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...
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.
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...