CSIS Southeast Asia SIT-REP

This issue brings you insight into the role of diplomacy and security in U.S. policy following the arbitral tribunal ruling on the South China Sea, an overview of Cambodia’s deteriorating political situation, analysis on the challenges in Myanmar’s peace process awaiting Aung San Suu Kyi, discussions with Philippine foreign secretary Perfecto Yasay and Japanese defense minister Tomomi Inada, and much more. Links will take you to the full publications, multimedia, or to registration for upcoming programs when available. To jump to a section, select one of the following:

• Congressional Testimony on South China Sea
• Commentaries on Cambodia

Continue Reading on CVD

Amy Barwise Saturday 23 January 2016 06.29 GMT

As a youth worker, Amy Barwise is used to dealing with pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, but after a week of revelations at home and work she decided safer was better than sorry

The doctor told me that teens are most likely to have sex after school before their parents get home from work. Photograph: Graeme Robertson for the Guardian

theguardian – An hour before the kids get home from school on Friday, I check the kitchen drawer where I’ve left about 400 condoms for the boys. It’s virtually empty. Clearly it’s been a busy week on the sexual front in my small house. Nothing to do with me and I’ve been in all week, so I know there’s been no action within these four walls.

Continue Reading on CVD

AMTI Brief – Evaluating the Asia-Pacific Rebalance

Evaluating the Asia-Pacific Rebalance

The Center for Strategic and International Studies last month completed an independent review of the defense portion of the Obama administration’s rebalance to the Asia Pacific. This review, which includes an evaluation of the rebalance’s implementation and resourcing as well as recommendations for its improvement, was mandated by the U.S. Congress under the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act.

Continue Reading on CVD

Independent – We are now further away from world peace than at any time in the past 10 years – and it’s creating a global ‘peace inequality’ gap

The world is becoming a more dangerous place and there are now just 10 countries which can be considered completely free from conflict, according to authors of the 10th annual Global Peace Index.

Continue Reading on CVD

June 24th, 2015 by Sandy Dechert

Cleantecnica.com – “Recent decades have witnessed dramatic progress in global health,” says the US Agency for International Development. Smallpox has been eradicated within the past half century. In all but three countries (Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan), polio has been wiped out. Use of modern methods of contraception has increased from 10% in 1965 to more than 50% in 2013. Child deaths from diarrhea have been cut in half since 1990. Malaria deaths have fallen by more than a quarter globally since 2000. Only half as many mothers died in live childbirth in 2010, compared to 20 years earlier. Unheard of 50 years ago, HIV/AIDS has now transited from certain death to a chronic ailment.

But climate change could quickly wipe out the past 50 years of world health progress.

Continue Reading on CVD

Cementing a New Normal in U.S.-Myanmar Relations

By Murray Hiebert (@MurrayHiebert1), Senior Adviser and Deputy Director, and Phuong Nguyen (@PNguyen_DC), Associate Fellow, Southeast Asia Program (@SoutheastAsiaDC), CSIS

September 1, 2016Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to the United States on September 13-14 as state counselor and de facto leader of Myanmar will be one of the highlights in U.S.-Myanmar relations since the two countries normalized diplomatic ties in 2012, after the military began political reforms. Now that a democratically elected government has taken office, the next five years will allow the two countries to lay the foundation for a new chapter in their bilateral relations.

Continue Reading on CVD