asia posts

01.05.12 - “I am frustrated with those who have fortunes but turn a blind eye”
With queues for welfare centres all too often snaking around street corners, it is shocking that so many people still fail to help the poor and disadvantaged, according to Aristle Tay, 18, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Singapore. I saw it on a rather isolated corner of The Telegraph newspaper. But it struck me deeply. Apparently, [...] ... more

11.04.12 - “The right to self-determination must be respected”
In January, Jamaica’s new prime minister announced she intends to make her country a republic, some fifty years since formal independence from Britain. Other Commonwealth nations may soon follow suit, according to Wajahat Nassar, 24, from Pakistan. The question of whether to continue with a member of the British royal family as head of state [...] ... more

05.04.12 - “I wondered why people fear things. Then, it came to me”
To conquer fear we must choose to accept the unknowns present in life and take a leap of faith, says Aristle Tay, 18, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Singapore. It is alright to be forever scared. That is what I had always chosen to foolishly accept. Until a few weeks ago, when I finally figured out [...] ... more

27.03.12 - “Multilingualism is our ally in ensuring quality education for all”
Forty years after independence, many indigenous peoples in Bangladesh continue to face barriers to learning and participation in the public realm owing to the language they speak. Mehzabin Ahmed, 28, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka, reports. On the sad and historic day of 21 February 1952, the Pakistani police force opened fire on a group of peaceful [...] ... more

23.03.12 - Commonwealth Writers: A World of New Fiction
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize in 2011, the Commonwealth Foundation re-launched its prizes to form part of Commonwealth Writers. The prizes act as catalysts to target and identify talented writers from different regions who will go on to inspire and inform their local communities. Commonwealth Writers – a World of [...] ... more

12.03.12 - “Children have been enmeshed in a cruel mire of despair”
The world has the resources and capability to put the sufferings of children all over the globe to an end, writes Aristle Tay, 18, from Singapore. So enough of the hesitation. For the longest time possible, children from all over the world have been enmeshed in a cruel mire of misery and despair. Haunted by [...] ... more

14.02.12 - Commonwealth Asia Regional Meeting Endorses Need for Financial Inclusion of Youth
The Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre, Commonwealth Secretariat in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India organized a two-day Regional Consultation on Financial inclusion of Youth in New Delhi on February 8 – 9, with the objective to address the critical need for national financial inclusion policies having a ’youth’ [...] ... more

30.01.12 - “Let the river run free: India’s Tipaimukh Dam and Bangladesh”
If it goes ahead, a controversial dam planned by the Indian government could have far reaching consequences for citizens in neighbouring Bangladesh, according to Mehzabin Ahmed, 28, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka. Bangladesh is powerless when it comes to the decisions India makes which affect our borders. At least this is how it seems with [...] ... more

04.01.12 - HIV/AIDS: Ten big stories in 2011
It’s been a roller coaster of a year in HIV and AIDS. AIDS turned 30 in 2011, and with new evidence of the effectiveness of HIV treatment as prevention, experts are increasingly talking about “the end of AIDS”. At the same time, however, funding for HIV has become ever more uncertain, jeopardizing efforts to put [...] ... more

11.12.11 - “Remember to love thy neighbors and not anger the gods”
Mehzabin Ahmed, 28, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka, Bangladesh, offers a light-hearted tale about human history, with a serious message about the environment. Once upon a time, in a land not too far away, lived an unusual breed of intelligent species called the human race. They walked on two legs and used their thumbs to [...] ... more