West African farmers and civil servants at the UK Houses of Parliament have discussed agricultural research and development via a live video link. Does it allow farmers to feed into research priorities and point out other unexplored research areas? 
Aren’t we all rich enough already? When is enough, enough?
Mitt Romney’s recently released tax returns will hopefully spark some discussions on the fairness of the American tax code, though I have my doubts. It’s all part of an ongoing, documented trend – the rich in America are getting richer. Although I doubt it’s on Romney’s reading list, he might be interested to read The Spirit Level, written by UK-based epidemiologists Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Their data analysis reveals that even if you’re a private equity executive earning top dollar, if you live in a highly unequal society, you will still be more likely to be affected by social problems, like ill health or violence, than someone earning less and living in a more equal society.
Measuring twitter hashtag reach
While quite a few blogs have been written on twitter etiquette and there are some good blogs on using the right hashtag and creating your own hashtags, as luck would have it, I didn’t find many useful blogs on how to measure twitter hashtag reach.
Calling all bloggers: Join a virtuous circle
We need to talk about ketchup. We all love the red stuff. But we really need to talk about it. Analysis of the steps involved in processing ketchup – from farming the tomatoes through to packaging – to transporting and retailing that symbol of American mass consumerism reveals an alarming fact. To produce it requires a mind-boggling 150 separate processes, across several continents, according to research cited in a new book by the International Institute for Environment and Development.
People power: the urban poor are now a force to be reckoned with
Communities often develop from a sense of place and a shared sense of belonging to that place. So, how do you bring a community together in a slum where people aren’t allowed to ‘belong’ because they don’t have anywhere to live, or they’re living illegally in a shack and know they might be evicted tomorrow?
Freedom or a free for all? Creating an open but safe cyberspace
The difficulty I experienced getting past the media security cordon and into the London Conference on Cyberspace today served to highlight one of the conference’s key themes: how do you manage the security of cyberspace while protecting freedom of expression? Prime Minister David Cameron likened it to “the balance…between freedom and a free-for-all” in his speech.
Supermums to the rescue
“Mummy, have there been any emergencies today?” is a common question in my household where my five-year old daughter is used to mum disappearing upstairs on the occasional weekend due to, for example, a natural disaster hitting a country.
Inspiring bloggers to spread the word
“Take the facts and capture the imagination of the world,” said Adrian Lovett, who leads EVERYONE, our global campaign to save children’s lives.
SMS messages bring crucial information to light
Texting helps me avoid having a conversation when I don’t have the energy or time to talk. But text messages are serving a far more important purpose in many parts of the world where web access is limited.
China and Africa: twist in the tale
China and its relationship to Africa is certainly getting increasing media coverage. For most, the story isn’t new: Western powers demanding that African nations respect human rights, are increasingly getting out-bid and out-spent by the Chinese who come with a cheque book and a less demanding approach to how government’s treat their citizens.