· August, 2011

Stories about Development from August, 2011

Cambodia’s Sand Pirates

  31 August 2011

Residents in a Cambodian province complain against the negative impact of sand dredging in their area. Tons of sand from Cambodia are allegedly shipped to Singapore which are used to build beach resorts.

Global Voices Partners with UNFPA on 7 Billion Actions

  31 August 2011

This year the world's population will exceed 7 billion people. To mark this milestone, Global Voices has been commissioned by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to write a series of posts that celebrate how one person or group can still make a difference in a world of 7 billion people.

Brazil: Mozambique Cedes Land to Brazilian Agribusiness

  30 August 2011

Mozambique is ceding 6 million hectares of land to Brazilian farmers. The idea is to draw on the Brazilian experience in the Cerrado, a biosphere similar to the African savanna, where industrial cattle grazing and soy plantations have already devastated 80% of the richest grasslands in the world.

China: The broken education system in the countryside

  29 August 2011

Tom, an American who works in education in rural China and blogs at Seeing Red in China, shares his first-hand teaching experience in the Guangxi province, and analyses some of the systemic problems in the educational system of China's countryside.

China and Britain: how do they compare?

  27 August 2011

A British who has settled in China recounts his observations about the differences between the daily life in China and Britain, and how Britain has changed since he last visited there a year ago: “Great Britain is my home, and I love it, but it does feel like many of...

Cambodia: Traffic jam in Phnom Penh

  26 August 2011

Vutha Tim writes about the worsening traffic jams in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The writer cites the rising population in the capital and the proposed solutions to address the problem.

Pakistan: Education, The Last Hope

  25 August 2011

As the socio-political crisis in Pakistan gets out of hand, emphasis on education is being stressed by civil society. This push mainly is due to the hope that maybe, just maybe, education might be the key to bringing stability amidst the unsettling internal civil war that Pakistanis face on a daily basis.

Ukraine: “Independence Day #20″

  25 August 2011

Odessablog wishes a happy Independence Day to Ukrainian readers: “Be assured that despite the wandering path taken thus far and all the mis-steps, Ukraine is doing OK. It is not Utopia but then, I have never lived anywhere that was. There are hurdles ahead but Ukraine will get to where...

Chile: #Paronacional (National Strike) vs. #Yonoparo (I Don't Strike)

  24 August 2011

The Workers' United Center of Chile has called for a national strike for the 24 and 25 of August 2011, as a form of protest against social and economic inequality in Chile. On Twitter, reactions for and against this protest have been echoed on the hashtags #paronacional (national strike) and #yonoparo (I don't strike).

Kenya: Meet Kenyan Female Social Innovator

  24 August 2011

Mworia blogs about Crystal Kigon, the founder of Voices of Africa: “Crystal’s organization in conjunction with Intersat Africa have been working on a project that aims to take the internet to rural areas in a way that is fitting culturally and sustainable economically, environmentally and socially.This has to be one...

Africa: The Potential of Local Brain-Drain

  24 August 2011

What is the potential of local brain-drain in Africa? Read Idd Salim's post: “We all know African Tech Solutions. Ushahidi, Mpesa come to mind. Apps made by Africans for Africa. Because African solutions are made on an empty stomach, they address a REAL need. A real problem. Not AngryBirds. HungryCoders....

Chile: Explaining the ‘Chilean Revolution’

  24 August 2011

Setty, a journalist living in Chile, explains ‘the Chilean revolution': “Chile is supposed to be the stodgy, conservative, institutionality-respecting corner of South America, where nothing ever happens. But this is changing as the public runs out of patience after centuries of being told that if they wait and work hard,...

Ethiopia: A Woman Dedicated to Serve Her People

  24 August 2011

EthioHealthCare writes about Liya Abera, Director of Bala Health Center in Ethiopia: “Basically ,what this health center focuses on prevention of diseases mostly on those which are pretty common in that area like malaria, oro fecal disease etc. And also focuses on minimizing woman and child death as well as...

Haiti: Grim Housing Situation

  23 August 2011

Haiti Grassroots Watch investigates whether “the 634,000 people still living in Haiti’s 1,001 camps, and the undoubtedly tens of thousands of others living in unsafe and even condemned structures [will] soon move to safe housing” and discovers an upsetting answer.

China-Africa Project Hope

  22 August 2011

China Media Project translated some local news about some doubts and questions about the 26-year-old chairperson, Lu Xingyu, of the China-Africa Project Hope, who defends herself against public criticism by describing her position as “second-generation benevolent”.

Mexico: Following Javier Sicilia's Footsteps

  21 August 2011

Mexican bloggers write about activist Javier Sicilia's activism and his Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity. His activities and the organisation he runs generate contrary opinions, for which the only common denominator is the hope that the situation in Mexico may change for the good of all.

Guinea: Slow Blogging

  21 August 2011

After a year of blogging on blog platform Mondoblog, Sow shares [fr] how difficult it is to connect from his hometown in Guinea, located  500 km from the capital Conakry: “This country is plagued with a standard access to the Internet that breaks every record of slowness. If you add...