Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory
This article explores the juncture of gender and collecting memory in the context of Afghanistan and establishing accountability for past atrocities. After situating Afghan women in the context of past wars, it examines two projects in truth-telling following the ousting of the Taliban and what was...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of the Free State
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Acta Academica |
| Online Access: | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/aa/article/view/1478 |
| _version_ | 1797258216346746880 |
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| author | Elham Atashi |
| author_facet | Elham Atashi |
| author_sort | Elham Atashi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
This article explores the juncture of gender and collecting memory in the context of Afghanistan and establishing accountability for past atrocities. After situating Afghan women in the context of past wars, it examines two projects in truth-telling following the ousting of the Taliban and what was termed as the transitional period. Providing a critical analysis, it argues that recalling and telling of the past from the bottomup approach has done little to break the prevailing culture of impunity and address the motivation of victims in participating and contributing to memory projects. By
promoting truth-telling and giving meaning to collecting memory, the international community has focused on the production rather than representation of memory. Production for the external market rather than localised confrontation with the past to alleviate trauma has led to an increasing commoditisation of memory. As a result, women’s representation in relation to past wars have remained marginalised as victims. In conclusion, the article positions silence as a tool of local resistance to an ever-increasing popularisation in the globalised markets of memory and truth-telling.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:50:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-615d17c9ab2b41a39f4f676ebbd148ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0587-2405 2415-0479 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:50:00Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | University of the Free State |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Academica |
| spelling | doaj.art-615d17c9ab2b41a39f4f676ebbd148ba2024-03-18T11:05:01ZengUniversity of the Free StateActa Academica0587-24052415-04792015-01-0147110.38140/aa.v47i1.1478Afghanistan: gender, silence and memoryElham Atashi0Georgetown University, United States of America This article explores the juncture of gender and collecting memory in the context of Afghanistan and establishing accountability for past atrocities. After situating Afghan women in the context of past wars, it examines two projects in truth-telling following the ousting of the Taliban and what was termed as the transitional period. Providing a critical analysis, it argues that recalling and telling of the past from the bottomup approach has done little to break the prevailing culture of impunity and address the motivation of victims in participating and contributing to memory projects. By promoting truth-telling and giving meaning to collecting memory, the international community has focused on the production rather than representation of memory. Production for the external market rather than localised confrontation with the past to alleviate trauma has led to an increasing commoditisation of memory. As a result, women’s representation in relation to past wars have remained marginalised as victims. In conclusion, the article positions silence as a tool of local resistance to an ever-increasing popularisation in the globalised markets of memory and truth-telling. http://196.255.246.28/index.php/aa/article/view/1478 |
| spellingShingle | Elham Atashi Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory Acta Academica |
| title | Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory |
| title_full | Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory |
| title_fullStr | Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory |
| title_short | Afghanistan: gender, silence and memory |
| title_sort | afghanistan gender silence and memory |
| url | http://196.255.246.28/index.php/aa/article/view/1478 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elhamatashi afghanistangendersilenceandmemory |