Category: Uncategorized

Genap sudah bencana banjir melanda ibukota Indonesia, Jakarta, selama satu bulan di tahun 2014. Jakarta memang menjadi langganan banjir, bahkan sejak dulu Belanda menjajah Batavia. Banjir Jakarta pertama kali tercatat tahun 1621. Pemerintah Belanda pada waktu itu pun berupaya menangani banjir dengan melaksanakan berbagai mega proyek seperti pembangunan tiga bendungan besar Jakarta tahun 1918, yakni Bendungan Hilir, Bendungan Jago dan Bendungan Udik. Selain itu, pada tahun 1922 Belanda juga membangun Banjir Kanal Barat (BKB) yang membuka pintu air Manggarai-Rawa Angke. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Tue, 02/04/2014 – 05:38

Bila melakukan kilas balik, menangnya Jokowi dalam pilkada Provinsi DKI Jakarta dua tahun silam, memang menggemparkan dunia perpolitikan Indonesia. Sebagian masyarakat tentu senang sekaligus ‘harap-harap cemas’ lantaran beberapa pertanyaan: “Apakah Jokowi akan mampu menata Jakarta yang sarat dengan kepentingan politik, sebagaimana beliau menata Solo yang terkesan adem ayem? Ya, Jakarta memang keras bung!” Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Thu, 01/02/2014 – 08:30

Menjamurnya permukiman kumuh merupakan salah satu permasalahan serius yang masih melanda ibu kota Jakarta. Tahun 2011 lalu, setidaknya tercatat 416 RW kumuh yang menjadi tempat tinggal lebih dari 3 juta penduduk ibu kota. Mereka yang hidup di kawasan kumuh menghadapi masalah-masalah pembangunan fisik seperti ketidaklayakan sanitasi, infrastruktur jalan, rumah, dan sarana sosial. Kondisi yang serba minim membuat mereka kesulitan untuk meningkatkan kualitas hidupnya kecuali menunggu bantuan pemerintah. Read more.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Wed, 04/24/2013 – 09:20

Sejak terpilihnya Jokowi sebagai gubernur, Jakarta terus mengalami pembenahan. Jika dalam masalah pendidikan dan kesehatan, pemerintah provinsi melancarkan gebrakannya melalui kartu Jakarta Sehat dan Jakarta Cerdas – kini kota yang menjadi pusat pemerintahan nasional tersebut juga memperbaiki kotanya melalui tata kelola pemerintahan. Reformasi birokrasi, begitu kiranya istilah yang dapat digunakan untuk mencapai Good Governance. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Wed, 03/20/2013 – 23:00

Permasalahan kemiskinan merupakan salah satu pekerjaan rumah DKI Jakarta yang perlu segera diselesaikan. Setidaknya, sebanyak 360 ribu warga miskin di Jakarta menunggu perhatian pemerintah agar bisa “dipindahkan” ke dalam kelompok ekonomi yang lebih mapan. Apalagi bila angka ini juga dikaitkan dengan jumlah penduduk yang berada di kelompok ekonomi rentan (vulnerable). Meski secara grafik penduduk di kelompok ini berada di luar garis kemiskinan (red: sekitar garis kemiskinan); namun kenyataannya jumlah mereka jauh lebih banyak, dengan kondisi yang juga memprihatinkan. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Mon, 03/11/2013 – 11:04

Jakarta merupakan area perkotaaan terpadat di Indonesia dengan pertumbuhan penduduk yang cepat dan juga signifikan. Kota ini menjadi tempat temu jutaan manusia yang berasal dari penjuru tanah air untuk melakukan perpindahan. Mereka berbondong-bondong menjalani mobilitas spasial ke Jakarta semata-mata untuk memperoleh kemudahan. Di kota ini, hampir semua jenis kebutuhan bisa didapatkan, mulai dari pekerjaan, pendidikan, bisnis, layanan kesehatan, hiburan, dan lain sebagainya. Jakarta menjadi pusat segala aktivitas kehidupan disamping peran utamanya sebagai pusat pemerintahan Republik Indonesia. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Rendy A. Diningrat — Mon, 02/25/2013 – 12:54

In 2004, an estimated 5,000 lives were lost from road crashes on Nigerian motorways. This number more than tripled in 2006, with an estimated 16,000 people killed as a result of road crashes. Low awareness of road safety among road users (pedestrians and motorists), and poor road conditions are some critical factors responsible for these avoidable fatalities. The city of Lagos is crawling with millions of people, the majority of whom travel on foot. Recently, there has been more emphasis on keeping city pedestrians safe from harm’s way by improving road safety rules and infrastructure. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Wura — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00

Di Bulan Oktober ini, Pemerintah DKI Jakarta memulai pembangunan dua sistem transportasi massal berbasis rel, yaitu MRT dan Monorail. Gubernur Jakarta Joko Widodo meresmikan pembangunan awal stasiun kereta transportasi massal cepat (MRT) di kawasan Dukuh Atas, Jakarta Pusat, pada hari Kamis 10 Oktober 2013. Jalur MRT ini merupakan tahap pertama yang akan menghubungkan kawasan Bundaran Hotel Indonesia, Blok M hingga Lebak Bulus. Rencananya pemerintah Jakarta akan membangun proyek MRT lanjutan yang menghubungkan berbagai wilayah di Jakarta. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Nanda Ratna — Thu, 10/24/2013 – 15:10

Kebijakan pemerintah pusat mengenai low cost green car (LCGC) atau yang lebih dikenal masyarakat sebagai “mobil murah” menimbulkan pro dan kontra. Pemerintah pusat, dalam hal ini Kementerian Perindustrian, menyatakan bahwa dengan adanya LCGC ini akan menumbuhkan industri otomotif dalam negri karena dibuat di Indonesia dan memakai komponen buatan Indonesia. Aturan mengenai LCGC ini tertuang dalam Peraturan Menteri Perindustrian (Permenperin) Nomor 33/M-IND/PER/7/2013 tentang Pengembangan Produksi Kendaraan Bermotor Roda Empat yang Hemat Energi dan Harga Terjangkau. Permenperin itu merupakan turunan dari program mobil emisi karbon rendah atau low emission carbon yang telah diatur dalam Peraturan Pemerintah Nomor 41 Tahun 2013 tentang kendaraan yang dikenai Pajak Penjualan atas Barang Mewah (PPnBM). Peraturan itu antara lain menyebutkan tentang keringanan pajak bagi penjualan mobil hemat energi. Hal ini memungkinkan produsen menjual mobil di bawah Rp 100 juta. Dengan peraturan itu, mobil dengan kapasitas mesin di bawah 1.200 cc dan konsumsi bahan bakar paling setidaknya 20 km per liter dapat dipasarkan tanpa PPnBM. Baca lebih lanjut.

