Stories about Development from October, 2009
Malawi: Of Sports and the Windmill boy-Kamkwamba
This past weekend, Malawi drew 1-1 against the much feared Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire, and a new book about a young Malawian named William Kamwamba is making international headlines.
What future for ICT4D?
We know the capacity of mobile phones to affect human development. But that is last year's news. Some thinkers argue that we are on the verge of another round of technological changes that will force ICTs to evolve. What will ICTs for development look like in the next few years?
Czech Republic: “History for Sale”
The Czech Daily Word writes about “history for sale” – and not for sale – in the Czech Republic.
Sri Lanka: FarmerNet
LIRNE Asia blog informs that “the ICT arm of Sri Lanka’s largest community-based organization, Sarvodaya, launched its FarmerNet initiative last month”. FarmerNet is an online trading platform where the buyers and sellers can efficiently exchange information about produce bypassing middlemen.
Kazakhstan: Architectural Astana
Mursya posts photos of Astana, the new Kazakh capital being built in the steppes under a close eye of authoritarian president Nazarbayev.
Turkey: Inside the World Bank/IMF Meetings
Having obtained a press pass for the World Bank/IMF Meetings being held this week in Istanbul, Turkey; Erkan's Field Diary gives us a behind the scenes view of the proceedings.
Pakistan: WFP bombing
Last Monday, a suicide bomber detonated eight kilograms of explosives inside the Islamabad office of the World Food Program of United Nations which killed five people, including four Pakistanis. Kalsoom at CHUP! has details.
China: Plenty of trash to burn
As landfills run out of space and NIMBY protests occur across China, the number of trash incineration plants has increased in step. With one such plant planned for a densely-populated residential area in Guangzhou, locals have plenty of heated words for authorities.
Cuba, Barbados: Human Development Ranking
Havana Times and Living in Barbados blog about their respective countries’ ranking on the 2009 UN Human Development Report.
Japan: Reactions to Tokyo's Olympic Bid (Part Two)
What does the Japanese blogosphere and Twitterverse have to say about Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympics? Part Two introduces some reactions after Rio won the bid.
ICTs and the spread of indigenous knowledge
Practitioners of indigenous knowledge increasingly use the media to exchange ideas and publicize traditional learning to the larger world. What happens when such local practices go global?
Bangladesh: Creating Hope and Opportunity in Haiti
Bangladesh based BRAC, the largest non-profit in the world has recently extended its operation in Haiti creating hope and opportunity for extremely poor women and their families, informs BRAC blog.
Is Japan a dying nation?
Mari writes a brief response to the BBC's article “Is Japan a dying nation?” She agrees that the population is shrinking but believes that the country will be reborn in a new and smaller form.
Japan: Reactions to Tokyo's Olympic Bid (Part One)
What does the Japanese blogosphere and Twitterverse have to say about Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Olympics? Part One introduces some reactions before the announcements at the bid ceremony on October 2nd.
