21 September 2009

Stories from 21 September 2009

Can social media help make microfinance sustainable?

Microfinance agencies provide loans to small businesspeople who often can’t meet the strict credit terms of large banks. Either these entrepreneurs don’t have the capital or the cash to back the loan. Or as the large banks argue, their credit needs are too small.

21 September 2009

Bangladesh: The Exodus

Leetlegirl's Big Adventures blog posts some telling pictures of the mass exodus from the mega city Dhaka during the Eid holidays, which answer why the capital of Bangladesh is so...

21 September 2009

Republic of Congo: Government at last

Elie Smith blogs about the new government in Congo-Brazzavile: “Why it has taken 63 days for Mr Denis Sassou Nguesso to form his government is a mystery, especially that, no...

21 September 2009

Pakistan: The Origin Of Railways

Owais Mughal at All Things Pakistan writes about the origin of railways in Pakistan. “The first line from Karachi to Kotri (1861) was constructed primarily to reduce the journey time...

21 September 2009

Suriname: R.I.P. Henk Tjon

Celebrated Surinamese playwright and theatre director Henk Tjon died in Paramaribo on 18 September, 2009. The Bahamas-based Ringplay Productions blog remembers “his passion and his eloquence on the subject of...

21 September 2009

Sri Lanka: Endangered Amphibians

“Did you know that Sri Lanka holds the world record for the highest number of global amphibian extinctions?” informs Sri Lankan animal watcher blog Gallicissa.

21 September 2009

Puerto Rico: Debate on Censorship

The Department of Education of the government of Puerto Rico recently eliminated five books from the eleventh grade curriculum of the public school system. Numerous writers and artists in Puerto Rico publicly voiced their concerns and described the government's action as censorship. The Puerto Rican blogosphere reacts to the controversy.

21 September 2009

Bermuda: decriminalising cannabis?

21 Square joins the debate over decriminalising cannabis in Bermuda. “Our present stance on cannabis has created a black market intent on fulfilling demand that is consuming our island and...

21 September 2009

Jamaica: honouring Usain Bolt

Active Voice reflects on how the Jamaican government has honoured star athlete Usain Bolt, and shares information about a new documentary film called Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?

21 September 2009

Anguilla: abandoned hotel?

Corruption-free Anguilla stumbles upon an abandoned hotel construction site, and asks questions about development policy and the possibility of government involvement. “The buildings just sit there, enigmatic, clueless.”

21 September 2009

Barbados: journalist's “confession”

Barbados Free Press reacts to a newspaper journalist's “confession” that he posted anonymous comments on several Barbadian blogs — starting a discussion about “the limits of anonymous blogging.”

21 September 2009

Barbados: listening to Chalkdust

The Bajan Reporter attends a lecture on “Calypso and Crime” by Trinidadian calypsonian Chalkdust, and files a report. “In the Question & Answer section, I got a chance to ask...

21 September 2009

Barbados: Clean-Up Day

Living in Barbados reports on Barbados Clean-Up Day, when volunteers collected garbage from the island's beaches. “How many meals on plastic plates? How many cups of soda in plastic cups?...

21 September 2009

Guyana: images of Georgetown

Flickr user Nigel Durrant — a Jamaican living in Guyana — posts sets of images from two well-known public spaces in Georgetown: Bourda Market and National Park.

21 September 2009

Afghanistan: Captain Semrau Goes to Trial

Joshua Foust reports that Captain Robert Semrau, a Canadian military man facing murder charges for the alleged shooting death of an injured, unarmed insurgent outside Lashkar Gah, is now facing...

21 September 2009