Submitted by Nanda Ratna — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 10:26

Bogotá ha ganado el premio a liderazgo urbano en su categoría de transporte. Los premios, de los cuales este año se celebra su primera edición, son otorgados por el grupo C40 y por Siemens, a través de su fundación Crystal. El premio de liderazgo en transporte busca identificar proyectos o iniciativas que mejoren la situación medioambiental, medidos en términos de fomento de cambio en los modos de transporte y de la reducción de la emisión de gases causantes del efecto invernadero. Leer más o discutir.

Bogotá just won the City Climate Leadership Award for transportation. The award, still on its first edition, is sponsored by the C40 group and Siemens, through its Crystal Initiative. The leadership award in transportation seeks to identify projects or initiatives aimed at improving the environmental quality of the cities for which they are intended. The methodology used to measure such improvement is based on modal shift or the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

Segundo Rio Como Vamos, a insatisfação dos cariocas com a mobilidade e o transporte público da cidade vem crescendo nos últimos anos. A mais recente pesquisa da Rio Como Vamos foi feita em 2013 previamente aos protestos de Junho. Para compreender aquela insatisfação coletiva é importante conhecer melhor as condições do sistema de transporte público da cidade para identificar suas fraquezas e potenciais soluções. Leia mais o discutir.

According to Rio Como Vamos, the unhappiness of residents towards mobility and transportation infrastructure in Rio is on the rise. The most recent research was carried out in 2013, before the June protests started. To explain this collective disapproval, it is worth taking a closer look into the city’s public transportation system to better understand its failures and some of its potential solutions. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

বিশ্ব ব্যাংক এক জরিপে বলেছে যে, বাংলাদেশে দরিদ্র (মাথাপিছু আয়২ ডলার) মানুষের সংখ্যা ২৬ শতাংশ কমে গিয়েছে অর্থাৎ যা ২০০০ সালে ছিল ৬,৩০,০০০০০ সেটি ২০১০ সালে কমে ৪,৭০,০০০০০ হয়েছে। যদিও বাংলাদেশের অর্থনৈতিক উন্নতি প্রতি বছর ১% করে বাড়ছে তারপরও গরীব ও মধ্যবিত্তের মধ্যে অর্থনৈতিক বৈষম্য এখনো আছে। এই অর্থনৈতিক বৈষম্যতা মধ্যবিত্ত ও গরীবদের মধ্যে সরকার প্রদানকৃত যানবাহন ব্যবস্থার উপর প্রভাব বিস্তার করে। জনাব মান্নান এর মতে, ঢাকার যানবাহন পরিস্থিতি উচ্চ আয়ের পরিবারের জন্য বেশী প্রযোজ্য এবং সুবিধাজনক। ঢাকায় যেসব পরিবারের নিজস্ব মোটরযান আছে তাদের ৬৬% মানুষেরই আয় ৩০,০০০ টাকার বেশী। অন্যদিকে, নিম্ন আয়ের জনগোষ্ঠীর মোটরবিহীন গণপরিবহন ব্যবহার করার প্রবনতা বেশী। এ কারণে এ সমস্ত যানবাহনে অতিরিক্ত ভীড় থাকে; বিশেষ করে মহিলা এবং শিশুদের জন্য এসব যানবাহন ব্যবহার করা অস্বস্তিকর করে পড়ে। সি.এন.জি, নিজস্ব গাড়ী এবং বাস অতিরিক্ত ব্যবহারের কারণে শহুরে জনগোষ্ঠী গণপরিবহনের মান কমিয়ে দিয়েছে; উপরন্তু, রিকশা এবং বাইসাইকেলেরও মান কমে গিয়েছে। Read more or join the discussion.

The World Bank has stated that the number of Bangladeshis living in poverty, with a per capita income of less than $2 a day, has declined from 63 million in 2000 to 47 million (26 percent of the overall Bangladeshi population) in 2010. Though Bangladesh has successfully upgraded its economic growth rate every decade by one percent, there is still a huge economic gap between the poor and the middle class. This economic gap causes inequality regarding the transportation facilities provided to the rich and to the poor. According to Md. Shafiqul Mannan, the Dhaka transportation system favors high-income households. 66 percent of the households with private motor vehicles belong to the income group higher than 30,000 BDT. In contrast, low-income groups have a higher tendency to choose non-motorized vehicles (rickshaws and bicycles). Public transportation is usually uncomfortable, crowded, overloaded, and difficult to access for poor women and children. The middle-class use of compressed natural gas-powered auto-rickshaws, private cars and buses has led to a decrease in service and quality of public transportation and non-motorized vehicles, such as rickshaws and bicycles. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Editor — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

Mumbai’s commuter woes are as oft discussed as scores to the latest cricket match. They are griped about daily and exchanged with fervor. Gridlock, overcrowded trains, non-existent east-west routes dominate the discussion and so do the controversial solutions on the table: sealinks, flyovers, monorails. Transportation activists such as Rishi Aggarwal, a research fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and member of the Mumbai Transport Forum (MTF), says that one of the major issues is that there is no integrated approach to planning, leaving commuters with ad hoc, disconnected systems. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

Lagos is a small city with a large population. Lagos state is the smallest in Nigeria, with an area of 356,861 hectares of which 75,755 hectares are wetlands, yet it has over 5 percent of the national population, making it the most populous state in the nation. The city is overpopulated and still growing, with a growth rate of 8 percent. This issue causes congestion problems in various facets of city life, but most especially in transportation. Lagos is notorious for its heavy traffic, where a 30-minute journey can take two hours on a weekday. Congestion saps the population of energy, contributes to an unhealthy lifestyle, and generally makes for a less productive workforce. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Wura — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

