Stories about History from July, 2010
Vietnam: Agent Orange at Danang Airbase
Thuy Vu of Vietnam Reporting Project visited the Danang Airbase where Agent Orange was stored. Agent Orange is the highly toxic herbicide used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War
Philippine Cartography
Torn and Frayed in Manila blogs about a book on maps of the Philippines by Carlos Quirino.
Philippines: Santa Rosa City Photos
FILIPINO eSCRIBBLES posts more than a dozen pictures of the church, old houses, and other historical sites of the Philippine city of Santa Rosa.
Trinidad & Tobago: Up Paramin Way
“This village is stunning – the scenery, the variety of panoramic views, and even the crops on the steep hillside are mesmerising”: MEP Caribbean Publishers visits the village of Paramin, “one of the few communities where some of the older residents still speak French patois.”
Peru: Songs to Celebrate the Independence
On July 28 and 29 Peruvians celebrated their independence festivities. Juan Arellano from Globalizado published a post [es] with a song that seems to summarize what being Peruvian is all about. He later published another post [es] with more songs. Both posts represent a summary of some of the musical...
Hungary: Poet Endre Ady
Hungarian Spectrum writes about Endre Ady (1877-1919), “one of the most famous Hungarian poets.”
Russia: Interview With ‘A Good Treaty’ Russia Blogger
Sublime Oblivion interviews the author of A Good Treaty blog, continuing the Watching the Russia Watchers interview series that was launched by Andy Young of Siberian Light.
Poland: Coats of Arms
Polish cities’ coats of arms competition – at Polandian.
Serbia, Kosovo: Another View on ICJ's Ruling
The Greater Surbiton writes that “the ICJ’s ruling on Kosovo sets a precedent that is dangerous only for tyrants and ethnic cleansers.” (More views are here and here.)
Serbia: “Punishing ‘Bad Culture'”
Belgraded writes about a 1980s Serbian pop star's idea to introduce “extra taxes for authors of those works of media that fall under the category of ‘kitsch‘.”
The Balkans: Regional Lottery vs Nationalism
Belgraded writes about the planned revival of “the one big regional lottery” in the former Yugoslavia and does not “miss the opportunity to point out just how stupid nationalism is.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Eating for Emancipation
TriniGourmet.com posts some ideas for a mouth-watering menu that honours the spirit of Emancipation Day.
Nigeria: 50 years of hopelessness
Adeola writes about Nigerias “50 years of hopelessness”: “We have complained that it is morally wrong for Nigeria to celebrate the 50th year anniversary in an ostentatious manner because of the resounding failure of the various governments since 1960.”
Trinidad & Tobago: Missed It
Ever wondered how to miss a coup? Caribbean Free Radio knows first-hand.
Ukraine: “Food Nostalgia”
The Pickle Project writes about the post-Soviet ““nostalgia cuisine” and the Ukrainian Puzata Khata chain restaurant.
Serbia: Belgrade's “Many Patches”
NikiBGD of Life in Retro(bel)grade lists things she loves and dislikes about Belgrade: “I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – Belgrade is at least 16 cities in one.”
Trinidad & Tobago: 20 Years Later
“For twenty years, successive governments ignored calls from citizens both prominent and ordinary for a formal probe”: On the anniversary of the 1990 attempted coup d'etat, The Caribbean Review of Books believes “it’s time to face the truth and its consequences.”
Algeria: The Origins of the Berbers
Where did the Berbers originate from? Algerian linguist Lameen Souag attempts an answer here. Please read the comments too.
Syria: Mariya continues her story-telling
From Syria, Mariya enchants her readers with another story on history, love and relationships, which she will post in series. This is the first part.
Chile: Controversy Over Pardon Proposal by Catholic Church
The Chilean Catholic Church has announced a proposal regarding the need to pardon certain people convicted of crimes on humanitarian grounds. The proposal has sparked debate on the Chilean blogosphere, as the original request could have included a pardon for those convicted of human rights abuses during Augusto Pinochet's dictatorship.
Bahamas: Race & History
“If…young Bahamians imagine that they can take their twenty-first century notions of black and white and translate them into what they may one day read about the history of this nation, they will never fully understand their country and its rich and difficult past”: Nicolette Bethel explains the significance of...
