As I watch the red sun quickly descending tonight, finality seems to surround me. My room is almost empty, my bags are packed, and I have completed my final day at my internship. While it is my last night in Lilongwe, it is my first time blogging for SFD during ...

Category: Malawi, On location Add Comment »

So I have been in Bolivia for over a month now and a lot has happened. I've learned a little Spanish, my research at El Centro de Documentación e Información Bolivia (CEDIB) is coming a long well, and I've even managed to do a bit of traveling. My research partner, Ben ...

Category: Bolivia, On location Add Comment »

TIPNIS Update: The protesters defending and representing the 64 communities residing in the official indigenous autonomous territory of TIPNIS resumed their march on October 1st, after police brutality and repression injured and arrested hundreds of protesters. Tear-gas, clubs, and rubber bullets were used to stop the march, resulting in crowds disbursing, ...

Category: Bolivia, Country, On location, Uncategorized Add Comment »

It’s been quite an eventful week here in Bolivia as protests continue throughout the country over the extremely controversial proposal to build a highway through the Isiboro Secure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS). Essentially, the government claims that this highway, which would link Beni and Cochabamba, would open up ...

Category: Bolivia, Category, On location, Uncategorized Add Comment »

After landing in La Paz at the world's highest international airport (El Alto) I spent the next two days in the country's capital adjusting to the altitude, exploring the city, and familiarizing myself with Bolivian norms and culture. La Paz is busy and bustling, with a mix of modernity and ...

Category: Bolivia, Category, Country, On location Add Comment »

I feel that I need to start by saying that I am uncomfortable writing about my perceptions on being a woman in Bangladesh. I'm conflicted over how to approach this issue... For one, I am hesitant to too quickly label Bangladeshi society as oppressive toward women. For instance, I have been ...

Category: Bangladesh, On location Add Comment »

While here, on more than one occasion I have been asked what I think the main development challenges in Bangladesh are. This is, of course, a daunting question that is hard to tackle. Nervous about neglecting anything, I tend to dish-out a varied list of issues at the national and ...

Category: Bangladesh, Category, Country, On location Add Comment »

Definitions, when it comes to just about anything related to the field of development, are difficult. For one, who does the defining is important to consider. Depending on who they are and what their definition will be used for, the act of ...

Category: Bangladesh, On location Add Comment »

This post marks my internship's mid-way point. And I almost feel like I am missing something. Despite all the things I’m learning and experiencing, I feel as if I should know something more about Bangladesh. I don't mean to say that I had presumed that this ...

Category: Bangladesh, On location 1 Comment »

I’m sorry to bore, but all I seem to be inspired to write about are the ethics surrounding my role as a development practitioner abroad. This entry is no different, but I’d like to focus on the impacts of what I choose to do outside the office, rather than within ...

Category: Bangladesh, Category, Country, On location Add Comment »