Amid growing concern over the slowing pace of democratic transition in Myanmar, U.S. President Barack Obama raised human-rights and political-reform issues Thursday with the country’s leader but didn’t impose firm conditions for continued U.S. support. Noting that the transition process is still incomplete, he cited violence against ethnic Rohingya Muslims in the western state of Rakhine and the government’s failure to change the constitution ahead of next year’s elections.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-presses-myanmar-leader-on-democratic-shift-1415908893
Many of us would struggle with just the thought of sacrificing our comfortable lifestyles and everything we owned to help those who are less fortunate. For some, however, this is the life they choose. Not for the glory and recognition, but simply because they are not able to ignore the cries of distressed communities. This was the case for Peter and Ann Pretorius; these parents of six children made the decision to trade in their growing business and affluent lifestyle to help make a better tomorrow for poor African communities. Peter and Ann founded Joint Aid Management (JAM) International in 1984 after Peter had a life changing experience in Mozambique.
Read more...
http://www.aid-expo.com/brussels/visit/peter-and-ann-pretorius-founders-joint-aid-management 
A major culture change is needed among political elites, as well as a commitment to national over partisan and personal interests. The international community, East and West, must explore common ground to nurture a climate for economic recovery and policy coherence. The government must show it is a reliable partner. The situation is not sustainable and the toxic residue of Zimbabwe’s decay permeates the region, further stymieing integration and development.
Read more:
http://nehandaradio.com/2014/10/02/much-to-be-done-to-arrest-decline-in-zimbabwe/ The side effects of three decades of unfettered economic growth—a poisoned environment, a growing income gap, rampant corruption—have contributed to an uneasy sense that, for all of China’s remarkable rise, things are not quite as they should be. At the same time, Hong Kongers discovered that their territory’s competitive advantages—unfettered courts, a vibrant press, financial transparency, a clean civil service and a welcoming attitude toward foreigners—were precisely what kept the enclave from becoming just another Chinese city.
To read more, go to:
http://time.com/3453736/hong-kong-stands-up/
