Young people with disabilities have numerous concerns, especially in the developing world, writes Vibhu Sharma, 24, a Correspondent from Delhi in India, who notes the problems created by discrimination and social exclusion. It is difficult for most students with visual impairment to seek admission in general schools. Lack of adequate school infrastructure, unawareness amongst teachers …

“Educational inclusiveness for the disabled” Read More »

Protest has long been a part of the interaction between the people and the institutions that have power over them. Aïdêè Amba, 20, a Correspondent from Calabar in Nigeria, writes that peaceful protest has a place in society, but violent protest is counter-productive. When citizens of a country or a group of people disagree with …

“Society can say yes to peaceful protest” Read More »

On the dirt road from Wellawaya to Buttala, there stood two little shacks in a small expanse of garden. One would often spot an elderly gentleman there dressed in a sarong and simple baniyan, writes Annemari de Silva, 27, a Correspondent in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as she tells the story of a respected community builder. …

“Honouring the legacy of a community hero” Read More »

India can rightly claim to be making continuous efforts to look after persons with disabilities, writes Vibhu Sharma, 24, a Correspondent from Delhi in India, but the issue now is to implement the laws that are on the books. In 1997, India set up a corporation to provide loans to disabled people to facilitate their economic …

“Women with disabilities can earn a living” Read More »

Education is perceived to be a tool for unlocking the world of ignorance. But as Oluwasegun Olakoyenikan, 22, a Correspondent from Benin City, Nigeria, writes, studies show no strong connection between level of education and awareness about – or support of – female genital mutilation. It was just a few years into her induction as a …

“Formal education and FGM: two parallel lines” Read More »

May 1 is marked in many countries as Labour Day, a day to celebrate and advocate for working people. Badru Walusansa, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Kampala in Uganda, looks at how the need for employment must be balanced with legislation that protects and compensates labourers. Labour is an indispensable factor of production without which the production …

“Protect labourers from foreign investors” Read More »

Unhappy experience with racism prompts McPherlain Chungu, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Zambia now studying in India, to reflect on the role of apathy. He argues that each individual can combat racism by speaking up and looking for ways in which we are similar rather than different. Just weeks ago, ten Nigerian students sustained severe injuries after …

“Escalating racism is a problem of apathy” Read More »

Uganda’s rural poor face multiple challenges to development, writes Munguongeyo Ivan, 24, a Correspondent from Kampala, Uganda, who argues for the need to place human rights at the centre of development policy. The rural poor in Uganda lack access to financial services, they are at the edges of communities, often isolated and have limited access …

“Let’s bring dignity back to the poor” Read More »

In Africa, feminism is a dream beyond reaching due to the oppressive nature of society, writes Kiyara Matambanadzo, 16, a Correspondent from Harare in Zimbabwe. She argues the sobering view that to be a girl in Africa is hard, to be a teenaged girl is harder, but to be a vocal feminist teenaged girl is the …

“Why gender equality is a failing concept” Read More »

Five years after a rape case that shook society in India and made headlines around the world, Shiboni D’Souza, 23, a Correspondent from Bangalore in India, looks at the changes in law and public perception that have evolved since the horrendous attack on a woman now known as “Nirbhaya”. It has been almost five years …

“Nirbhaya – progress is a work in process” Read More »