The Second World War began 85 years ago. And the “sitting war” in Alsace.
The war began on September 1, 1939 – in the East. Strasbourg was evacuated on the same day. 400,000 people had to leave Alsace and Lorraine. Ghost towns, cats and dogs were left behind. More here.
August 23: International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Even before Europe’s colonial rulers divided up Africa, Africans hunted Africans and sold them to Muslim slave traders who exported them to the Arabian Peninsula or further. While the Europeans ruthlessly exploited their colonies, they also abolished human trafficking within Africa. More here.
The Taliban have been ruling Afghanistan again for three years now.
After the end of the NATO mission and the head-over-heels withdrawal of the USA, the Taliban declared themselves the new government of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021. Since then, women have lost all their rights. One woman is even to be stoned to death for extramarital sex. More here.
Guest post by Volker Seitz
On July 1, 2024, Hungary took over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a thorn in the side of many member states, partly because of his restrictive migration policy. Hungary is providing valuable aid to African countries, says the author. More here.
Guest post on Hiroshima remembrance day on August 6
On August 6, 1945, a US pilot dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The uranium came from indigenous land. Bomb tests were also carried out there. 79 years later, the USA wants to boost its domestic uranium mining – again at the expense of indigenous peoples. More here.
Guest post by Martin Ruthenberg
For some time now, a number of politicians and media outlets in Germany have been talking about making citizens “fit for war”. Voices calling for peace seem to be in the minority. Or are they “only” barely visible to the public? More here.
On the 100th birthday of Bess Myerson
Even before the state of Israel was founded, the first Jewish beauty queen was crowned in Tel Aviv. A few Jewish beauty queens also made headlines outside the country. The first was Bess Myerson. She was born on July 16, 1924, 100 years ago, in the Bronx, New York. More here.
Guest post Action Group for Indigenous and Human Rights
To mark this year’s Women’s Day, the first guest article by the Indians and Human Rights Action Group appeared here on my blog. Women once again play a leading role in this newsletter. For example, in the exhibition “Warrior Women of Wounded Knee” in Munich. More here.
The long-term indigenous prisoner must remain in custody.
The US Parole Commission has once again rejected the release of Leonard Peltier on parole. The Oglala Lakota is alleged to have shot two FBI officers in 1975. He can submit his next application in 2039. That would make him 94 years old and imprisoned for 62 years.
Guest post by Volker Seitz on the occasion of the European Championship
The enthusiasm for soccer in Africa is almost limitless. There are even two championships on the continent: the Africa Cup and African Nations Championship. Only players who play in the national leagues of their home countries are eligible for the latter. More here.
