Stories about Economics & Business from September, 2014
New Document Leak Reveals Scope of Collaboration Between Moscow and Donetsk
Eastern & Central Europe29 September 2014These documents offer fascinating insights into the relationship between the Russian Far Right and the separatists now active in eastern Ukraine.
Second Hunger Strike Over Highway May Leave Trinidad & Tobago Fighting For Its Soul
Environmentalist Dr. Wayne Kublalsingh takes up a second hunger strike to protest the construction of a section of highway, but the stakes are now much higher than a simple road.
Jamaica Considers Developing Goat Islands Despite Environmental Protests
Jamaica's officials recently petitioned UNESCO, but the "lure of a $1.5 billion investment" has brought an about-face. Shackled to the IMF, the money might be too much to pass up.
‘We Should All Care About Climate Change Because It Will Have a Direct Impact on the State of the World’
In the second part of Global Voices' interview with Jonathan Barcant, the co-founder of the non-profit group IAMovement talks about what a world that uses clean energy looks like.
Here's Why Mail.Ru's Complete Control Over VKontakte Is Bad News
Eastern & Central Europe25 September 2014Russia’s Internet group Mail.ru has acquired the remaining stake in VKontakte, and is now the sole owner of the biggest social network in the country.
‘The Right Moment Has Come for People to Rise Up and Say No More’ to Fossil Fuels
Trinidad and Tobago was one Caribbean nation that took part in the global Climate Change Marches last Sunday. Global Voices talks to Jonathan Barcant, who helped organise the local event.
How Climate-Smart Villages in Bangladesh, India and Nepal Are Preparing Farmers for the Future
As part of the effort to help farmers adapt to changing climates, text and voice messages were sent to 1,400 farmers in 60 Indian villages with important farming information.
Central Asia and South Korea Are More Connected Than You Might Think
South Korea is an unheralded but important partner to the post-Soviet states of Central Asia, serving both as a destination for Central Asian migrants and a source of regional trade.
Cambodian Garment Workers Are Pressuring H&M, Walmart and Zara to Make Their Suppliers Pay a Living Wage
The workers are demanding a monthly minimum wage of 177 US dollars. A previous strike in January was the target of a violent crackdown that left five workers dead.
China: ‘The More You Exploit Us, the Happier We Get’
Kevin Slaten from China Labour Watch wrote on China File on the situation of labour exploitation in China — the fact that industrial safety and workers’ lives were taken for granted for economic growth, which is reflected in a notorious local Kunshan government's appeal to foreign investors: “The Kunshan people...
How Entrepreneurship Helped a Bangladeshi Girl Avoid Child Marriage
Bangladeshi blogger Raad Rahman tells the story of a girl in rural Bangladesh who avoided a forced child marriage after she started a grocery shop using a small grant from a local non-government organisation. She was going to be married off to her neighbour's son because her family could no...
Was a Popular Saint Lucia Blog Taken Down by Google Hateful or Just Outspoken?
Caribbean16 September 2014The no-holds-barred, muckraking blog had become both notorious and controversial among people interested in local politics -- and then it was blocked, without warning.
How a Vote for Scottish Independence Could Affect the Caribbean
How could something as seemingly remote as the issue of Scottish independence have an effect on Caribbean states? The long arm of colonial history connects more than you might think.
Trinidadians Concerned Over “Largest Ever Budget”
As the Trinidad and Tobago government, in anticipation of national elections next year, serves up a massive budget, two political bloggers take the country's leaders to task. Afra Raymond, whose blog keeps a close eye on politics, corruption and transparency, provided some disturbing financial context: The Minister of Finance has...
How the United States H4 Visa Traps Foreign Workers’ Family Members in a ‘Golden Cage’
H4 visa holders cannot get a job in the US, work remotely for a company back home or even freelance.
Less Than 10% of Rural Sub-Saharan Africans Have Access to Electricity. What's Being Done to Change That?
Fifteen percent of the world's population lives in Africa, yet they represent only 3 percent of global electricity consumption. Organizations are carrying out various electrification projects to wire the continent.
Trinidad & Tobago Needs to Pass the Public Procurement Bill
Trinidad and Tobago's Finance Minister yesterday delivered what many are calling a “welfare budget”, but prior to its unveiling in Parliament, blogger Afra Raymond had hoped that “a more restrained approach might be taken.” In examining the country's national budgets since 2005, Raymond found it telling that “many of the...
News of the Latest McDonald's Closure in Russia “Devastates” Obama
Eastern & Central Europe9 September 2014When current events inspire Russia's satirists, the RuNet produces some amazingly funny short stories. Russia's ongoing assault on the McDonald's food chain is having such an effect.
What If 75% of All Cities Were Deprived of Electricity by Design?
There are about 105 cities listed in all of Madagascar. The Minister of Energy Fienena Richard recently announced that 80 cities of Madagascar are curently deprived of electricity because JIRAMA, the public company in charge of providing electricity across the territory is running short on fuel. As a result, JIRAMA...
Looking to Get Away? Do It Patriotically, With Russia's Upcoming Booking.com Clone.
Eastern & Central Europe3 September 2014As Russia turns inward, the country has sought national alternatives to goods and services that are generally Western-dominated. Moving ahead, Russia faces the dangers of breaking this dependence too quickly.
