development
Poverty in Rural Thailand
Discrimination and economic inequality against the Rural Thai by the wealthy urban elites in Thailand is a major factor in instigating protests and political turmoil in the nation, according to a recently released report. The study by the Asia Foundation focused on Isan, the region of northeastern Thailand that is populous but poor, and feels […]
Development Proposal Threatens the Amish
The lush green and brown farmlands of central Lancaster County and the lives of the Amish and Old Order Mennonite farming families who live there are seriously threatened by a proposed development. Opponents of the development claim that the horse and buggy culture of the Plain People will be disrupted if not destroyed by all […]
Keepu Lepcha and Her Giving Spirit
Last week the Sikkim Chronicle published a feature story about a retired Lepcha civil servant and educator who exemplifies the giving spirit of her society. Although this website published an article about her in 2012, Ms. Keepu Tsering Lepcha is inspiring enough to warrant another look at her accomplishments and ideals. Ms. Keepu was born […]
Semai May Have Achieved their Goals
Peaceful Semai protests about a dam construction project that has caused destruction in their communities appear to be helping their cause. The Orang Asli people living along the Geruntum River in the town of Gopeng, in Malaysia’s Perak State, received a lot of news coverage when the contractors destroyed their crops plus some of their […]
Batek Change their Minds about Schooling
Some Batek living in a village called Kampung Dedari, located in Malaysia’s Taman Negara National Park, have changed their minds about the value of their young people getting a formal education. Ahmad A. Talib traveled up the Tembeling River to visit the village, interview some parents and children, and write a piece last week for […]
Tahitians Oppose a New Marina
A storm has been brewing over a proposed development on the northwest coast of Raiatea, but the disgruntled Tahitians are so far expressing their opposition through petitions and protests. One of the Leeward Group in the Society Islands, Raiatea is perhaps best known for its remarkable Taputapuatea Marae, a large grouping of ancient stone structures […]
Yanadi Leaders Take Action
The Challa Yanadi living in the Nellore District of Andhra Pradesh have requested a seat on India’s National Scheduled Tribes Commission. According to a news story in The Hindu last week, their leaders are arguing that, since their population in southeastern India is now estimated at about 900,000, they are entitled to better services. Having […]
Tahitians Cherish their Natural Heritage
Tahitians living near a subdivision under construction on Huahine are protesting the destruction of their natural environment, especially the backfilling of land on the shore of a small lake. An article last week in La Dépêche de Tahiti, a major Tahitian daily newspaper, describes the growing local controversy. The north end of Huahine, one of […]
Progress among the Ladakhis
Every spring and summer, Queen Elizabeth I of England repeatedly ventured out on a “progress,” a series of visits to communities in her realm so she could interact with her subjects. Over the course of her reign, from 1558 to 1603, she visited over 400 hosts, both communities and individual aristocrats who could entertain her […]
Oil Palm Prosperity
While some Semai emphasize retaining their ties to their natural forests, others accept, and value, forest-destructive practices that will secure for them the benefits of the consumer economy. A review in this website last Thursday discussed a journal article that analyzes the importance of the forest environment to three Semai communities in the hills just […]
