Collective memories, Human Rights and resistance

Concern for collective memory arises in societies attempting to overcome the violence of war, armed conflict, or dictatorship in order to build democratic forms of coexistence. Collective memory is presented as part of the transitional process, as a strategy for repairing the damage caused by violence, and as an element that would ensure such acts of violence never happen again. However, in the 21st century, the focus on this issue is shifting from reflections on violence and its traumatic effects to a quest to understand the present through its connection to the past. The central concern is no longer solely on recovering the memory of victims of human rights violations, but rather on the multiplicity of voices that construct narratives about the past, and on recovering not only experiences of pain but, above all, of struggles and resistance, and their connection to processes such as gender relations and migration.

We assume that collective memory constitutes a field of conflict where what is at stake is not only interpretations of the past, but also the meanings of who we are as a society and of our possible futures. The symbolic power of memory lies in its capacity to produce subjects, relationships, and social imaginaries—a power that makes it a potential source of resistance, instability, and transformation. But the mere act of remembering or forgetting certain events does not guarantee its transformative character; rather, this depends on the capacity of its practices to challenge the prevailing hegemonic versions within a given social order. Embracing this challenge, in this educational space we seek to jointly analyze the actions we undertake when remembering, problematizing the versions of the past they produce and, at the same time, promoting the construction of new interpretations and meanings that nourish different and dynamic ways of producing social subjects. The resurgence of authoritarian regimes in Latin America makes it urgent not only to remember the violence they have perpetrated in our recent history, but also to understand the elements that contributed to their reestablishment.

Always using memory as a key to understanding, we will explore its connections to the political struggles unfolding in the present. We will critically reflect on the construction and political uses of spaces of memory, the category of enforced disappearance and its current applications, as well as the phenomenon of contemporary migrations. We invite you to consider the possible relationships between memory and gender from a feminist perspective.

GENERAL OBJECTIVES

To know and understand contemporary debates on collective memory, the relationships between elaborations of the past and contemporary violence; and the place of these elaborations in the configuration of resistance. 

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Describe and analyze experiences of development and implementation of memory policies, Human Rights and resistance practices in Latin America.
• Reflect critically on:

1. The links between collective memory processes and political struggles in Latin America.
2. The potential of memory spaces to intervene in the debate on current dilemmas involving new forms of violence or violations of rights.
3. The articulation of the field of memory and gender and feminist perspectives, taking into consideration the theoretical, methodological and political consequences of this framework.
4. The transformation and analytical possibilities of the category of disappearance based on its transnationalization and current uses in various contexts.
5. The potential of the interwoven analysis between collective memories and migrations to challenge traditional understandings of both phenomena and open spaces for their reconsideration.
6. The connections between artistic expressions and social movements.

The Specialization and the International Course are aimed at university graduates; postgraduate students; teachers; activists and members of trade union organizations, social movements and political parties; public officials; press workers; members and managers of non-governmental organizations and professionals interested in the area.

A university degree/undergraduate degree or equivalent is required.

The Specialization in Collective Memories, Human Rights and Resistance will last 12 months and requires the following for accreditation:

• An intensive seminar
• An international course
• Two elective virtual seminars from the curriculum
• A writing support workshop
• The preparation of a final integrative project

The Specialization accredits 360 hours/teacher of work and is certified by CLACSO and FLACSO Brazil. 

The International Course can be taken independently without enrolling in the Specialization program. For students admitted in the second intake, the course will run between February and December 2023. The following is required for accreditation:

• The realization and approval of an intensive seminar corresponding to the first 5 classes of the international course. 
• Once the intensive seminar is completed, the students will be enrolled in the international course and will attend the following 7 classes.

The International Course is accredited with 90 lecture hours and is certified by CLACSO and FLACSO Brazil.

Students will have the support of academic tutors who will accompany them through the different curricular areas and guide them in the completion of final projects.

CLARIFICATION: Those who enroll in the complete Specialization should not enroll in the International Course separately.

Course materials will be offered in both Spanish and Portuguese. Similarly, the course bibliography may be provided in either of the two official languages. Student contributions to discussion forums may also be in these languages. The final research paper may be written in either Spanish or Portuguese.

The certification of the Specialization and the International Course will be carried out by the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (Flacso Brazil) and by the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO).