· January, 2013

Stories about Development from January, 2013

Pakistan’s Forgotten Hindu Heritage

Shiraz Hassan recently visited dilapidated temples and gurdwaras of Rawalpindi and appeals that these old heritage sites, which depict the secular past of the country, need to be preserved. There...

31 January 2013

Slovak PM's Support for 2022 Winter Olympics Bid Draws Criticism

Whereas Norway and Switzerland are planning to hold referenda before submitting their 2022 Winter Olympics bids, the fate of the Slovak-Polish joint bid already seems decided: the Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has declared his support for it, without waiting for the government's approval. Tibor Blazko reports.

31 January 2013

Navigating Entrepreneurship in Ghana

Ghana, a sub-Saharan country, has many budding young entrepreneurs. Some have even been recognised and awarded by international organisations, including Bright Simons, Regina Agyare and Elikem Kuenyehia.

30 January 2013

Indigenous Xavantes of Marãiwatsédé Fight for the Right to Their Land

Having inhabited the Marãiwatsédé territory in the north of Mato Grosso for centuries, natives of the Xavante ethnic group face occupation and threats from farmers who are trying to evictl them from their homeland, which was returned to them 14 years ago. On December 6, 2012, the justice department in Mato Grosso ordered the delivery of subpoenas for the removal of illegal occupants of these ancestral lands. A month and a half later the process has almost been finalized.

29 January 2013

China: Land collapses in Guangzhou

A 300 sq metres piece of land sank suddenly in Guangzhou Kangwang Road on 28 of January, dragging surrounding buildings underground. The 9 meters deep is near a subway construction...

29 January 2013

Hotel Development near the Pitons Raises Concerns in St. Lucia

A planned hotel development near the Pitons in Saint Lucia has fueled more debate about the way to balance development with cultural and environmental concerns. The proposed “eco-luxury” development is “Freedom Bay”, which plans to include a five-star hotel in addition to private residences.

25 January 2013

Critical Mass: Wheels of Activism Come to Brazil's Salvador City

The international cycling movement Critical Mass - or Bicicletadas as it is been known in Brazilian Portuguese - has won the hearts of Brazilians, since cars have reached a saturation point on the country's congested roads. Visiting the city of Salvador in Brazil, Global Voices contributor, Thiana Biondo talked to Critical Mass local activists Roque Junior and Rosa Ribeiro. Check out the first part of the interview.

24 January 2013

Egypt: Why Open Source Software?

After introducing to Free and Open Source Software (F/OSS) in the previous article, one might still wonder why corporates and governments need to adoption it or encourage its adoption. Tarek Amr elaborates in this second post of a two-part series in the argument for F/OSS

24 January 2013

Air Pollution In Bhopal

Bagchiblog sheds light on the rise of air pollution in Bhopal, the capital of the the Indian State of Madhya Pradesh. The degradation in the air quality has primarily been...

23 January 2013

Acid Violence: A neglected issue in Bangladesh!

Amader Kotha provides some statistics of Acid violence in the past decade in Bangladesh and points out that despite introduction of tough laws, lack of awareness results in repetitions of...

23 January 2013

Guyana: Minimum Wage and Inflation

The welfare of the working poor who have seen their purchasing power steadily eroded in the past ten years, or what one must consider, after reviewing the facts, as phantom...

23 January 2013

‘Travelling with Nannies’ Proves Controversial in Brazil

A blog post with useful tips for families who travel with nannies raised controversy as the author's statements reflected a prejudiced view of domestic workers and deeper troubling issues in Brazil's work relations. The post went viral and was ultimately taken down by the site's administrators.

18 January 2013

Petrodollars, Megalomania and Human Rights in Equatorial Guinea

President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea launched a charm offensive in 2011 and 2012 using his petrodollars to target the worlds of showbusiness, sport and international diplomacy. However, following his accession to chairmanship of the African Union, the civil society denounced him for his poor human rights record while the orgy of spending conducted by his son caused widespread revulsion.

18 January 2013