[Asia Round-up] Asia accounts for two thirds of modern slavery
The recently released Global Slavery Index conducted by Walk Free Foundation reveals that there are an estimated 29.8 million people enslaved worldwide. India, China, and Pakistan enslave the highest number of people while Mauritania has the highest prevalence. Out of 22 million people enslaved in the index’s top 10 countries, over 20 million are from […]
A Tibetan craftman paints a piece of traditional Buddhist Regong art
A Tibetan craftsman works on a piece of Thangka painting in Tongren County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Huangnan, northwest China’s Qinghai Province, Dec. 17, 2013. Huangnan Prefecture is the hometown of Regong arts, which includes Thangka, murals, paintings and other Tibetan Buddhist art forms. The revenue of Regong arts industry this year has exceeded 300 […]
Makli: Withering necropolis of Sindh
Maintenance of world heritage sites is an international issue. A great part of history is in danger if we do not make effort to preserve it, even if not in its original form. This is especially true for Pakistan, where there are more important issues economically as well as socio-politically. But that does not mean […]
Sri Lanka will never sell women to boost tourism
Commercial sex would never be legalised and Sri Lanka would not sell its women for the sake of promoting tourism, the government says. According to rough estimates, there are about 40,000 sex workers in Sri Lanka. Among the campaigns conducted by the government is to increase awareness on abortions and unprotected sex. While prostitution in […]
[Asia Round-up] Diapers form 12.14% of waste in Malaysia
Adult and baby diapers now 12.14% of waste in Malaysia Diapers formed 12.14 per cent of the total waste disposed in Malaysia. This shows that Malaysia has an ageing population as more senior citizens are using diapers. This fact stressed the importance of using more environmental-friendly and cost-effective technology such as thermal treatment in solid […]
How does friendship make our life sweet?
The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him. -Ralph Waldo Emerson Friends are an important part of every individual’s life. You […]
Mastery of silence and subtle violence
A review of Stoker directed by Park Chan-wook If we take a look at the world cinema, each country’s has a different trait that defines the industry. It is a whole different set of aesthetics which appeal to the local audience, and often times, to a global audience as well. A popular example is Indian […]
[Books] Meet Malala
I Am Malala The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban By Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb | Little, Brown and Company | 2013 Malala Yousafzai, the brave Pakistani girl who stood up for education and was shot in the head by the Taliban, writes her story and message with […]
Growth vs. Participatory Growth
[BOOKS] Growth vs. Participatory Growth An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions By Jean Drèze, Amartya Sen | Princeton University Press | 2013 Two of India’s leading economists, Jean Drèze and Amartya Sen bring to light the neglected, dismal side of India that is not only overlooked in the media, but in public […]
Musings for Miss World 2013
Miss World 2013, Miss Philippines! The announcement echoed like a giant wave towards me, while I gazed transfixed in front of the TV. It was the Miss World Pageant beamed live from Bali, Indonesia last September 28, 2013. Screaming my heart out, I felt like I was the one sashaying down the stage. I felt […]