The Use of Memory in the Transmission of the Violent Past in New Caledonia

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In the aftermath of communal violence, what narratives of history should be recognised? When memories are painful or even unspeakable, when reconciliation is ongoing or seems unrealisable, what could be the role for schools? These issues are currently central to New Caledonia's struggle to write its history. Civil society is trying to unify New Caledonians, but standing in its way are two sides whose collective memories of the past are in direct competition. This presentation is the result of reflections on issues of remembrance addressed in a doctoral research. Reflection and questioning are still ongoing. The main question raised by this presentation is to know if the memory work, in other words, whether taking into consideration the different interpretations of the past and the various memories of this past in the school context, leads to reconciliation ? The initial interviews show that the answer is ambivalent.

Speaker

Clara Filippi is a Nouméa-born PhD candidate, currently a Visiting Fellow at the ANU, doing her PhD at UCLouvain and she’s interested in how New Caledonia transmits its violent past (a period called the “Events”). She completed her schooling in New Caledonia and left for her Bachelor's degree in Montreal. Before leaving to Belgium for her Master’s degree, she spent some time in the New Caledonian government, working on customary affairs and familiarised herself with local customary law. On her return from Belgium, Clara became involved in the civils’ society initiatives before founding the project “school of peace” 3 years ago with 2 of the 3 provinces of New Caledonia. It promotes peace, empathetic listening and reconciliation in classrooms by teaching non-violent communication that encourages cooperation between students and the discovery of different cultures.

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