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In 1945, as the world emerged from the ashes of the Second World War, little did people know that it was about to be engulfed by a new wave of conflict, destruction, and mass migration. A new wave that historians today call the wars of decolonization (or national liberation). The imperial governments that opposed them at the time steadfastly refused to call them wars, opting for terms like uprising, rebellion, insurgency, and emergency. For about three decades, the efforts of various special interest groups led to the dissolution of several European intercontinental empires and the creation of nation-states all around the globe. But what do we mean by special interest groups and how have they concretely affected the decolonization process?Decolonization, a Complex ProcessSoldiers taking position in a destroyed house during World War II, photograph by Dmitri Baltermants. Source: Smith College Museum of ArtObvious as it may seem, decolonization is the process of reversing colonization, more accurately, the political, economic, and cultural undoing of colonialism. 20th-century decolonization is usually framed between two dates: 1945, marking the end of the Second World War, and 1975, the year of the Carnation Revolution in Portugal and the dissolution of the Portuguese Empire. However, its actual temporal boundaries are more unclear.Colonialism rarely ends with the departure of the colonial authorities from a colonized country. The internalized psychological and cultural effects of colonialism linger on, as generations of the colonized try to shake off the negative and stereotypical self-understandings imposed on them by decades (and sometimes centuries) of colonialism to create what Frantz Fanon (1925-1961) calls the new self.Portuguese soldiers withdrawing from Angola, photograph by Horst Faas, 1975. Source: Wikimedia CommonsDecolonization, he writes in The Wretched of the Earth (1961), never takes place unnoticed, for it influences individuals and modifies them fundamentally. It transforms spectators crushed with their inessentiality into privileged actors, with the grandiose glare of historys floodlights upon them. It brings a natural rhythm into existence, introduced by new men, and with it a new language and a new humanity. Decolonization is the veritable creation of new men.In some countries, independence was achieved peacefully through negotiations, treaties, demonstrations, mass strikes, and boycotts. Ghana, for example, was the first African colony to achieve independence from Great Britain in 1957 through non-violent means. That was also the case in other African countries, such as Botswana and Zambia.A young woman celebrating Ghanas Independence Anniversary in 2017. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn many former colonies, however, the colonial authorities refused to relinquish power and accept the transition initiated by local leaders. Various nationalist movements in two of Portugals most important colonies, Mozambique and Angola, waged a guerrilla campaign against Portuguese forces for more than a decade before the fall of the Portuguese Empire in 1975. Thousands of people paid with their lives for the blind determination of the French, Portuguese, and British governments to deny them self-determination. Thousands more died in the political instability that followed decolonization, as in Angola, which was plunged into one of the deadliest wars in the history of the African continent, a 26-year-long war that, it could be argued, was the direct result of decades of colonial rule.What Do We Mean by Special Interest Groups?People attending the annual LGBT-even Stockholm Pride parade in Sweden, photographed by Jonatan Svensson Glad, 2015. Source: Wikimedia CommonsSpecial Interest Groups (SIGs) are formally organized associations of people who share the same goals, demands, and concerns. These groups can be made up of specialized individuals or organizations and companies, ranging from Indigenous and non-Indigenous environmental organizations (such as the World Rainforest Movement, which protects and advances the claims of forest-dependent communities in the Global South, or Amazon Watch, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the Brazilian rainforest) to labor organizations (such as the Irish Farmers Association, founded in 1955, which represents the rights and demands of Irish farmers) and civil rights groups (such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in the United States).SIGs also include religious organizations such as the American Jewish Committee (AJC), LGBTQ-rights groups, and international human rights NGOs such as Amnesty International and Mdecins Sans Frontires (Doctors Without Borders).Amazon, Brazil, photograph by Nathalia Segato. Source: UnsplashWhat unites these diverse groups is their determination to influence and/or change government policy on a particular issue. They do so in a variety of ways, from lobbying to mass strikes, from political negotiations to (violent and non-violent) demonstrations. Special Interest Groups can exist at all levels: local, provincial, national, and international. Some are defined as single-issue groups because they promote and raise awareness on a single issue, while others are more broadly based. Sometimes their actions enjoy general public support, particularly in democratic parliamentary systems.Others, such as LGBTQ-rights groups operating in authoritarian or semi-authoritarian regimes, often face discrimination and opposition from both an unsympathetic public