The conference curriculum will be composed of panel modules that will take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Each addresses a unique aspect of the peace process, drawing in academics, professionals, and community organizers to closely examine the intricacies of creating peaceful societies. From responses to psychological trauma to the construction of physical infrastructure for equitable settlements, these panels provide something for everyone. If you can’t make it to all of them, be sure to come out to a couple that interest you and explore some of the interdisciplinary components of peace.
Memorialization: An Interface of Past and Present
This topic will explore the institutionalization of memory for the victories and tragedies of conflict, through art, statuary, monuments, literature, and other fundamentally creative media. Long after the initial events have passed, memorials continue to shape and influence group identity and narratives of conflict. This process exists world- over, but is especially salient in the aftermath of totalitarianism when history itself has been contested and entire communities are traumatized. Whether following the Holocaust, Soviet tyranny, or South American death squads, the cries of victims and valiance of heroes echoes through to modern times and modern conflict. As an empirical question, we seek to understand how communities and individuals interact with memorials both immediately post-conflict and in the longer term. As a normative question, we seek to discover methods of memorialization that further the cause of peace by educating populations as to their past without inflaming group relations. We further aim to investigate the best procedures for implementing such methods. Answers to such questions could be readily applied in both the Canadian and the international contexts. The panel to address this topic will include both academics and professionals and will draw from a variety of disciplines such as history, literature, ethnography, and architecture.