KOPAJA! Siapa orang Jakarta yang tidak tahu tentang Kopaja. Bis ukuran sedang dengan kapasitas 25 orang yang sering digunakan sebagai angkutan umum oleh masyarakat awam. Ia disukai karena murah dengan tarif Rp 3.000, untuk jarak dekat maupun jauh. Kopaja dimiliki oleh perusahaan penyedia jasa angkutan umum bernama Koperasi Angkutan Jakarta yang telah berdiri sejak 1970an. Masyarakat kecil yang tidak mampu membeli kendaraan pribadi cukup terbantu dengan keberadaan Kopaja dan Metromini yang memiliki rute lengkap dan tersebar di Jakarta Pusat, Barat, Utara, Timur dan Selatan meski dengan kompromi kurangnya rasa nyaman. Karenanya saat ini Pemerintah Jakarta melakukan intervensi terhadap keberadaan Kopaja dengan membantu proses peremajaan bis hingga penyediaan subsidi; menyediakan armada bis baru dan integrasi dengan jalur busway Transjakarta. Baca lebih lanjut atau bergabung dalam diskusi.

Submitted by widya anggraini — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

Apartheid policies in South Africa made for ineffective cities. Fragmented and segmented, Johannesburg has an ambivalent relationship with public transport. Historically, more affluent, mostly northern white suburbs were provided with extensive transport infrastructure, such as electric trams (1906-48) and later highways (see Fig. 1). By contrast, the denser and poorer black townships, mostly in the south, were provided with limited and marginalised rail and bus public transport (see Fig. 2). Yet out of desperate need by being located far away from major industrial and commercial centres, in the 1970s a mini-bus taxi industry emerged, which has grown to serve approximately 72 percent of all public transport users. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Tariq Toffa — Mon, 09/30/2013 – 00:00

Tal como señalamos en la pasada entrega, el Pacto por México, ha comenzado a dar sus primeros frutos: la Reforma Educativa, uno de ellos. Asimismo, también se “hornea” ya, la reforma financiera, la cual se prevé detone un mayor dinamismo financiero, pero que también contiene ciertos controles.

Así pues, en la pasada entrega señalamos que profundizaría un poco más acerca de la ya decretada reforma educativa. En este sentido, se mostrarán algunos datos que se consideran relevantes, ya que al momento de comenzar a medir los impactos a futuro de ésta y demás reformas, es necesario “ver la radiografía actual“.

Derivado de lo anterior, se consultó diversas fuentes en búsqueda de los presupuestos asignados por entidad federativa, por lo que se llegó a la página de la Dirección General de Planeación y Estadística Educativa (DGPEE). En dicha página, se encuentra la información referente a los Reportes Estadísticos del Cuestionario Financiamiento Educativo Estatal, con ellos se conformó una serie histórica de 2000-2013, acerca del presupuesto ejercido (excepto 2013, donde se menciona que es presupuesto asignado) de cada uno de los estados.

Posteriormente, del sitio estadístico con el que cuenta la Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP), se elaboró una base, de maestros y alumnos (por niveles de escolaridad), durante el período antes referido.

Así, se observa lo siguiente:

Tal como se puede apreciar, a miles pesos constantes del 2008, el presupuesto a educación, de acuerdo a la DGPEE, se ha venido incrementando de manera sostenida, salvo 2009, durante los últimos 14 años, y en este 2013, de no modificarse al final del año el gasto autorizado, se observaría una disminución del 1.3%. Es importante señalar que de acuerdo a la DGPEE, el Distrito Federal para efectos presupuestales no es un estado, por lo que en este ánalisis no se considera el presupuesto que ejerce.

Para ver con mayor detalle los cambios, en términos constantes, del presupuesto ejercido durante 2000-2013, se muestra la siguiente gráfica:

Una vez mostrado lo anterior, se considera esencial ver el comportamiento de la matrícula por niveles de escolaridad:

Tal como se muestra, el “bono demográfico” se ha ido agotando, ya que en el año 2000, el 85.40% del alumnado acudía a recibir educación básica, y en el año en curso, se estima que dicho grupo ahora únicamente contemple un 79.92% del alumnado total a nivel nacional. Asimismo, la educación superior ha incrementado su participación, observándose un 5.48% en el año 2000 a un 7.34% durante este 2013.

Aunado a lo anterior, es pertinente ver si los cambios porcentuales (incrementos/decrementos) en el presupuesto a educación han sido suficientes, tomando como variable comparativa los cambios porcentuales en cuanto a la matrícula del alumnado en escuelas públicas se refiere:

En este sentido, se aprecia que los incrementos presupuestales a la educación han sido mayores a los incrementos en cuanto a matrícula en educación pública se refiere. Sin embargo, ello no implica que el presupuesto asignado sea suficiente. Para ello, se requeriría un análisis comparativo respecto a otros países. No obstante, se observa que la educación sí ha estado recibiendo puntual atención durante las pasadas administraciones, al menos, en cuanto a presupuesto se refiere.

En la segunda entrada de esta Radiografía del Sistema Educativo Nacional, se analizará el aspecto de la planta docente, así como algunas relaciones que mostrarán cierta saturación o no, en las aulas de clases. Finalmente, se mostrarán algunos datos en cuanto a los exámenes de evaluación por entidad federativa.

In September this year the Kenyan government launched the Uwezo Fund, a 6 billion Ksh. cash reserve (approximately $70 million) aimed at channeling financial resources into the hands of youth and women. Money for the fund was obtained from capital set aside by the Jubilee Coalition during this year’s election campaign, for use in the case of a run-off. The Jubilee Coalition, led by Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Samuel Ruto, pledged that any money that was not spent on the campaign would be channeled into a fund of this sort. Six months after winning the election, they stood by their commitment and announced that the application process for accessing interest-free loans was now open to registered youth and women’s groups. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Katy Fentress — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

El desempleo juvenil es un problema especialmente grave en Cali. Las tasas de acercan al 33 por ciento, la más alta de las principales ciudades del país (la media nacional en este sector demográfico es del 17 por ciento). Si bien es cierto que la tasa general de desempleo en la capital del Cauca es también superior a la nacional (13 por ciento frente al 9 por ciento), los jóvenes caleños sufren este problema de forma desproporcionada. Aunque las causas del desempleo son complejas, cabe destacar un periodo de recesión económica que duró 10 años, de 1995 a 2005, que coincidió con la llegada de fuertes flujos migratorios. Aunque a partir de 2006 la economía ha crecido, no lo ha hecho en tasas suficientes para absorber la bolsa de desempleo y los nuevos flujos migratorios. La falta de cualificación para los nuevos trabajos que van surgiendo es otra barrera para que los jóvenes obtengan empleo. Leer más o discutir.

