Stories about Development from October, 2011
Pakistan: Funding Social Innovation
Jehan Ara at In The Line Of Wire writes how the recipients of the P@SHA Fund for Social Innovation were selected.
Brazil: Niobium, National Mineral Wealth at Knock Off Prices?
Niobium, also known as columbium, is among the most utilized metals in the world, and Brazil has the great majority of global deposits. However, exploitation of niobium within Brazil raises questions about the profits being generated.
Israel: Netizens Prepare to Take to the Streets in a New Social Justice Protest
Rallies are planned across Israel tonight - in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Rishon LeTzion, Kiryat Shmona, Haifa, Modiin and Eilat. Elizabeth Tsurkov checks out netizen reactions before the protests.
Africa: On Cutting Aid to Countries Violating LGBTI Rights
Statement of African social justice activists on the decision of the British government to “cut aid” to African countries that violate the rights of LGBTI people in Africa: “We, the...
Ukraine: “We Are Europeans”
Ordinary Ukrainians are using citizen media and social networks to voice their commitment to European values and organize rallies in support of Ukraine's European orientation. Veronica Khokhlova reports.
East Timor: Investing in Creativity and Culture
Barcelona artist David Palazón ended up in East Timor as a break from his career. Now he is coordinating a project to research Timorese culture in hopes of creating a school for the creative industries, to stimulate jobs in the non-oil economy, small businesses, and tourism.
Open Access Africa: Spreading Knowledge, Increasing Collaboration
We celebrate Open Access Week with a special focus on Open Access Africa. As the internet lowers the bar for publishing and disseminating information, print-era publishing models still keep African researchers and students separated from colleagues in different countries and their ideas. How has Open Access changed scholarship in Africa?
Africa: New Social Network for African Radio Broadcasters
Digital4Good and Farm Radio International have launched social network for African radio broadcasters: “Barzaradio.com helps farmers increase crop yields through connecting radio broadcasters to each other.”
Sri Lanka: Working Towards Uniting the Nation
The 26 year long civil war in Sri Lanka has left many scars and it is an uphill task to bridge all divides and start the reconciliation to unite people. 'Sri Lanka Unites' is engaging the youth across the country to build good leadership with hope and reconciliation who will unite the nation one day.
Egypt: A Class Project That Became One of Egypt's Biggest Charities
From a class discussion after a lecture at Cairo University, to the building one of the biggest charity and volunteer organizations in Egypt. Here's the story of how university professor Sherif Abdel-Azim helped create Resala.
Tanzania: Who Killed Zinjanthropus?
TEDxDar 2011 asks, “Who Killed Zinjanthropus?”: “This year’s TED theme is “storytelling” and from this we have created our central theme for TEDxDar 2011: “Who Killed Zinjanthropus?” With Tanzania approaching...
Mexico: Nonprofit Supports Low-Income Women Entrepreneurs
Food blogger Lesley Téllez highlights the work of CREA, “a Mexico City nonprofit that supports women entrepreneurs in low-income communities”. Lesley shares photos of food she made using some of...
East Timor: Petition to Keep the Country Debt-Free
The Movimento Kontra Deve (Movement Against Debt) and East Timor and Indonesia Action Network (ETAN) have launched a joint petition to “For a Debt-Free Timor-Leste”. The Government of Timor-Leste is...
Mozambique: Uniting Small Farmers for a Better Tomorrow
Mr. Júlio dos Santos Pêssego is one of the principal leaders of the "peasant movement" in Niassa province in Mozambique. He helps organize community groups that work to defend land rights, increase food production and bring prosperity to farming families.
Bangladesh: Protest Against A New Law For Homeless People
Faustina Pereira at BRAC Blog protests against a newly promulgated law in Bangladesh which permits forcibly instituting the poor, the shelterless and beggars into “shelter homes” through arrests, and attempts...
Brazil: Belo Monte Dam Case Comes to Court
The Brazilian justice system has provided new fuel to the protesting voices against the Belo Monte hydroelectric power plant, after its construction begun in June 2011. A lawsuit filed in 2006 by the state of Pará was brought to court on October 17.
El Salvador's School Food Program
Colleen O'Brien, from the blog Locavore del Mundo, writes about El Salvador's school food program: “The Ministry of Education has recently announced that this new school feeding program to be...
Malawi: A Growing City and its Pay-to-Cross Footbridges
Hand-made wooden bridges now connect two popular markets on each side of a river in Malawi's capital Lilongwe, providing a local solution to both joblessness and growing urbanization for the young men who build them.
Macedonia: Blog Action Day Entries About Food
Macedonian bloggers, who have joined this year's Blog Action Day, include Dzamski, who wrote [mk, en] about the ongoing campaigns to raise awareness about the socio-economic roots of the famine...
Russia: Soccer Team Qualifies for Euro 2012 – “On To Ukraine and Poland!!!”
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship is referred to by some as 'Polkraine 2012' since it will be held in both Poland and Ukraine. Russia officially qualified with a 6-0 win over Andorra; citizen media has captured the popular perception of the qualifying round.
Food Around the World on Blog Action Day 2011
Every year since 2007, Blog Action Day has united bloggers from around the world in talking about one global issue. Collectively, the thousands of bloggers participating have an audience of millions. And this year on October 16, 2011 they talked about food.
