By Swapnarka Arnan The French Revolution stands as one of the most influential uprisings in world history. It ushered in the First French Republic and famously sent the former king to his death by guillotine. And although the monarchy was restored a few times in the years that followed, modern France remains a republic, with the revolutionary ideals of republicanism and democracy not only forming a pillar of its government but also deeply embedded in its national identity. Ye

By Lenka Lalie What does “Caldoche” mean? It is a common word used in New Caledonia to talk about a specific group of people: the descendants of the prisoners sent to New-Caledonia from the 1860’s to the 1990’s. However, this identity tends to be simplified by the media as it has a complex history related to it. After becoming a French colony in 1853, the small island served as a penal colony (the first one being Guyana). In 1864, the first prisoners arrived from France. The

By Sam Rea Rankin I recently had the opportunity to visit Le Quesnoy, a small, fortified town near the Franco/Belgian border and it's somewhere that may not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of Franco/Kiwi relations. Yet, this town is rich in history and holds a deep connection with Aotearoa New Zealand. On the 4th of November 1918, Kiwi soldiers of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade liberated the village in a somewhat unconventional manner. Foregoing artillery