· August, 2010

Stories about History from August, 2010

Trinidad & Tobago: Not Yet

  31 August 2010

On the occasion of Trinidad and Tobago's anniversary of independence, Plain Talk says: “Forty eight years ago we may have left ‘Massa’, but we kept the shackles of our minds firmly intact. Looked at honestly, we are no where near independence yet.”

Caribbean: “Earl” Watch

  30 August 2010

It's that time again: Hurricane season. Regional bloggers, having been affected by brutal storms in the past, are keeping a watchful eye on Hurricane Earl, which has now been classified as a Category 3 storm. Within the next 36 to 48 hours, it is expected to affect the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, among other islands.

Latin America: Blogging at Los Superdemokraticos

  30 August 2010

Coinciding with several Bicentennial Independence celebrations in Latin America, from June to October 2010 German and Latin American bloggers [es] will be writing for Los Superdemokraticos about their “daily lifes [sic] in international political contexts.” Posts are published in German and Spanish; five texts are translated into English each month.

Angola: “Alambamento” and Marriage Practices

  29 August 2010

In Angola, there is quite strong cultural tradition of the asking of the hand of bride in marriage, called alambamento. Considered by some more important that the civil or christian marriage, the alambamento consists of a series of rituals, like the delivery of a letter, material goods and money.

Egypt: Ramadan Television and the Muslim Brotherhood

This year in Ramadan the Egyptian TV decided to produce a series about the opposition party Al-Ikhwan (The Muslim Brotherhood). The TV series, which is called El Gamaa, tries to shed light on the history of group and it's founder Hassan El Banna, bringing criticism from many bloggers that it reflects nothing but the regime's point of view.

Russia: Mari Paganism and Charges of “Extremism”

  28 August 2010

OpenDemocracy.net reports: “In their remote forest republic 400 miles east of the Moscow, the pagan Mari people are once again being harassed by the authorities. […] Ethnically kin to the Finns and Hungarians, their profoundly ecological religious worldview challenges Russian-led designs on their republic’s natural resources.”

Is Taiwan Whitewashing Sino-Tibetan History?

  27 August 2010

Angry Chinese Blogger explains the recent controversy regarding an exhibition in the Taipei's National Palace Museum on “Tibet: Treasures From the Roof of the World”. The exhibition was hailed as a sign of improving Sino-Taiwanese ties with the accusations that the photos were being used to promote a sanitized version...

Cuba: Censorship, Technology and Memory

  26 August 2010

George Gautier writes [es] about censorship in Cuba. He says that technology has helped leak some things, but he hopes that someone is keeping track of everything that is happening in Cuba so that nothing will be lost.

East Timor: (Un)Dignified Sculptures of Women in Shangai World Expo 2010

  26 August 2010

In response to recent statements by a Timorese deputy, who reportedly implied that the statues of naked women at the Timor Leste Pavillion in Shanghai World Expo 2010 are not appropriate, João Paulo Esperança critically wonders [pt] if East Timorese women would be considered deprived of dignity in the past, when they...

Jamaica: Garvey's Home

  26 August 2010

Repeating Islands links to a report that suggests the Jamaican government is interested in purchasing the childhood home of Marcus Garvey “in hopes of restoring it and converting it into a memorial or museum.”

Paraguay: Day of the Guaraní Language

  25 August 2010

Juan Carlos Rodríguez writes [es] in his blog about the day of the Guaraní language. He says that on August 25, 1967, Guaraní was recognized as a national language. He also shares a short ebook on the “sacred book of the Guaraní”, Ayvu Rapyta.

Taiwan: Who Needs A Founding Father?

  25 August 2010

Does Dr. Sun Yat-sen deserve the title of “the Founding Father of Republic of China (R.O.C)”? Is he really a flawless idealistic political leader and the hero behind the revolution that overthrew Qing Dynasty? The myth around Dr. Sun has been under scrutiny in Taiwan where people largely do not identify themselves as “Chinese” anymore.

Russia: More Bloggers Join Discussion on Russian Nationalism

RuNet Echo  23 August 2010

Paul Goble mentions [EN] the article of Valery Solovey on nazdem.info that predicts [RUS] the rise of new type of Russian nationalism tied to democratic ideas. LJ user ammosov says [RUS] that “Russians should re-invent themselves,” which will result in forming several Russian nations in different parts of the country.