Stories about History from April, 2012
Argentina: The ‘Mothers of Plaza de Mayo’ Turn 35
Lillie Langtry from the blog Memory in Latin America writes about the 35th anniversary of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo in Argentina: “On Thursday, 30 April 1977, a small group of women met in the Plaza de Mayo with the aim of handing over a letter to then-president Jorge...
Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana: Is “Miss Black France” Acceptable?
While French people are still in the midst of the presidential elections, with its second round coming up on May 5-6, bloggers in the French overseas territories were buzzing about another vote this past week: the “Miss Black France” contest.
Russia: The Battle of Borodino Lives On
After 200 years, through the works of artists such as Leo Tolstoy (as well as legal disputes about the historic preservation of the battlefield), the Battle of Borodino continues to inspire passion and incite controversy. In this post, RuNet Echo returns to the historical and modern contexts of Russia's victory in the Napoleonic Wars.
Philippine Education Prior and During Spanish Colonization
Red-ayglasses blogs about the state of Philippine education during pre-colonial times and under Spanish colonial rule.
Taiwan: Travel with Art
Blogger and artists Lovingpure(黃愛淳) uses contemporary paintings about Taiwan from distinguished painters to create this video as the ultimate travel guide for foreign tourists.
Russia: Putin Proposes Contentious State Power Grab in Siberia
On April 20, 'Kommersant' revealed an ongoing legislative project to create a state company to oversee the economic development of Eastern Siberia and the Russian Far East. The schism at the heart of the RuNet's response to this issue reveals certain fundamental apprehensions that shape online Russian civil society.
Russia: Dombrovsky and Molotov
The Faculty of Useless Knowledge tells a story of writer Yuri Dombrovsky‘s brief encounter with Vyacheslav Molotov, and shares a link to a documentary [ru] about Dombrovsky's life.
Brazil: Activists Protest in Memory of Military Dictatorship
A number of cities throughout Brazil held both real and virtual events to remember Brazil's Military Dictatorship (1964-1985). Activists held protests to push for punishing the Dictatorship's criminals and to fully open the still classified files.
Italy: Rome Celebrates its 2,765th Anniversary
On April 21, Romans celebrated the 2,765th anniversary of their city. Bloggers weigh in on the celebrations and the meaning of the milestone for the Eternal City.
Armenia: Does the world need to recognize the Armenian Genocide?
Following this week's 97th anniversary of the 1915 massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire, vgratian asks its readers “Does the world need to recognize the Armenian Genocide?”
Turkey: Armenian Genocide Commemoration in Istanbul
April 24 marks the 97th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of around 1.5 million Armenians living in the then Ottoman Empire. An emotive issue for many Armenians and Turks, the anniversary was also commemorated in Istanbul.
Slovakia: Protest Against Construction Near Bratislava Castle
On April 18, 200-250 [sk] people attended a protest against illegal construction near Bratislava Castle, organized by Bratislava Openly [sk]. The west side of a new white house (a continuation of a historical building, photo here) had to consist of just the ground floor and a minimal attic, but the...
Mexico: Human Rights Abuses and the Presidential Elections
The documentary A Schizophrenic State by Charlotte King follows the stories of San Salvador Atenco and Oaxaca, two places in Mexico who suffered human rights abuses by the ruling political parties, including a Governor who now would like to become President.
Liberia: A Preface to Liberia’s Complicated Biography
Robtel Pailey discusses Liberia's complicated biography: “April 12, 1980 is often described as the beginning of Liberia’s end. I think of it as the preface to Liberia’s long, complicated biography, the beginning of our awakening. It was a day when our pomp and circumstance left a deafening echo; when we...
Russia: The Tsar's Victory Over Napoleon, 200 Years Later
Across Russia, celebrations have commenced honoring the 200th anniversary of Tsar Alexander I's defeat of France's Napoleon Bonaparte. Russian and English language bloggers have been tracking the celebrations and lingering cultural impact of the war.
Vietnam: Agent Orange Victim and his Music
Meet Thanh Tung, a talented player of dan bau which is a traditional monochord instrument in Vietnam. Tung is also an Agent Orange victim who lost his eyesight at the age of twelve.
Armenia: A Tale of Two Nations
Security, in the Caucasus and beyond…. comments on the 97th anniversary of the massacre and deportation of 1.5 million Armenians from the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Considered an act of genocide by many historians and countries, the blog explains why the events are still very much politically relevant to both...
Sao Tome and Principe: Memories of a Lonely Navigator
Follow the blog Odisseia nos Mares (Odysseys in the Seas) [pt] and navigate through the stories of Jorge Trabulo Marques – a retired Portuguese journalist and photographer who lived in São Tomé and Príncipe for 13 years during colonial times. Trabulo blogs on his memories of São Tomé, including lonesome...
Video: Better Aid and Development Discussions Through Islam Crash Course
An ongoing discussion over at the Uncultured Project has been the relationship between the lack of knowledge on what Islam is about and how aid and development organizations relate to the Muslim community. Shawn Ahmed shares a simple and short video explaining what Islam is in an attempt to pave the road to better understanding of a large group of people who could be Aid recipients.
Mexico: A Toy Collection Could Change the Future of Mexico
A 65 year old man had a personal collection with more than a million old toys, mostly made in Mexico. Mexican Architect Robert Shimizu, along with his son, decided to open their house as a toy museum. Their subtitled video documentary A Mexican Toy Story tells the story of how it came to be and how they believe that through toys, Mexico can recover its path.
Egypt: The Other Homeland
Al Jazeera World broadcasts a small film entitled “Egypt:The Other Homeland”, narrating the history of the once thriving Greek community in Egypt through personal interviews and archive material. At the beginning of the 20th century,there were about 200,000 Greeks in Egypt. Today, the Greek community there has approximately 1,000 members.
