Narratives of Memory and Forgiveness Conference…
Yazir Henri from Action Centre for Peace and Memory
A thought provoking session that left the audience in silence as Henri spoke of how survivors of apartheid in South Africa have to find common ground to mediate in order to publicly articulate them-selves 10 years after TRC hearings.
Yazir presented ideas from the paper he wrote which was looking at the current cultural issues and socio-political challenges that are present to date and are somewhat hindering the individual to heal and recover fully. He reflected on survivors’ experiences and suggested the importance of having a voice, in a public space, that allows one to narrate ones experiences in manner that will allow South Africa to recover from the extremities of violence during the apartheid era.
When asked what the Centre for Peace and Memory is doing to promote and ensure that stories are told in manner that does not undermine the narrators or the users of information, Henri responded that a lot more collective action needs to take place with their organisation.
If anything the paper presented by Henri highlighted that the Centre for Peace and Memory could help bring together the survivors of South Africa to reconcile in order to collectively articulate their experiences 10 years after the TRC.
www.dacpm.org.za
