The Museum of War: Accelerating Social Reconciliation in Post-Conflict States

Boisvenue, Valérie (2018) The Museum of War: Accelerating Social Reconciliation in Post-Conflict States. In: ICOMOS 19th General Assembly and Scientific Symposium "Heritage and Democracy", 13-14th December 2017, New Delhi, India. [Conference or Workshop Item]

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Abstract (in English)

When a State emerges from a political, social or armed conflict, the process of re-establishing confidence between two parties can become long and arduous. Different versions of the same conflict may be taught, according to the group of individuals, ethnicity, membership of the establishment or indeed the government’s agenda. The priorities of a museum institution are study, transmission of heritage and education. They are generally intended to proceed via selection and presentation of tangible and intangible evidence of humans and their environment. In the case of nations in post-conflict situations, to these roles may be added that of agent of reconciliation. This symposium provides the opportunity to reflect how a heritage site can be used as a tool for reconstruction of a country and what it might bring to a state emerging from a conflict situation. In the context of this reflection, we propose to analyse two institutions – the War Museum of Canada in Ottawa and the Genocide Memorial Centre at Kigali in Ruanda. The principal mandate of the Canadian War Museums is to address armed confrontations from a pedagogic and constructive perspective. This establishment is distinguished by the quality of its exhibitions, which emphasise human experience in conflict situations. The mandate of the Ruanda Genocide Memorial, by their own account, is to welcome students and those wishing to understand the events of 1994 through presenting witness statements and offering services for conflict victims. These two very different institutions nonetheless set out lessons worth remembering by any nation seeking to reinforce peace via its cultural heritage. Our presentation will therefore deal with two aspects. Firstly we will see how mankind is best at doing everything to protect sites, whilst at the same time, paradoxically, being the greatest threat. We will explore with the tools developed by these two institutions how to become agents of reconciliation between different groups and opinions. We shall see how to avoid the traps of assimilation and the perpetuation of those stereotypes which reinforce hate directed at a particular group.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Authors:	Authors Email Boisvenue, Valérie UNSPECIFIED
Languages:	English
Keywords:	peace; reconciliation; museum; conflict; transmission; education; cultural heritage; Ruanda; Canada; post-war
Subjects:	E.CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION > 09. Social and economic aspects of conservation L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 02. Interpretation L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 06. Musealization L.PRESENTATION AND TRANSMISSION OF HERITAGE > 07. Education
National Committee:	ICOMOS International
ICOMOS Special Collection:	Scientific Symposium (ICOMOS General Assemblies)
ICOMOS Special Collection Volume:	19th General Assembly, New Delhi, 2017
Depositing User:	intern icomos
Date Deposited:	11 Jan 2019 14:14
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2019 14:14
References:	Book Boursier, Jean-Yves (under the direction of) (2005). «Musées de guerre et mémoriaux. Politiques de la mémoire.» France: Éditions de la maison des sciences de l'homme, p.3-13. Todorov, Tzvetan (2000). Mémoire du mal Tentation du bien. Enquête sur le siècle. Paris: Éditions Robert Laffont, 478 p. Paper De Lage, Emilie (2013). «Montrer et dire la guerre en temps de paix. Des pratiques de collection auxpratiques de médiation des collectionneurs d’objets des deux guerres mondiales.»Temuse 14-45. Valoriser la mémoire des témoins et des collectionneurs d’objets des deux Guerres mondiales. Médiation, communication et interprétation muséales en Nord-Pas de Calais et Flandre occidentale, France. pp.41- 58. URL: http://hal.univ-lille3.fr/hal-00836398 Fleury, Celia (2011). « L’expérience des visiteurs dans les musées de la Grande Guerre : quelques pistes pour le dialogisme », ICOFOM Study Series 40, Paris-Taipei, p. 75-85. URL:http://www.academia.edu/9894856/_L_exp%C3%A9rience_des_visiteurs_dans_les_mus%C3%A9e s_de_la_Grande_Guerre_quelques_pistes_pour_le_dialogisme_ICOFOM_Study_Series_40_ParisTaipei_2011_p._75-85 Gueissaz, Mireille et Sophie Wanich (2011). «Les musées de guerres du XXe siècles: lieux du politique?»In Tumultes, no. 16, 2001/1, 192 p. : http://www.cairn.info/revue-tumultes-2001-1.htm. Kanimba Misago, Célestin (2007). « Les instruments de la mémoire. Génocide et traumatisme au Rwanda», Gradhiva [Online], accessed August 28, 2017.; DOI : 10.4000/gradhiva.745 URL : http://gradhiva.revues.org/745 Korman, Rémi. « La politique de mémoire du génocide des Tutsi au Rwanda : enjeux et évolutions », Droit et cultures [Online], 66 | 2013-2, mis en ligne le 20 janvier 2014, accessed October1st, 2017. URL : http://droitcultures.revues.org/3162 Wanich, Sophie. « Transmettre l’effroi, penser la terreur », Gradhiva [Online], 5 | 2007, mis en ligne le 12 juillet 2010, accessed August 22, 2017. DOI : 10.4000/gradhiva.692. URL : http://gradhiva.revues.org/692 Thesis Hamel, Marie-Eve (2016). «Ethnic Belonging of the Children Born out of Rape in Post-Conflict BosniaHerzegovina and Rwanda», Nations and Nationalism.[Online]. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nana.12151/abstract. Consulted the September 8, 2017. Website Institut de la recherche et du dialogue pour la paix de Kigali. [Online] http://www.irenees.net/bdf_ficheacteurs-326_fr.html. Accessed September 8, 2017. Kigali Memorial Center (Official website) URL: http://www.kgm.rw Canadian War Museum (Official website) URL:http://www.museedelaguerre.ca Interview Deruaz, Marie-Louise. Responsible for the educational development of the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa. Interview conducted in September, 2017. Hamel, Marie-Eve. PhD graduate and specialist in violence against women in Rwanda and BosniaHerzegovina. Interview conducted in October 16, 2017.
URI:	https://openarchive.icomos.org/id/eprint/2001

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