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Vanessa Dougnac the French journalist based in New Delhi having worked for two years with Hikari Films on the story India's Red Tide about the country's Maoist insurgency, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘China's "String Of Pearls" Strategy To Secure The Ports Of South Asia’. Dougnac states “…Nowadays in Bangladesh, it’s hard to miss all the Chinese constructions. In October, there was yet another Chinese delegation signing deals and offering subsidized loans for a water treatment facility, a private power plant and an international airport in the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar. But mostly, China is building a spectacular deep-sea harbor in the island of Sonadia for an estimated cost of $5 billion. There is also a tunnel under the Chittagong River, a China-Bangladesh highway via Burma (Myanmar), and the project of a new industrial park. …the Chinese focus on the strategic sector of transportation can be seen in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. All of these countries surround… India. In a region where it has always been very influential, the Indian government was quick to suspect the Chinese expansion of hiding an “encirclement” strategy. The two Asian giants are locked in a struggle for regional domination. …The “small” nations of the Indian subcontinent have always been wary of their Indian big brother, whose domination they resent. …Chinese investments are visibly geared toward improving maritime transport infrastructures. …Being present in every port has a purpose: it’s the famous “string of pearls” strategy, which consists in China getting exemption from port of call taxes and securing trading routes for Middle Eastern oil while asserting its commercial influence. For now, China’s involvement in Bangladesh is undeniably a positive thing, as it is a symbol of dynamic development.”  Inspired by Vanessa Dougnac, Worldcrunch ow.ly/hhQ9f Image source vanessadougnac ow.ly/hhPBC China’s “String Of Pearls” Strategy (February 8 2013)

Vanessa Dougnac the French journalist based in New Delhi having worked for two years with Hikari Films on the story India’s Red Tide about the country’s Maoist insurgency, has published an article on Worldcrunch titled ‘China’s “String Of Pearls” Strategy To Secure The Ports Of South Asia’. Dougnac states “…Nowadays in Bangladesh, it’s hard to miss all the Chinese constructions. In October, there was yet another Chinese delegation signing deals and offering subsidized loans for a water treatment facility, a private power plant and an international airport in the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar. But mostly, China is building a spectacular deep-sea harbor in the island of Sonadia for an estimated cost of $5 billion. There is also a tunnel under the Chittagong River, a China-Bangladesh highway via Burma (Myanmar), and the project of a new industrial park. …the Chinese focus on the strategic sector of transportation can be seen in Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. All of these countries surround… India. In a region where it has always been very influential, the Indian government was quick to suspect the Chinese expansion of hiding an “encirclement” strategy. The two Asian giants are locked in a struggle for regional domination. …The “small” nations of the Indian subcontinent have always been wary of their Indian big brother, whose domination they resent. …Chinese investments are visibly geared toward improving maritime transport infrastructures. …Being present in every port has a purpose: it’s the famous “string of pearls” strategy, which consists in China getting exemption from port of call taxes and securing trading routes for Middle Eastern oil while asserting its commercial influence. For now, China’s involvement in Bangladesh is undeniably a positive thing, as it is a symbol of dynamic development.”

 

Inspired by Vanessa Dougnac, Worldcrunch ow.ly/hhQ9f Image source vanessadougnac ow.ly/hhPBC

Leading a mission to wipe out illiteracy in Nepal (November 10 2012) Leading a mission to wipe out illiteracy in Nepal (November 10 2012)

Uttam Sanjel the 35 year old Nepalese is said to be a powerhouse of altruistic energy, dedication and optimism in leading a mission to wipe out illiteracy in Nepal with low cost private education. Aela Callan states in an Aljazeera article “On first appearances, Uttam Sanjel is almost a caricature. Dressed in a traditional Nepali dhaka topi hat and an over-sized blue blazer, he performs in front of 3,000 of his students at a bamboo “Samata” school assembly like the Bollywood actor he dreamed of one day becoming. His permanent smile and cheery turn of phrase show a determination for positivity, no matter what the challenge. …Uttam’s mission is to provide quality education for all children in Nepal. His schools are very cheap – students only pay 100 rupees (just over one dollar) each month. His students are from impoverished backgrounds. They have to find their own uniforms, but sometimes he even pays for their books. …Uttam seeks outside funding so that he keeps a good distance away from [the government] mess. He does not want the government, NGOs or even INGO’s meddling in his school and its affairs. Private donations from “education lovers,” as he calls them, fund 75 per cent of his operating costs. He claims to run all 19 schools on $250,000 in donations per year. “Give and forget,” is Uttam’s philosophy, and it works – almost.  The biggest limitation in what he is doing is that this is a one-man show. Each month, he looks in his bank account to see if there is enough money to pay his dedicated teachers. Sometimes there is not.”

 

Inspired by Aljazeera ow.ly/eUfNn image source Article.wn ow.ly/eUfq0

Evidence of climate change in Nepal (August 24 2012) Evidence of climate change in Nepal (August 24 2012)

Naresh Newar the Nepalese journalist with special focus on armed conflict, humanitarian and environmental issues has published an article on the Inter Press Service titled ‘Droughts Bring Climate Change Home to Nepali Farmers’ in which he describes how farmers in this fertile central district of south Nepal are convinced that an intense drought between May and early July that destroyed their maize crops is the result of climate change. Newar states “Nepal has a history of droughts but the intensity increased this year… Evidence of climate change in Nepal is seen in temperatures rising by about one-tenth of a degree annually, receding glaciers and snow line and volatile monsoonal rains. While scientists are still trying to link these changes to factors such as production of greenhouse gases and deforestation, Nepal’s farmers are coping on their own with dwindling water supply, flash floods and landslides. Chitwan, a major producer of maize, has suffered a 70 percent loss of the crop due to late arrival of the monsoons this year, according to assessments by the government’s Agricultural Services Office (ASO). …the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu. …is currently conducting a study on climate change impacts on food security in the entire Indo Gangetic plains. …There can be two droughts in a year without causing too much damage, but when there is drought intensity that can destroy maize, even in irrigated areas, according to ICIMOD experts. With such unpredictability of weather patterns growing in the country, there is need now for planned adaptation.”

 

Inspired by Inter Press Service ow.ly/d0Kc3 image source Panos.org ow.ly/d0K1z

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