Asia

In China many grassroots organizations are taking issues into their own hands, spreading awareness through the arts.

When renowned artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at the Beijing International Airport on April 2 many people in China believed that government was up to its old tricks. But this reporter believes that government may be in for some unexpected reactions from an increasingly aware public.

Pakistan’s leadership in the world hinges on an investment in its youth.

80,000 lives were instantly lost on August 6, 1945 when the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Miraculously, 1.8 kilometers from the epicenter of the bombing, a piano survived. Today the Hibaku Piano (as it is called in Japanese) is featured in concerts devoted to delivering messages of peace and hope for the future – serving as a symbol of our shared humanity.

Allegedly security forces are behind the murders of Kashmiri youth despite Indian Prime Minster Singh’s zero tolerance on human rights violations.

The physical and psychological scars run deep and last a lifetime for far too many people in South Asia who have been brutally victimized by acid attacks. Julien Petit was in Cambodia and spoke with people who struggle to deal with the heinous crimes perpetrated against them and the monsters who committed them.

News of the earthquake that is estimated to have killed almost 200,000 people in Haiti too easily brought back the terror this reporter experienced when an earthquake struck Pakistan and Kashmir (2005) killing 70,000 people. His story shares constructive insights on moving forward once the cameras leave and the international community no longer sees the painstaking images.

While some “masters of the universe” have shown us the ugly side of capitalism, this reporter experienced a way of life that makes everyone rich.

The grass always seems to appear greener elsewhere. Such is the case for an American student now living in China and a Chinese student in the US – neither student wants to return to their own country.

Ojas Mehta photos of the Dharavi Slum where so many millions of people live in poverty. Dharavi is the largest slum in Asia.