Our eyes on the world

Development has its origins in the late 1940s- in a speech by President Truman in which he employed the term underdeveloped areas to describe poor areas that we now know as Economically Less Developed Countries(ELDCs). Poor areas in such countries are seen as traditonal. Development tend to take on the idea of modernization, which is perceived to be at odds with many traditional societies in these poor areas.

Development since the 1960s is largely dominated by economical concerns and it was only in the late 1970s and even present day that social and spatial development has been incorporated into its practice.

Development in general thus addresses the need to bring about a betterment of socio-economic aspects of a nation, with care given to sustainable development with regards to managing its environment.

Useful Websites to look at indicators measuring development around the world:

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
http://mdgs.un.org/unsd/mdg/Host.aspx?Content=Indicators/OfficialList.htm - this is the official list of indicators to monitor and measure the eradication of poverty around the world.

Pardon the Christian overtones. Development also takes place in the form of such non-government organizations' (NGOs) efforts to benefit a community directly, be it crisis relief or perhaps in the developing of the society in a particular area.

Favela Rising shows a local in a Brazilian squatter settlement trying his best to reach out to the young people in his community. This also help contribute to the development of people as he tries to use music therapy to occupy the youngsters' lives and bring about social development.
http://favelarising.com/default.php

I volunteer with Touch Community Services (International)as well as Touch Community Services (in Singapore), a non-religious organization but with many Christian volunteers.

The other alternative would have been a Japanese relief work video in East Timor~!