Stories about History from October, 2010
India: Free Speech Or Sedition?
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.
CEE: IKEA
Czechmatediary, 20 east, Robert Amsterdam, and The Russia Monitor – on IKEA.
Sri Lanka: Oral History Project Highlighting Elders
London, Lanka and drums introduces the oral history project iam.lk, which tells the stories of 36 Sri Lankan elders, about their lives and work, and their connections to their hometown.
Iran:First talking clip of Reza Shah found after 76 years
The first video in which Reza Shah talked with Kamal Ataturk , filmed in 1934 found accidentally in a fruit shop in Istanbul after 76 years.
Serbia: Netizens Discuss a U.S. Fighter Pilot's Suicide
The tragic death of American fighter pilot Lt. Col. Harold F. "Hootch" Meyers, who committed a suicide at his home in Santa Barbara on Sept. 12, echoed in the Serbian media and online communities - and there were strong reasons for it.
FSU: ‘The Road’ by Vasily Grossman
Robert & Elizabeth Chandler’s translation of The Road, a short story by Vasily Grossman, and Robert Chandler's article about Grossman's stories and his friendship with Andrey Platonov – at OpenDemocracy.net.
India: Ayodhya Verdict And Secular Conscience
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
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.
Bahamas: It's Time
Nicolette Bethel thinks “it’s time to build our own declaration of democracy”.
Trinidad & Tobago: Odd Choice of Decor
“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
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.
Barbados: Castle Destroyed in Fire
Historic Sam Lord's Castle burns to the ground; Barbados Free Press is not surprised.
The Balkans: Angelina Jolie's Bosnian War Movie
Greater Surbiton writes about “Angelina Jolie's Bosnian imbroglio”; Belgraded reviews “anti-Serb” movies.
Guatemala: Revolution Day, ‘Día de la Revolución”
Antigua Daily Photo shares a photograph of the October 20 holiday in Guatemala, “Día de la Revolución” (Revolution Day). The blogger explains the history behind the holiday.
Africa: Ancient African Writing Systems
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
“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.”
Ukraine, USA: Kuchma and Clinton
Ukrainiana writes about the current political situation in Ukraine, the Gongadze case, and ex-president Kuchma's special relationship with ex-president Clinton – here and here.
Bosnia & Herzegovina: “Future Post-History”
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...
Russia: “Siberian Nationalism”
Window on Eurasia writes about “Siberian nationalism” – here and here.
Japan: Ancient anatomical illustrations
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
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…”
