Stories about Development from September, 2010
Brazil: Independence Day and East Timorese Self Determination
“To talk about Brazil, I chose East Timor”, wrote [pt] Leonardo Sakamoto, on the 188th anniversary of the Brazilian “political independence”, September 7. He talks about dignity and self-determination, while reflecting on the lessons learnt from the recent history of East Timor, that voted for independence in a popular referendum in August 1999.
Taiwan Without Petrochemical Industry…
What would have happened had petrochemical industry ceased to exist in Taiwan? The Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) under Taiwan's Ministry of Economical Affairs has tried hard to convince Taiwanese citizens that if Taiwan does not build more petrochemical industrial plants, its economy will collapse and people will suffer.
Cape Verde: Six Cities Become Twenty Four
Net-citizens from Cape Verde have been discussing the recent decision made by the Government to promote eighteen former towns and villages to cities, leading to a total of twenty four. In question is the lack of infrastructures: reportedly, some of the new cities don't have water supply or even streets....
China: Afterthoughts following the New Zealand earthquake
News of the lack of direct casualties and minimal damage done in New Zealand's earthquake this past week has provoked widespread discussion over how far China has come since the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province more than two years ago.
Malawi: Literacy beyond reading and writing
Steve Sharra's analysis of literacy in the context of Malawi”: “Obviously a basic meaning of “literacy” starts out as learning how to read and write, and in Malawian discourse, the type of literacy most commonly heard on the street and across the airwaves is “Adult Literacy”…”
Kenya: Hail the mobile phone
David Kimondo argues that the mobile phone has become the signature tool of development in Kenya: “A few years ago election monitoring and reporting was a tricky, tiring and often thankless affair…[involving] sending hordes of polling clerks, election observers and monitors, with paper files stashed in their underarms…”
Nigeria: Why Should We Have Cholera in 2010?
“Why should we be having cholera outbreak in Nigeria in 2010?”, Chikwe Ihekweazu asks. He believes that cholera is a disease of poverty and a failed society.
Malawi: When Will Network Problems End?
Victor complains about network problems in Malawi: “It is annoying to be prevented from benefiting from an ATM service at the Auto-Teller Machine just because there is a network problem with the machine.”
Kenya: Empowering Slum Communities
Ulrike write about Slumcode Group in Nairobi, Kenya: “Slumcode is a Community Based Organization, located in a densely populated residential town in Nairobi, Kenya. It was formed with the aim to facilitate community development through resource mobilization…”
El Salvador: Reality Behind Appearances
The blog El-Salvador [es] discusses the difference between what tourists and other occasional visitors see in El Salvador (fancy malls, four-star hotels, expensive cars, big homes and people wearing international brands) and the reality lived by the majority of Salvadorians.
Tanzania: Africa Bridge helps farmers and children
An interview of Barry Childs, the founder Africa Bridge, talking about Africa Bridge work with farmers and children in ruralTanzania.
Africa: Where are the bikes at Maker Faire Africa 2010?
Tom's dream about Maker Faire Africa 2011: “I have a little dream that we could use the Maker Faire Africa gathering in 2011 or 2012 as a place to bring together the African grassroots bicycle sector.”
Ghana: TEDxAccra takes place September 20, 2010
MightyAfrican announces TEDxAccra: “Before BarCamp Accra happens on October 2, you should attend TEDxAccra as well. It is one of the TEDxChange events which are happening all over the world on September 20, 2001.”
Costa Rica: Promoting Tourism Through Social Media
In the blog Fusil de Chispas, Cristian Cambronero writes [es] about the use of social media by the Costa Rica Tourism Board. The board is using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to promote the brand “Visit Costa Rica” and increase tourism in the country.
Venezuela: Ten Commandments for Caracas
Caracas, Ciudad de la Furia (Caracas, City of Fury) is a blog dedicated to the city of Caracas. Its blogger, Mirelis Morales Tovar, recently came up [es] with ten commandments for Caracas.
Mozambique: When people don't have bread to eat
Following reports of riots and burning tyres and looting shops in protest of the rising bread price in Mozambique, Administrator of Development Talks blog says: “If people do not have bread to eat, something is seriously wrong in a country.”
Serbia: “Better on Facebook Than in the Streets”
The new school year in Serbia is about to start, and local newspapers are filled with techno anti-utopian articles on the bad effects of the Internet and social networks. A survey on the use of Facebook by the youth in Serbia has been published recently, too, however, and its results suggest that things aren't really that bad.
Paraguay: Environmental Consequences of Development
Diego Segovia writes [es] about the environmental consequences of cutting down trees for soybean production and other practices that have increased air contamination. He asks, “is this the ‘development’ you want?”
Indigenous People and Mines in Canada
The Indigenous community in North America share many similar challenges with many citizens of the developing world. Poverty is endemic even though their territories are often rich in natural resources. Bloggers weigh in on the latest resource controversy:
Russia: Three Scenarios of Internet Development
Alexey Sidorenko suggests [RUS] three scenarios for how Russian Internet will look like in 2020. The first option is liberalization of the information space, the second is the increase of filtering and censorship, and the third is a preservation of the current ambivalent status quo.
