Shocked like everybody by the Connecticut tragedy, I have been reflecting upon this terrible event and the lessons we can learn from it.

My first reaction is one of incomprehension: how can anybody massacre innocent children and teachers? How is it possible? What possessed this man?

My second immediate reflection...

Reading about Aung San Suu Kyi traveling through Europe these days is wonderful and amazing news to me. It brings me joy and reminds me that we must never give up. And today is Aung San Suu Kyi's birthday.

I was in Burma (officially called Myanmar these days) in November...

The drums are rumbling and the dancers swirling around the courtyard of the monastery. Watching them are hundreds of Bhutanese who have come from town and nearby villages to attend their annual local festival, dressed in their best outfit. I, too am attending the Jakar Festival in Bhumtang, Bhutan. My...

During the last years, I have been to Nepal several times. I returned for three weeks this fall, trekking in an area called Langtang. I went there for a recreational purpose but this journey was also a great learning experience about the state of Nepal today.

Home of...

In November 2009 I spent three weeks in Myanmar and was very moved by my trip. This country has so much to offer with its history, natural beauty and the genuine kindness of its people.

Its uniqueness starts with its double name. In 1989 the military government renamed the...