Stories about Development from March, 2013
Bolivia Establishes the World's Largest Protected Wetland
Bolivia's government has designated three new wetlands in the 'Llanos of Moxos', an area that represents the combined size of the Netherlands and Belgium, under the Ramsar Convention. Activists and environmental organisations celebrate the decision but also urge to work harder for the conservation of the Amazon.
“Tough Skin and Brains”: Nigeria's Apps4Africa Winner Talks Tech Innovation in Africa
Fresh off winning the competitive funding Apps4Africa award, Francis Onwumere, who co-founded the real-time collaboration tool Prowork, chatted with us about the project, tech innovation in Africa, and how to make the most of Nigeria's poor infrastructure.
Parveen Rehman Killed, Pakistan's Largest Slum Loses its Guardian Angel
Parveen Rehman, a leading social worker in Pakistan was shot dead close to the country's largest slum Orangi, in Karachi were she had worked tirelessly for three decades. A trained architect, Parveen documented land in the ever-growing city to protect it from Karachi's notorious land mafia, who she had been receiving death threats from for years.
The Old Woman and a Potato: Ukraine's Poverty Story Goes Viral
Journalist Olena Danko wrote a short post about her supermarket encounter with an old woman who had just enough money to buy a single potato. A heartbreaking story, typical for Ukraine, with nothing in it that could surprise anyone who has lived in the country. Yet, within hours, it went viral.
Mercedes for President of Dilapidated Slovak University
Blogger Tomáš Homola blogs [sk] about a new Mercedes Benz E car recently acquired for 63,096 Euros for Professor Karol Mičieta [sk], the Rector/President of Comenius University in Bratislava. Homola describes Mičieta's connection to politics, and also recalls that the Ministry of Education just a short time ago was forced...
FIFA Beware! Journalist Teams Up with Brazil's World Cup Victims
British journalist Andrew Jennings joined a group of Brazil's popular movements to discuss the country's preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
All About Social Curation
Gaurav Mishra explains social curation and describes how Media, organizations and brands can curate contents to drive social engagement.
Changing Attitudes on Child Marriage in India
In rural India, two out of five girls are child brides. Though Indian law has made child marriage illegal, girls and boys bonded by traditional social norms and values are most likely to get married early defying the legislations. But the situation is changing as a number of women, who had been married as children, are speaking out against child marriage.
Green Patrol Cleans Up Slovakia
The area near the main train station in Bratislava doesn't look too neat [sk]. Nor do other neighborhoods. Some people refuse to accept it passively, however. Next month, the Green Patrol (Zelená hliadka; sk) initiative, led by Matúš Čupka, will celebrate its second anniversary. Through targeted cleaning actions, Green Patrol...
One Billion Rising Campaign In Colombo
The One Billion Rising campaign constitutes of one billion people across the world showing their antipathy towards all forms of violence against women. Meg posts pictures and analysis of the One Billion Rising campaign in Colombo, Sri Lanka on the 14th of February, 2013.
Slovakia's Roads: “Adopt a Pothole and Watch It Grow”
This year, the situation on Slovakia's roads isn't very good. in Košice county alone, there are over 37,000 square meters of potholes. Tibor Blazko reports.
India Aims to Woo Women With New Budget
Women-centric programs get a hefty 10 percent increase in India's new 2013-2014 budget. However, some women’s and citizens' groups claim that the government's move is inadequate and superficial.
Uruguayans Push for Sustainable Transport
Uruguayan citizens collect over 10,000 signatures to pressure their government to provide adequate infrastructure for sustainable transport, starting with bicycle lanes. The initiative seeks to address the omission to consider bicycles as a valid form of transport in the country's long-term transport plan.
Medellín, Colombia: Innovative but Unequal
On March 1, WSJ Magazine announced that Medellín had been chosen as the most innovative city of the world in the contest “City of the Year.” That same day, the press reported the UN had declared the city one of the most unequal in the world. The big contrast in these two reports has generated various reactions on social networks.
Carnival Samba Takes Aim at World Cup in Brazil
With forced evictions and competing political interests surrounding the run-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a group of concerned Carnival revelers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil have put the discord to a samba beat. Listen to this year's winner of the carnival marches contest, “Imagina na Copa” (Imagine in the Cup), created by a group of citizens recalling who really benefits from the cup.
Stadiums Vs. Schools: Slovakia's Misplaced Priorities
There is not enough money to provide Slovak teachers with decent salaries, but there is some to build football stadiums all over the country. Tibor Blazko reports on the Slovak government's misplaced funding priorities.
VIDEO: Brazil Bulldozes Neighborhood Without Warning for World Cup
Video records the moment when Rio de Janeiro officials armed with bulldozers burst into Restinga, intent on demolishing the homes and businesses of 153 families who live in the neighborhood. Francisca de Pinho Melo recalls how she lost her home and business so that city officials could construct a bus lane ahead of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.
Singapore: Forget Immigration, Focus on Fertility
Improving total fertility rate and labor force participation rate to increase the resident workforce over time rather than immigration-driven growth is the more appropriate way forward for Singapore Titled ‘A Dynamic Population for a Sustainable Singapore’, the opposition Workers’ Party drafts its own policy paper in response to Singapore government's...
China: Moving the Capital?
As the pollution and water shortage problem in Beijing is getting more and more serious, people are discussing about various proposals to move the capital city. Brendan O'Kane joined the conversation with more background on the previous proposals and recommendations.
