Reconciliation and Remembering: (How) Does It Work?
Rigney, Ann. “Reconciliation and Remembering: (How) Does It Work?” Memory Studies 5, no. 3 (July 2012): 251–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/1750698012440927.
This article explores the relationship between reconciliation and remembering in post-conflict societies, emphasizing the significance of public acts of remembrance in shaping the future and fostering peace and stability. It highlights the role of transitional justice in addressing past violence and the need to come to terms with historical injustices. Rigney discusses various mnemonic practices beyond legal tribunals and truth commissions, shedding light on the complexities of public remembrance in post-conflict settings and explores how these practices impact social relations and individual subjects, emphasizing the fluid and often non-linear nature of memory-making processes. Rigney also highlights the challenges of achieving a clean break with the past due to moral, emotional, and political resistances, and argues for a processual and relational approach to collective memory-making, emphasizing the ongoing interactions between past and present visions. The argue also explores the performative aspects of remembrance, including public apologies, symbolic gestures, and commemorative ceremonies, as essential components of reconciliation efforts. I found this article particularly interesting as it provides an insight in how reconciliation and remembrance can intersect in productive ways in post-conflict societies