· May, 2009

Stories about Development from May, 2009

East Timor: Thoughts on Abortion A Few Days Before Law Approval

A heated debate about the provisions of a new draft penal code pertaining to abortion is taking place right now in East Timor. If the law is passed, abortion will become a crime and those who perform it will be punished with 2 to 8 years imprisonment, even in cases of incest or rape. The blogosphere reacts, Timorese women raising their voices and questioning why the more pressing issue of underage prostitution is not being debated instead.

30 May 2009

Kazakhstan: Special Report by BNE

Elina Galperin reviews the special report on Kazakhstan, which is especially interesting right now as the country is closely tied to world markets and is therefore struggling.

30 May 2009

Egypt: Cairo Refugee Film Festival

Integrating refugees in society is the aim of a film festival with a difference. Marwa Rakha learns about the Cairo Refugee Film Festival, being held from June 16 to 20 from the event's blog through a fellow blogger, and shares her findings in this post.

30 May 2009

Africa: Remembering Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem

Africa has lost one of its greatest sons, Dr. Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem. He died on the eve of Africa Day in a car accident in Nairobi on his way to launch a maternal health campaign in Kigali, Rwanda. Tajudeen was the Director of Justice Africa, General Secretary of the Pan-African Movement, Chairperson for the Pan African Development Education and Advocacy Programme (PADEAP), Chair of the International Governing Council of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and Outreach Coordinator on the Millennium Development Goals in Africa.

29 May 2009

Uganda: Katine Project brings villagers to blogosphere

Uganda's Internet penetration rate is a little over six percent, a number that prevents large swaths of the population from joining Uganda's blogren or accessing the global blogosphere. For one village, the Guardian and Observer's Katine Project is working to change that.

28 May 2009

Bangladesh, India: No To Tipaimukh Dam

The Tipaimukh Hydroelectric Project is being constructed near the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers, in Manipur, India and within 100km of Bangladesh border. The project will submerge a huge portion of land, thereby making thousands of people homeless and threatening the habitats of Indigenous population in India. The downstream neighbor Bangladesh will also face severe environmental and economic consequences.

27 May 2009

India: Saving Lives With Paper

Anuradha Parekh at The Better India writes about the struggles of the poverty ridden Sahariya tribe in Madhya Pradesh, India. A local NGO called TARA (Technology and Action for Rural...

25 May 2009

Brazil: Petroleum, elections and poverty matters

Discussions of an investigation into the nation's biggest state-owned company and its possible political motivation fill the Brazilian blogosphere. This debate takes place in a Brazilian society which sees 'black gold' as a solution to the country's economic and energy problems.

24 May 2009

Kazakhstan: Languages and Perspectives

Thousand-pa reflects on the situation around state, Russian and English languages in Kazakhstan – how affordable it is to study them, and knowledge of which of them is economically more...

22 May 2009

Cuba: Blossoming Blogosphere

“A lot has changed in the ‘Made in Cuba’ blogosphere,” reports Generation Y, for whom there is “no greater happiness than to see the rise of so many plural, different...

20 May 2009

Dominica: Brain Drain

“When are we going to realize that knowledge is a wealth-creating asset to our country’s development?”: Dominica Weekly is concerned about the island's brain drain.

20 May 2009

Hong Kong: Donald Tsang, please die!

Last week, the public was outraged by the Chief Executive Donald Tsang‘s remark on June 4 Incident in the Legislative Council's policy address in May 13. When asked about his...

18 May 2009

Disabled Congolese Find Ways to Thrive

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, life for the disabled or physically impaired is wrought with difficulties. With no state support and few employment prospects, individuals with disabilities face numerous challenges. This article explores the innovative ways some disabled Congolese earn their living.

17 May 2009

Ghana: Sponsor Maker Faire Africa

You can sponsor Maker Faire Africa, “We’ve been asked by a number of people if they could sponsor Maker Faire Africa as individuals. Amounts that range from $25 to $100....

16 May 2009