Good Example Of Article Review On Reading Response On South Asia

This course has allowed me to become more aware of South Asia, not only with its geographic value, but more so about the unique culture, economic, traditional and religious aspects. I likewise learned of the existence of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SARRC), and its global importance given that it comprises about one-fifths of the world’s population. As such, the member-nations that make up SARRC, which are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are unique in their own way but nevertheless exhibit similarities common to the South Asian culture.
For one, I have learned that while there has been caste or social class in nearly all members of SARRC, there are also present efforts to correct this line of thinking and make every member of the society as equals. Thus, the past practices where some members are ‘untouchable’ are slowly being erased. However, there are still practices that have remained up to this day, such as those that necessitate women to always wear loose garments, head coverings, their restrictions about meeting males privately, and the way they are forbidden to be touched by men in any way. The same tradition can also be said about the way that South Asians do business, as opposed to Western cultures. Here, I have learned that respect is a way of life among South Asians, just like what can be seen on how they give their business cards with two hands, which shows their respect towards other persons whom they are dealing in businesses with.
Another aspect that I have learned is the common denominator in religiosity shared by South Asian nations. As such, religious deities seem to be one of the major influences in South Asia, as what can be seen in India, Bhutan and Nepal, among others. Thus, while the Buddha is represented in many ways depending on the nation, what is common is how the Buddha is very highly revered in the tradition of a nation. This is significant given that gods or deities in South Asia are not only one, and that including the minor gods they in fact number in the hundreds.
Perhaps another thing that I learned in this course is that South Asia can be a major tourism destination for the whole world. This is because of the richness in physical diversity and tradition that the entire world, especially the West, will find very interesting because they are very different from their own. Examples of this include the pearly white beaches of Maldives, which cannot be seen in Western countries, and the centuries old religious temples in India, Nepal, and Bhutan, among others. Thus, it is no wonder that people from other regions of the world continue to visit South Asia, because it is deep in mystery, beauty, and history.
However, as a global citizen, I am concerned that other nations will only see South Asia as a violent and unsafe place, considering the conflicts that have been going on in Afghanistan that are being regularly reported in Western news coverage. Indeed, I believe this problem must be addressed the soonest possible time, since this can affect not only Afghanistan but also the entire South Asian region. More so, finding a solution to this security problem will surely result to many economic advantages for member-nations, since it will open additional avenues by which international trade can pass through, not to mention the global confidence that South Asia will surely enjoy. Hence, for economic prosperity to be achieved, conflicts in hot spots must first be solved permanently.