The Relevancy of Historical Topics
Do the topics that we choose, as historians or aspiring historians, help accentuate the gap between the public and the academic?
Category Archives: Global History
International Development Week: Canadian aid at sea
by David Webster Canadians care about global poverty and development. Four out of five people surveyed in 1987 agreed that one of the best things about Canada was its global generosity. A recent poll of Alberta residents carried out by Angus Reid found no less than 89% ranking global poverty as priority. Working against this is what Richard Nimijean has… Read more »
History Podcasts
I was interviewed last week for an environmental history podcast. I was pretty excited as I listen of all kinds of podcasts including a number of history podcasts. While there are not nearly enough high quality history podcasts, there are some really good general podcasts that deal with history on a regular basis. Two of my favorite are BBC Radio… Read more »
Translated Paper: “Why is Vietnam Recovering, while Cuba is Sinking?”
Today we published a translated English version of the first paper ActiveHistory.ca “Why is Vietnam Recovering, while Cuba is Sinking?” written by Yves Montenay, and translated by Michael Poplyansky. Here is the abstract: Abstract Before going their separate ways, Vietnam and Cuba followed similar political and economic paths, making the impact of economic freedom on each country’s development very clear,… Read more »
History for Haiti
Today Foreign Ministers from the ‘Friends of Haiti Group’ are meeting with Jean-Max Bellerive in Montreal to discuss both the current situation in Haiti and longer term plans for the country’s stabilization and reconstruction. As they discuss Haiti’s future, it is important for them to also consider Haiti’s past.
New Active History Paper: David Webster, Narratives of Colonization, Decolonization and Recolonization in Papua
We are happy to publish a paper by David Webster of the University of Regina. This is the third paper written for ActiveHistory.ca. Check back next week for a translation of our first paper: Yves Montenay, Pourquoi le Vietnam s’en tire et Cuba s’enfonce. If you would like to contribute a paper to this website please consult our Paper Guidelines… Read more »
Historical Maps on the Internet
Old maps are useful sources for just about anyone interested in history. Maps easily convey change over time, as they show the expansion of cities, regions, or countries. They also provide useful context to help understand where historical events took place. Thankfully, historical maps are increasingly accessible online for those of you unable to spend days in the map library… Read more »
The Reason for the Season?
A flurry of criticism was directed at MP Scott Brison of Kings-Hants after he sent Christmas cards to his constituents featuring a photo of his family. Criticism stemed not from the fact that Canadian MPs are sending out Christmas cards in such a culturally diverse country. Instead, Brison has come under attack by a vocal group who judge his sexuality. It… Read more »
Copenhagen, Climate Change, and History
Politicians from around the world are meeting this week in Copenhagen for the UN Climate Change Conference, in order to discuss global warming and propose policies to combat this social and environmental concern. Because global warming revolves around the concept of change over time, it is a subject to which historians can make a valuable contribution. There are at least… Read more »