and the government and may have to operate unofficially and in secret to protect the physical well-being of their members.Empowerment Through EducationDeer Hunt, painting by Kiowa artist Stephen Mopope. Source: Gilcrease MuseumIn many museums across Canada, visitors are now greeted by explanatory panels written not only in English and French (as in Qubec), but also in the Indigenous languages spoken by the local Indigenous groups. Many museums in North America and Australia include opening messages on their websites to acknowledge the Custodians of the lands on which they were built.For example, the Western Australia Museum and the State Library of Western Australia recognize the strength and culture of the Nyoongar Whadjuk people, while the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the traditional owners of the land and waters upon which the MCA stands. In Toronto, Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) acknowledges that it operates on land that is Michi Saagig Nishnawbe territory, which over time has also been occupied by other Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat confederacies.One Way Ticket to Hell, a painting by Aboriginal artist Aunty Fay Moseley remembering the tragedy of the Stolen Generations in Australia, 2012-2020. Source: Australian MuseumThe McCord Steward Museum in Montral/Tiohti:ke not only acknowledges that its building sits on land used and occupied by Indigenous peoples for millennia that has never been ceded by treaty, but also that colonialism has had devastating consequences on First Peoples. Thousands of miles to the west, the Manitoba Museum recognizes that We are on Treaty No.1 land, the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Ininwak, and Michif, and that these lands, water, and waterways are the unceded territories of the Dakota, and the homeland of the Red River Mtis Nation. The list goes on.These are the most visible results of decades of efforts by Indigenous anti-colonial movements and organizations across North America to raise awareness of the continuing impact of colonialism on their lives and their determination to ensure the revival of their ancestral languages and cultures.The McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal is one of those museums that publicly acknowledge the Indigenous people whose lands it was built on. Source: McCord Stewart MuseumThe Native Womens Association of Canada (NWAC), the Manitoba Mtis Federation (MMF), the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami ( ) are just a few of the many political organizations created by First Nations across what is now Canada to defend their rights.By organizing protests, hosting powwows (most of which are open to non-Indigenous audiences), and using their ancestral languages in books and music alongside European languages, Indigenous activists, politicians, and artists continue to prioritize education as a tool for revitalization, self-determination, and, ultimately, empowerment. But Canadas First Nations are not alone.Standing Figure Container, Colombia, 1500 BC-100 AD (Ilama Tradition). Source: Muse des beaux-arts de MontralIn Australia, the Kimberly Land Council (KLC) has been working with Aboriginal people to secure native title recognition, conduct conservation and land management activities and develop cultural business enterprises for over 40 years, since it was established at Noonkanbah Station, on the Fitzroy River in the south-central Kimberley region of Western Australia, in May 1978.In Colombia, the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (Organizacin Nacional Indgena de Colombia) has been fighting since 1982 to defend the autonomy, history, and culture of Indigenous Colombians, the countrys Indigenous peoples. Similar peaceful organizations exist throughout Central and South America, in Peru, Mexico, and Ecuador, as well as in Africa.Fostering and Celebrating a Pan-African IdentityPostage stamp commemorating Kwame Nkrumah and Ghanas Independence. Source: Wikimedia CommonsIn December 1958, the All-African Peoples Conference (AAPC) galvanized the struggle of African colonies against British (as well as Portuguese and French) colonialism. Held in Accra, Ghana, it lasted six days, from December 8 to 13, 1958, and was the first major pan-African conference to bring together hundreds of leaders of various groups, from youth organizations to nationalist movements, directly on African soil, away from the centers of European power.The location was highly symbolic. Under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah (1909-1972), the first president of Ghana and father of the influential Ghanaian activist and politician Samia Nkrumah, Ghana became the first African colony to gain independence from Great Britain on March 6, 1957. Nkrumahs opening speech set the tone for the conference as a gathering of Africans speaking for Africa and Africans.Amansuri Lake, Ghana, photograph by Ato Aikins. Source: UnsplashBefore that, Africans had had Pan-African Congresses before in fact, five of them but all of these, by force of circumstances, were carried on outside Africa and under much difficulty.The 1945 Pan-African Congress, for example, organized and made up largely of those outside Africa who had the cause of African freedom at heart, had been held in Manchester, on British soil.By the late 1950s, however, circumstances had changed. The purpose of the 1958 Conference was to promote solidarity and cooperation between colonized nations (and diaspora communities), primarily in Africa, but ideally throughout the world. As Nkrumah