Despite the economic value of the hotel and restaurant sector in Amsterdam, the regulations for acquiring a bar, hotel, or restaurant license in the city were extremely complicated. Especially for nascent immigrant entrepreneurs, the investments of time, money, and energy were prohibitive.

A novel, cross-agency, and web-enabled initiative dramatically reduced the complexity and costs of licensing -- for entrepreneurs and the government. Read more>>

In the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots, more than half of the complaints filed by victims were closed without trial. The Nyayagrah initiative brought together working-class Muslim and Hindu volunteers to provide moral support and legal assistance to victims.

Along with a petition to the Supreme Court, the project led to real access to justice for the survivors of the riots. Read more>>

ImprovingAccess.org was developed by an international group of researchers interested in innovations in democratic governance. This partnership between the Ash Institute at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and the Centre for Government Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands resulted in the production and organization of research, conferences, publications, and teaching materials.

This website aims to bring together the work of individuals, institutions, and initiatives that address the problem of access and the innovations that have improved access. 

Galing Pook is the Philippine partner of the Liaison Group that was established in 2002 to enhance collaboration among programs for shared learning and global dissemination of individual and collective knowledge and experiences.

The Kabalikat PALMA Infrastructure Program, one of the Philippine innovation award winners for 2007, has improved access to social services in far-flung barangays and created entrepreneurial opportunities for women through the collaborative building of roads. Read more>>

The State of Access is the result of a two-year collaborative effort of 14 scholars working in different fields of research and reporting on cases from over 20 countries.

Published by Brookings Institution Press and the Ash Institute, this publication presents thought-provoking discussions and analyses of the mechanisms and root causes that lead to exclusions. The contributors examine real-life innovations from around the world and formulate an agenda for improving inclusive access to democratic processes, services, and justice. Download the flyer.