Stories about History from April, 2012
Russia: Writer Yuri Dombrovsky's Biography
The Faculty Of Useless Knowledge writes about Yuri Dombrovsky, “one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century.”
Mali: Timbuktu, a Cultural Treasure in Peril
The name Timbuktu conjures up a majestic, stately image. However, the war in northern Mali and the presence of small terrorist groups constitute a serious threat to the fate of Timbuktu. This treasure of humankind is in danger and numerous groups have raised the alarm.
Colombia: Painter and Sculptor Fernando Botero Celebrates 80
On April 19, 2012 the Colombian sculptor and painter Fernando Botero will turn 80 years old. The celebrations for his birthday have already started in Colombia and other parts of the world. On the internet citizens share their opinions and analysis of Botero and his works.
Algeria: Tributes Paid to Late President Ahmed Ben Bella
Following the death of Ahmed Ben Bella, Arab netizens have remembered the man who was Algeria's first president.
Bangladesh: Welcoming Pahela Baisakh
Tomorrow is Pahela Baisakh (first day of summer, Bengali news year), the favorite festival of the Bengalis. Every year Bengalis celebrate their new year with galore. Wherever there are Bengalis in the world, they celebrate this day with different events.
Russia: Proposed NATO Hub in Ulyanovsk Sparks Protests
A wave of online indignation has since spread to the streets, leading to hunger strikes and anti-NATO marches in Ulyanovsk and Moscow, in response to a transport hub that will be based on an airfield in Ulyanovsk, a medium sized city on the Volga River, and the birthplace of Vladimir Lenin.
Italy: Netizens Ponder the April 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake
In the third anniversary of the tragic event, citizens came together in the streets and online, creating web-pages, posts and Twitter hashtags to share memories, comments and broader hope for a still lagging reconstruction.
Myanmar: Sex Tourism Industry
Fifty Viss writes about Myanmar's sex tourism industry. The author also reviews past proposals on how to regulate prostitution
The Balkans: Remembering the Bosnian War, 20 Years On
A red plastic chair for each of the 11,541 people killed in Sarajevo in the 1990s: on April 6, thousands of people came to this stunning makeshift memorial stretching along Sarajevo's main street, in order to honor the memory of the victims of the war that began 20 years ago.
France: Taking a Stand for Regional Languages
On March 31, several simultaneous events took place in France's major cities, driven by the overarching goal of showing support to regional as well as indigenous languages. Rayna St. reports.
Mali : Opinions of a Blogger on the Military Coup
On his blog Askia Mohamed [fr] reviews the military coup of March 21, 2012 and in a post entitled Un peuple-Un but-Une foi [fr] (‘One people – One Aim – One Faith’), following a brief summary of the current situation, puts the Tuareg rebellion in an historical context.
Uruguay: Documentary on Jewish Immigration in Uruguay
A documentary [es] on the development of Jewish Town in Montevideo, Uruguay was shared by the Latin Americanist in honor of the recently celebrated Passover.
Brazil: Contemporary Slavery and Proposals to Fight the Practice
Although the practice of exercising the right of property over other human beings was abolished in Brazil in 1888 with the signing of the Golden Law, in practice, exploitation of slave labour continues on Brazilian territory, both in rural and urban areas, in the form of contemporary servitude.
China: Struggle to Remember Fang Lizhi
Chinese intellectual Fang Lizhi, who inspired a whole generation of student activists during the 1980s, passed away on April 6, 2012 in the United States, at the age of 76. Authorities were quick to ban the news from the Internet and Chinese netizens now have to struggle with web censors to remember Fang.
Overview of Buddhism in Vietnam
tomosaigon provides a brief introduction of the various Buddhist sects in Vietnam.
Colombia: “Lend Your Leg” Campaign Raises Awareness about Antipersonnel Mines
On April 4 the "International Day for Mine Awareness" took place as part of Lend Your Leg. During the day netizens shared opinions on Twitter on what this harsh truth means for the world, and especially Colombia, using the hashtags #Remángate and #Lendyourleg.
Video: Nonprofits Show Their Work Through Award Winning Videos
Winners for the 6th Annual doGooder Non Profit Video Awards were announced on 5 April, 2012. Following, the winning videos for the 4 different categories: small, medium and large organizations and best storytelling, and the 4 winning films in the fearless category.
Brazil: Collective Blogging to Uncover Dictatorship Files
Journalist and blogger Niara de Oliveira compiled [pt] the 52 posts published within the fifth collective blogging “DesarquivandoBR” (“Unarchiving” Brazil), urging the opening of files kept secret from Brazil's military dictatorship (1964 -1985) and the repeal of the Amnesty Law.
Mali: An Introduction to the Tuareg Population
The blog of the Tuareg movement Temoust Survie publishes a post (via information from l'Express [fr]) that provides [fr] a brief introduction to the Tuareg culture : “we are a nomadic people living from farming and trade. The Tuaregs are estimated to be about 1.5 million in a region that spans across Mali,...
Bulgaria: Light on a Mysterious Death
The collaborative media outlet svobodnoslovo.com writes [bg] about a new book by Lyubomir Levchev [bg], who mentions Lyudmila Jivkova's death 30 years ago. It has always been reported that Jivkova, the daughter of Bulgaria's last communist dictator, died in a car accident. Levchev explains, however, that she might have been...
Mauritania: Complex Problem of Slavery
Erin Pettigrew discusses the complex problem of slavery in Mauritania: “I’ve been working in Mauritania on and off for the past eight years and this issue of ‘slavery’ is still one I am struggling to fully understand. I certainly cringe every time I see a young black child working in...