Youth unemployment (for youths 16-24 years of age) is a particularly severe problem in Cali. The rate is 33 percent, the highest in big Colombian cities (the average national rate hovers around 18 percent). Even though the global unemployment rate in Cali is also higher than the national average (13 percent versus 9 percent), young caleños suffer disproportionately more than older age groups. The causes behind this problem are complex, but it was certainly aggravated by a 10-year recession (from 1995 to 2005), precisely at the time when immigration flows were very strong. Even though the economy resumed growth in 2006, it was not at a sufficient rate to reduce the large number of unemployed, or to absorb the continual arrival of immigrants. The lack of necessary qualifications and skills also poses a barrier for young job seekers, especially for the poorest ones. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Jorge Bela — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

Os “Nem-Nem” são jovens entre 15 e 24 anos que nem estudam, nem trabalham, nem procuram emprego. Segundo dados do último censo, Brasil tem mais de 5 milhões de “Nem- Nem” no seu território, com grande concentração nas áreas urbanas. Rio atualmente tem mais de 150 mil “Nem-Nem”; preocupa que aquela população cresceu em 30 mil entre 2000 e 2010. Quais são as causas deste fenômeno? E quais são as respostas da cidade para enfrentar aquela situação? Leia mais o discutir.

A “NEET” is a youth between ages 15 to 24 who does not study and does not work. According to the latest Brazilian census, there are more than 5 million “NEETs” throughout the country, mainly concentrated in urban areas. In Rio alone, there are more than 150,000, and the number is rising: between 2000 and 2010, there were more than 30,000 new “NEETs.” What are the causes of this phenomenon and what is the city doing to respond to this situation? Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Catalina Gomez — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

India and China have been saddled side by side in the race for rising economic superpowers. While China has edged ahead on many fronts, India’s large youth population provides a massive potential. “An estimated 1-1.2 million new workers will join the labor market in South Asia every month over the next few decades – an increase of 25-50% over the historical average,” says a World Bank report. Job creation needs to match this upcoming labor force. A new government initiative in India, the National Skills Development Corporation (NSDC), has prioritized providing this generation with the necessary education and training so the country can reap the benefits of its demographic dividend. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 11/11/2013 – 00:00

The urban data revolution is here. From Abidjan to Mumbai to New York, we are beginning to learn about real-time trends: in traffic, land use, even in illegal cooking oil dumping in cities. City data is almost in surplus, and mayors are bombarded with new information on goods and resources every day. Yet little of this data shows us how a city’s most important resource — its people — are living. Read more.

Submitted by UNICEF — Mon, 11/04/2013 – 00:00

Tal como señalamos en la pasada entrega, el Pacto por México, ha comenzado a dar sus primeros frutos: la Reforma Educativa, uno de ellos. Asimismo, también se “hornea” ya, la reforma financiera, la cual se prevé detone un mayor dinamismo financiero, pero que también contiene ciertos controles. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Mon, 10/28/2013 – 15:45

I recently stumbled on this series of interviews I did more than five years ago (April 2008) in Lagos, commissioned for a book project that ended up taking a different shape. I interviewed about seven “Lagosians” – a high school student, a boat pilot, an ex-private security guard and musicstar-wannabe, an itinerant shoe-cleaner, a policeman, a street trader, and a white collar worker. Read more.

Submitted by Tolu Ogunlesi — Tue, 09/10/2013 – 14:20

El Pacto por México observa su primer resultado tangible: la Reforma Educativa, la cual sin los consensos entre las principales fuerzas políticas del país no hubiera sido posible. Leer más.

Submitted by Saúl Guarneros — Tue, 09/10/2013 – 14:01

Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, speaking during India’s 66th independence day, admitted that the government has not done enough on skill building for India’s youth and announced the setting up of a national skill development agency (NSDA). Read more.

Submitted by Rakhi Mehra — Mon, 08/19/2013 – 05:52

In a small workshop down one of the thousands of twisty, narrow Dharavi lanes, six young men hunch over old-fashioned sewing machines. They are dressed minimally to ward off the May heat. No windows punctuate the cement walls, but a fan swirls noisily above. Their master embroidery skills are mesmerizing to watch. One sewer, now 22, tells us that he started the trade at age 10 when he came to Mumbai on his own. Still a child, he joined thousands of other children across the city in foregoing school for a meager income. Read more or join the discussion.

Submitted by Carlin Carr — Mon, 06/10/2013 – 00:00

Last July, I reported on Mozilla’s roll out of its Firefox HTML-based operating system for smartphones. Mozilla’s innovative approach has enabled the first mobile device to be run completely on web technologies. This low-cost smartphone promises to expand global access to smart devices, make a huge contribution to the open-source movement, and create new entrepreneurial opportunities for developers around the world to meet local needs. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 01/06/2014 – 11:34

The internet has quickened the pace of globalization by speeding the flow of information, creating access to new markets and enabling cross-border collaboration. The African continent is witnessing this as fast-growth economies emerge. The McKinsey Global Institute, the think tank of the global business consultancy, has released a series of insightful analyses on Africa’s growing economies and the role of technology. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Tue, 11/26/2013 – 11:02

Silicon Valley and the wider San Francisco Bay Area is a global innovation hub. The success of the region’s highly adaptive innovation system can be attributed to multiple factors, and one of which is its strong ties with other places in the world. The Bay Area’s global linkages are growing, they drive innovation, and they generate new value in and outside the region. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Thu, 10/31/2013 – 15:32

As manifestações promovidas pelos brasileiros no mês de Junho repercutiram em todo o mundo. “Acordamos” diziam os cartazes. Com o desejo de ter maior participação nas decisões de políticas públicas e contra algumas medidas realizadas no âmbito municipal, estadual e nacional, os jovens mostraram sua indignação com o poder público brasileiro. Leia mais.

