· April, 2010

Stories about Development from April, 2010

South Africa: The woes of a South African blogger

  28 April 2010

Project Me blogs about the woes of a South African blogger: “I know, it’s nearly half way through the day and still ni blog. Well that’s because I’m a South African blogger who has days when I wake up to no electricity or no internet connection.”

ICT for Development in Francophone Africa

  25 April 2010

Although there is undoubtedly a strong push to grow information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives for development in francophone Africa, the region is still somewhat lagging behind their English-speaking neighbors.

Haiti: Food Aid

  22 April 2010

A mainstream media news story which highlights “the problems posed by continued food aid to Haiti”, grabs the attention of Ellen in Haiti, who says: “The problem with the article is that it just talks about food aid….in Port au Prince. There is so much else in Haiti that needs...

Haiti: Part of History

  22 April 2010

The Haitian Blogger republishes an article by Melanie Newton which suggests that what happens in Haiti post-earthquake “is a question of world historical significance.”

Russia: Internet Development in Regions

RuNet Echo  21 April 2010

Yandex.ru published report [RUS, .pdf] on Internet development in Russian regions. Report concludes that the drastic increase in Internet penetration during 2009 was in Russian regions. The average speed of the Internet there is 1,100 kbs. The most active bloggers are in the Far East.

Kenya: Flying toilets and poop

  20 April 2010

Kenyan Pundit on Kibera, flying toilets and poop: “I have been wanting to write this for a while now. Especially after I read about Peepoo: a biodegradable plastic bag that acts as a single-use toilet for urban slums in the developing world. Inspired by the ever ubiquitous Kibera flying toilets.”

India: Television As Educator

  19 April 2010

MANA TV has been running five education channels in the Andhra Pradesh state in India for nine years. “Their popularity has proved that notwithstanding computers, television can grab eyeballs in the classroom”, says Jai Chandiram at The Hoot.

Bhutan: South Asian Leaders Meet For SAARC Summit

  18 April 2010

Bhutan is in a flurry of activity, gearing up for the upcoming SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit. Here the South Asian leaders will discuss about issues like climate change, poverty alleviation, economic cooperation and curbing terrorism and will try to find a common ground.

Rwanda: Rwanda suspends newspapers

  17 April 2010

Jason links to a few stories of interest from Rwanda and D.R of Congo: “* Rwanda suspends two newspapers critical of the government for six months, meaning they won't be able to cover the election campaigns – Texas in Africa isn't happy. * An excellent interview of Congolese academic Jean...

Kazakhstan: Long-Awaited Almaty Metro

  16 April 2010

Michael Hancock tells about the project of long-promised metro system in Almaty, the biggest city in Kazakhstan. It is currently nearing completion, voices concerns over seismic activeness of the region and viability of the new metro.

China: Strolling to save East Lake in Wuhan repressed

  14 April 2010

East Lake, located at Wuhan city, is a state listed ecological tourist scenic area. It occupies 82 square kilometers, 6 times larger than the Hanzhou West Lake. Being a national 4A tourist area, its planning should be subjected to environmental assessment and public participation accordingly. However, in May 2009, a...

China: The brief lives of Chinese buildings

  10 April 2010

At a construction and energy conservation conference that opened March 29 in Beijing, a Ministry of Housing and Construction official revealed that construction in China only has a 25–30 year lifespan.