Summary
Making history is a project that engages with local nations, cultures and communities, examining history from a hybrid cultural internet perspective. The project engages with local and online groups, and plays an active role in constructing history and culture. This construction is not mediated by the usual authoritarian structures that determine history.

On August 29th 2009 at ISEA in Belfast Ireland, history was made. The date 10 August 1976 was selected by Irish and international online voters to be incorporated into the history of internet micronation the District of Leistavia.

On the 10th of August 1976 British soldiers were pursuing IRA fugitive Danny Lennon and shot him at the wheel of his car. The car veered off the road and killed Joanne, John and Andrew Maguire, children of Anne and Jackie Maguire.

The aunt of the children Mairead Maguire, with Betty Williams who made a plea for peace and journalist Ciaran McKeown, formed the Peace People organisation from the tragedy. Maguire and Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts, and Maguire is a peace activist to this day.

The image above is the visualisation of the project. Four dates were could be voted for, ranging from 190BCE to 2009. The bird and crosses image relates to the 1976 date - the bird is based on the Peace People logo. Originally it was planned to use three crosses, one for each of the children. However this gave an unwanted religious overtone, and it was pointed out that in fact four people died that day.

As it happens, since 1976 there has been ill feeling between the IRA and the family of the children. The IRA contended that British bullets killed the children and therefore they wanted the bodies to be exhumed. Having four crosses around the Peace People logo healed wounds three decades old.

Making history is District of Leistavia project. The District of Leistavia functions to critique culture and identity in a hybrid global context. To review the dates nominated for Making history and related project material, click here. I would like to acknowledge the contribution of Gerry Grehan and the many people who contributed their thoughts and input to this project.

If you would like to see more about Leistavia, follow this link.