· February, 2009

Stories about Development from February, 2009

Video: Community Radios Fill the Information Gap

  28 February 2009

In a highly globalized and digitalized world, sometimes we may forget that in many regions of the world, not even electricity is available, and the possibility of using internet as an alternative information source is still a distant dream. It is in locations like Guatemala, Chad and India that community radio rises as the alternative for native communities to speak about their concerns, hear news and stories, receive information and all this in their native languages.

India: Environmental Scholars On a Very Cool Mission

  27 February 2009

About two weeks ago, I read in Tom Friedman's column in the New York Times about two young scholars from the U.S who were on a very impressive mission in India. Alexis Ringwald and Caroline Howe are touring the country in an electric/solar powered car to raise awareness about the...

Egyptians on the verge of insanity

  25 February 2009

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Egyptians are struggling to maintain their sanity, faith, and stability. Marwa Rakha presents the following selection from Egyptian blogs which discuss dreams, suicide, unemployment and the gruesome murder of a woman and her children - at the hands of her husband.

Africa: Blogging About Startups, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

  23 February 2009

If your main source of news and information about Africa is the mainstream media, then you are less likely to know about groundbreaking innovation and entrepreneurship that is taking place on the continent. Thanks to citizen journalists who regularly blog about startups and entrepreneurship in Africa. In this short post, we are listing major blogs, which review, analyse, and promote startups, entrepreneurship and innovation on the African continent. Some of them are only focused on startups while others cover different topics as well.

Aruba: Putting on the Ritz-Carlton?

  19 February 2009

The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain is apparently in Aruba to stay, causing Lost in Smallness to exclaim: “Does the government realize that this will put extra pressure on our infrastructure? Oh wait. It's an election year. This is just a campaign stunt, not necessarily something to improve the island.”

Caribbean: Economic Effects

  18 February 2009

Keith in Trinidad says that “it is troubling that we seem so oblivious to the meltdown that's occurring” in Martinique and Guadeloupe, while Living Guyana cites the many examples of regional economic discord to add weight to his question of whether “Guyana's tenuous economy will be negatively affected.”

Jamaica, Spain: Considering the Environment

  18 February 2009

As the King and Queen of Spain visit Jamaica, Snailwriter is concerned about what an alliance between the two countries could mean for the environment: “‘Spanish hotels have become part of the geography of Jamaica and they are here to stay.’ And that is the tragedy. When the economic downturn...

Cuba: Revolution.com

  16 February 2009

Generation Y is “more alarmed than comforted” by “hopes for broad access to the internet” in Cuba, but notes: “A true revolution.com takes place parallel and contrary to the rationing they want to impose on the virtual world. Its commanders carry strange names like Gmail, WordPress, Skype and Facebook: they...

East Timor: Suai Media Space Challenges the Digital Divide

  15 February 2009

In this second post of a series to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the arrival of the Internet in East Timor, Sara Moreira interviews Australian documentary-maker Jen Hughes - founder of Suai Media Space, whose main objective is to make the voices of Suai youth heard all over the world - and discusses the fight to minimize the digital divide even without broadband connection in Suai.

Egypt's Leading Women

  14 February 2009

Egyptian women, like many other women, have great potential once they unleash their power. Eva habil, Passant Refaat, and Radwa Saad El Din are three women who took the lead in three different fields. Marwa Rakha has more in this round up from Egypt's blogs.

China: On privatization of rural land

  14 February 2009

For those not quite interested in fireworks and dumplings, the Spring Festival mainly becomes a yearly pretext for reflecting upon the condition of Chinese peasants and the state of China’s countryside. During the week of hearty celebrations for the new year, millions of temporary workers return from the cities where...

Trinidad & Tobago: Transitioning

  12 February 2009

“We have created a rich and wonderful culture that is unique to Trinidad and Tobago…but sometimes I wonder if we are just waiting for the bottom to drop out”: Trin ruminates on education, crime and government policy in the wider context of international politics.

Africa: Internet Revolution Is Here!

  12 February 2009

GlobalAdvances blog looks at the future of the Internet on the African continent noting that, “Bandwith to Africa is expected to grow dramatically as the continent is gaining internet connectivity faster than any other region in the world.”