President Nila

By Nila Bala (Balananthini Balasubramaniam) United Kingdom 21 September 2026 There is a profound difference between merely observing an event and understanding the historical architecture within which that event takes place. The arrival of 34 new U.S. Peace Corps trainee volunteers in Sri Lanka in September 2026 is therefore not simply an educational story. It is also an opportunity to examine how foreign governments, institutions and international organisations have interacted with Sri...

Trust is indispensable to any charitable or community organisation. Volunteers, trustees, employees and donors must be able to work with one another in an environment of mutual confidence. Yet there is a fundamental governance question that every organisation ought to confront: Are we using personal trust as a substitute for institutional accountability? This is not a question about distrusting individuals. It is a question about protecting the organisation, its beneficiaries, its donors and...

The catastrophic flash floods that struck the Nepal–China border region in August 2026 should first and foremost be understood as a profound humanitarian and environmental tragedy. Nevertheless, the circumstances surrounding the disaster also warrant examination through a broader geopolitical and strategic lens. The emerging controversy over early-warning information, cross-border communication and the location of critical monitoring infrastructure raises questions that extend well beyond the...