Enabling youth through education

Sri Lanka is still recovering from the aftermath of the civil war and the political insurrections. In order to progress with communal healing, it is important to remember and memorialise the loss of loved ones and engage in the process of transitional justice

• Importance of a women’s perspective to memorialisation studies to achieve reconciliation

By Kamini Rathnayake

Expressing his views on the importance of preserving memory at a roundtable discussion organised by the Centre for Equality and Justice (CEJ) on ‘The Missing Link’: Women and Youth Unite to Reconcile through Memory, Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies (BCIS) Academic George Cooke explained: “I have met students where, when I say July 1983, they ask ‘July 1983? What about it?’ [They] may not know, may have not experienced it, and may not understand it.”

Sri Lanka is still recovering from the aftermath of the civil war and the political insurrections. In order to progress with communal healing, it is important to remember and memorialise the loss of loved ones and engage in the process of transitional justice, ensuring that the reality of what happened and why is contemplated. The incidents Sri Lanka has witnessed are proof that youth play a pivotal role and their awareness and education of our history is paramount in this context.

International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (2003) stated: “.... Reconciliation is both a goal — something to achieve, and a process — a means to achieve that goal.” It is an evolving process of healing and transition, and memorialisation is deemed a way to realise this objective. Dr. Menik Wakkumbura of the University of Colombo believes that they go hand in hand: “The two words, memorialisation and reconciliation have a remarkably close link.” 

Presenting at the roundtable discussion, socio-cultural anthropologist and feminist scholar the late Dr. Malathi de Alwis described memorialisation as a process of preserving memory about people, events, places and objects, and that it involves mental exertion and social practices and networking.

The difference of context we are seeking here is a deviation from the widely known understanding of reconciliation, to a rather practical and grounded lens into a post-war society. CEJ Executive Director Shyamala Gomez, at a panel discussion on ‘Preventing and Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) as a Tool of War’, hosted in partnership by The Secretary’s Office for Global Women’s Issues, Search for Common Ground, and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, stated: “Women need tangible results.” This perspective to reconciliation is often overlooked and misunderstood, but is the most pragmatic as, when exploring war and conflict-affected areas and communities, it is evident that it is women who have been left to suffer the most losses, both physically and psychologically. University of Kelaniya Academic Dr. Ganga Dissanayake emphasised this at a two-day discussion organised by CEJ with a group of selected women and female youth representatives from six districts. She explained how initially, the role of women in conflict situations has often been misinterpreted or minimised. Therefore, it is salient to ensure that in the discourse of memorialisation, light is shed on the woman and that her narrative is captured effectively.

Experts all around the world point out interesting and interactive methods to educate the youth on the subject, most of which are hands-on and thought-provoking in nature. Academia at the roundtable discussion pointed out a few ways currently in practice; directed museum visits and related film reviews to encourage research and discussion were mentioned to be two forms of assignments.

In the purview of formal education, Academics from the Open University of Sri Lanka mentioned that they offer a course promoting ‘Social Cohesion’ to BA students. Further, academics from the Faculty of Arts and Culture of the South-Eastern University of Sri Lanka laid out in detail how mandatory courses on ‘Social Harmony and Multiculturalism’ are offered to undergraduates despite their field of education. They went on to highlight the gendered perspective to it; “All these subjects’ content includes the aspect of women, women participation in peacebuilding processes and the importance of women and women’s participation in all the processes of peacebuilding/peace-making/reconciliation. At the same time, we are teaching our students how international communities can empower local women and women in post-conflict situations.”

However, a conundrum arises as to whether a textbook method of teaching these subjects would suffice in reaching the ultimate goal of instilling these concepts in the youth. Given its practical nature, it is most effective if memorialisation is incorporated into education in methods that are the closest to human emotions. These are the memories and experiences of real people, whose emotions and narratives need to be studied cautiously and that cannot be conveyed through mere text. Expanding on this, at the roundtable discussion, the late Dr. Alwis presented some examples of teaching instruments that can be utilised to surmount this experience.

Beyond textbooks

Presenting a study of archived memory from a people’s perspective to place memory in a broader narrative of the 70 years of Independence, she highlighted the importance of extending the current scope of study of a post-independence Sri Lanka. 

Travelling history museums, which are settings of archival memory and exhibits, tend to be an experience of both physical and mental stimulation. Students get the opportunity of not only witnessing memory exhibits which are very personal and weighted but also to closely engage and interact with volunteers to discuss these realities.

Given the internet-friendly generation of the present day, memory sites function as a virtual map of the country signposts sites of violence. Students are able to browse through this website to find actual photographs, testimonies and documentation of the real-life incidents which had taken place in the respective sites. 

Memory walks, which is a method of field study that gives a multi-faceted grassroot narrative to students, are an exercise that gives students the opportunity to have a look into the reality of a layman in each given community. These are guided walks through communities of different areas, facilitated by volunteers. 

Human libraries provide a more intimate setting with up-close one-on-one conversations with the older generation who were first-hand victims of the war and insurrections of the country. These volunteers share their experiences with students and allow space for dialogue and study.

Incidentally, a rather significant aspect was addressed by Dr. Wakkumbura on the conceptualisation of curricula relating to memorialisation to achieve reconciliation: “As per my expertise from working on the ground with academia, I strongly believe it is extremely important to educate the youth on this subject. However, we need to be mindful when bringing back memories from 12 years ago; its appropriateness and sensitivities, as opposed to the ‘discipline’ of memorialisation to achieve reconciliation, and re-evaluate our objectives of doing so.”

This is crucial given the nature of wars and conflicts this country has seen through the years. Different communities own up to different narratives, and the acknowledgement and acceptance of all are essential in the process to achieve reconciliation, and this needs to be facilitated starting at pedagogy. University of Kelaniya Academic Sabreena Niles highlighted this: “Students need to understand the subjectiveness of memories based on various intersections and the possibility of a simultaneity of multiple memories rather than one generic or hegemonic narrative of victory, starting from the classroom.”

If the goal is to internalise these realities in the youth, memorialisation needs to be institutionalised, through both formal and informal means of education. Thus, acceptable mechanisms should be implemented for all narratives of affliction to be able to be met midways, because, as CEJ affirms in their publication ‘Women. Memory. Reconciliation.’ (2019): “The fires of war may no longer be ablaze, but its embers still glow.”

(The writer is an Intern at the Centre for Equality and Justice.)