Stories about Development from August, 2009
Mali: Visiting Malian villages
American blogger in Bamako writes about her experiences while conducting a survey in rural Mali: We left around 8:30 in the morning (I knew even then that this was way too late of a start). We walked 1km to the moto taxi junction and waited for a moto taxi. Eventually...
Puerto Rico: The Battle Over Public Lands
The Puerto Rican government has issued an order to remove 200 families from the Villas del Sol community, under the premise that they illegally occupied lands that are prone to flooding. As the families continue to resist the eviction order, bloggers weigh in.
Malawi: The good, the bad and the hopeful in health care
In this post we highlight some of what Malawian bloggers are writing about the country's health care system. We look at bloggers describing developments in eye care, reflecting on midwifery, expressing shock over negligence in hospitals and government waste, and we end with rare good news about the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Russia: Life in Nizhny Novgorod
At OpenDemocracy.net, Lira Valeyeva writes about life and politics in Nizhny Novgorod.
Bangladesh: Uncultured Project and Clean Water
The Uncultured Project helps out in Bangladesh with clean water and disaster relief, and has an advantageous position to compare two different portable water filtering methods.
China: The Dongying Mass Incident
ESWN translated a story from Chinapic about a massive criminal assault incident in Dongying County of Shandong province, which was caused by local government's intervention in the relocation of a market place.
Barbados: Call for Inquest
As the government announces that it “will be demolishing three properties at Archcot Terrace…as it moves to get the area to return to normalcy,” Barbados Free Press maintains that not enough is being done to investigate the building collapse that killed the Codrington family almost two years ago.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: An interview with Elizabeth Métraux
DOTCOM is an online initiative using blogs and video to bring American, Armenian and Azerbaijani teenagers together to work on creating socially conscious media. Global Voices Online speaks to Program Director Elizabeth Métraux.
Haiti: Honduras Parallels
Wadner Pierre posts an article by Haiti Liberte which examines the “uncanny similarity between the June 28, 2009 coup d'état against Honduran President Manuel Zelaya and that of February 29, 2004 against Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.”
Jamaica: Falmouth Pier
Snailwriter is convinced that the construction of a cruise ship pier in Falmouth, Jamaica will not only “bring very small economic benefits…by way of short term, low level jobs. It is very likely that an authentic place of history will be part Disneyfied, wholly faked, and this old town constructed...
Ukraine: Economy Update
Ukrainiana comments on Ukraine's economy: “Ours is an economy that thrives on cheap labor and cheap natural resources. The outcome? Poor living standards. A net population loss of more than 6 million people during the last 18 years.”
China: Everyday life cultural conflicts in Xinjiang
Tim, a foreign teacher in Xinjiang university, blogs about the cultural conflicts and misunderstandings between Hans and Uyghurs in daily life. He has censored himself from addressing the issue in the past month but finally speaks up.
Bangladesh: The ‘Info Ladies’
Gone are the days when the village phone ladies used to offer mobile phone services in the rural areas of Bangladesh, a successful example of microcredit projects. LIRNE Asia informs that now “Info ladies” equipped with “Classmate PC” fitted with mobile internet cards are traveling door-to-door riding bicycles to connect...
Brazil: Fighting contemporary slavery
Modern day slave labour in the Northern and North-eastern States of Brazil is a well known problem. But is slave labour in São Paulo an anomaly? The blogosphere discusses and concludes: much remains to be uncovered.
India: An Expensive Development Fails
Über Desi slams the failure of development of an engine for an indigenous fighter plane in India after two decades of expensive research and comments: “imagine the number of schools, transport lines, rail tracks, sanitation facilities and other basic stuff that could have really really mattered in sub-urban and rural...
Ghana: Maker Faire Africa blog
Visit the blog of Maker Faire Africa, which is taking place August 14-16 in Accra, Ghana.
Zambia: Do you know about Zambikes?
Nii posts a video of Zambikes in Zambias. The mission of Zambikes is: To provide high quality bicycles and educational training to underprivileged and service based Zambians.
Caucasus: An interview with Bart Woord
International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) Secretary General Bart Woord took time out to speak to Global Voices Online about the role new media can play in the region and the case of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, two video bloggers recently detained in Baku on what many consider to be politically motivated charges.
Bangladesh: Dr. Yunus Meets Madiba
Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus met Nobel Laureate and former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela (Madiba) at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg. Bangladeshi photojournalist Shahidul Alam was fortunate to capture the moments from up close. Read all about it in his blog.