said in his opening speech, If we are to attain the major objective to which we are all committed the total liberation of Africa then it is necessary to bury our political hatchets in the interest of Africas supreme need.The stated goal of the Pan African Heritage Museum is to create an environment for people of African descent and all others to discover and experience the true history of the origins of humanity. Source: Pan African Heritage MuseumAt the conference, in a powerful celebration of African identity, Nkrumah urged his fellow African leaders and citizens not to be afraid to proclaim their right to self-determination openly and freely to the world, to make no apology to anyone for seeking self-determination and freedom.By encouraging grassroots participation and involving civil society in the anti-colonial struggle, the 1958 Conference also emphasized the importance of Pan-Africanism in achieving independence. It also served to reinforce the belief that the freedom of an African nation was inextricably linked to the freedom of the African continent as a whole, therefore creating and nurturing a cohesive, all-encompassing anti-colonial narrative.The cause that African nations are called to embrace, Nkrumah said in his opening speech, is a noble and irresistible Cause. As long as we remain true to that Cause the Cause of national freedom and independence we have nothing to fear but fear itself.Paramilitary Groups or Special Interest Groups?Paula Baeza Pailamilla, a Mapuche artist raising awareness on the history of her people and the colonization of Chile, photograph by Irene Arango, Territori Festival. Source: Wereldmuseum LeidenParamilitary groups, like Special Interest Groups, are organizations made up of individuals who are committed to a cause and have a particular political and/or religious agenda. This has led some to include paramilitary groups in the category of SIGs, but it is not that simple. What distinguishes paramilitary organizations from SIGs are the methods the former use to achieve their goals.Paramilitary groups typically operate outside the law and outside the normal military framework. Their heavily armed members use force, coercion, and violence, both physical and psychological, to achieve their goals and punish or kill anyone who does not share their aims or prevents them from achieving them. In many cases, they target members of the police, as well as public and private property. On the other hand, Special Interest Groups are inherently non-violent and determined to abide by the law.Four Araucanians outside their home in Chile, 1920s. Source: Wikimedia CommonsSome paramilitary groups are politically motivated, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) or the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), while others, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria, pursue an agenda rooted in religion and animated by the belief that state and religion should go hand in hand. Some organizations, such as the Coordinadora Arauco-Malleco (CAM), in Chile, operate on the borderline between violence and non-violence.CAMs actions have a very clear, anti-colonial aim: to regain control of the ancestral lands of the Mapuche, the indigenous people of south-central Chile and south-west Argentina, which were seized during the so-called Pacification of Araucana, and to protect them from the invasive and destructive power of mining and logging companies. These lands are now owned by landowners and corporations. To this end, they have allegedly often resorted to arson attacks and sabotage against the companies machinery and property.Protesters clashing with the British Army in front of an IRA sign during riots in William Street, Derry/Londonderry, Northern Ireland, 1972. Source: The Museum of Free DerrySome paramilitary groups operate in the context of civil war. This was the case with the IRA and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF), two of the various paramilitary groups active in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. While Irish Nationalists in the IRA sought Irish unity and the withdrawal of British forces from the island of Ireland, the UVF and its members, Loyalist Protestants, fought to maintain Northern Irelands status within the United Kingdom. While paramilitary groups cant be categorized as special interest groups because of their reliance on violence, physical and psychological, they share with SIGs a determination to champion a cause, in some cases directly linked to decolonization.Aboriginal Australian activist Faith Bandler, celebrating the historic outcome of the 1967 referendum in June 1967. Source: National Museum of AustraliaFrom Africa to Chile, from Australia to North America, the actions of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) have contributed to the dissolution of European empires and the creation (sometimes peacefully, sometimes violently) of nation-states around the world. The process historians call decolonization continues in many countries today, albeit in different ways.When visitors enter a museum and have the opportunity to read explanatory panels in English alongside the language of the indigenous group on whose land the museum was built, they are engaging in a form of decolonization, decolonization through education and culture. Decolonization continues in the form of sabotage, demonstrations, boycotts, and legal battles, such as those many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have waged since the 1970s to have their connection to their ancestral lands officially recognized.

