Stories about Development from October, 2006
Honduras, Uganda: Kiva Microfinancing
Global Voices readers are surely dedicated to staying informed about the rest of the world. But the Internet can also enable us to make positive change. “La Gringa” describes how Kiva lets internet users invest in microcrediting loans around the world. Just two days after writing about Honduran loan applicants...
Barbados: Who's your First World daddy?
Barbados Free Press takes issue with Barbados Labour Party strategists’ designation of Prime Minister Owen Arthur as the “Father of First World Barbados”.
Swahili Blogosphere: Madonna, power rationing, and illiterate thieves
Chemi Che Mponda sums up her feelings about critics of Madonna's adoption of a Malawian baby, David Banda: David Banda kazaliwa katika umaskini, lakini leo anaishi katika utajiri. Na lazima kuna watu wanamwonea wivu! David Banda was born poor and became rich overnight. Some people must be jealous of him....
Haiti: Circles of Change
A recently posted YouTube video (in kwéyol with English subtitles) introduces a programme in Haiti called Circles of Change, which seeks to empower individuals by developing their sense of personal responsibility and their ability to “teach themselves”. “Can hungry people think,” asks one of the participants. “Can poor people exercise...
Africa: China-Africa connection
The Sub-Saharan Africa Roundtable on China-African connection:”No wonder when you consider that trade between China and Africa amounted to $38 billion in 2005, according to the World Bank. What upsets westerners is how China’s investments ignore human rights.”
Jamaica: Striking it rich
Francis Wade considers what could happen if Jamaica were suddenly to strike it rich.
Bermuda: Dr. Brown's opportunity
Valentine Michael Smith leaves aside satire for a moment and considers the opportunity that lies before Bermuda's newly elected Premier, Dr. Ewart Brown.
Belize: Dangriga Town
Nyasha Lang reports on a visit to Dangriga Town, Belize, where she visits a radio station run by a Garifuna perfomer and learns how easy it is to fall into the habit of wearing several hats.
Brunei: New GDP Figure
The guest blogger at Brunei Resources explains why the new GDP figure for Brunei is both a good news as well as bad news.
Ethiopia: clash over trademark
Ethan discusses the clash between the Ethiopian government and Starbucks over trademark, “Last year, the Ethiopian government filed trademark applications to protect the names “Sidaro”, “Harar” and “Yirgacheffe” – the hope was to prevent unscrupulous coffee dealers from buying inexpensive beans from other countries and selling them as “Sidaro”, whether...
Arabisc: Sexual Harrassment and the Egyptian Blogosphere
After a month of abstinence (from sex naturally) during daylight hours in the Holy month of Ramadhan, a mob of sex starved Egyptians decided to celebrate Eid by attacking and sexually harassing women on the streets of Cairo. The first the incident was made public was during a television show,...
Voices from Zimbabwe
Following recent reports chronicling the decline in Zimbabwe's HIV/AIDS prevalence, the spotlight has now been turned on to the effect anti-AIDS campaigns have wrought on traditional Zimbabwean morals and values: Zimbabwe's lead in condom use and condom sale worldwide has produced mixed reactions, with some sections of society welcoming the...
Zimbabwe: church releases national vision document
The Bearded Man posts latest news from Zimbabwe, “A church-authored national vision document could be the start of efforts to end Zimbabwe’s fast deteriorating crisis but analysts say it fell short of directly putting the blame on President Robert Mugabe’s government and questioned the veteran leader’s commitment to implementing its...
Tajikistan: Eyes on the Election
Members of the United States Congress held a hearing yesterday on Tajikistan's upcoming presidential election. James of neweurasia was on hand and reports on the proceedings.
Africa: PayPal expansion into Africa
Oluniyi David Ajao writes about PayPal expansion into Africa, “Hitherto, South Africa had been the only African country supported by Paypal. The popular online financial institution has now extended its services to Botswana, Cape Verde, Namibia, Togo and Tunisia, on the African continent. In all the six countries however, users...
Uganda: Anti-Corruption Week
I Have Left Copenhagen for Uganda writes about the Anti-Corruption Week in Uganda, “The theme for this year’s Anti-Corruption Week (ACW) is “Tackling Corruption in Universal Primary Education (UPE)”. The Anti-Corruption Week 2006 will take place between the 30th October and 5th November.”
Vietnam: Hanoi Pavements
Vietnamese God takes us on a trip through the pavements in Hanoi and posts pictures of the attractions.
Dominica: Independence
On the occasion of Dominica's independence, Kenny Green affirms the strength of the island's culture while sounding a warning: “Dominica has some major questions to ask itself about independence. Most of our income was from a protected relationship with Europe which we scream to regain, brokered by England. Our current...
Indonesia: Rise of Democracy
Adam's Gecko in Bangkok looks at the rise of democracy and de-centralisation of power in Indonesia. The blogger has interesting perspectives from a trip to Indonesia in 1992, just after a pro-democracy movement in Thailand.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: Exploring the Pyramid
“Bosnian Pyramid? – Visocica Hill” – by sjareb It's been over a year since the whole Bosnian pyramid media fuss started. Still, many talk about the possible discovery of Europe’s first step pyramid complex. The event is significant for Bosnia & Herzegovina's recovery, as it brings positive media attention and...
Torture in Gambia, “Militocracy” in Africa, Press Freedom and Dirty Water and Gold
We begin this week's West African blogs round-up with a post in a Gambian blog, Home of the mandinmories, about a Gambian soldier being “Coerced, and tortured” over an alleged coup plot: Browsing through the Point today, a story on the court martial of Captain Yahya Darbo caught my eye....