· May, 2013

Stories about Development from May, 2013

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.

30 May 2013

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.

25 May 2013

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...

21 May 2013

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.

20 May 2013

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.

15 May 2013

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.

14 May 2013

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.

13 May 2013

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...

12 May 2013

‘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.

6 May 2013