Stories about Development from May, 2013
New Blog Celebrates Sri Lanka’s Diversity
Mixed Rice is a new blog, which aims to celebrate Sri Lanka's diversity and provide a platform for thoughtful discussions about the forces that threaten unity.
Blackout Mapping in Cambodia
A massive blackout in Cambodia has sparked online discussion about the country’s power supply situation. Citizens are demanding explanation about the recurring blackouts in recent months. Urban Voice, a crowdsourcing initiative, has mapped the blackouts in Phnom Penh City.
Interview: Cartoonist Slams Forced Evictions in Brazil for World Cup
In an interview with Brazilian investigative journalism agency Pública, cartoonist Carlos Latuff criticizes the rash of forced evictions in Rio de Janeiro to make way for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.
Brazilian Amazon Struggles to Keep Up with Power Plant Population Growth
An exploding population along the Madeira River in Brazil spurred by the hydroelectric dam construction in the state of Rondônia should have meant the creation of more infrastructure, such as schools, health services, and police units, to keep up. But local officials are far from meeting the need.
Indian Ruling on Vedanta Mining Plans Favours Tribal Rights
India's Supreme Court recently ruled that village councils should make the final decision as to whether controversial British company Vedanta Resources can mine for bauxite in the eastern state of Odisha. Vedanta wants to mine on land that the local Dongria Kondh people hold sacred.
Brazil's Indigenous Fight Back Against State Development
As Brazil's economy steamrolls forward on the momentum of mega-construction projects, many of the country's indigenous have found their homelands snatched away for the sake of development. The construction of the Belo Monte Dam in Pará and the Olympic Museum in Rio de Janeiro have been marked by clashes between police and activists.
Promises of Social Justice for India's Landless
As rapid industrialization and development in India snatches up land and livelihoods, activist groups such as Ekta Parishad have loudly campaigned on behalf of the landless and homeless and pressured the government into reform.
Gender Gap Widens in Chinese Cities
China Digital Times highlighted some discussion on gender gap in China. Even though the overall percentage of working women is not very low, as a result of urbanization, employment rate for working-age women in urban areas fell to a new low of 60.8 percent in 2010, down from 77.4 percent...
Are Indian Companies “Land Grabbing” in Africa?
As foreign companies and governments buy or lease land in countries across Africa, the debate continues as to whether this will encourage development or is simply land grabbing. The Hindu's Addis Ababa correspondent Aman Sethi has taken part in a Q&A session on Facebook on the issue of Indian "land grabs" in African countries.
Mozambique: Medical Professionals Announce Strike
Medical professionals in Mozambique have announced they will strike. They consider that they were “humiliated, insulted and disdained” in their last meeting with government. This current strike follows a strike earlier this year by doctors. The video announcement is available with subtitles in English, and a number of languages.
Uprooted by Brazilian Power Plant, River Residents Try to Rebuild
Due to flooding caused by the Jirau power plant under construction in the Brazilian Amazon, river dwellers were removed to a village specially built to house displaced victims. Unable to adapt to that new style of life, they moved closer to the river. They worry about what will happen with the community once construction is finished and the jobs are gone.
Yemen: Focus on Education!
In a country where the illiteracy rate of both sexes (15 years and above) is almost 40 per cent, education and the empowerment of the women and youth is an imperative necessity for any concrete development in Yemen. Activists argue why education should be a right and not a privilege.
Save Lhasa, Tibet from Destruction
High Peaks Pure Earth has published Elliot Sperling's translation of prominent Tibetan writer, Woser's recent blogpost urging the world to save Lhasa from being turned into another tourist shopping mall.
Wikipedia to Appear in Shughni
“Good news Pamiris,” writes [ru] Bektour Iskender, President of Kloop Media, a Kyrgyz news portal and blogging platform. “Wikipedia has provided permission to begin a version of the site in Shughni.” Shughni is one of the main languages spoken in Gorno Badakhshan province (GBAO), a remote, eastern part of Tajikistan...
Egypt: Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform
Supported by Ford Foundation and the British Council, Cluster has recently launched the Cairo Urban Initiatives Platform (CUIP), the first resource of its kind in Egypt.
Leaked Development Plan Raises Land Grab Fears in Mozambique
Against a backdrop of growing concern about 'land grabs' in Africa, a leak from a controversial economic development plan has raised alarm in Mozambique, as well as in donor countries.
Schools Close in Panama Due to Energy Crisis
The severe drought that is affecting Panama has motivated the government to take several measures, including suspending classes in public and private schools.
‘Hope, Service, Passion': Meet Laura Boldrini, Italy's Likable Leader in Parliament
Italy's most recent elections swept several non-career politicians into office. Among these new players on the Italian political scene is writer and human rights activist Laura Boldrini, whose popularity during her short time in office has skyrocketed thanks to a reputation for sincerity and compassion at a time when corruption is ever present in the country's politics.
‘Agroam’ Lends Hand to African Farmers
Agroam is a website designed to help African farmers market their products as efficiently as possible and give more opportunities to match buyers and sellers at fair prices.
