| About us
The
South Asian Outlook is an independent e-Monthly by South Asians for South
Asians living in South Asia, people of South Asian origin who are
settled in different parts of the world and for
all those who are interested in the rich cultural heritage of South
Asia, its diversity, its complexity and its vitality.
The
GlobalomNet Media - a new transatlantic venture with two
headquarters, in Canada for North America and in Germany for the
Euro-Mediterranean region - publishes the South Asian Outlook. The
GlobalomNet Media also publishes the independent monthly e-Journal The
Global South.
The
World Bank defines
South Asia as a region comprising of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. We have
oriented ourselves to South Asia as perceived by the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
However, in view of the importance of Afghanistan to the region and
beyond, the South Asian News page also provides links to sources
giving news on that volatile country.
SAARC
was established in 1985 at the First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka,
Bangladesh, even though the ideas
for a regional grouping of South Asian nations had been mooted since
1980. Currently
made up of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka, SAARC's main goal is to accelerate economic and social
development in member states through joint action in certain agreed
areas of cooperation.
The
potential of countries in the SAARC region is vast and yet much of it
is untapped. There are some identifiable reasons for this:
internal
and external conflicts within and between member states, rigid
and inflexible economic policies as well as unnecessary
bureaucracy and rampant corruption.
However,
many improvements are now taking place as a pragmatic approach
towards solving economic and social troubles gains acceptance among
the member states. After all, there are many more good reasons for
promoting regional co-operation: reducing
danger of external intervention, reducing,
political, military and economic tensions within the region, expanding
trade and other economic ties within a much larger market formed
by the reduction and elimination of trade barriers, co-ordinating
measures for mutual benefit in diverse areas ranging from
poverty eradication to environmental protection, and Improving
the already close cultural links that exist among the South
Asian states.
To
date, South Asia remains a symbol of Eastern Promise - golden
opportunities yet to be realised. SAARC may be the catalyst
that helps to promote fulfilment of the dream.
We
believe that some 20 million South
Asians originating from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, who are spread around the world - in Africa,
Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, North America and South America - can
contribute to making that dream a reality. - The
Publisher & Managing Editor
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