U.N., Google, Cisco Unite on poverty-tracking web site

(Article from Computerworld) The United Nations, Google and Cisco Systems have launched a Web site that will track the progress toward decreasing global poverty by 2015. The online project, called MDG Monitor (Millennium Development Goals) was launched by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to focus attention on the need for people, companies and governments around the world to…

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The tension between our own needs and others needs

Ok, I succumbed and spent $29.95 to buy “Planet of Slums” by Mike Davis. I think this is going to become one of my most valuable texts in understanding and prioritising the needs of poverty relief. It’s packed with so many cross-references to other sources to back up his studies, and even just reading up on those referenced…

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Citizen Journalists

Whilst browsing Blogs this evening, I found this interesting story about Citizen Journalists in Kolkata, India — I was immediately fascinated as, despite the lack of refinement and grammatical perfection, the stories being shared online by inexperienced local Indian writers give such vivid insights into the lives of real people living in real poverty. Even though we can’t directly connect…

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Planet of Slums

Last night I read just the first ten or so pages of a book called “Planet of Slums” by Mike Davis. Fascinating and thought-provoking stuff. I’ll have to go back to Borders (my regular haunt) and keep reading it (or even buy it!). Davis points out that right about now, for the first time in human history, we’ve…

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