The Brazilian protests in June were broadcast worldwide. “We have awoken” was written on posters. In search of a stronger voice on the decisions of public policies and against some measures taken by the government (city, state and federal), the youth showed their resentment. Read more.

Submitted by Editor — Tue, 09/17/2013 – 00:00

With the roll out of its Firefox OS phone on July 2, 2013, the Mozilla Foundation, nonprofit provider of Firefox browser, has made a huge contribution to the open-source movement and expanding global to smart devices. The Firefox OS phone is the first mobile device to be run completely on web technologies. Launched initially in Spain, Telefónica will sell the ZTE Open powered by Firefox OS for 69 Euros (about $90), and will include 30 Euros worth of credits for pre-paid customers. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 07/15/2013 – 16:45

The fastest growing urban centers are also home to the world’s worst commuter experiences. Eight of the top ten painful metro areas reported in IBM’s most recent Commuter Pain Index are in fast-growth economies. Development of public transit systems is moving at a rapid pace in many areas, and some places may be investing in more than they actually need or can afford. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Wed, 06/26/2013 – 17:17

In the area of health, mobile devices are enabling developing countries to not only leap-frog the wired world but also rise above persistent social, political, economic barriers. Examples from emerging economies around world illustrate a variety of innovations that hold promise and demonstrate success for improved health in urban centers with the greatest need. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Thu, 05/16/2013 – 11:40

Mobile phone usage is growing and new service models emerging. Some hold great expectations for how the growing ubiquity of mobile phones will solve many problems related to poverty in the developing world. Positive impacts cited include disaster relief, banking for the poor, disease management, literacy, commute flows, as well as government accountability and delivery of services. A recently published book, The Great Indian Phone Book, examines what might prove to be the most disruptive communications device in history. In this early stage of the mobile phone revolution, new opportunities for micro enterprise are growing. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Wed, 05/01/2013 – 09:53

Event: Futur en Seine Digital Festival
13–23 June 2013 Paris, France

Futur en Seine was created by Cap Digital in 2009, as a ten days festival presenting the latest digital innovations from France and around the world for professionals and the general public.

The festival will start with the Innovations Village (exhibitions, conferences and workshops around innovative projects…) at CENTQUATRE centre from June 13th to 16th, 2013. It will continue all over Paris Region, with approximately one hundred partner events, until June 23rd 2013. Learn more.

Event: Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship
28–30 May 2013 East London, South Africa

infoDev, a global innovation partnership within the World Bank, and South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology cordially invite you to the Global Forum on Innovation & Technology Entrepreneurship on May 28–30, 2013, in East London, South Africa. The Forum will take you on a journey into the world of learning, business matchmaking, strategy, and knowledge sharing, with a special focus on the needs of African innovators. Learn more.

Finaliza un año más, y con éste se observan diversos altibajos en la actual administración. Es por ello, que se debe evaluar estos primeros 12 meses del nuevo gobierno con cierto cuidado, es decir, no irnos a los extremos al momento de emitir juicio alguno.

Para el próximo año, el Pacto por México irá perdiendo su fuerza, ya que si bien es un instrumento sumamente valioso, tal como se ha visto en las últimas dos reformas (fiscal y energética) las plataformas políticas de los diferentes partidos presentan ya diferencias muy marcadas, así como también vuelven a resurgir personajes de la política nacional que buscan un chantajismo muy marcado.

Sin duda alguna, durante estos doce meses, uno de los aspectos positivos es el antes mencionado Pacto por México. Dicho instrumento logró crear expectativas positivas dentro de las principales esferas del país, ya que pudo plantear diversas metas y objetivos entre las tres principales fuerzas políticas del país, así como la implementación de un calendario para alcanzarlas.

Derivado de éste, se dieron las reformas en materia educativa, de telecomunicaciones, competencia económica, financiera, política, hacendaria y energética. Lo anterior, resulta relevante ya que nunca antes en un período tan breve (12 meses) se había observado la promulgación de tantas reformas, al menos no en los últimos 65 años. Ahora, hace falta lo más importante que son las leyes secundarias de cada una de ellas, es en éstas donde se encuentran los detalles.

Lo mismo puede mencionarse del enfoque que se le ha venido dando a la política exterior, sobre todo con los países de Asia Pacifico y Sudamérica.

Por otra parte, también hay varias áreas de oportunidad como por ejemplo el deficiente crecimiento económico durante el año en curso. Ello, debido a que hay que recordar que al inicio de la actual administración se preveía un crecimiento de 3.5%, cuando hoy se observa que se obtendrá, en el mejor de los casos, uno cercano al 1.3%.

El tener un crecimiento cercano al 1%, implica en términos per capita un decremento en el poder adquisitivo de las personas, ya que ese 1% involucra al agregado nacional, cuando lo importante es desagregarlo y verlo por deciles.

Al momento de explicar ese crecimiento económico (prácticamente nulo) se observa un subejercicio muy importante en el gasto público, una disminución en las exportaciones (debido a la lenta recuperación de nuestro primer socio comercial: EUA), y la continua falta de una política pública que incentive el fortalecimiento del mercado interno.

