Stories about Development from November, 2012
300 Km Long March Against Rare Earths Refinery in Malaysia
To stop the Australian rare earths mining company, Lynas Corporation from operating a rare earths refinery in Pahang, Malaysia, a group of activists started a 300 km march, dubbed “the Green Walk”, from Kuantan to the Parliament in Kuala Lumpur on November.
Hurdles in Making Italy's Illegal Workers ‘Legal’
The results of the legislative decree passed this summer in Italy to regularise thousands of illegal workers by regularisation of their undeclared employment, have not lived up to expectations. Here's a review of online reactions and analysis.
Bridge Blog for Afghanistan and Pakistan: ‘Understanding the Neighbor’
In a fellowship program 22 journalists from Afghanistan and Pakistan gathered together twice, once in Islamabad and once in Kabul to understand each others, share value and make cultural exchanges. The documented their experiences in a blog titled ‘Understanding the neighbor' and are ready to challenge the decades old established narratives about their neighbors.
Sri Lanka: The Trouble In Putting A Child Into A Local School
Ratmale shares his experience of putting a child into a Sri Lankan local school. Without purchasing or political power “one has to go through a minefield of hurdles,” he thinks.
The Present Status Of Maternal Mortality In Bangladesh
Amader Kotha (Our Stories) analyzes the present status of Maternal Mortality in Bangladesh and things are looking promising for Bangladesh.
Blogging Contest Focuses on Child Development
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced its first contest for bloggers, which will focus on issues related to child development.
Brazil: Rio de Janeiro Demands Better Sanitation
The initiative Sanitation is Basic, launched by the nonprofit organisation Meu Rio, has served as a slogan for the increase in online campaigns owing to popular online pressure created by citizens and social movements in Rio. According to the organisation, "half the population in Rio de Janeiro is still without mains water and sewerage."
Concern over Subterranean Water in the Sahel
We are told that miners do everything to waterproof the soil and ensure that waste does not contaminate subterranean water. But it must be recognized that there is always a risk, as they can never be completely sure that they are not contaminating subterranean pools. Moreover, with the impact of...
Senegal: Ensuring Efficient Telephone Use by the Government
Aliou Fama reveals [fr] that Macky Sall, President of Senegal, has decided to put the members of his goverment on a strict regime, in order to reduce government telephone bills: Ministers’ telephone credit is now capped at 500 000 FCFA (EUR 762,25), with that of technical advisers limited to 150...
Australia: Having Our Say about India, the World’s Largest Democracy
What lies ahead for India, which is not just the largest democracy but will soon have the biggest population? You can join the discussion of The World's Largest Democracy at Australia’s vibrant social media site, Our Say.
Hong Kong ‘Artificial Beach’ Will Destroy 200+ Coastal Habitats
Despite strong opposition from environmental groups and concerned citizens, the Hong Kong government is insisting on an artificial beach construction project that will destroy more than 200 coastline habitats.
A New Start for Barack Obama in Africa?
Following the November 6, 2012, re-election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, Africa questions his legacy after four years in charge of an America more concerned with the economic crisis than by its international relations, especially those within the African continent. The expectations of Africans were high, however many believe that a second term for Obama will allow him greater manouevrability on African issues.
Zimbabwe: Hashtag #263Chat to Crowdsource Opinions on Pressing Issues
Zimbabean blogger Sir Nigel introduces on his blog the hashtag #263Chat, an informal chat organised weekly on social network Twitter, to allow zimbabwean users to discuss pressing issues related to the country: Earlier this year, I suggested we organise a regular informal chat on Twitter regarding our beloved – Zimbabwe....
Water Pollution Threatens Lives in Inner Mongolia's Tengger Desert
Members of the Yellow River 10-Year Investigation team have begun reporting on the situation regarding water pollution in the Tengger Desert of Inner Mongolia. The team pointed out that black industrial water emitted by a coal chemical processing factory in the industrial district has been contaminating the desert's underground water, destroying the local herders' homeland and endangering the lives of those in the desert.
Saint Lucia: 25 Proposals to Help Move Forward
Amatus Edwards has a comprehensive list of 25 proposals to help move Saint Lucia forward.
Trinidad & Tobago: Taking Steps To Combat White Collar Crime
This crisis is an important opportunity to decide if we want to do differently. Do we? If not, crapaud smoke we pipe. If we really want to do differently, we have to start thinking differently and stop the point-scoring games. Afra Raymond thinks that decisive action needs to be taken to combat...
