Salma Yusuf, a Sri Lankan based human rights lawyer, lecturer and Commonwealth Correspondent, was the main author of the Jaffna Memorandum. The document was the outcome of a historic event that took place in Sri Lanka in March, 2015. On the 5th of March 2015, nearly 100 women’s rights activists from different regions of Sri Lanka …

“Jaffna reflections and inspirations from abroad” Read More »

India’s media is breaking new ground as it grows, but Harmanan Singh, 18, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Mumbai in India, argues that commercialism should not jeopardise journalism standards. “India wants an answer!” bellows an effervescent, bespectacled news presenter, Arnab Goswami. For the past couple of minutes, he has dashed out an unprecedented war of words with …

"Indian media: the juggernaut and all in between" Read More »

It’s easy to oppose racism, but as Abdullah Al Hasan, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh, points out, lingering prejudices can undermine the effort to achieve equality. We live in a world where we raise our voices for the things – and yet we don’t even try to change those very things in …

“Racism continues, hidden and unintentionally” Read More »

An unusually violent version of an annual storm prompted Atikul Islam, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Bogra in Bangladesh, to look at climate change and the value of trees. The Kal Baishakh storm is a seasonal storm in Bangladesh. In the time ahead of the first Bangla month of Baishakh, the Kal Baishakh storm strikes …

“Kal Baishakh storm inflicts alarming damage”         Read More »

Cricket sanctions have hurt fans in Pakistan, writes Zainab Shamim Potrick, 23, a Correspondent from Karachi in Pakistan, who argues for a return of sportsmanship and international support for the national sport. The Pakistani nation, surrounded by bomb attacks and mobile snatching, considers cricket as its religion. It gives them hope and happiness in their terrible …

“Cricket comes home to fans in Pakistan” Read More »

Salma Yusuf, a Sri Lankan-based human rights lawyer, lecturer and Commonwealth Correspondent, was invited to present a Sri Lankan perspective following the Colombo screening of the documentary “Girls Rising: Education of Girls”. The right to education has been recognized since the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948, which states in Article 26 …

“Girls Rising: perspectives from Sri Lanka” Read More »

Being unexpectedly cut off from the internet and Wi-Fi access is frustrating, but as Harmanan Singh, 18, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Mumbai in India writes,there are lessons to be learned when one ventures offline. Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who first introduced the theory of evolution of man. From the early cavemen to the …

“Chronicles from times with no connectivity” Read More »

Bangladesh is a partner in space research but so far has no astronaut of its own, writes Monica Islam, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh, who examines some of the issues in the country’s space industry. The Convocation Plaza of a private university in Bangladesh was packed with enthusiastic youths when NASA astronaut Ronald J. …

“When will we see a Bangladeshi in space?” Read More »

Cricket fans are passionate about supporting their teams, but as Monica Islam, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh writes, fans should not endorse violent words or attitudes. A three-day cricket series between India and Bangladesh concluded on June 24, with Bangladesh emerging as the winner of the series. India, however, averted a washout – a “Banglawash” – …

“Violent cricket nationalism in Bangladesh” Read More »

Universal primary education is still a distant goal, writes Summaya Afaq, 23, a Correspondent from Karachi, Pakistan, but she argues that the goal is attainable if there is the political will to change priorities. The 21st century’s leaders are striving hard to implement democratic values that guarantee peace, stability and prosperity and ensure that no individual …

“Leaders need to prioritise books, not bullets!” Read More »