Bajo este mismo punto, es importante comentar que la productividad del país ha tenido decrementos importantes en los últimos 20 años. Así, a pesar que un trabajador mexicano labore más que cualquier otro (tomando como referencia los países miembros de la OCDE) si la productividad no ha aumentado, la cantidad de horas trabajadas tenderá a suplir dicha ausencia y así alcanzar el mismo nivel de producción:

Lo anterior, redunda en una generación de empleos formales insuficiente, muestra de lo anterior son los datos que indica el INEGI (noviembre 2012 vs noviembre 2013), donde se observa la generación de 477,167 empleos permanentes registrados en el Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS):

Otros aspectos a considerar son los temas de inseguridad, transparencia y rendición de cuentas. Estos temas son torales para un ejercicio fiscal eficiente, eficaz y realista. Simplemente para señalar un dato, el World Economic Forum (WEF) indicó que México se encuentra en el 139 de 148 países, respecto al Índice de Costo del Crimen y Violencia para los negocios. Tal como se ve, aun falta mucho pero ello no implica decaer en el esfuerzo individual para lograr las metas u objetivos planteados, ya que es el esfuerzo individual el que trasciende y logra que en lo colectivo el país avance o se estanque

Applying human power to rotary motion goes back as far as the 10th Century in China and in Europe. Treadles were used to pump water, power machinery for producing textiles and working with wood. Pedal-powered machines boomed in the late 1800s, according to Low-Tech Magazine, and the rise of cheap electricity put an end to the continued development of human-powered machines. It was not until the oil crisis of the 1970s that pedal-powered machines witnessed a resurgence. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 02/03/2014 – 16:10

Last July, I reported on Mozilla’s roll out of its Firefox HTML-based operating system for smartphones. Mozilla’s innovative approach has enabled the first mobile device to be run completely on web technologies. This low-cost smartphone promises to expand global access to smart devices, make a huge contribution to the open-source movement, and create new entrepreneurial opportunities for developers around the world to meet local needs. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 01/06/2014 – 11:34

The internet has quickened the pace of globalization by speeding the flow of information, creating access to new markets and enabling cross-border collaboration. The African continent is witnessing this as fast-growth economies emerge. The McKinsey Global Institute, the think tank of the global business consultancy, has released a series of insightful analyses on Africa’s growing economies and the role of technology. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Tue, 11/26/2013 – 11:02

Silicon Valley and the wider San Francisco Bay Area is a global innovation hub. The success of the region’s highly adaptive innovation system can be attributed to multiple factors, and one of which is its strong ties with other places in the world. The Bay Area’s global linkages are growing, they drive innovation, and they generate new value in and outside the region. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Thu, 10/31/2013 – 15:32

Jamaican youth are finding entrepreneurial opportunities in the $4 billion global ornamental fish market. The amenable local climate, visionary leaders, neighborhood collaboration, and raw personal initiative combine to pull young urbanites out of poverty. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Tue, 10/01/2013 – 12:47

Throughout the developing world, urban farming is taking root in a variety of forms and yielding not only food but also livelihoods and community. Above-ground planting beds, kitchen gardens, and rooftop greenhouses are cropping up in urban centers. Farming is transforming tall buildings, empty lots and abandoned warehouses. In many cases, people are using the most basic tools or extremely innovative new combinations of existing tools. Some examples are leveraging newer production methods and tools. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Wed, 09/04/2013 – 13:38

Some of the fastest-growing cities in the world are in Africa. According to the United Nations, there will be over a billion people living in slums in Africa by 2050. This concentration of humanity with little clean water and no sanitation yet with a surplus of refuse presents growing public health hazards. What signals are there of new solutions to meeting these urgent issues? Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 07/29/2013 – 13:10

With the roll out of its Firefox OS phone on July 2, 2013, the Mozilla Foundation, nonprofit provider of Firefox browser, has made a huge contribution to the open-source movement and expanding global to smart devices. The Firefox OS phone is the first mobile device to be run completely on web technologies. Launched initially in Spain, Telefónica will sell the ZTE Open powered by Firefox OS for 69 Euros (about $90), and will include 30 Euros worth of credits for pre-paid customers. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Mon, 07/15/2013 – 16:45

The fastest growing urban centers are also home to the world’s worst commuter experiences. Eight of the top ten painful metro areas reported in IBM’s most recent Commuter Pain Index are in fast-growth economies. Development of public transit systems is moving at a rapid pace in many areas, and some places may be investing in more than they actually need or can afford. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Wed, 06/26/2013 – 17:17

In the area of health, mobile devices are enabling developing countries to not only leap-frog the wired world but also rise above persistent social, political, economic barriers. Examples from emerging economies around world illustrate a variety of innovations that hold promise and demonstrate success for improved health in urban centers with the greatest need. Read more.

Submitted by Tracey Grose — Thu, 05/16/2013 – 11:40

Jorge Bela, Gestor Comunitario de Bogotá

La tasa de analfabetismo en Bogotá, según datos oficiales, está ligeramente por debajo del 2 por ciento, el mejor dato en todo el país. Sin embargo, es posible que la cifra real esté por encima de la oficial, debido al constante flujo migratorio desde las zonas rurales, donde la tasa de analfabetismo es considerablemente superior, hacia la capital. El informe PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) de 2011 apunta además hacia una elevada tasa de analfabetismo funcional en Colombia. A estos problemas hay que sumar una mucho más elevada tasa de analfabetismo digital, superior al 50 por ciento según un informe del Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones, que está lastrando el acceso, generalmente de las personas en mayor riesgo de exclusión social, a la revolución tecnológica. El analfabetismo digital es un reto acuciante en las grandes ciudades latinoamericanas, pues aumenta la brecha que impide a los más desfavorecidos el acceso a la prosperidad económica, y reduce la competitividad de las economías locales en un mundo cada vez más conectado tecnológicamente.

Para atajar estos problemas, una alianza entre la Alcaldía de Bogotá, a través de del Instituto para la Economía Social, IPES, y la Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá (ETB) ha buscado mejorar los niveles de alfabetización digital en la capital colombiana. Para lograrlo han utilizados una serie de quince “portales interactivos” creados por ETB y ubicados en los barrios con mayores carencias. En estos portales los participantes en el programa tienen acceso a computadores conectados a Internet. En una primera fase se atendió a más de 10.000 microempresarios, quienes tan solo tenían que acreditar un año de funcionamiento de sus microempresas en Bogotá, y que la actividad principal fuera de agroindustria, servicios, industria y marroquinería. A lo largo de los programas, de 40 horas de duración, los microempresarios aprendieron a manejar un computador, adquirir conocimientos en el uso de aplicaciones de proceso de datos (Word), presentaciones (Powerpoint) y hojas de cálculo (Excel), aplicaciones en la “nube,” gráficos, inserción de imágenes, navegación en Internet, trámites en línea y uso del correo electrónico.

