“We Think We’re Far from Conflict, but That’s Not True”: Peace Building and Remembrance through Memory Sites in Colombia

Abstract

Although memory sites and formal schooling both serve as battlegrounds for postconflict disputes over memory, there is a dearth of research that examines the connection between the two. This article draws on the case of Colombia to explore the use of memory sites, such as museums and memorials, as pedagogical tools in education for peace building. Through observations of school visits to the Centro de Memoria, Paz y Reconciliación (Center for Memory, Peace, and Reconciliation) and interviews with students, I highlight the potential that memory sites have for establishing a sense of closeness in students’ understanding of conflict. I conceptualize closeness across three axes: familiarity, temporality, and spatiality. In bringing students closer to the history of the armed conflict, memory sites hold the potential to transmit a sense of responsibility toward peace building. This research adds to our understanding of the construction, transmission, and contestation of collective memories of violence.