Stories about Development from April, 2010
South Africa: The woes of a South African blogger
Project Me blogs about the woes of a South African blogger: “I know, it’s nearly half way through the day and still ni blog. Well that’s because I’m a South African blogger who has days when I wake up to no electricity or no internet connection.”
Bhutan: Preparing For The SAARC Summit
Penstar informs that Bhutan is all set to host the 16th SAARC Summit and everybody is talking about it.
ICT for Development in Francophone Africa
Although there is undoubtedly a strong push to grow information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives for development in francophone Africa, the region is still somewhat lagging behind their English-speaking neighbors.
Haiti: Food Aid
A mainstream media news story which highlights “the problems posed by continued food aid to Haiti”, grabs the attention of Ellen in Haiti, who says: “The problem with the article is that it just talks about food aid….in Port au Prince. There is so much else in Haiti that needs...
Haiti: Part of History
The Haitian Blogger republishes an article by Melanie Newton which suggests that what happens in Haiti post-earthquake “is a question of world historical significance.”
Guatemala: Live Streaming Video of Central American Conference
The citizen media site HablaGuate [es] is currently live streaming the Conference Post Conflict: Social and Economic Challenges in Central America currently being held in Guatemala City.
Russia: Internet Development in Regions
Yandex.ru published report [RUS, .pdf] on Internet development in Russian regions. Report concludes that the drastic increase in Internet penetration during 2009 was in Russian regions. The average speed of the Internet there is 1,100 kbs. The most active bloggers are in the Far East.
Peru: Lima Residents Run to Raise Awareness for Water Issues
On April 18, 2010, residents of Lima participated in the Dow Live Earth Run for Water, a 6-km run/walk, which represents the average distance many women and children walk every day to secure water and raised awareness about the serious water issues facing Peru.
Kenya: Flying toilets and poop
Kenyan Pundit on Kibera, flying toilets and poop: “I have been wanting to write this for a while now. Especially after I read about Peepoo: a biodegradable plastic bag that acts as a single-use toilet for urban slums in the developing world. Inspired by the ever ubiquitous Kibera flying toilets.”
Bangladesh: The Ordeals Of Buying Land
Kristin Boekhoff, an entrepreneur who is building an world class eco-resort in Western Bangladesh, writes about the ordeals of buying land in rural Bangladesh.
India: Television As Educator
MANA TV has been running five education channels in the Andhra Pradesh state in India for nine years. “Their popularity has proved that notwithstanding computers, television can grab eyeballs in the classroom”, says Jai Chandiram at The Hoot.
India: Citizens debate government policy and the Maoist response
Dealing a severe blow to the Indian government’s ongoing offensive against the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency, 76 policemen were ambushed and killed by Maoist rebels in Dantewada, Chattisgarh on April 6, 2010. Indian bloggers discuss how to tackle the problem.
Bhutan: South Asian Leaders Meet For SAARC Summit
Bhutan is in a flurry of activity, gearing up for the upcoming SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit. Here the South Asian leaders will discuss about issues like climate change, poverty alleviation, economic cooperation and curbing terrorism and will try to find a common ground.
Cameroon: E-Government for Southern Nations
Hervé Djia reflects on how governments could use information technology to simplify a multitude of administrative procedures and improve public services (fr).
Rwanda: Rwanda suspends newspapers
Jason links to a few stories of interest from Rwanda and D.R of Congo: “* Rwanda suspends two newspapers critical of the government for six months, meaning they won't be able to cover the election campaigns – Texas in Africa isn't happy. * An excellent interview of Congolese academic Jean...
Colombia: Recovering traditions and culture of the Senu people
Through short videos, the indigenous people of the Senu tribes in Colombia have been interviewing members of their community and capturing stories on food: the traditions, the recipes and the meaning behind what and how they eat.
Bahamas: Animal Rights
Sidney Sweeting at Weblog Bahamas is appalled at the way in which some of his compatriots treat animals.
Kazakhstan: Long-Awaited Almaty Metro
Michael Hancock tells about the project of long-promised metro system in Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan. It is currently nearing completion, voices concerns over seismic activeness of the region and viability of the new metro.
China: Yunnan Lake destroyed for luxurious houses
PH from Veggie Discourse translated a China Youth Daily report about the reclamation of Lover's Lake in Dali for building luxurious houses.
China: Strolling to save East Lake in Wuhan repressed
East Lake, located at Wuhan city, is a state listed ecological tourist scenic area. It occupies 82 square kilometers, 6 times larger than the Hanzhou West Lake. Being a national 4A tourist area, its planning should be subjected to environmental assessment and public participation accordingly. However, in May 2009, a...
China: The brief lives of Chinese buildings
At a construction and energy conservation conference that opened March 29 in Beijing, a Ministry of Housing and Construction official revealed that construction in China only has a 25–30 year lifespan.
