Stories about Development from December, 2006
Russia, Belarus: “Gazilla”
There's a distinct sense of deja vu this New Year's Eve: Gazprom, Russia's largest (and state-controlled) company and the world's biggest extractor of natural gas, is in the spotlight again, both locally (due to an ambitious and controversial construction project in St. Petersburg) and internationally (due to a dispute over...
Trinidad & Tobago: Smeltdown
The Trinidad and Tobago government's decision to re-locate a controversial aluminium smelter project prompts Jeremy Taylor to raise numerous questions about some key development decisions taken by the current administration: “Would we really need a rapid-rail system costing TT$15 billion if a bit more common sense was applied to the...
The Balkans: Main 2006 Stories
Ed of Balkan Baby lists the most important regional stories of 2006: “Slovenia moves towards Eurozone,” “Croatia and Serbia Disappoint at World Cup,” “Croatia Stop-Start its way towards EU,” etc.
Trinidad & Tobago: Corporate responsibility initiative
Karel McIntosh reports that a chamber of commerce in Trinidad has become the first indigenous signatory to United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest voluntary corporate responsibility initiative.
Serbia, USA: What Serbs Think About America
In his blog post called “America is shaking”, Neven Andjelic shares his opinion on the United States (SRP): This big country is shaking. A number of events have caused the current condition. None of them has anything to do with my arrival to Berkley four months ago when I first...
Senegal: lessons from the Mourides
“All these factors have helped make the Mourides one of the more successful African communities, at home and abroad. Wherever they are, they club together to acquire a mosque and community centre. Their networks help migrants leave Senegal, find work and procure documents. Far from being helpless victims of fate,...
Jamaica: What the country needs
Francis Wade grapples with his desire, as a returnee to Jamaica, to find solutions to some of the problems plaguing his homeland: “Certainly, I am sure, a part of the answer has to with where we draw our spiritual wisdom, and how we Jamaicans do not sufficiently engage in our...
Trinidad & Tobago: The smelter moves
As Trinidad and Tobago's caves into the protests against the establishment of an aluminium smelter in a community in south-western Trinidad — and moves the project to another part of the country — Taran Rampersad starts thinking that “it has become necessary to become vocal.”
Kenya: DIY phone booth
Local innovation at work: the DIY phone booth in Kenya,”The person who modified it ripped an old Siemens C25 phone apart and installed its display instead of the one that came along with this phone. The keypad is soldered to the phone and a rechargeable battery is inside the box...
Sri Lanka: Two years after the Tsunami
Two years after the Indian Ocean Tsunami, there isn't too much noise in the respective blogospheres. LaneTop remembers the day, and wishes more had been done by the author. Another reaction here.
Hungary: Demography
Hungary Economy Watch writes about the country's demographic situation.
Jamaica: Development and apathy
Pondering the debate in Jamaica over proposed development for bauxite in Cockpit Country, AliceClaire asks: “Really, which is worse: our myopic vision and planning or a largely, and surprisingly, dormant civil society that let's too many things slide right on by them?“
Laos: New Mekong Bridge and Troubles with Traffic Direction
The New Mandala comments on the regulatory issues that are delaying land transport between Vietnam and Thailand even thought the new bridge over the Mekong river is ready for use.
India: Community Video Unit and Dalits
Reflections in a window pane on the power of video and overcoming oppression. “When the use of Video by a team of six Dalits, working for a Community Video Unit, set up by Navsarjan, Drishti and Video Volunteers transcended all barriers of caste, it brought upon relief for an entire...
Libya:A view into the blogging scene
The Libyan blogosphere is rich and diverse, but quietly apolitical. I'm constantly surprised at how it has sprouted during the last three years. It may have less bloggers than other countries, but the fact that some people are actually blogging is a miracle per se. Libyans blog from inside Libya...
Africa: blood diamond
Black Looks reviews the film, Blood Diamond, and comments on Russel Simmons initiative, Diamond Empowerment Fund.
Philippines: Learning from Seoul City Planners
Urbano dela Cruz writes about South Korean capital Seoul's bold restoration of a river and a park by demolishing a highway in the city centre. The blogger says that Manila city should learn from Seoul's example.
Hong Kong: blogger alliance against Star Ferry demolition
Some bloggers in Hong Kong started an alliance against the demolition of Star Ferry and Queen's Pier. Anson Mak collects all the posts and newspapers reports together at beyond the stars (zh).
Laos: Touristy Vang Vieng
Popagandhi leaves Laos in a hurry after discovering how touristy Laotian city of Vang Vieng has become. Laos was one of the last South East Asian country to be opened to tourists. “Everybody sold the same mediocre and expensive food tailored for the Western palate. Everybody played the same music....
Malaysia: Maglev link between Singapore and Malaysia
Rajan Rishyakaran analayses the various forms of rapid transport links being considered between Malaysian city of Johor Bahru and Singapore and feels that planners should make better use of the existing infrastructure rather than coming up with exotic ideas like maglev trains.
Africa: China-Africa trade
Africa-China relationship is increasingly becoming an important subject to bloggers in the African blogosphere as seen in the latest post on the subject by Grandiose Parlor:“More on China-Africa trade.”
