Stories about History from September, 2012
South Korea: Presidential Nominee Stumbles Over Unresolved History
South Korea's ruling conservative party’s presidential nominee has suffered a major setback after she made an offensive remark on a notoriously unfair trial made under her father’s authoritarian rule. Former President Park Chung-hee is one of the most polarizing figures in South Korean history.
Cabinda: Black Gold of Angola
Cabinda, the eighteenth and most disputed province of Angola, has been waging an ancient struggle for its independence. The majority of the Angolan population says that Cabinda is part of Angola, but others defend the opposite position. The enclave produces around 70% of the oil exported by the country.
DR of Congo: Rwanda is Helping the Rebellion, says Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch wrote [fr]: In addition to deploying reinforcements and recruits to support military operations, Rwandan military officials have been providing important military support to the M23 rebels, including weapons, ammunition, and training, Human Rights Watch said. This makes Rwanda a party to the conflict.”
Global: The 2012 edition of ‘Wiki Loves Monuments’
Julien L. wrote the following on numerama.com: The Wiki Loves Monuments copyright-free landmarks photo contest is going particularly well. Nearly a week after its launch, more than 50 000 photographs have been sent in by contributors. And this is just the beginning, because there are still 22 days left to...
Thailand: Historic Cigarette Cards Now Digitized
Historically 176 sets of cards, totaling around 9000 individual cards, representing 42 tobacco companies, were made for the Thai market. Of these some 60 sets were Thai specific designs. To many people, these cards are simply beautiful; collectable as artistic or decorative objects… Through its online catalog, New Mandala has...
What's the Verdict on Uganda@50 Independence Song?
'Yoga Yoga' is the official celebration song for Uganda's 50th year of independence, featuring Ugandan artists such as Esther Nabaasa, Ruyonga, Barbara Kayaga, Hum Kay and Richard Kaweesa. Some netizens are praising it whilst others argue it neither represents Ugandans nor Ugandan culture.
Russia: SocialCamp, Crowdsourcing and Open Data
A SocialCamp Russia 'unconference' took place in Moscow from 7th to 9th of September. Over the course of three days social activists spoke about projects aimed at raising awareness, improving mutual understanding, promoting philanthropy, and much more.
Bulgaria: Sofia, “Past&Present”
To celebrate the Day of the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Sept. 17, Alexander Nikolov posted a photo project called Past&Present. Each photo in this project combines an old and a new image of selected locations in the city.
Maghreb, France: The Arc of Revolution is Long but It Bends towards Freedom
Had humanity obsessed itself with the potential pitfalls of every fight for emancipation and always analyze the events under the prism of one segment of society, we all will still be living under the old regime of monarchy. Faysal Riad argues that the revolution in France took almost a century [fr] to reach...
Mexico Also Remembers September 11 Attacks
Eleven years have passed since the attacks on the World Trade Center in the city of New York and on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. in the United States of America. In commemoration of an event which had global repercussions, the whole world has spoken out in cyberspace to remember the attacks. Mexico has been no exception.
Chile: 1973 Coup d'etat in 140 Characters
How would netizens have followed the coup d'etat of September 11, 1973 in Chile if Twitter had existed?
China: Political Lexicon
Qian Gang looks into the political lexicons since the 11th National Congress to show the power plays within the Chinese Communist Party.
Malaysia: Furor Over Alleged National Flag Redesign
Is it time to change the flag of Malaysia? The opposition is accused of proposing a flag redesign while the country is celebrating its Independence Day.
Jordan: What Happened to Education?
Roba Al Assi shares a video of the opening of the University of Jordan in 1962 on her blog And Far Away. She writes: As a graduate of the the institution myself, it is funny looking back 50 years, at a time when education actually mattered in Jordan. How did...
Bangladesh: Vikrampur -The City Underneath
Bangladesh Unlocked exposes another of the country's ancient secrets – the ruins of 6th and 7th century CE beneath the grounds of Vikrampur city (present day Munshiganj).
Libya: Salafists Wage War on Sufi Shrines
Libya's Sufi religious sites and heritage are under attack - by the Salafists. The ultra-conservative Islamists have attacked major Sufi shrines and libraries in the north-western town of Zliten, the city of Misrata, and the capital, Tripoli. The attacks, denounced by UNESCO, sparked the anger of Libyans.
Syria: The Flag Debacle
Syrian revolutionaries have chosen the country's independence flag as their symbol after months of conflict in the country. Some people are arguing that it is the Independence flag, and others saying it's a flag of Syria under colonialism. The debate continues as each side clings to its opinion.
Cambodia: Living Memory of the Khmer Project
The Southeast Asia Digital Library has a project called ‘Living Memory of the Khmer’ which highlights the modern history of Cambodia.
Mauritania: A Diplomat's Take on the Azawad
Mauritanian writer and diplomat Mohamed Mahmoud Weddady writes a series of posts in his blog entitled: “Papers about Azawad” [ar], about history and people of Azawad region. This post, for instance, focuses on the relationship between the Azawad and Libya.
Trinidad & Tobago: 50 Doesn't Add Up
How come the nation never learn to grow as a nation from all its peoples and from its individual talents? And how come the money and the success not giving the happiness we stop longing for? Matters Arising republishes a letter from a friend, commenting on the state of the...
United States: A Visit to Remember “El Barrio”
Andrew Padilla, a young Puerto Rican born and raised in El Barrio, New York, has decided to delve into his community in a very creative way. By launching a blog and a documentary, “El Barrio Tours”, Padilla explores the impact of “gentrification” in one of Manhattan's most prominent cultural axis.
