Stories about Development from April, 2012
Nigeria: Was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala's Candidacy Symbolic?
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the only African and woman running for the World Bank presidency, has lost the race to Dr. Jim Yong Kim, a Korean-American physician. Should this have been the time for global governance values to triumph over the long-standing tradition of an American leading the institution?
Ecuador: New “Conectándonos” Blog Announces Gathering in May
The Ecuadorian version of the blog Conectándonos [es] (“getting connected”) announces the upcoming gathering in Loja, Ecuador on May 24-26. Rising Voices and a local university -the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja [es] (UTPL).- are co-organizing this event which aims “to promote [digital] integration and participation of groups and individuals...
Brazil: Homage to the Victims of the Amazon in Washington, D.C.
President Dilma Rousseff's official visit to Washington, D.C. attracted around 100 people to the Brazilian embassy in an act of solidarity with the Amazonian victims. Learn a little more about the Brazilians who were killed and are being persecuted for protecting the rainforest.
Panama: Traffic Congestion Sparks Online Reports and Complaints
Transport is one of Panama's biggest problems and traffic jams are an everyday occurrence in the Panamanian capital. Social networking sites, especially Twitter, are seen as a good way of avoiding them or grumbling about them.
Egypt: Advocating for Residents of Informal Neighbourhoods
Architect and researcher Omnia Khalil, has published this presentation as a part of Egyptian urban action [Ar], an exhibition and workshop scheduled for 4 July, 2012. It concerns advocating for the residents of informal neighbourhoods and highlights urban deterioration, forced evacuation and urban challenges in Egypt. In this video [Ar]...
Myanmar: Transparency in Development Aid
Community Based Organizations issued a statement urging international donors to ensure that development aid would target Myanmar's marginalized and vulnerable populations.
Brazil: Human Rights Violation in Several Prisons
General conditions in all Brazilian prisons remain the focus of much debate. In a country where 1 in every 262 adults is in prison, solutions to assure a reduction of these rates are just as essential as the construction of new prisons. Fernando Sapelli reports.
Tajikistan: Where Size Matters
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon knows the political capital to be made out of large, ostentatious public works projects. Yet Tajikistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, and one of the least able to afford such lavish displays of architectural excess. Chris Rickleton reports.
Africa: Access to Water and Sanitation Services Still a Burden
Babatope Babalobi, Secretary General WASH-JN [Water, sanitation and Hygiene journalists network (WASH)] discusses two meetings on water and sanitation held in Marseilles last month: “It seems that the organisers of the two events wrongly assumed that all citizens are able to access water and sanitation services through public or privately...
Myanmar: Suspended Dam Project May Reopen Again
The Democratic Voice of Burma reports about a leaked government document which suggests the reopening of a suspended dam project in Myanmar. The dam construction was suspended after it was actively opposed by local communities.
Pakistan: Stop Dumping On Us
Pakistan has become a dumping ground of plastic and medical wastes in the past decades. The people of the country had been exposed too long to harmful diseases due to lack of vigilance. Faisal Kapadia shares netizens' reactions.
Armenia: Straight to the village
With a GDP per capita estimated at just $5,400 in 2011, Armenia is one of the poorest countries in the former Soviet Union. The situation is particularly noticeable in the villages of the landlocked country, but one foreign diplomat hopes to change all that.
China's richest city in 2012
Xinjiang far west China introduced a Xinjiang city, Karamay, the richest city in China in 2012. The Wealth of the newly established city comes from oil.
Brazil: Indigenous Rights and the Suspension of the Teles Pires Dam
Brazilian blogger Sonia Martuscelli reproduces [pt] an open letter on the suspension of the license for the construction of the controversial Teles Pires Dam, in an area of the Amazon forest inhabited by the indigenous peoples of Kayabi, Apiaka and Mundukuru ethnicities. The natives require measures to ensure their rights...
Tanzania: Community Mapping and Open Development
Learn about community mapping and open development in Tanzania: “With facilitation from Ground Truth, the creators of Map Kibera, students from Ardhi University’s School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP) and residents of Tandale spent much of August using GPS units to collect a wide range of public data points,...
Taiwan: Protect Homeowners Against Forced Demolition
About 400 people gathered to protect one Taipei family against eviction by the police. A controversial urban renewal project has made the Wang's house part of the government sanctioned renewal zone, which allows the government to forcibly expel citizens from their own house when 75% of their neighbors agree to sell their land to the developer.
Egypt: Your ID, Your Rights Targets Women
As many as 4 million Egyptian woman don't have ID cards, and as such cannot benefit from legal, social and economic services and rights. "Your ID, Your Rights" is a campaign which aims to cover 2 million women, providing them with ID cards, as well as create awareness online about the situation of such women and the importance of gender equality.
