Stories about Development from March, 2010
Taiwan: Relations with the Pacific Islands and Australia
Michael Turton looks at Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou's recent visit to the Pacific. He analyses how Australia and Taiwan's involvement in the Solomon Islands has been used for political purposes by both countries.
Chile: The Process of Earthquake Reconstruction
Exactly a month after the devastating earthquake in Chile, President Sebastián Piñera announced a reconstruction plan for the country’s infrastructure and housing, prompting Chileans to provide opinions about how this process should be implemented and monitored.
China and Hong Kong: Post 80's Generation
K.E. David from ChinaGeek translated an article written by Yang Hengjun on his encounter with post 80's generation in a talk on democracy. The discussion makes him realize the connection between democracy and young people's future.
China’s Top IT Enterprenuers Call For Internet Special Zone
CTD translated a local news about top IT enterprenuers’ call for the setting up of Internet Special Zone free from censorship in Shenzhen.
Global Pulse 2010: An invitation to talk to decision makers online
From March 29 to 31, Global Pulse 2010 aims to gather over 20.000 people in an online conversation dealing with topics ranging from human development to science and technologies.
Africa: Notes From the Field
This is a roundup of blog posts of Concern US aid workers blogging from Sub-Saharan Africa. Concern US aid workers blog regularly about their work and challenges they face as they help to transform lives of people in Malawi, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
China and Japan: Expo Osaka and Expo Shanghai
Martin J Frid notices that the theme of Expo 2010 is loaded with a strong belief in “developmentalism” and “urbanism”. He then shares the experience of Expo Osaka in 1970 which helped setting up the global agenda of sustainable development.
Ghana: Blogging for World Water Day
World Water Day is a day observed on March 22 since 1993 when the United Nations General Assembly declared March, 22 as World Day for Water. Jemila Wunpini Abdulai, an active member of the Ghana Blogging Group suggested we make the day a Ghana Blogging Universal Day post.
Ghana: Do Ghana's oil fields belong to Ivory Coast?
A dispute that could break out between Ghana and neighboring Ivory Coast. Ivory Coast is reportedly laying claims to portions of the huge oil wealth in the deep waters of the Western Region of Ghana.
Rio Tinto and Chinalco Sign a Joint Deal with Guinean Junta over Mining Project
Baldeabdoulaye explains that mining companies Rio Tinto and Chinalco have come to an agreement on jointly developing an iron ore project in Guinea. The opposition criticizes the signing because they perceive the deal as a way for the military junta to take advantage of the current obscure political circumstances to...
Haiti: Reconstruction for Haitians or with Haitians
Haitian Alterpresse republishes a letter [Creole] from Haitian social organisations which openly criticise the Donor's Conference which took place in the Dominican Republic on March 17th. According to them, it will not lead to a long-term development project nor include the population in the reconstruction scheme. Here is the French...
Morocco: Tramway Line Reopens in Rabat
Mounir Bensaleh, who blogs on Des maux à dire [Fr], publishes pictures of the reopening of the Tramway line [Fr] in the Moroccan capital Rabat, which was abandoned 60 years ago.
Kyrgyzstan: Osh town redevelopment
Iskender writes that the Kyrgyzstan government proposes a 15-year plan of complex redevelopment for Osh, an old town also called as the Kyrgyz Southern capital.
Africa: How not to give money to charities in Africa
How not to give money to charities in Africa: “Do not watch TV images of Africa and feel only pity: starvation, war, HIV-AIDS etc…, Do not give money to Africa in an attempt to make yourself feel good, Do not give money to Africa because you feel guilty about colonialism…”
South Africa: We Want What's Ours
“We Want What’s Ours” is a documentary film in progress on the complications of land reform in South Africa.
China: Urban Villages
Maryannodonnell explains how “urban villages” appears in city, like Shenzhen, as a result of development and the negotiation of space between “farmers” and “city people”.
Ecuador: The Yasuni-ITT Initiative
In 2007, the Ecuadorian government unveiled the Yasuni-ITT Initiative, which would call for the oil reserves found in the Yasuni National Park to remain underground in exchange for compensation from the international community.
Serbia: Belgrade's Trees Fall Victim to “Chain Saw Massacre”
Belgrade city authorities are in the process of cutting down some 400 plane trees that were planted on Belgrade's longest street in the 19th century. Sinisa Boljanovic reports on the ongoing protest against what is now known as the "Belgrade Chain Saw Massacre."
Kenya: Nairobi becomes East Africa's tech heartbeat
Kenya, and specifically Nairobi, has in recent months become the technology heartbeat of Africa with conferences, launches, meet ups, summits and unconferences all running in quick succession.
Ukraine: “Why So Little Internet”?
Siberian Light looks at the BBC News “infographic about internet access in Europe” and wonders “why a relatively authoritarian country like Belarus has managed to get more than 1/3rd of its people online, whereas Ukraine has only managed 1/10th.”
Chile: Earthquake Reveals Social Inequalities
The quick burst of lawlessness that ensued after the February 27 earthquake in Chile sparked a national debate about the existing social and economic inequalities in the country.