Stories about Development from April, 2013
Chronicler of Saint Lucian History Remembered
Historian and conservationist Robert Devaux was laid to rest this week, having passed away on the morning of April 16th 2013, after a battle with cancer. St. Lucian netizens have been paying tribute to a man many consider to be an environmental hero and national visionary.
Tokyo Joins NASA's App Challenge
Japan participated in NASA's International Space Apps Challenge 2013 with a hackathon in Tokyo on April 21 and 22, 2013. Eighteen project teams developed apps with the aim of improving life on Earth and in space, including an app to create dishes in a shape of celestial bodies [ja] such as...
India Suffers from Bad Governance
Big government leads to corruption. Corruption leads to bad governance. Bad governance gives rise to mass poverty. Atanu Dey argues that India is not doomed to be poor due to factors outside its control. It needs good governance.
Malawi: Presidents, Pop Stars and the ‘White Savior’ Complex
It started out as a disagreement over definitions, and soon it escalated into a war of words between President Joyce Banda of Malawi and Madonna.
Iran: 60% of Population Online
An organization affiliated with Iran’s government says 60 percent of Iranians are connected to the internet, 40 percent of them are young people in their 20s. Iran’s “Center For Managing National Development Of Internet”, MATMA, says more than 45 millions are connected to the internet,almost 2.5 millions of them through...
Brazil Accused of Spying on Belo Monte Dam Opponents
An activist collective opposed to the construction of the controversial Belo Monte hydroelectric dam in northern Brazil uncovered a spy among its members who confessed to infiltrating the the group allegedly at the behest of the dam company and the Brazilian intelligence agency. The agency is also accused of spying on dock workers in northeastern Brazil.
Displaced Residents Accuse Brazilian Power Plant of False Promises
Among 4,325 people that have been either removed or indirectly affected by the construction of the Jirau and Santo Antonio dams in the Madeira river region, in the Brazilian Amazon, former river dwellers who now reside in New Mutum Paraná complain about promises that haven't been met concerning their displacement.
Apply for World Summit Youth Award
Apply now for the World Summit Youth Award if you produce digital content related to the UN Millennium Development Goals and are under 30 years old.
Residents Displaced by Brazilian Power Plant Struggle to Earn Living
While moving in to New Mutum Parana – a town built by the company Energia Sustentável to house Jirau’s engineers and officers – the river dwellers who were removed from their community in order to allow Madeira River’s power plant flooding found a “phantom city” where making a living seems impossibe.
Who Owns St. Lucia's Beaches…Citizens or Celebrities?
St. Lucians can usually visit any beach they choose, but thanks to a recent celebrity wedding, the beach surrounding a local resort was deemed off limits, raising longstanding questions about beach access and the cost benefits of large resorts.
Construction Project Fuels Sex and Violence in Brazilian Amazon
Sex and violence are a part of life in the small Brazilian fishing town of Jaci Parana, where police struggle to keep up with crime as a nearby hydroelectric construction project in the state of Rondonia pumps money into the local economy.
Every Minute Six Patients are Diagnosed with Cancer in China
It's official. The 'plague' of cancer is at the center of a major public health crisis in China. Six patients are diagnosed with cancer every minute, that's 8,550 new cancer patients every day, according to the 2012 China Cancer Census.
Big Money and Sex Talks Shock in China
It’s a story about sex and money, but what catches the attention of many Chinese netizens is the “beyond imagination” gap between the country’s rich and poor. Offbeat China reports on a bizarre dispute on Sina Weibo between Internet celebrity Guo Meimei and members of Sports Car Club (SCC) about “who is...
Bhutan on the Road to Becoming Fully Organic
The Himalayan Kindgom of Bhutan, famous for its “Gross National Happiness” Index instead of Gross Domestic Product, has set itself the task of being the first country in the world to completely turn to Organic Agriculture.
Ethiopia's Ex-First Lady Claims Late PM Meles Zenawi Was ‘Poor’
The widow of late Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, Aseb Mesfin, shocked her fellow citizens recently after claiming that her late husband lived on a meager monthly income of 220 US dollars while in office.
Opening the Black Box of Governance: Alleviating Poverty With Data
Opening the data produced by public administrations is part of an effective approach to poverty alleviation. Despite the huge potential for the public good, this data is rarely released and shared for public use.
28,000 Rivers Disappear from Chinese Map
Some 28,000 rivers in China have seemingly disappeared, according to a recent government water census. A prominent environmentalist attributes the disappearing rivers to the over-exploitation of river resources and the large hydroelectric projects.
In Global Downturn, Sustainable Development Begins at Home
It is becoming even more clear that sustainable development in the world's poorest countries should not be based on external wealth or redistribution, but must instead be generated at home.
Hong Kong Dock Workers Strike Against Long Hours, Low Pay
A strike by Hong Kong dock workers demanding a pay raise and protesting arduous working conditions is delivering a costly blow to the city's port operators and winning widespread sympathy from the public.
‘Tribewanted’ Creates, Connects Eco-Villages
Renewable energy, permaculture and green building, along with local traditions and eco-tourism: welcome to Tribewanted – an online community launched in 2006 based on the idea of “global citizenship” and harnessing the energy of social media to meaningfully connect and practice positive behavior change. Thanks to crowdfunding strategies, the project plans...