En una segunda fase el programa se amplió a personas en riesgo de exclusión social, como recicladores, víctimas del conflicto, emprendedores de ventas populares y personas con discapacidad. La iniciativa comprende siete niveles certificados, de 20 horas cada uno. En su implementación prima la flexibilidad de horarios, para acomodar las cambiantes necesidades y disponibilidad de tiempo de estos colectivos. Este proyecto, aún en ejecución, cuenta con un presupuesto de 400 millones de pesos (unos 200.000$). Los cursos cubren, con una dificultad creciente : alfabetización digital, introducción a herramientas ofimáticas, Excel intermedio, Excel enfocado a la productividad (inventario, nómina, facturas), diseño de páginas web, comunidades virtuales y mercado laboral.

Otra iniciativa interesante es la lanzada por la Secretaría Distrital de Integración Social, destinada a capacitar en el uso de la informática y la tecnología destinada a los habitantes de la calle de Bogotá, y a sensibilizarlos sobre la problemática del vandalismo y el robo de las redes telefónicas. Aunque el programa es relativamente pequeño, se ha formado a 118 personas de la calle, el impacto social es considerable en un colectivo frecuentemente ignorado por las autoridades.

Jorge Bela, Bogotá Community Manager

The illiteracy rate in Bogota is slightly below 2 percent, according to official reports. This represents the best rate in Colombia. The real rate might, nevertheless, be somewhat higher, due to the constant inflow of immigrants from rural areas, where illiteracy rates are much higher, into the capital. In addition, the 2011 PIRLS report (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) suggests that the rate of functional illiteracy is quite high in the country as a whole. These problems are aggravated by an elevated rated of digital illiteracy, as high as 50 percent as suggested by a 2010 survey by the Ministerio de Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones. Digital illiteracy is a pressing challenge in large Latin American cities. It affects more severely the populations already at a higher risk of social exclusion, and makes it harder for them to benefit from current economic prosperity. It also affects negatively the competitiveness of local economies, which are unable to meet the challenges of an increasingly open and technology-driven world economy.

To tackle this problem, an alliance between the City of Bogotá and the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Bogotá (ETB) has created several training programs aimed at improving digital literacy in the Colombian capital. Fifteen “interactive gateways,” multimedia hubs equipped with Internet-enabled computers, are used for the training. These hubs were created by ETB and located in the neighborhoods with the greatest needs in Bogotá. The first program targeted micro-business and micro-entrepreneurs. The training lasted 40 hours and covered the basic use of a computer, word processing (Word), presentations (PowerPoint), spreadsheets (Excel), “cloud” applications, graphics, image processing, Internet navigation, online government transactions and email. The free courses were open to any micro-business owner in the agro-industry, services, industrial, and leather sectors. More than 10.000 people benefited from these courses.

In a second phase the program has been expanded to cover individuals at high risk of social exclusion: recyclers, victims of the armed conflict, informal sellers, and people with disabilities. The program includes seven increasingly difficult modules of 20 hours. Once a module is completed, the participant obtains a certificate. The ongoing program has a budget of 400 million COP (about $200,000). The courses cover basic digital literacy, introduction to office tools, Excel, intermediate Excel (inventory, receipts, payroll), webpage design, virtual communities, and job searching.

The Secretaría Distrital de Integración Social has launched another interesting initiative. In this case a training program was designed for homeless people in Bogota. The program was aimed at giving them basic digital literacy and to raise their awareness of the problems that vandalism and theft of copper cables causes to the city. A total of 118 homeless people have participated in this training program. Although the number might seem small, the program has had a significant impact in a community often neglected and even ignored by local authorities.

María Fernanda Carvallo, Gestor Comunitario de Mexico D.F.

El mapeo comunitario acerca a las personas a su entorno para conocer su historia, necesidades y las propias narrativas de la comunidad para incidir en su desarrollo. En este sentido, el departamento de Ciencias del Comportamiento y del Desarrollo de la Universidad de las Américas en la Ciudad de México, desarrolló un mapeo comunitario para identificar la incidencia del entorno en la comunidad de Nezahualcóyotl, basado en la teoría ecológica de Urie Bronfenbrenner, quien sustenta que los sistemas y el ambiente local influyen el cambio de conducta en el sujeto y esto a su vez en el cambio de desarrollo en el entorno. Este estudio, realizado por Suzette Aglot, describió el proceso relacional entre el sujeto y la comunidad de San Agustín Atlapulco, y definió los factores que hacen vulnerable a esta comunidad. Así mismo, de acuerdo a la autora, una de las herramientas del análisis de la salud comunitaria es el proceso de mapeo ecológico social. Este proceso intenta representar las interrelaciones entre condiciones y eventos que tienen lugar en el ambiente inmediato del individuo (v.gr., la casa, la familia, y los amigos), así como en ambientes más amplios y distantes (v.gr., el trabajo, la escuela, los hospitales y la distribución de bienes y servicios del que toma parte).

Para llevar a cabo el estudio, se realizó una etnografía por medio de la identificación del contexto geográfico y de fuentes de información y observación (v.gr., miembros de la comunidad, visitas a la localidad y obtención de información bibliográfica). Además, los diversos insumos se analizaron de acuerdo a los diferentes sistemas del enfoque de Bronfenbrenner.

En primera instancia, la observación directa de la comunidad permitió identificar lo precario de los recursos de esta localidad que vive en carencia económica y social, así como la falta de infraestructura pública y de servicios. Por otra parte, en el entorno directo de la comunidad, se identificó que los vínculos significativos de los pobladores son la familia y los amigos. Es importante notar que la comunidad de Nezahualcóyotl no está conformada por gente oriunda; sino por emigrantes, lo cual crea grupos basados en semejanzas, y a veces grupos poco flexibles y en algunos casos exclusivos. De manera consecuente, en el entorno social se viven sesgos de atención a los diferentes grupos, lo cual genera problemas sociales y de salud (v.gr., alto índice de delincuencia y alcoholismo). Por otro lado, la comunidad no cuenta con escuelas de nivel medio superior en adelante que fungen como ámbitos naturales de encuentro. Esta falta de ámbito natural hace que los jóvenes requieran a utilizar otros sitios de reunión, como las tiendas de abarrotes que facilitan el consumo de drogas legales.

