· May, 2006

Stories about Development from May, 2006

Bahamas: Development proposal

  31 May 2006

Residents of a small community in the Bahamas vote against a proposal which would have helped “preserve the character of local communities”. Larry Smith says the proposal's “scope, bureaucratic complexity and level of detail” may be to blame, “and, of course, we should not overlook the ever-present influence of party...

Macau: Economy booming

  31 May 2006

A post from Simon at Simon World looks at recent speculation that the fastest growing economy in the world is not to be found in Shanghai, Chongqing, the Pearl River Delta or anywhere in China proper for that matter, but the former Portugese colony of Macau, off China's southern coast....

St. Lucia: privatisation of utilities

  30 May 2006

Should the St. Lucian water company be privatised? Should the mass transit system remain in private hands? Matthew Hunte weighs in. “We end up in a funny situation where (quite a few of) the same people who oppose private water are quite content to leave our transport system in the...

Caribbean: What blogging is for

  30 May 2006

“Blogging … challenges the elitism that pervades the Caribbean and is a great experiment in the democratization of data,” says Geoffrey Philp in a thoughtful essay on the potential role of blogging in the region. “Blogging provides the kind of freedom that is anathema to many gatekeepers who want to...

Indonesia: Seismographs and Scholarships

  30 May 2006

Amidst the flow of corporate donations in Indonesia after the quake, Yosef is looking for a donation of a different kind “Company A to rebuild the school, company B to rehabilitate the mosques and hospitals…donates tents or boxes of instant noodles, tea, mineral water…etc…But I'm awating texts like…smart guy donates...

Be irrepressible! a campaign for global internet freedom

  29 May 2006

As more and more nations carve up the so-called global, borderless internet into separate spheres of control through filtering and censorship, often using technology supplied by large IT companies, Amnesty International has launched a new campaign – irrepressible.info to raise awareness of and protest against the infringements on the basic...

China: Destitution inspires art

  29 May 2006

Guangzhou-based Supernaut artist-blogger Frances D'Ath finds inspiration for her death-themed works in the killings and violence which have taken place over the past year in clashes between villagers and Communist authorities in several small villages around southern China's Guangdong province in her post ‘云浮, 汕尾, 太石 and other holiday places.’...

South Korea: Chinese labor unattractive

  29 May 2006

A post by James J. Na on The Korea Liberator blog looks at a decrease in Korean manufacturers doing business in China as labor conditions in the Communist state continue to improve, and costs rise. “They should do what the Chinese do already,” says Na: “go to Vietnam instead. And,...

Dominica: The Nature of tourism

  29 May 2006

Both Titlayo and Francomenz write about their recent vacations in Dominica. Titlayo posts a beautiful photo of Trafalgar Falls, noting that they are “one of Dominica's main tourist attractions, especially for cruise ship visitors, who were there in abundance the day we went.” Francomenz cautions that “Dominicans have an awesome...

Bahamas: Ignoring the revolution

  29 May 2006

“These days, it is possible to link to other human beings anywhere in the world by using satellites, cell phones, and the internet. The world has changed, and – without realizing – we have changed with it,” marvels Nicolette Bethel, “But it appears we haven’t noticed this change. That this...

Trinidad & Tobago: More smelter woes

  29 May 2006

Attending a five-hour public consultation where Trinidad & Tobago's Environmental Management Authority tries to convince the audience that the aluminium smelter to be constructed in southern Trinidad is no threat to the environment, only serves to fuel Attillah Springer's anger and skepticism about the project: “We'd be seriously fooling ourselves...

Vietnam: Visiting Saigon

  26 May 2006

The blogger at Vietnamese God visits Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and compares it to Hanoi – the city where he lives. “Each time I come here it brings me a different feeling. It seems always new and things are changing very quickly which is good. I love wandering around...

Trinidad and Tobago: Government not promoting local technology

  26 May 2006

“The one thing that is being wasted in this country more than money is the minds of our young people,” argues aka_lol of Trinidad and Tobago's Initiative Against Crime. “There has never been a government in our history who promoted local technology beyond their lips…. This country will continue to...

Taiwan: Ten years of democracy

  26 May 2006

A post earlier this week commemorates what Politics from Taiwan blogger David sees as ten years of democracy on the island off China's eastern coast: “By my reckoning, today marks the 10th anniversary of Taiwan's democracy. On 20th May 1996 Lee Teng-hui gave this speech at his inauguration. The election...