Stories about Development from August, 2012
Pakistan: Economics And Secularism
Ayusyha Khanna at Pak Tea House argues that if Pakistan truly wants to realize its potential as far as economic performance is concerned, then it should adopt secularism to create...
Brazil: Judge Orders Halt to Belo Monte Dam
Brazilian judge Souza Prudente ordered halt to the construction of the controversial Belo Monte dam, in Altamira, state of Pará, on August 13, 2012, reports [pt] independent researcher Telma Monteiro on...
Arab World: Curiosity Rover and Arab Scientific Decay
Following rover Curiosity's successful landing on Mars, Arabs on Twitter lamented the miserable state of science in the Arab world: little scientific output and very few patents.
Africa: Moving Beyond the Resource Curse
Why is it that African nations endowed with many natural resources such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria or Madagascar to name a few are also plagued with endemic poverty? This is the paradox of the resource curse, which has blighted many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Togo: Demanding a proper rule of law and a fair share of the country's wealth
Analysing the resignation from government of the PM Houngbo, Mathias Akoulansa wrote on togoforum.com: “In any case, the Togolese political experience of the last 22 years has shown that the...
Côte d'Ivoire: Debate Rages over University Fees
The universities of Côte d'Ivoire are getting ready to re-open their doors on September 3, 2012, bringing to an end long months of closure, controversially ordered by the Ivorian president. Joy at this announcement was swiftly replaced by a wave of indignant reactions following the decision of university heads to increase registration fees. Debate continues to rage in the Ivorian media as well as various social networks.
Guinea: Statistics on Poverty on the Rise
Mamadou Aliou Barry wrote on the Facebook page Voice of the Guinean Youth [fr]: “According to the results of the study on poverty and inequality in Guinea from 1999 to...
Bulgaria: Thousands of Trial Records Go Open
The Bulgarian section of the Open Knowledge Foundation announced [bg] the release of 580,049 court decisions and 607,656 additional documents, including motives. Although all those are already publicly accessible in...
Somalia: The Very First Humanitarian “Customer Calling Center”
In her blog post about the very first humanitarian customer calling center, Anahi Ayala Iacucci describes “a quick and convenient way for Somali beneficiaries to give feedback about projects funded...
Egypt: Cairo Blackout
Egyptians woke up today [August 9, 2012] to a Cairo without electricity. The city's metro and the Egyptian Stock Exchange stopped functioning. Netizens took to their keyboards to complain.
Argentina Returns Frozen Bank Deposit Funds
On August 3, 2012, the Argentine government returned depositors' funds which had been frozen during the year 2002 and which puts an end to the corralito era. The news was announced during the anniversary of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, and immediately there were comments on the Internet, for and against.
Jamaica, Bahamas: Long Way to Go?
Two bloggers, Stunner from Jamaica and Pure Fawkery from the Bahamas, consider how far their countries have come – or not – since independence.
Mauritania: $10 Million Aid Grant Comes Too Late
The World Bank has approved a US$10 million grant to help the Government of Mauritania provide emergency food and agricultural supplies to rural communities in the face of the country's...
Bangladesh: Save Sundarbans’ Bengal Tigers
Global Tiger Day is observed in 13 countries on the 29th of July each year. This year the slogan in Bangladesh was 'Save Sundarbans Tiger Landscape'. Protests were also made against construction of a coal based power plant project near the forests which will endanger the tigers and other wildlife.
Create UNAOC 2012: Apps and Games for Intercultural Dialogue
The recently launched Create UNAOC 2012 competition is an opportunity for developers across the world to produce innovative apps and mobile games to promote intercultural dialogue, in a bid to avoid global conflicts and tension. Find out how to submit your idea.
Bangladesh: High Hopes for Bangla Supported Mobiles
In Bangladesh use of SMS is very low because most imported handsets do not support the Bangla language. To deliver the benefits that mobile technology can bring, development of Bangla language support for mobile phone is essential.
Zimbabwe: Bulawayo Residents Air Grievances Online
The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association has set up a Facebook page for residents to comment on the city's problems, which range from marginalization by central government to issues with refuse collection and an erratic water supply.
Sao Tome and Principe: Deforestation of an Area of Unique Biodiversity
“In the distance a bulldozer was relentlessly doing its work while the whole landscape seemed to be mourning the destruction.” denounced [pt] João Pedro Pio, a biologist living in Sao Tome...
Trinidad & Tobago: Who's Policing Us Now?
The Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago recently announced the resignations of the Commissioner of Police Dwayne Gibbs, and Deputy Commissioner Jack Ewatski, whose tenure was marked by several controversies. Bloggers react to the news.