Andrew Williams/Norfolk County CouncilThe pendant bears some resemblance to coins minted in the 860s and 870s.Metal detectorists often stumble across treasures in England. But a metal detectorist in Dunton, Norfolk, recently came across an especially unusual discovery: a ninth-century coin pendant depicting John the Baptist. The artifact is unusual in a number of ways. For starters, religious figures are rarely seen portrayed on such objects from this period in English history. For another, the type of coin was typically made by Scandinavians, who werent yet Christian at the time. So, where did it come from? This is the question that experts are still trying to answer.The John The Baptist Coin Pendant Found In DuntonAccording to the BBC, the coin pendant was found by a metal detectorist in Dunton, a small village in Norfolk. It is a gold imitation solidus coin with a hole pierced through the top so that it could be worn as a pendant. Andrew Williams/Norfolk County CouncilOne side of the coin pendant depicts a bearded man seemingly meant to be John the Baptist. Though the relic is broken, its possible to make out most of the Latin words inscribed upon it. IOAN is written on one side alongside a depiction of a bearded man. The opposite side includes a cross surrounded by the words BABTIS T EVVAN. Together, this translates to John, Baptist and Evangelist.Numismatist Simon Coupland told the BBC that the coin likely dates to the 860s or 870s. Its lettering matches other coins from that era the Carolingian period, between 751 and 887 C.E. and imitation coins like this one were often valued enough to be used as jewelry, which explains the piercing.Andrew Williams/Norfolk County CouncilThe other side of the coin pendant depicts a cross and a Latin inscription. However, in other ways, the coin is an extremely unusual find. Questions About The Bizarre Coin PendantIn Christianity, John the Baptist is an important figure. A prophet and a precursor to Jesus Christ, John the Baptist baptized Jesus just before he began his public ministry.Gallerie dellAccademiaA 16th-century depiction of John the Baptist. But as Coupland told the BBC, the figure of John the Baptist is a highly unusual one for a coin from the Carolingian period. In Western Europe at the time, coins usually depicted kings not religious figures. And Coupland has never seen a similar depiction of John the Baptist on a Carolingian-era coin. [A] figure of John the Baptist on a coin is so unusual and remarkable I dont know of another John the Baptist from the Carolingian period; its bizarre its not like anything else I know, Coupland stated. The coin is unusual for another reason as well. These imitation solidus coins were typically made by Scandinavians. But in 870, much of northern Europe was still under the control of the Vikings. The Norsemen had not yet converted to Christianity, so Coupland told the BBC that hes baffled that they would have made a coin depicting John the Baptist. So now you see why it is such a mysterious find, Coupland said. [I]ts like a child with a hexagonal shaped object trying to fit it into squares when it doesnt fit at all.Experts are currently analyzing the coin pendant to determine if it is a treasure, a proceeding that studies the artifacts age and the composition of its precious metals. If it is indeed deemed a treasure, the nearby Norwich Castle Museum hopes to acquire it.In the meantime, many questions remain about the unusual coin. Its unknown why it depicts John the Baptist or who created it. But it stands as just the latest remarkable find made by a metal detectorist in England. Over the last several years, metal detectorists in the country have come across a number of other exciting treasures, including a Roman brooch, a hoard of Roman coins, a Bronze Age rapier, and a rare 14th-century leopard coin that later sold for more than $200,000. These objects, always fascinating and frequently mysterious, make up a patchwork of stories about Englands history. The John the Baptist coin pendant belongs to this intriguing heritage, though many questions about its provenance, its maker, and its purpose still remain. After reading about the unusual John the Baptist coin pendant discovered in England, go inside the question of what Jesus Christ looked like. Or, discover the story of Golgotha, the Biblical site where Jesus was crucified. The post A Metal Detectorist In England Has Uncovered A Bizarre 1,100-Year-Old Coin Depicting John The Baptist appeared first on All That's Interesting.

