When I think of current events in Southeast Asia, the things that pop into my head are authoritarian regimes, ethnic tensions, border clashes, and so on. There is an entire list of current conflicts going on in this region. An example of a border dispute would be Thailand conflicting with neighboring Myanmar, Malaysia, Laos and …
Tag Archive: social problems
Jun 17
Looking Back on China (2): Socialism or Capitalism?
“No matter if it is a white cat or a black cat, as long as it can catch mice, it is a good cat.” It was probably the most influential quote of Deng Xiaoping, the Chief Architect of Chinese Reform and Opening, who further interpreted that “Do not restrict yourself from the difference between Socialism …
Jun 14
Extreme Poverty in Lao PDR
Lao PDR has one of the highest growth rates in Southeast Asia with 6% increase every year in the last decade. Even the level of poverty has been declining. However, the country is still one of the least developed in Southeast Asia and the level of poverty is still largely apparent in this economy. Laos …
Jun 12
Education Equality? The Color of School Closings
No more pencils. No more books. No more teacher’s dirty looks. A favorite song of mine, which I would often sing to myself every time June rolled around. The tune would play over and over in my head, as I would count down to the last day of school in a rush of projects, parties, …
Jun 11
Ending Child Brides
There are many things that are stopping girls from being able to get an education, from lack of infrastructure to natural disasters. However, there is one large, looming obstacle that is keeping many girls from schools; child brides. It is estimated that in the next decade 14.2 million girls will be married before their 18th …
Jun 10
Singapore: Immigration Dilemma in a Small Country
Will a country where there are 18,943 people in per square mile open its door for more immigrants? The Singapore government says yes. The Lee Hsien Loong administration published its latest population white paper in January, in which the government projects to increase its population to 6 million in 2030. This ambitious blueprint will be …
Jun 07
U.S. Agricultural Policies Cause Childhood Obesity
America is guilty of child abuse and should be charged, and sentenced. For the past 35 years, U.S. agriculture has operated under “cheap food” policy, while childhood obesity has gone primetime in every home, school, mall, and workplace. Since obesity hit mainstream America, it has become more than a cosmetic concern. Obesity is a social …
Jun 06
Education Development in Cambodia
Did you know that Cambodia has a literacy rate of 74 percent? That is considered one of the lowest rates in Asia. Literacy rates are used to determine education quality in each country. However, the primary education completion rate in 2009 was 84 percent and has been slowly increasing. The literacy rate is fairly low …
Jun 04
Why Education for Girls is a Worthwhile Investment
“First, I think girls’ education may be the single most cost-effective kind of aid work. It’s cheap, it opens minds, it gives girls new career opportunities and ways to generate cash, it leads them to have fewer children and invest more in those children, and it tends to bring women from the shadows into the …
Jun 04
The Extremist, Radical Box
I think a lot of people can call me the quintessential Jersey girl without the gym, tan, and laundry. I have enough feistiness to account for the entire East Coast, and yet I am always meekly waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Though I am surrounded by some of the most understanding people in …



