Stories about Development from May, 2010
Russia: First Cyrillic Domains Go Online
First Cyrillic domains officially went online on May 13 and caused different reactions among Russian Internet users. Many people still wonder what will be the consequences of this initiative.
The Aid Transparency Movement
The momentum of the aid transparency movement is palpable, but without greater coordination and aggregation, so much transparency will lead to more confusion than clarity. Raw data must be presented in ways that are easy to understand, and that tie directly to accountability initiatives at the local and national level in each country.
Liberia: Founder and blog manage meet for first time
Ceasefire Liberia blog has its most exciting moment recently: “The most exciting moment in the history of Ceasefire Liberia took place as the founder of the Project, Ruthie Ackerman, and the Liberian blog manager, Nat Bayjay met for the first time ever at the Global Voices Summit in the Chilean...
Quick Overview of Russian Blogosphere in 2009-2010
Russian Internet is becoming more politicised and more regulated place. Together with more trust and number of readers, bloggers gain more attention from the authorities. At the same time, the structure of the blogosphere tends to reproduce the offline social structure with its biases and hierarchy
Ghana: What happens when lights go off in Accra?
What happens when lights go off in Accra?: “Even when you have alternative arrangements to obtaining power, the point is not lost on you on the astronomical amounts you expend to get your fridge and other electrical gadgets working through a generator.”
Niger: Niger's paper eating goats
Do you know the paper-eating goats of Niger?: “I noticed that inhabitants of Niamey ate a lot of grilled goat or sheep meat. A friend invited me to one of these joints where I savoured African-style barbecued goat. Since I was in Niamey to cover the food crisis which also...
Haiti: Sign Online
Haitianalysis.com blogs about “an online petition to demand that U.S., international and NGO officials provide more transparency and efficiency in the distribution of millions of dollars of international aid to Haiti.”
Russia: Moscow Mayor; Judiciary System
Foreign Policy Association's Russia blog writes about Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov's 15-year General Plan for the city's development. At True/Slant, Mark Adomanis writes about Vera Trifonova’s death in detention and Russia's judiciary system. A Good Treaty writes about Russia's judiciary system and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov.
China: expelling the unemployed from Shenzhen
Ridding the city of those unemployed for longer than three months—that’s what Shenzhen’s vice mayor and police chief suggested April 29 in response to security problems in this special economic zone in South China. The suggestion has generated a strong online response. In a meeting with the Hong Kong-Macau Political...
Mozambique: Aid spat
Donor countries briefly suspended budget support to the Mozambican government over corruption concerns, sparking analysis and debate about aid, corruption and governance.
Africa: African entrepreneurs you should know
Ory writes about African entrepreneurs: “Anyway, I thought I’d share the profiles of some of these entrepreneurs with you…always important to keep telling the success stories, no? First is Erik Charas (@erikcharas), he is the president of @Verdade (the truth), which is Mozambique’s biggest circulation newspaper. @Verdade reaches more than...
Uganda: Acceprance Speech at “Breaking Borders Award”
Archbishop John Baptist Odama's Award Acceptance Speech at the “Breaking Borders Award” Ceremony at Santiago, Chile.
Uganda: Mapping water sources
Tom Loughran blogs about mapping water sources in Uganda: “Each of the points on the map contains the results of a proof-of-concept water quality test, and a hyperlink to images and additional information about the water source…The location and water quality data are entered into a Google form embedded in...
India: Winners Of The Sankalp Awards
Think Change India reports on the winners of Sankalp, the annual social enterprise awards organized by Intellecap in Mumbai, India.
Turkmenistan: Ambitious project and its risks
The Turkmen government's most grandiose project, the tourist city Avaza, is analyzed by Annasoltan. She says that time will tell whether Avaza will become the government's great monument — or its gravestone.
India: What Motivates Begging?
“What all the government does to please the poor people is to launch welfare schemes in the name of benefiting the poor. But the fact remains that all such schemes are aimed at opening more channels of corruption favoring the rich,” comments Ram Bansal at India In Peril while discussing...
Trinidad & Tobago: Reality Elections
This Beach Called Life says: “The election results on May 24th, regardless of who wins, will be interesting as it will show what the country isn’t willing to tolerate …”, while KnowTnT.com offers this gem: “‘You know what de difference is between de election an’ reality television?’ Wait for it…...
Technology for Transparency, Civic Engagement and Accountability in Latin America
Latin America has a long history of corruption, organized crime, and impunity. However, the region also has a mature civil society and dozens of technology projects that are poised to disrupt the status quo if they are able to attract more offline participation.
Technology for Transparency: The South Asian Story
Democracy is still relatively young in South Asia, and not always stable. While politicians in the region are eager to integrate technology into their policy platforms, they are less enthusiastic about its use by activists who want more transparency and accountable governments.
India: Video as an Alternative to Literacy
The Deccan Development Society take their experiences in Hyderabad, India to explain why video or radio training could represent an alternative to literacy when measuring development.
Algérie Télécom: The only choice?
Algérie Télécom, the main operator of Internet services in Algeria, is notorious amongst bloggers for its poor service and frequent disruptions. In this post, Katharine Ganly translates the frustrations of a young blogger, Houda, from Sidi Bel Abbès.