In June 2009, the comedy website Something Awful issued a call for people to submit a modern scary story. Thousands of submissions rolled in, but one story about a mythical creature called Slender Man rippled through the internet thanks to its creepy featureless face and ghostly figure.But even though Slender Man started out as a harmless internet legend, it would eventually inspire two girls to murder their own friend. In May 2014, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, both 12 years old, lured their friend Payton Leutner, also 12 years old, into the woods of Waukesha, Wisconsin.Geyser and Weier, who wanted to become Slender Mans proxies, believed that they had to kill Leutner in order to please the fictional creature. So when the girls found a remote location in the park, they took the opportunity to strike. Geyser stabbed Leutner 19 times as Weier looked on, and they then left Leutner for dead. But miraculously, she survived.This is the shocking true story of the brutal attack on Payton Leutner and how she bounced back after an almost unimaginable betrayal.The Troubled Friendship Of Payton Leutner, Morgan Geyser, And Anissa WeierThe Geyser FamilyPayton Leutner, Morgan Geyser, and Anissa Weier, pictured before the Slender Man stabbing.Born in 2002, Payton Leutner was raised in Wisconsin and had a relatively normal early life. Then, when she entered the fourth grade, she befriended Morgan Geyser, a shy but funny girl who was often sitting by herself.Though Leutner and Geyser got along well at first, their friendship changed by the time the girls reached the sixth grade. According to ABC News, thats when Geyser befriended another classmate named Anissa Weier.Leutner was never a fan of Weier and even described her as cruel. The situation only worsened as both Weier and Geyser became fixated on Slender Man. Meanwhile, Leutner wasnt interested in the viral story at all.I thought it was odd. It kind of frightened me a little bit, Leutner said. But I went along with it. I was supportive because I thought thats what she liked.Similarly, Leutner learned to tolerate Weier whenever she was around because she wasnt willing to let her friendship with Geyser dissipate. But before long, Leutner realized that was a mistake a nearly fatal one.Inside The Brutal Slender Man StabbingWaukesha Police DepartmentPayton Leutner was stabbed 19 times during the 2014 attack and one stab nearly hit her heart.Unbeknownst to Payton Leutner, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier had been planning her murder for months. Desperate to impress Slender Man, Geyser and Weier allegedly believed that they had to kill Leutner so they could impress the legendary creature and live with him in the woods.Geyser and Weier originally plotted to stab Leutner on May 30, 2014. That day, the trio was celebrating Geysers 12th birthday with a seemingly innocent slumber party. Still, Leutner had a strange feeling about that night.According to the New York Post, the girls had enjoyed multiple sleepovers in the past, and Geyser had always wanted to stay up all night. But this time, she wanted to go to bed early which Leutner found really weird.Sure enough, Geyser and Weier were planning to kill Leutner in her sleep, but they ultimately agreed that they were too tired to do so after roller-skating earlier that day. By the next morning, they had hatched a new plan. As they later told police, Geyser and Weier decided to lure Leutner into a nearby park. There, in a park bathroom, Weier attempted to knock Leutner out by pushing her into the concrete wall, but it didnt work. While Leutner was mad about Weiers behavior, she was convinced by Geyser and Weier to follow them into a remote part of the woods for a game of hide-and-seek.Once there, Payton Leutner covered herself in sticks and leaves as her hiding place at Weiers urging. Then, Geyser suddenly stabbed Leutner 19 times with a kitchen knife, viciously slicing through her arms, legs, and torso.Geyser and Weier then left Leutner for dead, as they walked off to find Slender Man. Instead, they would soon be picked up by the police and they would later learn that their macabre mission had failed.Despite Leutners grisly injuries, she somehow mustered the strength to pull herself up and flag down help from a cyclist, who quickly called the police. Leutner explained, I got up, grabbed a couple trees for support, I think. And then just walked until I hit a patch of grass where I could lay down.By the time Leutner had awoken in the hospital after a six-hour-long surgery, her attackers had already been caught which brought her immense relief.Where Is Payton Leutner Now?YouTubePayton Leutner first spoke publicly about the Slender Man stabbing in 2019.After years of healing, Payton Leutner decided to tell her own story to ABC News in 2019. Surprisingly, she expressed gratitude for her traumatic experience, saying that it inspired her to pursue a career in medicine. As she put it: Without the whole situation, I wouldnt be who I am. Now, as of 2022, Leutner is in college and doing very well, as reported by ABC News.Up until her public interview, most of the media coverage on the case had focused on Geyser and Weier, who were both charged with attempted first-degree intentional homicide in the aftermath of the attack.Geyser pleaded guilty, but she was found not guilty by reason of mental disease. She was sentenced to 40 years in Winnebago Mental Health Institute, near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where she remains today.Weier also pleaded guilty but to a lesser charge of being a party to attempted second-degree intentional homicide. And she was also found not guilty by reason of mental disease and sentenced to a mental health institute. But unlike Geyser, Weier was released early on good behavior in 2021, meaning that she had served just a few years of her sentence. She was then required to move in with her father.Though Leutners family expressed disappointment at Weiers early release, they are relieved that she is required to receive psychiatric treatment, agree to GPS monitoring, and avoid any contact with Leutner until at least 2039.Back in 2019, Leutner spoke optimistically about her bright future and her deep desire to put everything behind me and live my life normally. Fortunately, it seems like shes doing just that.After reading about Payton Leutner, discover the shocking story of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the 10-year-old killers who murdered a toddler. Then, take a look at the brutal crimes of the 10-year-old murderer Mary Bell.The post Who Is Payton Leutner, The Girl Who Nearly Died In The Infamous Slender Man Stabbing? appeared first on All That's Interesting.