Stories about History from July, 2012
Croatia: 2.8 Million “Inappropriate” Books “Purged” During the 1990s
In “Libricide,” Ante Lešaja has documented the process of “purging” of “unsuitable” books from Croatian schools and public libraries by the right-wing HDZ government in the 1990s. According to a Jutarnji List interview [hr] with Lešaja, the “purging” was based on ideological and ethnic criteria and affected books “written in...
Bahrain: Making of a Century
Mideast Youth has launched an iPad-exclusive application that showcases revolutionary leaders and movements in the past 100 years and allows people to learn about how these revolutionaries and leaders are connected to each other. Check Making of a Century out here.
Zambia: African Union Leaves Liberation Hero Out of Honors’ List
When Zambia’s foreign minister Given Lubinda went to Ethiopia to attend the African Union summit , he was shocked to discover that the country’s first president, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, was not among the continent’s prominent personalities who have been honoured at the new AU headquarters in Addis Ababa. Zambian netizens have reacted to the omission with mixed feelings.
Palestine: Letter to Fellow Arabs
Palestinian blogger Abir Kopty writes an open letter to Arabs. “From Egypt to Yemen, from Bahrain to Libya, from Tunis to Syria, we watch your revolutions disrupted, stolen and countered. The same forces that helped keeping us away from our freedom, are the same working today against you,” she notes.
Slovakia: Catholics Protest the Sacking of Popular Archbishop
A concert in support of Róbert Bezák, the popular archbishop of Trnava who was sacked for unknown reasons, took place on Tuesday and was the next step in various protests, including this online petition [sk] as well as worshipping in front of the church [sk] instead of inside it. Three...
South Sudan: One Year After Becoming World's Newest Nation
South Sudanese have just celebrated their first anniversary of independence. South Sudan's independence was declared on 9 July, 2011 when it became world’s newest country. This is a roundup of blog posts written to mark one year of independence from Sudan.
Bulgaria: How to Become a Prostitute in 1888
The blog “Живот Мой” (“My Life”) published [bg] the 1888 local legislation on how to become a prostitute in the Black Sea coastal city of Varna. The bill contains the requirements for women willing to become prostitutes; regulations on brothels; health requirements before, during and after being a prostitute; and...
Bulgaria: “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia”
The Bulgarian news outlet Fakel published [bg] a review of a new book entitled, “I, the Bulgarian from Macedonia.” The book is described as “a terrible, breaking, disgusting story that not only shakes up, startles and stirs our sleeping national conscience, but shifts, collapses and splits with tectonic force all...
Macedonia: Quoting Havel
The link to the famous open letter – “Dear Dr. Husák” [en, cz] (1975) – written by the then-dissident Václav Havel to the Czech Communist Party leader, has been shared by many Macedonian Facebook users, accompanied by excerpts such as this one: ”The number of people who sincerely believe everything...
Rwanda: From Colonialism And Genocide to Recovery
1 July was a very special day in Rwanda as the country celebrated 50 years of Independence and 18 years of liberation which brought an end to Rwandan genocide. It is estimated that over a million people died in a period of 100 days.
Hong Kong: New “Red” Elementary School Curriculum Flames Concern
Under pressure from mainland China, Hong Kong's elementary schools have to start a new curriculum on "national education." Recently revealed, its module on the "China model" is full of political propaganda, such as the claim that one party dictatorship is more effective than any other democratic political system.
Jamaica: Pardon Garvey
Geoffrey Philp is a member of the diaspora agitating for the exoneration of Jamaican national hero, Marcus Garvey.
Moldova vs. Moldova: Who is the Winner?
On June 28, 1940, Moldova was overrun by the Soviet troops, after it had been given up by Romania. The Soviet Union quickly added it to its territory. Was it liberation or occupation? Diana Lungu reviews the opinions of Moldovan netizens.
Koumintang Army in Thailand
Ian Manley interviews a veteran of Kuomintang’s 93rd Division which left China in 1950 to settle in Burma and then finally in Thailand. The interview sheds light to the history of China's ‘forgotten army’ which continued to fight in other countries for several decades.
Jamaica, Cuba, U.S.A.: Independence Day
A handful of diaspora bloggers acknowledge the United States’ Independence Day, here, here, here and here.
Colombia: Interview with Director of Pablo Escobar TV Biopic Series
Journalist Carolina Ruiz Giraldo publishes an interview [es] with Carlos Moreno, director of Escobar, el patrón del mal (“Escobar, the drug lord”), a controversial TV series broadcast since late May with high ratings. Moreno explains which parts of the biopic have been fictionalized and why some characters based on real...
Southeast Asia: Home to the World's Longest Ongoing Civil Wars
Southeast Asia is more than just white sand beaches, temples and resorts: it’s not often mentioned that the region is actually home to the world's longest ongoing civil wars, the most heavily bombed countries in the world, and the world’s longest communist insurgency.
