· July, 2010

Stories about Development from July, 2010

Nicaragua: 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media in Managua

  31 July 2010

On August 12 and 13 the event 2.0 Meeting of Blogs and New Media (2.0 Encuentro de Blogs & Nuevos Medios) will take place in Managua, with the participation of communication and new media experts from various countries in the region, including some Global Voices authors.

Taiwan: Manhattan”s” in Taipei

  29 July 2010

Pomelo(鉑鎂鑼) criticizes the vacuum promises(zht) made by Taipei mayor Hau Lung-pin who promises to build one Manhattan in Shezi region, yet another Manhattan in the basin of Danshui river before the coming election.

Bangladesh: One Child to Rebuild a School

  28 July 2010

All it took was one child to talk about his destroyed school in front of a camera: through the following months, thanks to Shawn Ahmed of the Uncultured Project and Nerdfighters, the world rallied through YouTube and raised enough money to rebuild the school.

Nepal: No Toilet, No Citizenship

  28 July 2010

XNepali Blog reports that as a part of the sanitary awareness program in rural Nepal, the Kaikot district council “has formulated a requirement in which every citizenship certificate applicant need to have a toilet at home”.

Brazil: Collaborative Website on Street Dwellers

  25 July 2010

Maria Frô talks about the new website FalaRua [Street Talking], dedicated to the street dwellers of Brazil. The online community offers information about the Project for Training and Strengthening of Street Dwellers and invites everyone to participate through a quick registration. [all links in Portuguese]

Africa's Hunger Hardships Spur Biotech Debate

  25 July 2010

Many solutions have been proposed to help combat hunger in Africa, but one in particular remains controversial: biotechnology. Many experts suggest that genetically modified organisms could help ensure food security. Others claim there are numerous risks associated with adopting GMOs in Africa.

Brazil: Training Citizen Media in the Suburbs of São Paulo

  24 July 2010

A new citizen journalism project is underway in the poor, marginalized suburbs of São Paulo. Journalist Bruno Garcez launched blog Mural [pt] where he posts citizen media tips and interacts with his students. The new citizen reporters are also invited to publish their reporting and explain the process they have...

Malawi: An eye on charcoal trade

  24 July 2010

An eye on the charcoal trade in Malawi: “Like the rest of the world, forests in Malawi play a vital role. They are the engine of survival to millions of poor Malawians, but at the rate with which forests are being cleared, mainly through illegal logging and burn agriculture, the...

Niger: Offering choices to unheard voices

  24 July 2010

Niall Tierney writes Concern Worldwide and hunger in Niger: “Concern launched an early, groundbreaking response using “short-harvest” seed varieties, mobile phone technology and cash, and emergency nutrition programs to reach the most vulnerable before the food ran out…”

Mozambique/Brazil: “Ethanol diplomacy” meets criticism

  22 July 2010

NGOs furiously denounced last week's trilateral accord between Brazil, Mozambique and the European Union promoting ethanol production in Mozambique for the European market. The blogsphere provides some background to this "ethanol diplomacy" and questions its future social and environmental impacts.

Africa: Brain drain and African governance

  22 July 2010

Gregory Simpkins argues that African governments spend an average of US$4 billion a year to hire about 100,000 Western experts to handle functions, which could have been performed by the African professionals in the Diaspora.

Philippines: Manila Water Crisis

  22 July 2010

Metro Manila, the national capital region of the Philippines, is now experiencing a water shortage crisis with millions enduring water supply rationing. Filipino bloggers try to make sense of the crisis.

Bangldesh: What Youth Think About Mobile Phones

  21 July 2010

Mobile Youth went to Bangladesh and produced a video where local youth “talked about their preferences for handsets and operators, which packages worked for them and which brands did they recommend to friends.”