Stories about Development from November, 2008
Syria: Unprofessional Websites
Salam [AR] lists in this post problems most Arabic internet users face as they're viewing Arabic websites. He argues that the reason behind such problems is mostly due to the profession of these websites’ owners: they're not websites’ designers nor developers, but rather money makers.
Trinidad & Tobago: Is this Development?
Trinidadian blogger Coffeewallah finds it “distasteful on so many levels that a man could be reduced to less than my dog, that as a nation stumbling towards what we call development, we still have not found a way to treat with our dispossessed.”
Bermuda: Avoiding the Issue?
As the UK Foreign Affairs Committee publishes a report containing recommendations for Bermuda to improve its accountability and transparency, Vexed Bermoothes thinks that the Premier is “raising the noise level to avoid discussion of the issues – these are the real threat to Bermuda’s reputation, not the report that calls...
Armenia: Gyumri
jack'sVolunteerWorkInArmenia details his weekend trip to Armenia's second largest city of Gyumri. Situated close to the (closed) border with Turkey, the city will next month commemorate the 1988 earthquake which devastated much of its infrastructure and left tens of thousands dead or homeless. The blog says that twenty years on,...
KarmaTube: Promoting Change through Video Sharing
Karma Tube is an online video sharing platform to spread short videos and their causes through the World Wide Web with tips on what actions the viewer can take regarding the portrayed cause. Through KarmaTube we bring you the following videos of good people doing great things for others: Skateistan from Afghanistan, Seeds of Light from South Africa and Barrios de Paz in Ecuador.
Haiti: School Collapses
The fact that Haiti didn't need another tragedy didn't stop one from striking. This time, it was a school collapse in Pétionville, which left scores of children dead and countless others injured. Haitian bloggers were quick to offer online empathy and support.
Cuba: Hurricane Paloma
In the latest installment of the chronicles of the 2008 hurricane season, Hurricane Paloma struck Cuba, destroying hundreds of homes in the process and compounding the damage and economic losses the island experienced two short months ago after Hurricane Ike. Bloggers from both Cuba and the diaspora were monitoring the...
Israel: Generational Diaspora Opinion of Israel
“I’ve written before of the schizophrenic nature of the Diaspora relationship of Jews to Israel…. The older generation marches to the drummer of past suffering. The newer generation looks for a way past that allows both peoples to live in peace. The question becomes–which pole will dominate?” writes Tikun Olam...
Egypt: Petition on Tuition
“We are students who have things to say. We want to be heard but no seems to want to listen. Or if they do, we are shoved to a different office where someone who would be more suitable for the job is. Then we get there, and the office is...
The Middle East's Generation Facebook
What will the Middle East look like 25 years from now? That was the assignment the World Policy Journal gave Mona El Tahawy for their 25th anniversary edition. Mona decided to have some fun and imagine. This is what she came up with, mixing real people in imaginary scenarios in 2033. Who knows? They might come true!
India: Narrowing the Digital Divide
Rajesh Jain posts a presentation in his Blog Emergic which discusses about innovative products which will help in the proliferation of low cost internet enabled PCs in millions of Indian homes.
The Lusosphere for Obama
See how bloggers from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde and East Timor are celebrating Obama as the new US president, and how they hope his election will bring change to their own countries.
Pakistan: Overpopulation
Pak Tea House analyzes and finds that overpopulation is the root of many current problems in Pakistan.
Azerbaijan: New, Traditional Media Concerns
Caucasus New Media says that while the world is focused on today's U.S. elections, Azerbaijani bloggers are more concerned with moves to prohibit foreign media outlets from broadcasting on local frequencies. However, the blog says that the decision might be delayed by a year and isn't yet concerned that the...
Vietnam: Saigon Development and Construction
A blog was set-up to document the new infrastructure projects in Ho Chi Minh City.
Bangladesh: A documentary on child birth
In the beauty of all the Earth posts a documentary video on child birth in the rural Bangladesh. The bloggers says: “I hope you will find the time to view it and get a glimpse at what life in Bangladesh is like. I think you will also get a sense...
Angola: Hawkers face a hard life with dignity and courage
Going up and down the streets of Luanda to sell sweet fruit like sugar apples, scented mangoes, or hope-color avocados, the "zungueiras", or Angolan hawkers, usually the breadwinners of their families, sell their goods while painting the streets of Luanda with vibrant colours.
Ukraine: More on Political Chaos and the Economy
Moscow Rules praises Mykhaylo Petechuk's text on Ukraine's economic situation posted on Mmd Russia Blog. Petechuk writes: “But we are skeptical about the real impact the IMF can have on three people who are competing with each other for the position of President in upcoming Presidential elections and a political...
