Development + Journalism + World

The BRCK, from Ushahidi, “will go on sale in November with a price tag of $199 (£130).” Source: BBC News 

The Internet Service Providers Association (Ispak), in an email, has confirmed its support for the National URL Filtering and Blocking System – this will enable the en masse blocking of websites that contain ‘blasphemous’ and ‘pornographic’ content, as well as those that ‘pose a threat’ to ‘national security’.

SOURCE: The Express Tribune, April 18, 2012

The Wall Street Journal, 18 April 2012

Designed as an African-wide research initiative, Africa’s Voices is aimed at analysing citizens’ opinions on a wide range of issues as radio stations all over the continent ask a monthly question and audiences are invited to reply via SMS.

This program aims to capitalize on the media that are most widely used in Africa: radio and SMS (text messages).

Every year, dozens (maybe hundreds?) of domestic workers die in countries that are foreign to them. Many of these maids and caregivers come from Indonesia and Cambodia. They are “exported” by their countries (which of course PROFIT from exporting them) to work for people who often treat them like animals.

Mey Sichan was found dead by paramedics called by her employers on March 31. When found, she weighed 26 kilogrammes (57 pounds). She also had bruises on her body.

Police said she died from acute gastritis and ulcers likely due to lack of food over a long period. The maid had been working for the family for eight months.

Why do Indonesia and Cambodia encourage their young women to go abroad and risk this kind of abuse?

Source: Agence France Presse, in The Jakarta Globe (April 13, 2012)

The 20th ASEAN Summit, with the theme of “ASEAN: One Community, One Destiny,” was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on April 3 and 4, 2012. This is a summary of the results of the two-day meeting, based on social media during and after the event.

uncdan:

The government says it wants to help more people join the ranks of the nation’s 90 million street vendors in order to promote public welfare and economic development.

“The level of poverty has been reduced by up to 8 percent due to the existence of street vendors,” Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Syarifudin Hasan Syarifuddin said on Friday.

“Street vendors have an economic potential that should be facilitated and developed,” Syarifudin said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The minister he wanted to form a partnership with street vendors that would reduce their antagonistic relationship with public order officers, who often crack down on unauthorized vendors.

“They will be trained and organized and we will also provide a place for them to do business,” Syarief said. 

The bold is my addition. Because holy crap that’s a lot of people. 

Consider that Indonesia’s population is not too much over 200 million people. That means that somewhere around 45% of the population… are street vendors. And he’d like to add more. 

Can anyone else see what’s wrong with this picture? Because this minister doesn’t seem to. 

These are people with NO insurance, NO health care benefits, NO safety net. Is this the best that the government of Indonesia can do?

Pathetic!

With a video report and text, Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper shows why Jakarta is not welcoming to development, progress, or foreign investors: Its own people can hardly move from one place to another.