Stories about Development from February, 2013
Burundi: Violent Suppression of Demonstration Support for Imprisoned Journalist
The Court of Burundi revised the life sentence for journalist and Radio France International correspondent Hassan Ruvakuki on appeal, reducing his sentence to three years imprisonment. Media professionals demonstrated in sympathy weekly outside the Bujumbura Court building since the sentence was handed down until violent suppression of a march by the authorities.
Brazil: Cable Car Goes Up, Houses Come Down for World Cup
The construction of a cable car for tourists in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the Morro da Providência favela in Rio de Janeiro is kicking residents out. Demolished houses are being traded for a stipend of 400 reais (200 US dollars), and many families have been unable find a place to live.
Is Mexico Really “Back in the Game”?
In his latest column, renowned New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman argues that Mexico “will become the more dominant economic power in the 21st century.” Twitter immediately reacted to his piece, and journalist David Agren aggregated some of these positive and negative reactions posted on the microblogging site.
Defying the Government, Chinese Families Resurrect Graves
Scores of families have fought back against a controversial campaign in China's central Henan province to raze millions of graves for farmland by re-erecting their ancestors' resting places during the Lunar New Year.
MDG Consultations Held in Tajikistan
Blogger Teocrat calls [ru] on Tajikistan's young people to contribute to public consultations on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The aim of the consultations is to review progress towards the MDGs and hear from people what they think should come after 2015, the deadline set for achieving the Goals. Many users...
The Worst Companies of the Year
Here were the nominees for the Public Eye Awards, a contest listing the worst companies of the year, was published by the website Public Eye. Organized by the Berne Declaration and Pro Natura, since 2000, the awards is a counter-summit critique of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum...
SenseCamp Berlin: a Social Entrepreneurship Gathering
Berlin held its second SenseCamp on February 8 and 9, 2013, a barcamp dedicated to social entrepreneurship. The program included workshops, meetings and conferences, to raise the impact of social entrepreneurial start-ups. Creative types, entrepreneurs and those who were interested, were invited to register in order to participate in this...
India at the Forefront of One Billion Rising
Reports from the online and mainstream media show Indians participating in huge numbers across the country and India trending at the forefront of the global campaign, One Billion Rising.
Citizens Document Extreme Water Pollution in China
As the effects of China’s toxic smog problem in mid-January reverberate through the country, severe water pollution is documented by online campaigns calling for a reality check on the state of rivers across China.
With Corruption All Too Common, Brazil Pushes Back
More and more cases of corruption are reported all the time in Brazil. However, after the histicoral judgement of those involved in one the largest scandals of corruption in the country, the situation may be changing.
Crowdmapping Ukraine's Wheelchair Accessibility
At BiggggIdea.com (uk; “Velyka Ideya” – “a platform where people present their projects, and the community funds them”), Oleksandr Telyuk draws attention [uk] to Wheelmap.org, a crowdmapping project that allows users to evaluate and mark wheelchair accessibility of various locations worldwide. Telyuk notes that 96 percent of public places in...
The Idleness of African Leadership in Mali
Ousmane Gueye on the site Mondoblog writes [fr] about the slow deployment of African troops in northern Mali : If we were to judge the impact of the intervention in Mali by the jubilant euphoria of liberated populations, then it should be obvious that by deploying so slowly, African countries failed Mali...
Japan's Corporate Slaves Put Humor to Hard Work
With a twist of comedy, moral and technical support has been pouring in across social media sites for Japan's "corporate slaves" or "Shachiku" as they are referred to in Japanese slang.
Egypt: Prime Minister's ‘Bad Boobs’ Speech Transcribed
YouTube user Masr Madaneya publishes a short video of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil's speech subtitled in English. The declaration sparked outcry and mockery in the last days after the Prime Minister claimed that breastfeeding mothers cause diarrhea to their babies with their unclean breasts.
Impact of Factory Jobs on Workers’ Wealth
Work for Chris Blattman in Ethiopia to assess the impact of low-skill, low-wage factory jobs on the worker’s wealth, health and politics (among other things).
India: Not-for-profit vs. For-profit Ventures
In India it is easier to find funding for a not-for-profit handicraft venture than for for-profit. And these funds are sometimes used to keep alive trades that are inefficient and thus give the artisans a false impression that demand actually exists for their produce. Pertinent Observations finds the entire ecosystem...
Malaysia's Green Issues in 2013
An increasingly discerning electorate coupled with growing environmental awareness means that governments and corporations can no longer get away with sloppy environmental management. Instead of being defensive, the best way forward for the state and businesses is to engage the public proactively and be transparent about the details of the...
