Showing Results For:

Tag: Asia


History tells us that some of the world’s most distinguished people have suffered from depression and battled it with utmost bravery, writes Summaya Afaq, 25, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Karachi, Pakistan. This year the World Health Organization has chosen ‘depression’ as the theme for World Health Day.  At the age of 20, his loving sister died. …

“Defeating depression: you can do it!” Read More »

Micro-financing is often heralded as a path out of poverty for maginalised groups, but Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Correspondent from India and currently studying in the U.S., examines the numbers and outlines the limitations that must be considered. A poor family lives on less than $2 a day, and the family seeks for financial predictability like …

“A case study on micro-finance” 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 »

Malnutrition is defined as undernourishment as well as over-nutrition that may lead to obesity and non-communicable diseases, writes Monica Islam, 26, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh. The UN has declared a Decade of Action on what has been called “the silent development crisis”.  Since malnutrition is a pervasive multi-sectoral issue, it is described …

“It’s time to support action on nutrition !” Read More »

For centuries, the role of the press has been recognised as the Fourth Estate and as a forum for public discussion, writes Abhay Shah, 17, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Siliguri in India. As World Press Freedom day approaches, he describes the balance that the media must strike in maintaining that role. Democracy cannot thrive in …

“Criticising the media to defend democracy” Read More »

The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have been touted as the pioneers in the field of poverty alleviation in developing countries, writes Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from India currently studying in the U.S. However, he points out that some of their policies have been criticised by international development watchdogs. In Haiti’s case, the criticism arose …

“Development economics in Haiti and Ghana” Read More »

 Pakistan has many attributes, writes Zainab Shamim Potrick, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Karachi in Pakistan, among them its natural beauty. She takes readers on a brief tour of some of the highlights. Welcome to the most powerful Islamic country. Welcome to one of the world’s seven atomic powers. Welcome to the land surrounded by rivers …

“Tourists find a natural welcome in Pakistan” Read More »

Hepatitis attacks the liver, an organ that is essential to good health. Omer Fayshal Pavel, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh, looks at some of the causes of hepatitis and ways to prevent or battle the condition. Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver, usually caused by a viral infection. It can affect …

“Hepatitis is a deadly global threat” 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 »