Stories about History from July, 2010
Cuba: July 26
Cuban bloggers have their say about the observance of the July 26th anniversary of the military action that began the Cuban Revolution.
Serbia: ICJ Rules Kosovo’s Independence Legal
On July 22, the International Court of Justice ruled that the declaration of independence of Kosovo did not violate international law. Sinisa Boljanovic reviews Serbian bloggers' reactions to the ruling.
Iran: Bloggers remember Shamlou
Several bloggers wrote about Ahmad Shamlou‘s 10th anniversary. Shamlou was probabaly the most influential poet in modern Iran. VatanParast, Iranian blogger, quotes [fa] Shamlou: “underdeveloped countries are like people who are sleeping.”
Angola: Coins Gleaming Again
Last May the National Bank of Angola brought into circulation kwanza coins again. In a country where the population uses US Dollars along with Kwanza in the daily life, people are getting used to a new practice and discussing its purpose.
Haiti: How to Report
For foreign journalists wondering how to write about Haiti, Mediahacker has written a “handy guide”.
Cuba: Capitol stories
Generation Y writes that the historic Capitol building in Havana “has suffered the fate of the castigated” and hopes that it “will become — one day — the site of the Cuban parliament: a magnificent building that houses real debates.”
Bahamas: on “race”
“Please. Don’t call me white.” Nicolette Bethel writes about the intricacies of race, history and politics in the Bahamas. “The ‘race’ that has historical significance and the ‘race’ that we appear to practice today are two very different animals.”
Egypt: Television's 50th Anniversary
Today is the Egyptian television's 50th anniversary, and Zeinobia wrote a post in her blog on this occasion.
Trinidad & Tobago: Colourful
“The rich and various colours of our people are one of the things I like about this place. We are not homogenous”: Lisa Allen-Agostini is colour conscious.
Myanmar: Martyr's Day celebration 2010
An opposition booklet poem was distributed by dissident groups inside Myanmar to mark the annual celebration of the Martyr's Day. The event commemorates the 1947 assassination of independence leaders.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines: happy birthday, Mandela
“When I was ten years old, I like the rest of the world watched Nelson Mandela walk to freedom,” writes Abeni, sharing her thoughts on the 92nd birthday of the South African hero.
Colombia: Twitter Reactions to the Colombian Bicentennial and its Google Doodle
On July 20, Colombia celebrates 200 years of the declaration of independence and the start of the wars which ended August 7, 1819, when the then New Granada achieved its definitive independence from Spain. Colombian Twitter users reacted to the bicentennial celebration, including the Google Doodle chosen for the day.
Colombia: Critical Views on the Bicentennial
The 200 years of the Colombian independence is the subject of posts by Jaime Restrepo on Atrabilioso [es], who criticizes the common stereotypes about Colombians and their urge to “get ahead”, and Rodrigo Sandoval on El Bayabuyiba [es], who writes about the lack of a real national project for the...
Russia: Putting a foreigner on Russia's throne
LJ user kanalya78 proposes [RUS] that, judging from historical experience, one should try to import a foreigner to rule Russia, as they arguably have done better for the country than native rulers.
Hungary: Royal castle in history
BudapestZIN posts historical video footage from the Buda Royal castle.
Armenia-Azerbaijan: Thoughts on the ‘other’
Global Chaos makes a guest post on Armenia-Azerbaijan relations in the context of the still unresolved conflict over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh as part of a series of entries using new and social media to bring the two sides closer together. The blog says that it is difficult...
Slovakia: Hungarian School Trips
Tibor Blazko compiles Slovak netizens' reactions to a new Hungarian law that would bring Hungarian schoolchildren to parts of the neighboring countries that in the past belonged to Hungary.
Russia: Memorial memento
LJ user shoorman notes [RUS] that the liberal St. Petersburg Yabloko youth organization has beaten the region's communists to placing a memorial placard to a local communist on a building he used to live in. An adjoining photo illustrates that the functionary's key accomplishment – according to Yabloko youth –...
Guinea: Awaiting the Second Round of the Elections Amidst Fraud Allegations
A historical presidential election is underway in Guinea as the official results of the first round [fr] are about to be made official. Despite the allegations of fraud, the overall sentiment is that of relief for the absence of turmoil and a remarkable turnout. The Guinean blogosphere was also actively involved:
Cameroon: Capoeira in Cameroon
Linda writes about capoeira in Cameroon: “I do quite a lot of traveling in different parts of Africa, and I’m always on the look-out for pieces of capoeira. In Togo, I saw Evala, where young men wrestle and women sing and egg them on.”
Russia: History of postage and mail
Siberian Light writes about the history of Russian and Soviet postage and mail.
