The results are in for the most popular blogs of the year on developmenteducation.ie , which has been marked by the second year of a Trump presidency, a signal flare of public attention towards issues such as plastics, anniversaries such as franchise for women, marked by the centenary of increased voting rights for women in Ireland and the UK 100 years ago, and towards human rights defenders increasingly under threat where the realities of ‘development’, climate change, land rights gender and wealth inequality are challenged in practice.

Here are the top 10 blogs of the year, based on reader popularity.

#10. Launching 10 myths about world hunger: sorting facts from fiction

Tony Daly introduces a World Food Day special for October, produced in partnership with Scoilnet, Concern Worldwide, Self Help Africa and developmenteducation.ie, including the launch of a pocket-booklet 10 Myths About World Hunger as part of new series that looks to sort facts from fiction.

#9. Our World in 90 seconds

“It took just less than 90 seconds to graphically reveal the horrific underbelly of globalisation and of ‘modern’ consumerism and business.” – Colm Regan on 5th anniversary of Rana Plaza disaster in June 2013.

#8. Human development today – 5 headlines and 6 key lessons

Colm Regan dips into the key human development indices and statistics from the 2017 Human Development Report which provides an overview of the state of development across the world.

#7. How the West convinced everyone it was the only developed part of the world

“Hi! It’s me, the West! I’m here today to explain to everyone how I managed to convince nearly the whole world that I am the only developed part of the world”. Roberta Rodrigues, student blogger finalist in the Trinity College Dublin/developmenteducation.ie blog competition.

#6. Are democracy and development linked? Comparing homelessness in Damascus, Dubai and Dublin

Trinity College Dublin/developmenteducation.ie student blogger finalist Ghalya Farahat compares homelessness in Damascus, Dubai and Dublin and argues it’s time to de-link the idea that living in a democratic country is a guarantee of ‘development’.

#5. I gave up plastic for lent …could you?

Rachel Mary Dornan reflects on the challenges she experienced in giving up plastic for Lent from Scotland and wonders if plastic-free living is affordable in a rising tide of plastic use

#4. Top 15 blogs of the year in 2017

Tony Daly presents the results of the most popular blogs of 2017 across developmenteducation.ie

#3. International Women’s Day – reminding ourselves why and what it stands for

Colm Regan presents 10 resources to explore International Women’s Day, celebrated globally every year on March 8th.

#2. 7 ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle

As consumers, how can we both consume more sustainably and influence companies to produce more sustainably? A final-five finalist in the 2018 Trinity College Dublin/developmenteducation.ie development issues series, Maebh Ni Ghuairim presents her top 7 tips.

#1. Ireland at the UN – reporting on progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals – live!

Through a mix of tweets, statements, observations and civil society commentary, Tony Daly live-blogs Ireland’s first official progress report to the UN voluntary peer-review mechanism on progress towards achieving the global goals for a more sustainable, more equal, peaceful world at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) in New York in July.

• Featured photo: Dhaka Savar Building Collapse (May 13, 2013) by Rijans via Flickr (CC license BY-SA-2.0)