· April, 2009

Stories about History from April, 2009

Dominican Republic, Haiti: Gagá

  14 April 2009

“Easter Sunday marked the end of the Gagá celebrations in the Dominican Republic”: Repeating Islands experiences the Dominican version of Haitian Rará.

Rwanda: Fifteen years after the genocide

  14 April 2009

Today marks the end of a week of national mourning in Rwanda to commemorate the 15 anniversary since the genocide which killed 800,000 people. On the 7th of April ceremonies were held in the capital Kigali, and in Nyanza, where more than 5,000 people were slaughtered. At a stadium in Kigali, thousands of candles spelt out the word "hope" in three languages.

Cuba, U.S.A.: “Economic Emigrants”

  13 April 2009

From Havana, Generation Y remembers “events such as the Mariel Boatlift”, adding: “Emigration happens more quietly now, in rocky coves where—in the early hours every morning—someone launches themselves into the sea, and in the consulates crammed with people looking for a visa.”

Barbados: Sam Lord's Castle

  13 April 2009

“Five years ago CLICO Barbados said they would restore Sam Lords Castle as part of a major tourist development”, but the promise has not materialized; bloggers Barbados Free Press and Bajan Dream Diary are disappointed, with the latter adding: “The longer that the Castle remains in ruin will not only...

Guyana: Stupid is as stupid does

  13 April 2009

Guyanese blogger Imran Khan is convinced he must be stupid – why else would he fail to see the logic behind President Jagdeo's advice to flood-besieged farmers to diversify into aquaculture: “Forgive me for thinking that when the place is flooded that the fish ponds…would become flooded and the fish...

USA: No More Columbus Day at Brown University

  13 April 2009

In response to protests from Native American and other students, the prestigious Brown University in the United States has changed the name of the national public holiday Columbus Day to "Fall Weekend" on its academic calendar. Bloggers are debating this modification of a holiday that honors the European explorer Christopher Columbus for “discovering” America.

Fiji's President voids constitution, calls for elections in five years

  11 April 2009

Less than 24 hours after a Fiji court declared the country’s military backed government to be unconstitutional, Fiji’s president has voided the country’s constitution, made himself head of state and dismissed the country’s judiciary. The issue stems from a Thursday, April 9 court ruling stating the military leader Frank Bainimarama...

China: 2.3 Billion Earthquake Museum

  8 April 2009

Fauna from ChinaSMACK translated netizens’ comments on government's plan to spend 2.3 billion yuan on the construction of Beichuan National Earthquake Ruins Museum.

Egypt: 90th Anniversary of Egyptian Revolution

“This month Egypt should have celebrated as a country officially the 90th anniversary of the Egyptian Revolution in 1919. I am not shocked by the poor and sad reception of the anniversary in Egypt but I am angry from this silly fight between the Wafdists and the nationalists/Nasserists/ Socialists on...

Suriname, Dominica: Updates

  7 April 2009

Two updates from Repeating Islands Blog: a Surinamese victims’ group is considering legal action against the Netherlands for its alleged role in the country's 1980 coup and Dominica has declared that it “will no longer be supporting the whale-killing position of the Japanese government in the International Whaling Commission.”

Cuba, U.S.A.: MLK Tributes

  7 April 2009

Havana Times reports on the official Martin Luther King tribute in the capital, while Uncommon Sense blogs about the MLK tribute by Cuban civil rights activists who “gathered to remember and honor King as someone who has inspired their own struggle for freedom and justice.”

Armenia-Turkey: Mixed reaction to Obama speech in Ankara

Mindful of the delicate state of negotiations between Armenia and Turkey to resolve the past, U.S. President Barack Obama avoided referring to the massacre and deportation of Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire as genocide during his visit to Turkey this week. Reaction from bloggers has been mixed.

Rwanda: Life after genocide

  7 April 2009

katch up discusses economic and socio-political situation in Rwanda after genocide: “Polically Kigali is stable. The leadership of President Kagame has managed to stay focused on its vision of uniting the people inspite of their long history of intentionaly fueled ethnic hatred.”

Ethiopia: Book prompts campus protest

  7 April 2009

“Hundreds of Addis Ababa University’s Oromo students protested against the sale of a book which they said was a “distorted” history of the Oromos at the book fair being held at Sidist Kilo campus,” writes Ethiopia blogger, Arefe.

Egypt: The 1919 Revolution

Egyptian blogger Zeinobia writes about the 1919 revolution in her country and notes: “How can you unite millions of people across the country where no TVs or radios or internet or facebook or even real roads !! How can you send your message to all those millions across a country...

Africa: On the nakedness of Africans

  3 April 2009

“On the nakedness of Africans” is a piece written by Zunguzungu, “If clothing is an index of “culture,” then it is clear that African culture sucks. But even authentic nakedness, as it happens, has political consequences that don’t work out well for the Africans.”