China: Ningbo Protests Point to Middle Class Discontent

Over the weekend, residents took to the streets in Ningbo, Zhejiang, to protest against the expansion of a paraxylene (PX) plant in their city. Sophie Beach from China Digital Times...

Brazil: Wikileaks Reveals Officials’ Disdain Towards the Guarani Kaiowá

Brazilian investigative journalism website Pública reports [pt] on documents leaked by WikiLeaks on the plight of the request for land of the indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá. A cable from 2009 reveals disdain...

Entrepreneurship, Culture and Solidarity in Africa

Despite strong economic growth, the African continent is still struggling to develop a class of local entrepreneurs to manage strategic industries. Many African scholars and researchers try to better understand the influence of cultural habits on entrepreneurship on the continent.

Malaysia: Penang's Bicycle Lanes

anilnetto writes about the proposed 12.5km bicycle lane in Penang, Malaysia. The first phase of the project has already started and completion is targeted in the next two years.

Madagascar: A Case Study for Small Scale Mining

The Artisanal and Small-scale Mining (ASM) in Protected Areas and critical ecosystems (“PACE”) programme (ASM-PACE) has released a case study on how Madagascar can “ensure continued socioeconomic development without undermining ecological...

On the Challenges of Discussing Precarity in Africa

Despite robust signs of growth in Africa in 2012, precarity remains an ever-present problem right now for the majority of people living there. Inequalities are undoubtedly broadening but the very concept of precarity in Africa is also rapidly evolving.

Nigeria: ‘Okada’ Motorbike Taxi Ban Despite Lack of Public Transport

Okada is a local parlance for commercial motorcycle taxis in Nigeria, where public transportation is non-existent, traffic snarls up most cities and potholes mark most roads. However, the Lagos State Government has restricted the operation of these commercial bikes to certain roads - to the riders' dismay.

Benin: Organizing Volunteer Holidays to Share Specific Expertise

Youphil writes [fr] about a project driven by Espace Volontariats du Bénin and supported by France Volontaires that promotes volunteer holidays in Porto Novo and Sô-Ava. The project will help experts...

Egypt: Local Rule and the Right to Housing

Cameroon: Students and Researchers Evaluate the Welfare System

Welfare Systems are rapidly evolving in Sub-Saharan Africa, with some countries having implemented systems allowing evaluation of measures taken several decades ago. Students and researchers from Cameroon have closely examined social public policies and private sector initiatives in their country.

Uganda: Getting Ready for the Second Coming of #Kony2012

“I didn’t pay much mind to the #Kony2012 kerfuffle when it first surfaced back in March. I couldn’t be bothered to watch the film and was a bit blasé about...

Sri Lanka: Bumper Harvest Of Fish

Malaka Rodrigo reports that many fish species have aggregated to the Sri Lankan East coast giving a bumper harvest to the fishermen. Experts say that this might have happened due...

India: The Question Of Vertical Farming

Maddy writes about the recent developments of vertical farming considering the demand for more agricultural lands in India and elsewhere.

Slovakia: “For Decent and Safe Life” Rally Stirs Controversy

Tibor Blazko reports on the controversial Oct. 13 rally for "a decent and safe life," translating netizens' views on the rights of Slovakia's Roma and non-Roma citizens, as well as on the failure of the state to address the alarming social situation adequately.

India: Conflict Over Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Continues

The Atomic Power Project in Koodankulam in the Tirunelveli district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu has started operations last month but protests continued and arrests are still being made and protesters remain in jail. This week also marks a call for a fortnight of protests across India in solidarity with people’s struggle against the Nuclear Plant.

Latin American Netizens Join Forces to Overcome Poverty

Regional organization TECHO is using Facebook [es], Twitter [es], Google Plus and YouTube [es] to raise awareness about poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean on October 17, International Day for the...

Haiti: Yéle Haiti Facing Allegations of Financial Impropriety

Various allegations of financial impropriety have been directed at musician and activist Wyclef Jean's charity Yéle Haiti. The allegations are centered on the millions that the defunct charitable organization received in donations after the Janury 2010 earthquake period that devastated the island.

Saint Lucia: Bananas as a Renewable Energy Source?

A 2011 blogpost on the use of bananas in the creation of biofuel has inspired Dane Gibson to ask some questions about the renewable energy sector in the small Caribbean country of Saint Lucia.

Zambia: YouTube Documentary on Negative Impact of Copper Mining

A documentary titled “Zambia: Good Copper, Bad Copper” about Zambian copper mining and its negative impact on society has emerged on YouTube and has so far attracted over 6,000 hits. After watching the documentary, one YouTube user wrote, "Cry our beloved country. Why should we remain poor when a coveted product is plenty and mined at the expense of the locals' health."

Serbia: Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2012

Wikimedia CEE Meeting 2012 took place in Belgrade on October 13–14, 2012, and is the first Wikimedia CEE Meeting for Central and Eastern Europe. The primary goal of the event...

Sierra Leone: Is Ami Musa the Saddest Pinterest Page in the World?

One blog, Lovelyish, considers a Pinterest campaign about a 13-year-old girl Ami Musa from Sierra Leone by UNICEF UK to raise awareness about children living in poverty in Africa "the saddest Pinterest page in the world." Another blogger, Tom Murphy, argues that Pinterest represents a bit of a brave new world for NGOs to reach newer audiences.