She has also done extensive work on the legal framework for civil society organizations in China.

Nancy Yuan
Ms. Yuan is Vice President and Director of the Washington office of The Asia Foundation. She works directly with the Foundation's China programs in law reform, Sino-U.S. relations and exchanges, and speaks regularly on issues relating to the rule of law and the development of civil society in China. Since 1979, The Asia Foundation has supported a wide range of programs in China focused on law reform, civil society development, and U.S. China relations.

To Serve the People: NGOs and the Development of Civil Society Transcript (Text)

To Serve the People: NGOs and the Development of Civil Society Transcript (PDF)