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Tag: Asia


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 »

Classic patterns of economic development lead to impact beyond their a country’s own borders. Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from India currently studying in the U.S., looks at how growth and change in one economy can influence neighbouring economies and labour markets. According to Walt Whitman Rostow, an American economist and political theorist who served …

“Classical theories of economic development” Read More »

The world counts on humanitarian intervention when human rights are violated. Here, Abhay Shah, 18, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Siliguri in India, looks at how the imperative for humanitarian intervention flows from the principle of “responsibility to protect”, and what that means for policy and assessing need for action. Humanitarian intervention is the state of use …

“Principles behind humanitarian intervention” Read More »

Efforts to eradicate poverty are traditionally aimed at men, writes Abdur Rafay Usmani, 22, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Karachi in Pakistan, who argues in support of research that shows better results come from directing aid and assistance to rural women. One of the biggest factors impeding sustained economic growth in the third world has been …

“Key to development: empower rural women” Read More »

A ten day programme of meditation taught Mridul Upadhyay, 25,  a Commonwealth Correspondent from New Delhi in India, about one of India’s ancient disciplines and how it still applies to modern life. ‘How strange it is that we want control over others, while we are a slave of our own feelings completely.’ When one is …

“Peace through ancient practice of meditation” Read More »

The desire to give aid comes from good intentions, writes Swapnil Mishra, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from India currently studying in the U.S. At the same time, policies around international aid can lead to dependence, or undermine efforts to build a healthy local economy. A very popular documentary titled “Poverty, Inc.” explicitly puts forward the …

“The charitable-industrial complex” Read More »

Tutoring a refugee student gave Debra Grace Lim Jia-En, 17, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Malaysia, opportunity to learn about gaps in the rights and protections that are offered when people are forced to flee war or disaster. It was at a local NGO that I first met Sayyaf (not his real name), a 10-year-old Rohingya …

“The limits of rights granted to refugees” Read More »