Global crisis, islamic finance and life insurance

At the opening of World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta weeks ago, almost every speaker talked about the excesses of irresponsible financial market for triggering the global crisis. My highlight of global crisis was about smallholders farmers of palm oil suffered from decreasing commodity prices.  Another highlight shows how some vulnerable groups of people are facing the risk of global crisis.

The forum was touted Islamic finance as a framework for a more stable global financial system.  What are the differences with conventional, traditional or western financial system?  And what is the relation with life insurance?

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Slum tourism helps poor people?

Slum tourism found not only in Mumbai, even the Oscar winner movie of Slumdog Millionare set at that area. In Jakarta, as CNN reports, there is such activity transporting foreigner to walk around slum areas, meeting with people saying “I’m running out of rice”.  The organizer said that the tour was about “the other culture meet the other culture”.

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Related terms
    social impacts of slum tourism, slum tourism, slum tour jakarta, the social & cultural impacts of slum tourism

The most vulnerable cities to climate change in Southeast Asia

I highlight the report of Economy and Environment Program of Southeast Asia (EEPSEA) issued weeks ago. The report was made based on the study that identifies the region’s most vulnerable to climate change in Southeast Asia.
The study covers 530 sub-national areas which consist of 341 districts in Indonesia, 19 provinces in Cambodia, 17 provinces in Lao PDR, 14 areas in Malaysia, 14 provinces in the Philippines,72 provinces in Thailand, and 53 provinces in Vietnam.
I quote the result for top 10 cities below.