Stories about Development from August, 2008
Jamaica: Decriminalizing Homosexuality
From Jamaica, YardFlex.com reports on “a proposed legislation…recommending the decriminalization of homosexuality and commercial sex workers” in order to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Jamaica, China: Masters of the Universe?
She makes you think and she makes you laugh! Jamaican Annie Paul‘s post on the Olympics is a must-read.
Jamaica: Shifting Sands
Guest Blogging at Abeng News Magazine, Long Bench discusses the matter of the sand heist at a beach in Coral Spring, which is earmarked for private development: “It is…our civic, ethical and moral duty to ensure that our institutions are responsive to our collective needs…I do not now, nor will...
Mozambique: Light at the end of the tunnel
Sweden and Switzerland have announced budget support cuts to Mozambique, over claims of lack of progress from the country's government in fighting corruption. Was it actually better for the country? Amílcar da Paz finds it out in a thought-provoking article by Mozambican Sociologist Elísio Macamo.
Uganda: R.I.P kampala.ver
R.I.P kampala.ver blog: “…kampala.ver has died an untimely and sudden death and joins ranks with all those millions of deaf blogs out there.”
Haiti: Olympic Potential
“f there are indeed Haitian athletes in Beijing who decide to defect, I could not blame them”: jmc strategies compares China's progress to Haiti's, asking: “Do you think a new Haiti is possible and are you prepared to do what it takes to…get it to a point where it produces...
Jamaica: Chemical of the Future
The Golding administration divests the country's sugar industry, causing Abeng News Magazine‘s Trevor Bogle to examine what the move means for Jamaica: “Jamaica’s energy platforms are substantially now controlled by entities whose interests are most likely not coincidental with our own, to our detriment!”
Angola: Elections, building sites and road works
“Some dare to say, “these buildings, all this they have built, It's good. It's evolution.” Evolution? Who for? Who are all these luxury residential developments, with guards and high fences, for? Only for those who are already in good position of “evolution”, the rich.” A few days before the elections...
Barbados: Pure Rubbish
“The image building that has been part of Barbados’ development has not had enough honest ‘look in the mirror and tell me what you see’ efforts. If it had, then Bajans would perhaps be appalled to see how dirty their country is”: Living in Barbados blogs about garbage creation and...
Malawi: Discussing development and the Olympics
"Development" has been exercising the minds of Malawian bloggers lately. The approach has taken the form of highlighting efforts of Malawians abroad, Malawi's much touted fertilizer subsidy program, Malawi's presence at the Olympics and Chinese presence in Malawi, and a philosophical discourse on the problems that accompany the adoption of westernization as a development paradigm at the expense of tested and effective African ways.
Abu Dhabi's Baywatch
“What's more absurd? 1. Playboy-model-come-home-porn-star Pamela Anderson wants to build a hotel in a conservative Islamic emirate. 2. She plans to build a zero-fossil-fuel eco-friendly hotel in one of the biggest carbon-chugging nations in the world,” writes Secret Dubai Diary, from the UAE.
South Ossetia: UN to Relieve Russia as Peacekeepers
LJ user boris_kogatov [Russian] reports that the United Nations’ Security Council may shortly decide to revoke the Russian peacekeeping mandate in South Ossetia and to replace Russian soldiers with international peacekeepers.
Trinidad & Tobago, China: All That Glitters
Trinidad and Tobago-based blogger Tattoo says that “China at least certainly leads the world in something: the capacity to hide the dirt with glitter and gold.”
Guyana: Poor Showing
Living Guyana thinks that the small Guyanese Olympic contingent “is an indictment on this government. They have not been putting any real and genuine emphasis on sports in this country. Our athletes are just not up to par…because there is no infrastructure in place…”
ASEAN's 41st anniversary
ephraim posts a speech of Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Day reception. Mr. Yeo stressed that people in the region “must increasingly internalise a sense of ASEAN citizenship.”
Philippines: Technology and city development
Filipino blogger Our Awesome Planet is an admirer of a city mayor who vows to transform a small city into a world class city by leveraging on technology to solve social issues. The mayor also plans to build the first 100% WIMAX city in the Philippines.
Mongolia: Engaging Citizens on human impact on ecosystems
RML reports that the Asia Foundation in Mongolia has launched “Securing our Future,” a program to engage citizens in resource use decision making that affects their lives.
Tajikistan: Saving Shughni Language
Ian tells how a group of scholars at the University of Kentucky is working on a grammar of Shughni language, spoken in the Badakhshan region of Tajikistan.
Afghanistan: Police Training Course
The Rumi reports that the local authorities of Mazar-I-Sharif opened the first training course for female police in Afghanistan.
Haiti: Child Labour
“Child slavery in Haiti may be the ultimate symbol of a state that has failed its most vulnerable members”: jmc strategies says that “key to ending child slavery in Haiti is creating long-term economic options for parents and access to quality education for children.”
Bahamas, Haiti: Migration Nation?
“The capture of hundreds of Haitians arriving by boat on the southern coast of New Providence recently focused new attention on our illegal immigration problem”: Larry Smith at Bahama Pundit maintains that “there are two key immigration issues – stabilising the size of the Haitian community, and integrating long-term Haitian...
