Devpolicy Blog‘s Stephen Howes outlines why he’s a keen New Mandala reader.

I’m a big fan of New Mandala. There are two things I particularly like about it.

One, the comments. There are reams and reams of comments. Not the degenerate abuse mainstream articles attract through their comments, but lively, vigorous and dissenting debate.

Two, the range of articles, and their fascinating content. I run a course that relies on case studies. The case studies are often Southeast Asian (the middle-income trap in Thailand, Indonesia’s transboundary haze) and I regularly go to New Mandala to check on the latest developments.

I love the journey, as one blog leads to another, and the fascinating detail as important, but often obscure developments are laid bare and dissected – the goings-on of the Thai monarchy, to take one particularly important, spectacular and controversial example.

New Mandala sets the standard for all of us. Congratulations, and keep it up.

Professor Stephen Howes is Director of the Development Policy Centre at the Crawford School. He edits the Devpolicy Blog.