· June, 2011

Stories about Development from June, 2011

Nigeria: President Fooled the People Again

  30 June 2011

Japheth J Omojuwa says that Nigeria's president is fooling the people again: “Those of you getting fooled by phony rankings placing Nigeria as the fourth fastest growing economy in the world (or ninth as some other agencies reported), should not be fooled. There is a paradigmatic difference between growth and...

Nigeria: The Morgue called Lagos/Ibadan Expressway

  30 June 2011

Nwachukwu wants to know when Lagos/Ibadan Expressway will be fixed: “Late last year, in November, a friend was strangled by the noose called Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. Last month I skipped a premature embrace with my ancestors. With the trailer gone amok, I would have ended up under it’s belly. The month...

Japan: Real Voices, Real Japan

  30 June 2011

An Enligh-language website called Real Voices, Real Japan documents “the business environment and recovery in post-quake Japan.” Its purpose is to “keep foreign business communities up to date on the Japanese recovery and enables decision-making based on accurate, locally-sourced information.”

Guinea: “Democracy, Backwards”

  29 June 2011

Guinean novelist Tierno Monénembo, who won the French literary award Prix Renaudot in 2008, examines the early record of  the new President of Guinea, Prof. Alpha Conde, writing [fr] in an opinion piece on Slate Afrique: “Beaten up and imprisoned at a whim. Nominated and dismissed at a whim. All...

Senegal: Power Shortages in Dakar Lead to More Riots

  28 June 2011

Website politicosn.com has provided real time coverage [fr] of the protests against power shortages in Dakar, Senegal, on June 28, 2011: “Ongoing demonstrations have flared up in Senegal capital, public buildings have been stormed by youth protesting against power shortages. This situation has forced authorities to call upon the army, security...

Sri Lanka: China Investing In Land

  27 June 2011

Indi.ca is concerned that Chinese investors are being allowed to reclaim and own 500 acres of Sri Lankan land from sea paying $700 million to the Sri Lankan government.

Haiti: BBBC Benefits in Question

  27 June 2011

An interesting post on Bill Clinton's housing initiative, Building Back Better Communities (BBBC), which “seeks to construct housing projects across the nation of Haiti”, but upon closer examination, “seems as though the initiative won't live up to its name and in fact will build worse communities than even before the...

Guatemala: What can you eat with one dollar?

  27 June 2011

In Central American Politics, Mike posts a video where Francisco Fion of the World Food Program explains that about half of the population of Guatemala lives in poverty with 7 quetzales a day –about 1 US dollar. How much food can you buy with 7 quetzales? Watch the video to...

Argentina: Buenos Aires ‘Cartoneros’

  27 June 2011

Simon Kofoed, In his blog argen-times, writes about ‘cartoneros': “The tens of thousands of cartoneros, perhaps best translated as cardboard people, make their living by extracting recyclable materials from the city’s rubbish.”

China: The politics of hydroelectricity

  27 June 2011

Sinologistical Violoncellist has a guest post by Kristiana Henderson of Pacific Lutheran University which addresses the politics of hydroelectricity projects in Tibet by looking into the history of conflicts between indigenous Sami community with the Norwegian government since 1850s.

Africa: Thoughts of Africa 2.0

  26 June 2011

Tolu's thoughts on Africa 2.0: “The point is this: in the emerging Africa it is harder for the government to carry on as though the people didn’t exist, or as though they existed to be deceived, because the citizens are losing the fear that once held them down. And then...

Peru: Residents of Puno Resume Protests

  26 June 2011

Once again the inhabitants of the Puno region have taken to the streets in protests, this time against the contamination caused by the mining of minerals. Six people died as a result of the protests on the day when Peru celebrates the Day of the Peasant.