When the sun sets in Moengo’s Ronnie Brunswijk stadium, the man after whom the sports arena is named makes his entrance. Brunswijk is here to celebrate the 28th anniversary of the founding of...
“Dance, sister! Dance!” Dina is prodding my side, encouraging me to stand up and dance. “My friend is asking you to dance!” She points at her smartphone, which is videotaping us. A red sign with...
The state-sanctioned persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar has caused worldwide outrage. But why is this happening just when Myanmar has become...
Despite rich Islamic artistic traditions, people tend to portray Islam as hostile to visual culture. Yet images often inform the ways in which Muslims negotiate religious authority. Practices of image-making in Indonesia and Malaysia illustrate this...
The first month of what seems to be the longest season of the year evokes warm associations with tradition, homeliness and joy: Gezelligheid. Simultaneously, early ...
Are we talking ‘Revolution’ or ‘Decolonization’? Where can these perspectives meet? The Universitas Gadjah Mada’s Department of History in Yogyakarta hosted a two-day workshop to discuss these questions. Gert Oostindie notes his personal impressions....
I was ill-prepared for what happened when I finally emerged from the famous ‘rolling hills’ of Tuscany as a freshly-minted PhD in History from the European University Institute in May. Simply put, ...
My work usually focuses on the semi-villains who animate local politics. Here is a celebration of one of its heroes. As a researcher working on murky topics like corruption and violence, I usually write only about the shady types. My explorations of...
In times of disaster, we are confronted with and shocked by the disrupting impact on our daily lives. Disasters, however, also reveal and enlarge structural inequalities, and power politics that already...
Almost three weeks ago Hurricane Irma raged in full force over many Caribbean islands and Florida. It was the largest category-5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, breaking all known ...