Month: January 2024

Education, South PacificLeave a comment

World’s ‘smallest university’ is having a big local impact

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Kalinga Seneviratne 27 January 2024 (Published by University World News) The University of the South Pacific’s (USP) Tuvalu Campus located in the capital Funafuti is perhaps the smallest university in the world, but it offers a distinctive service. The nation of Tuvalu comprises nine small atoll islands which have a combined population of just 11,400. The Tuvalu Campus itself is restricted to one small building with three classrooms, a conference room, a couple of office spaces and several mobile teaching and learning units. Regardless of the size of the campus, USP Tuvalu’s Campus Director Dr Olikoni Tanaki from Tonga is positive … Continue reading World’s ‘smallest university’ is having a big local impact

Asian Identity, Heritage and History, Politics and Democracy, Religion, Rise of AsiaLeave a comment

Grand Temple Consecration May Pave the Path to a Hindu Republic

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Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY | 24 Jan 2023 (IDN) — The grand consecration of the idol of Lord Ram at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya in northern India on January 22, which was broadcast live across India and attended by over 8000 dignitaries, may well be the first step towards declaring India a “Hindu Rashtra” (Hindu Polity) —a treasured ambition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The symbolism that accompanied the event and Modi’s speech on the occasion should leave no doubt in peoples’ mind, at least in India and the region, that … Continue reading Grand Temple Consecration May Pave the Path to a Hindu Republic

SDGsLeave a comment

Sustainable Development Goals Issue 26

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We are pleased to offer you the first issue of the Sustainable Development Observer for 2024 where we focus on “walking the Talk” after COP 28 Talkfest in the United Arab Emirates. In the articles we are presenting to you, we focus on some issues that need more than just talk to make it happen. We hope that this would generate some thoughts among the readers on how to make the COP process more practical on the ground. Kalinga Seneviratne – Editor Sustainable Development Observer Continue reading Sustainable Development Goals Issue 26

Geo=PoliticsLeave a comment

Is a “Muscular” India Alienating Neighbours?

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Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE | 16 January 2024 (IDN) — After returning from a week-long trip to China on January 14, the new Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu told journalists in Male: “We may be small, but that doesn’t give you the licence to bully us”. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that he was referring to India, not to China. In the September 2023 elections, Muizzu ran on a campaign slogan, “India out,” and immediately after taking office on November 7, he ordered the 70 Indian military personnel based in the Maldives to leave. The Indian military personnel … Continue reading Is a “Muscular” India Alienating Neighbours?

Development and Economy, Human Rights, Politics and Democracy, SDGsLeave a comment

China’s Grassroots Democracy Paves Path to Sustainable Development

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By Kalinga Seneviratne HUANGSHI, Hubei Province, China | 12 January 2024 (IDN) — About 30 minutes drive from this city in Hubei Province are villages that are providing a model of village-based grassroots democracy that is paving the path to achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015, which China supported. The SDG agenda of the UN stresses governance and partnerships involving public and private actors as key elements for achieving the goals by 2030. This model of village development, which has been implemented at least since 2017, provides a good example of China’s … Continue reading China’s Grassroots Democracy Paves Path to Sustainable Development