· October, 2010

Stories about History from October, 2010

India: Free Speech Or Sedition?

  31 October 2010

Indian novelist, essayist and activist Arundhati Roy's recent statement on Kashmir stirred a debate across India. Along-with Indian media, the Indian blogosphere and social networking sites have exploded with reactions for and against her statement.

India: Ayodhya Verdict And Secular Conscience

  26 October 2010

The six-decade-old Ayodhya dispute has been “acknowledged as one of India’s most divisive and contentious issues which have flared up repeatedly to polarize the country along religious lines by instilling a stream of dangerous ideas deep inside a devout Indian society, ” comments Words From Solitude.

Poland: Krakow

  26 October 2010

Polandian follows the construction of Krakow's new pedestrian bridge and reports on the process in this photo post. Greetings from Kyiv visits Krakow, finds the city “gorgeous” and posts some pictures – here and here.

Trinidad & Tobago: Odd Choice of Decor

  25 October 2010

“JUST ABOUT when you thought there was little more that could be said about the million-dollar Port-of-Spain National Academy for the Performing Arts, the building’s unusual decor this week raised eyebrows”: Tattoo explains.

Serbia: Children Get Military Training in Russian Camps

  22 October 2010

In the prime of the newest public discussion on patriotism and the origin of violence in the Serbian society, newspaper Danas reported that two years ago Serbian children, aged 11 to 15 years old, had spent 16 days in scout camps in Russia, where they were being trained to assemble and dismantle weapons, to throw bombs, and to fire rifles. Sinisa Boljanovic translates some of the reactions to the case.

Africa: Ancient African Writing Systems

  20 October 2010

Did Africans use any writing systems before foreigners came to the continent?: “The truth of the matter is that ancient Africans were writing and there are several African writing systems even though most of them may be forgotten now…And we cannot forget the Ethiopian script, Ge’ez used in community that...

Haiti: Upcoming Elections

  20 October 2010

“The November 28th elections are supposed to provide a beacon of hope for Haiti. Unfortunately, flawed and undemocratic elections which exclude large groups of essential Haitian stakeholders will kill this hope”: Wadner Pierre republishes a post about “whether unfair and exclusionary elections would be beneficiary for the country.”

Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Future Post-History”

  19 October 2010

CAFÉ TURCO writes about Braco Dimitrijević's exhibition (‘Future post-History’), currently on display in the building of Sarajevo's National Library, which “was severely damaged in August 1992, when the Serb forces shelled it with incendiary bombs […]”: “More than 2 million books and documents were lost forever but the building now...

Japan: Ancient anatomical illustrations

  16 October 2010

Pinktentacle published a series of anatomical illustrations [en] that date back to the Edo period (1603-1868). Each illustration is followed by a caption that describes the publication where it first appeared and its scientific value.

Tanzania: The Legacy of Mwalimu Nyerere

  16 October 2010

Elsie reflects on the legacy of Tanzania's first president Mwalimu Nyerere: “Speaking of legacy, Mwalimu would never turn down a presidential debate. Quite the opposite: he would relish the opportunity to crush his opposition with his nimble wit and oratory skills…”