· December, 2011

Stories about Development from December, 2011

Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So What?”

  31 December 2011

The news, published in the international press and echoed by the country's media, filled nationalist Brazilians with with pride and optimism, and left those who analysed the numbers more closely concerned. Bloggers ponder the meaning of being the world's sixth largest country in terms of Gross Domestic Product, and occupying the 84th position in Human Development Index.

Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011

  31 December 2011

2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.

Nepal:No Place for Xenophobia

  30 December 2011

Blogdai writes that Nepal should stop blaming foreigners for each and every woe that comes its way, since national unity cannot be based on xenophobia.

Macedonia: Health System Software Vendor Lock-in

  29 December 2011

Novica Nakov warned [mk] that the state discriminates against users of operating systems like GNU/Linux or Mac OS X, purporting vendor lock-in by forcing medical doctors to use the latest version of Windows as the only platform for the obligatory e-health card software [mk] by the Fund for Health Insurance...

Barbados: too many cars

  28 December 2011

Barbados Underground asks: how can the island solve its perennial traffic problem? “Barbados is 166 square miles and at some point commonsense will have to take root. The number of vehicles on our roads cannot be allowed to go unregulated for much longer.”

Guyana: crime and insecurity

  28 December 2011

“Travel around coastland Guyana and you will see it too,” writes Imran Khan: “burglar bars, grillwork, heavily armed company security forces, reinforced doors, guard huts, watchmen, security lights, CCTV cameras.” He muses on the relationship between crime, underdevelopment, and political leadership.

Bermuda: rethinking ties with Britain?

  28 December 2011

The British government is reviewing its relationship with its overseas territories, writes Catch a Fire, and inviting Bermudans to share their perspectives. “I think we need a new Constitutional Convention to modernise and reform our relationship with the UK … and I would like each Overseas Territory to have a...

China: Top 10 Problems in 2011

  27 December 2011

Paul from ChinaSMACK translated Chinese Academy of Social Science's survey on the top 10 problems in 2011 as perceived by Chinese people.

China: Qingdao's Real Estate Bubble

  21 December 2011

Steven Dickinson argues that China's real estate market has bursted by sharing his observations in Qingdao, where new residential real estate projects in have fallen an average of 30% within 6 months.

Brazil: How Many Lives Does the Guarani-Kaiowá's Land Cost?

  20 December 2011

Last November, 42 gunmen attacked an indigenous reserve in Mato Grosso do Sul, executing Nísio Gomes, 59, chief of the Guaraní Kaiowá and several other villagers. These attacks take place at the same time as Brazil consolidates its position as one of the leading exporters of agricultural goods and biofuels in the world, and Mato Grosso do Sul one of its most productive states.

China: Guangdong Uprising, Now in Haimen

  20 December 2011

Since the village of Wukan in Guangdong province was placed under siege after kicking out party and government officials, at least two nearby towns have launched actions of their own. The most recent, which broke out today, has reportedly seen 30,000 people blocking a busy freeway.

China: Abandoned Wonderland

  20 December 2011

Sven Holler from Ministry of Tofu posts pictures of an abandoned amusement park, Wonderland, at the outskirts of Beijing city .

China: English-only European town in Beijing Suburb

  18 December 2011

Ministry of Tofu translated a news story about a billion-yuan construction plan of an English-speaking town as large as 60 hectares (165 acres) in Miyun county, a suburban region in the northeast of Beijing city. According to the plan, people can't talk in Chinese inside the walled-city.

Taiwan: Land Expropriation Revision Fails to Address Farmers’ Woes

  17 December 2011

As the presidential election is approaching, the politicians in Taiwan's Executive Yuan have decided to revise the Land Expropriation Act. However, instead of addressing the farmers' woes, lawmakers have passed a revision of the Act that reinstates the interests of development over human rights.