Individual Presentation or Panel Title
Representations of Peace
Abstract
Representations of Peace: The effects of museums on the peace process in Northern Ireland.
In 2010, the Northern Irish government confirmed long debated plans to turn the Maze, site of the infamous IRA Hunger Strikes of 1981, into “an International Conflict Transformation Centre.” The goal of this museum, and of others similar to it, will be to educate future generations about the torrid conflict in Northern Ireland, and through this education, stop the continuation of violence. This presentation seeks to understand how the peace process in Northern Ireland is represented in international, Northern Irish and British museums, and further, how these representations affect the sustainability of the peace process. I argue that museums can meet the eight goals of reconciliation as set forth by David Crocker, and that by meeting these goals, museums can aid to the sustainability of the peace process. Close examination of representations, ‘repress-entations’, and other political and cultural factors will demonstrate how a peace museum can construct more inclusive notions of citizenship and help build peace after conflict.
Location
Goodwin Private Dining Room
Start Date
20-4-2013 3:30 PM
End Date
20-4-2013 4:20 PM
Representations of Peace
Goodwin Private Dining Room
Representations of Peace: The effects of museums on the peace process in Northern Ireland.
In 2010, the Northern Irish government confirmed long debated plans to turn the Maze, site of the infamous IRA Hunger Strikes of 1981, into “an International Conflict Transformation Centre.” The goal of this museum, and of others similar to it, will be to educate future generations about the torrid conflict in Northern Ireland, and through this education, stop the continuation of violence. This presentation seeks to understand how the peace process in Northern Ireland is represented in international, Northern Irish and British museums, and further, how these representations affect the sustainability of the peace process. I argue that museums can meet the eight goals of reconciliation as set forth by David Crocker, and that by meeting these goals, museums can aid to the sustainability of the peace process. Close examination of representations, ‘repress-entations’, and other political and cultural factors will demonstrate how a peace museum can construct more inclusive notions of citizenship and help build peace after conflict.