Stories about Development from January, 2014
Fighting Corruption in Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar
The people of Comoros, Cameroon and Madagascar haven't got much faith in the honesty and integrity of the public sector, according to Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index.
The Ripple Effect Of Rote-Learning In Pakistan
Muhammad Taseer Hussain at Pak Tea House criticizes the quality of education system in Pakistan. Lack of good teachers encourages some students to adopt rote-learning, which is more like a mechanical task of repeating what to be learned and does not require much of reasoning or inference. the blogger adds:...
37 Million Students Start New Year with Free Textbooks in Bangladesh
"This is the kind of Bangladesh we would like to see...Children happy with new books seeking knowledge....not children with gun powder learning to make human BBQ"
PHOTOS: How Pebble Mining is Destroying Villages in Myanmar
Dozens of homes were destroyed in the Nga Pu Taw Township of Myanmar due to muddy waste produced by pebble mining companies.
The Faces of Those Affected by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
Japanese researchers have published a digital archive of the recovery process of one of the areas hardest hit 2004 tsunami, the Indonesian province of Aceh.
A Mobile Phone Based Virtual School System In Pakistan
Sri Lankan blogger Nandasiri Wanninayaka writes: Rehan School is a mobile phone based virtual school system that allows anyone who has a mobile phone access the prerecorded video lessons free of charge. With expanding mobile coverage in Pakistan, this will be an exciting way to reach the rural illiterate communities....
Dreams of Yemen
Yemeni blogger Noon Arabia shares her dreams of Yemen in this post. She writes: I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a roof on top of their head I dream of a Yemen where everyone has a meal on their table I dream of a Yemen where poverty is...
A Call for African Leaders to Stand with the Central African Republic
As the situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) drastically worsens [fr] (935 000 IDPs as of today), Thione Niang, the Senegalese head of the GIVE1Project and Mehdi Bensaid, a Moroccan MP, calls from the African continent to stand up and show support to the victims of the conflict in CAR [fr]: Nous ne...
The Challenges of Daily Life in Conakry, Guinea
Life in Conakry, Guinea can get quite challenging for several reasons. Learn why and how things can change for the better.
Moment of Truth for Puerto Rico's Economy Looms on the Horizon
Puerto Rico is currently going through one of the worst economic crises in its history. Its public debt reached $70 billion in 2013, an amount that is practically unpayable for the country. The severity of the problem has resulted in Puerto Rico being called “the Greece of the Caribbean” on...
Aam Aadmi Party Clone In Bangladesh
Blogger An Ordinary Citizen writes: Many in Bangladesh are inquisitively looking at the development of Aam Aadmi Party in India and hoping that a similar phenomenon may develop in Bangladesh. Co-incidentally the success of the Aam aadmi party has inspired a group to float an Aam Janatar Dal –Common Man’s...
Innovation: A Solar Energy-Powered PC Made in Mali
As part of our series on innovation made in Africa, we recently showcased the 3D printer made from E-waste in Togo and a spell checker for Bambara language. Today, we present the first low-power PC made in Mali. The PC called Limmorgal (Calculator in Peul language) is the brainchild of...
3 Suggestions for Good Governance in the Central African Republic, Madagascar and Mali
Here are three conditions that civil societies in these war-torn countries have identified in order to start the reconstruction of their political systems.
Malaysia’s New Year Protest Against Price Hikes
A New Year’s Eve party was turned into a protest event as thousands of Malaysians voiced their opposition to looming price hikes in several basic goods and services.
China's Six Trends in 2014
TeaLeafNation has analyzed six trends in 2013 that will continue to transform China in 2014 both socially and economically. There are: 1 Political discussions are retreating back into private sphere such as WeChat. 2 Mainland Chinese shows and products have become popular in Taiwan. 3 Fewer Chinese people will learn English. 4 China’s massive...