Stories about Development from June, 2006
Russia: Article on Chechnya
Sean Guillory discusses (and recommends) an article by Anne Neistat, a researcher for Human Rights Watch, on her recent trip to Chechnya's capital Grozny.
Indonesia: Jakarta's Next Governor?
Martin Manurang is hoping that an exceptional candidate wins the election for Jakarta's next governor and helps bring in positive change.
China: Those left behind
Seen on Andrés Gentry's eponymous blog is a short but wrenching video looking at those left behind in China's mad rush towards development, including video shot by the villagers themselves of those being forcefully evicted and defending themselves from armed attacks by the police.
Lesotho: Damn Dams
Sotho publishes a commentary on “Damn Dams”…..”Two of the project’s five proposed dams, the recently completed 182-metre Katse Dam (the tallest in Africa) and the proposed 145-metre Mohale Dam, have already been funded by the World Bank. The latter is expected to “flood some of the most fertile land in...
Russia: Moscow the Most Expensive City in the World
Sean Guillory writes about the cost of living in Moscow: though it has recently been declared the most expensive city in the world, the locals “know how to cut corners and navigate the city's costs with exactitude.”
Albania: World Bank Poverty Report
Alwyn Thomson of Our Man in Tirana writes about World Bank's conclusions on poverty in Albania.
Trinidad & Tobago: Anti-smelter lobby gets interesting offer
Attillah Springer at the Rights Action Group T&T blog discusses the interesting offer of pro bono legal assistance made by former Attorney General Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj to the community of Chatham/Cap de Ville and environs. Members of the community have organised a loby against the building of an aluminum smelter...
Mongolia: 800 Years
Luke Distelhorst reports on Mongolia's efforts to boost tourism for the 800 year anniversary of Chinggis Khan's founding of the Mongolian state, and he notes that the country is not attracting uniformly positive reviews.
Syrian Blogsphere in a Week
To start off with a rather hot topic, it's politics, with Ammar Abdulhamid asking THE question… How Secure Is the Assads Regime, Really? To many observers of Syrian affairs, especially in the aftermath of the vaguely-worded report by Brammertz and in view of the growing alliance with Iran, the Assads...
Madagascar: Which Sector to Develop Economy
Madagascar Croissance asks (Fr): “Which sector will develop the country's economy?” and, after a comparison with nearby Mauritius, concludes: “The best solution is the development of entrepreneurship in the countryside.”
Kenya: The future is not what it used to be
In a lengthy post, Rombo muses on her own relative career success and the lack of employment opportunities for Kenyan university graduates, including some of her former classmates. “What happens to all the people for whom the future is not what it used to be?” she asks. “Where do they...
China: Internet access in Tibet
Virtual China has a guest blogger today, Kathrine Hoersted, who brings us a post looking at the young Tibetan woman with whom she lived during her graduate research in a small village in Tibet, and how despite severely limited internet access there the two have managed to keep in touch.
Lesotho: Why Africa is so poor
Sotho has an excellent post on “Why Africa is so Poor“……………..”Africa is waking up, however, and I hope it does so in my lifetime. The present state of affairs has lasted long enough. It is time to swing things around. I urge you to visit Timbuktu Chronicles if you want...
Macau: Faster than a speeding bullet
Simon World reminds us that the world's fastest growing economy is in little Macau. Macau’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 18.8 percent in real terms in the first quarter of this year, as compared with the same period of 2005, official figures showed.
Caribbean: BLP role in CSME
The Barbados Labour Party blog gives its political leader — and Prime Minister of Barbados — Owen Arthur a pat on the back for the role he has played in the development of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
Haiti: Telecom Wars
Digicel billboard, Martinique. By blogger Greg at InternetRapide.com. Jamaica-based Caribbean telecom giant Digicel has a presence in over a dozen countries in the region. Digicel officially launched operations on the Haitian market in May to much resistance from local private telecoms Haitel and Comcel but bloggers and other web commentators...
Haiti: Banking in 1946
From Haiti, Marcel Salnave of Parlons Peu posts an article written by his father, also Marcel Salnave, in 1946 on the Haitian banking system. Excerpt (Fr): “Banks have become very demanding and ask for each loan a guaranty that surpasses the amount borrowed. Banks in Haiti … have completely suppressed...
Mongolia: Protest Claims Life
Yan notes that a protester in Mongolia has died after a confrontation with security forces. The protest was over mining issues and Yan says that the ongoing public debate over mining in Mongolia could stand to be more civil.
Kazakhstan: Kazcosmos Guest Workers
Leila of neweurasia translates a Russian language post about Kazakhstan's entry into the space industry. The country has launched two of its own satellites from its launching facilities at Baikonur and now it has plans to woo foreign aerospace professionals to work in Kazakhstan.
Bahamas: Sustainable tourism
The Bahamian tourism industry is almost 200 years old, writes Nicolette Bethel, but that longevity may in fact work against its becoming a sustainable enterprise. “It’s not sustainable because it doesn’t place the uniqueness of The Bahamas — our landscapes, our culture, our selves — at the centre of the...
Africa: Micro credit plus
Africa Unchained points to a report on the importance of providiing access to credit for micro-entrepreneurs particularly women the majority of whom are stuck at micro level and unable to expand.