By Kalinga Seneviratne NAMOKANDA, West Bengal, India (IDN) – Six years ago this remote village of 130 households about 80 km from Santiniketan – the hometown of famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore – was a small picturesque village community surrounded by paddy fields, but without a sustainable development concept. Today it is a confident community […]
India Looks Forward to Hectic Diplomacy in 2018
By Shastri Ramachandaran* NEW DELHI (IDN) – The world could be too much with us in 2018, in a sense that Wordsworth may never have foreseen. In fact, the New Year would begin with a lot of the world in India when leaders of 10 ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations), governments come as […]
Traumatised Rohingya Women Bear the Brunt of Persecution
By Naimul Haq COX’S BAZAR, Bangladesh (IDN) – Shefali Aktar, mother of three, fled her home in Thaphanbin, a tiny village overlooking the Arakan Mountains in Rakhine state in Myanmar. The 22-year-old pregnant woman escaped near death when her neighbour helped her and her children to hide in the nearby forest the night after the […]
Village Buddhist Monks in Laos Initiate Environmentally-Aware Development
By Toung Eh Synuanchanh This article is the 19th in a series of joint productions of Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate. BEUNGSANTHUENG, Laos (IDN) – A quiet revolution is taking shape in rural Laos, where environmentally-conscious village Buddhist monks are teaching people morality and meditation to spearhead a movement mobilising the people […]
From Arizona to Bangkok, Determined to Help Thailand
By Jutta Wolf BERLIN | BANGKOK (IDN) – There is something exceptional about Dr. Thanawan Bhookphan who was born in Min Buri, one of the 50 districts of Bangkok, the capital city of Bangkok, and spent over 30 years in the United States. He received Mechanical Engineering Degree from the University of Arizona, and Master’s […]
Trump’s Asian Visit Exposes U.S.-Asia Perception Gap
By Kalinga Seneviratne BANGKOK (IDN) – It is often said that since the end of the World War II, the United States has been the pre-eminent power in the Asia-Pacific region, providing the stability needed for the economic boom of the past 70 years. This perception is changing, however, and has intensified especially after U.S. […]
Climate Change Impact in Asia-Pacific Needs Innovative Finance Solutions
By Jaya Ramachandran BONN (IDN) – While global estimates range between US$55 trillion and $93 trillion to stay within 2 degree Celsius of temperature increase by 2030-2035, developing countries in Asia alone need an estimated US$3.6 billion per annum up to 2030 to transition toward net zero emissions and increased resilience, according to ESCAP News. […]
Traditional Silk Weavers in India Losing Out To New Comers
By Kalinga Seneviratne SUALKUCHI, Assam, India (IDN) – Silk weaving is an intrinsic part of Assamese culture and the “weavers’ village” of Sualkuchi is famous for its silk products, especially the Muga silk made from the golden thread of the assama caterpillar. Situated about 30 km from Gauhati, the state capital, tourist brochures describe this […]
Data, Evidence Take Centre Stage at Adolescent Health Congress
By Stella Paul
NEW DELHI (IDN) – For three years, 13-year-old migrant Manasa spent nine hours a day picking chilli on a neighbour’s farm in southern India’s Guntur district.
But when a team of local health activists conducting a door-to-door survey in her village in the summer of 2015 found that students had stopped attending school, the finding was shared with a senior official in the provincial government who ordered the village heads to crack down on those employing children on their farms.
Along with 20 others, Manasa was rescued and sent back to school where she is now in her fifth year and dreams of becoming a teacher some day.
The Nobel Peace Prize 2017 Finally for a Legitimate Cause
Viewpoint by Somar Wijayadasa*
NEW YORK (IDN) – “Commiserations, Mr. President” in the Sunday Times of October 8 noted that President Maithripala Sirisena was “nominated and short listed” but missed the coveted Nobel peace prize.
The article provided an impressive historical perspective of our democracy – a must read by all who love our country. Bravo! to the writer. It is unfortunate that we, Sri Lankans, lost a jubilant moment.
Though no small feat to hit the short list, we are unable to know the details and opinions related to the award as the statutes of the Nobel Foundation restrict disclosure of information about the nominees for 50 years.