En este sentido, debido a que la localidad en estudio no comparte un mismo origen, se encuentran pocos indicadores de tradiciones compartidas. Esto genera la dificultad para establecer un proceso identitario y de mayor vulnerabilidad para la manifestación y solución de conflictos de carácter social.

El ejercicio del mapeo comunitario bajo un modelo ecológico, permitió identificar las variables faltantes de cohesión social, las cuales pueden generarse y fortalecerse a través de talleres de empoderamiento para generar estrategias de habilitación social, y de desarrollo local y comunitario. Si bien el entender, el entorno de una comunidad y sus lazos sociales dan muestra de un perfil psicosocial, y también permite la identificación de sus necesidades prioritarias para convertirse en una comunidad autogestiva de participación social y apoyo mutuo.

Fotos: Mexico Quarterly Review

María Fernanda Carvallo, Mexico City Community Manager

Community mapping brings people closer to their environment to understand its history, needs, and development. The Department of Social and Developmental Sciences of the Universidad de las Américas of Mexico City developed a community mapping project based on Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to identify the impact of the environment in the Nezahuacóyotl community. Bronfenbrenner’s theory states that systems and the local environment influence the subject’s change in behavior, which in turn changes the development of the environment. Suzette Aglot conducted a study in San Agustín Atlapulco, located in Nezahualcóyotl, to describe this process between the subject and the community, as well as the factors that make the community vulnerable. According to Aglot, the process of social ecological mapping is a tool of community health analysis. This process attempts to represent the interrelations between conditions and events that take place in the immediate environment of the individual (e.g., home, family and friends), as well as in broad and distant environments (e.g., work, school, hospitals).

To carry out the study, an ethnography was done by identifying the geographic context, observation, and sources of information (e.g., community members, local visits, and obtaining bibliographic information). In addition, the various inputs were analyzed according to the different systems of Bronfenbrenner’s approach.

The observation of the community identified the precariousness of resources in this town living in social and economic deprivation and with limited public infrastructure and services. The study also concluded that family and friends were significant links for the inhabitants. It is important to note that the Nezahualcóyotl community is not made up of native people, but of migrants. This means that groups form based on similarities, but they are sometimes inflexible, and in some cases fully exclusive. The biases in the different groups lead to health and social problems, like high crime rates and alcoholism. The community lacks secondary education schools that would serve the youth as common meeting places. Consequently, the youth use grocery stores as alternative meeting locations, facilitating the consumption of legal drugs.

Since the residents of the community do not share the same origin, there are few indicators of shared traditions. This makes it difficult to establish a self-identification process, and increases vulnerability for the expression and resolution of social conflicts.

The ecological community mapping model has made it possible to identify the missing social cohesion variables, which can now be developed and strengthened through empowerment workshops, in order to produce social adaptation tools and community strategies. Additionally, a community’s environment and its social ties are evidence of a psychosocial profile that identifies the main needs of the community so that it can become self-managed with social participation and mutual support.

Photos: Mexico Quarterly Review

Carlin Carr, Mumbai Community Manager

Mumbai’s streets are a scary battleground. Rickshaws nudge ahead of beastly city buses; cows wander aimlessly through jams of oversized cars; and pedestrians push across busy intersections in droves, hoping the power in numbers will help them reach the other side safely. Everyone is vulnerable in this situation, but no one more than the thousands of school children who walk to school, often in the streets, in the absence of school buses and navigable sidewalks.

In a city starved of open spaces for play, walking to school is a potentially healthy activity. Moreover, studies have proven that this healthy bit of exercise en route to the classroom actually benefits students academically. Students have shown better concentration after walking or biking to school. In Mumbai, walking is risky, but many school children have no other choice.

An article in the Indian Express highlights the dangers faced by pedestrian children at home and abroad. “Accidents kill a million children annually. In India, this number is around 60,000. Several others suffer permanent injuries in road accidents,” cites the article. Just ask the kids from a shelter for street children in a ritzy area of Mumbai. They have scars on their faces to prove the dangers on their walk to school. The busy road is nearly absent of sidewalks, and when there are strips, they are overtaken by knotted tree trunks, bus stops or small shops. In the monsoon, the situation is worse. Kids have been mowed down by speeding motorbikes and oncoming traffic.

Unlike their counterparts at Mumbai’s private schools who are shuttled back and forth to school in personal vehicles, municipal school children have few options but to walk. The situation is not unique to Mumbai, nor to the developing world. In Ohio, in the United States, dangers en route to school can be drawn along socio-economic lines as well. “African-American children and those from lower-income families are far more likely to be hit by cars than white children in the suburbs … and the reason is simple: The state has created inequality in transportation to school,” says an article in The Atlantic Cities. “But to compound the problem, the state is counting on parents to subsidize their kids’ safe travel by chauffeuring their children in a private vehicle. As for the urban children whose families are too poor to own cars or who can’t drive them to school for other reasons? Well, they just have to take their chances on streets designed to move ever more vehicles ever faster, and where cities like Akron are removing traffic lights for the convenience of drivers.” The situation in Akron is not too far off from Mumbai’s increasingly car-focused transport initiatives.

Mumbai’s Walking Project has been advocating for better sidewalks in the city; in addition, a new initiative, Safe Kids Foundation, works to prevent accidents to children in India. The Safe Kids Foundation teaches safe behaviors to pedestrian children and to motorists in the city through educational materials and hands-on activities. As part of the “Walk This Way” project that Safe Kids Foundation launched in Mumbai with support from FedEx, organizers and kids from local municipal schools painted an 80-foot-long school wall with creative messages illustrating proper road safety. Safe Kids Foundation is India’s first organization dedicated to protecting youth from injury.

“Children in India are particularly vulnerable to injuries in traffic because almost all children walk as their primary means of transportation,” said Mahendra Mehta, the Founder and Trustee of Safe Kids Foundation. “As the number of vehicles on the roads continues to increase, an increase in traffic-related fatalities is expected. But programs like Safe Kids Walk This Way can help protect our children, prevent injuries, and save lives.”

The Safe Kids Foundation is a start, and certainly important for children to learn how to properly negotiate the streets. However, safe access to school should be a national priority. If proper sidewalks are not in place, then every school child should be safely shuttled to school on a bus. The walk to school should be a healthy activity, not a death-defying experience.

Photo credit: SusanSprach