· April, 2011

Stories about History from April, 2011

Barbados: Barrow's Beach

  29 April 2011

Mullins Bay Blog wonders how one of the country's national heroes “would…have graded his heirs and successors, …who sat idly by and did nothing as the sand disappeared and coconut trees were unearthed and toppled at Kings Beach.”

North Korea: Rumors and Superstitions Surrounding Former US President Carter

  29 April 2011

Former US President Carter visited the North Korea to resolve the country's nuclear issues, but failed to meet North Korea's reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il. A North Korean insider report, Open Radio for North Korea wrote about superstitions surrounding Carter and how he gained “an inauspicious individual” status in the North.

Cuba: Bosch Dies

  28 April 2011

Cuban bloggers note the passing of Orlando Bosch, with Machetera saying: “There are good terrorists and bad ones, and clearly the mainstream media have settled on the fiction that Bosch is the former, so he gets to be a ‘militant’.”

Armenia: Pseudo-patriotism and flag burning

  28 April 2011

Unzipped comments on the creation of a Facebook page by some students in Armenia calling for the “virtual burning” of the flags of Azerbaijan and Turkey. The blog says it considers the move one that can only lead to more hatred between Armenia and its two estranged neighbors and is...

Guatemala: Remembering the Death of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera

  27 April 2011

In Central American Politics, Mike writes: “On this date [April 26] in 1998, Roman Catholic Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera was found bludgeoned to death in his residence in Guatemala City. […] The Catholic Church and the people of Guatemala are still waiting for justice in the bishop's death.”

UK: The Royal Wedding's “Russian Connection”

  26 April 2011

Siberian Light writes about “a Russian connection” in the UK Royal Wedding story: “the George III Tiara, or the Russian Fringe Tiara” that Kate Middleton may wear for the April 29 ceremony. Also, “even if you’re in Russia, there’s no escape [from the Royal Wedding Mania], because you’ll be able...

Haiti: Amnesty or Justice?

  26 April 2011

Toussaint on Haiti shares his thoughts about the possible granting of amnesty to Jean-Claude Duvalier and Jean-Bertrand Aristide by the new President-elect.

Armenia-Turkey: Suffering on both sides

  26 April 2011

Journalist in Turkey comments on the anniversary of the 1915 massacre and deportation of ethnic Armenians in Ottoman Turkey and says that it was commemorated for the second time in Istanbul this year. It also criticizes the approach taken by activists in the Armenian Diaspora towards the WWI events which...

Argentina: Croatian Community Reacts to Sentence of General Ante Gotovina

  24 April 2011

On April 15, 2011, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) handed down sentences to the Croatian generals Ante Gotovina, Mladen Markač and Ivan Cermak. Gotovina and Markac were charged with "crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war" committed in 1995 by the forces of their country during "Operation Storm." In Argentina, where it is estimated that the Croatian community is the country's third largest, there have been various reactions.

Belarus, Ukraine: “Chernobyl: The First Month”

  23 April 2011

At OpenDemocracy.net, Barys Piatrovich, a Belarusian writer and journalist, recalls the first month after the Chernobyl catastrophe of April 26, 1986: “It was difficult for me to write this text. I've been working up to it for over twenty years. More than once I have started to write but given...

The Genetic Origin Of Indians

  23 April 2011

Ever wondered about the genetic origins of Indians? Razib Khan at Sepia Mutiny analyzes in details about the genetics of Indians and the South Asians in general.

Russia: Photos of Moscow, Circa 1931

RuNet Echo  22 April 2011

LJ-user nikolas11 shares [ru] rare photos of 1931′ Moscow made by Branson DeCou, XX century traveler and photographer. Hand-colored photos depict Russian capital 2 years after the “Great Turn” and before many Moscow churches had been destroyed by the Bolsheviks.

Costa Rica: Climate Change Affecting the Cloud Forest

  20 April 2011

The Monteverde Now project documents the stories of 11 members of the Monteverde Community through short video interviews where they explain how their life has been transformed and how they are adapting to sustaining their diverse and delicate ecosystem in the face of climate change.