Citizens working together as a civil society can have an impact on development even in nations with fragile governance, writes Naseema Perveen, 21, of Islamabad in Pakistan. A first step is to promote education. Civil society could have momentous impact on development, especially in states where the government is fragile. By pooling resources and mobilizing …

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The use of chemical weapons in Syria has world leaders pondering a military response, writes Ariela St. Pierre-Collins, 15, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Barbados. But she argues that education offers a better option. The global community was taken by storm when graphic photos were posted featuring the human rights-defying deaths of people mere hours after …

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Pakistan was founded as a country of peace and brotherhood, writes Naseema Perveen, 22, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Islamabad in Pakistan. But the growing threat of fundamentalist activists is turning those principles upside down. Pakistan was established in the name of Islam, a state where freedom of choice and freedom of faith was to be …

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Students are protesting a tax on univesity fees, but Abdullah Al Hasan, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh, explains that the protest warrants wider support from the public. Studying at a university is one of the biggest dreams of every student, especially the students who do well in academic results. In Bangladesh, every year, …

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A more systemic approach is needed to entrench citizen engagement in democratic governance, writes Christine Shahbenderian, 23, a Correspondent from Nicosia in Cyprus, who argues that it is high time for us to do democracy differently.  “[The] key characteristic of democracy is the continuing responsiveness of the government to the preferences of its citizens, considered …

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Reading history gave Jake Elson, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Bunbury in Australia, insight into a political and social trend that he argues could threaten the democratic progress of past generations. Not long ago, I began reading Zimbabwean politician David Coltart’s book The Struggle Continues. Whilst I am only at the beginning, it provides a …

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Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from India, currently studying in the United States, writes that governments should consider investments in social and economic infrastructure as key ways to combat religious extremism.  The government of Tajikistan is going all out to curb religious extremism. Last year, the government outlawed Arabic-sounding names. It has also shut …

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