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Document Type

Article in Response to Controversy

Theme

The Ethics of Memory: What Does it Mean to Apologize for Historical Wrongs

Abstract

Abstract:

The emergence of forgiveness as the preferred mechanism through which historical wrongs are addressed within reconciliation discourses has meant that for the people who cannot forgive or will not forgive, there are no alternatives other than insisting on forgiveness until it hopefully one day arrives. As such, the point of unforgiveness is to constitute an agentic space where the people who cannot forgive can articulate their stance in ways that not only allow them to articulate their resistance to the injunction to forgive, but also constitute alternative spaces whereby they can articulate their stance in inclusive ways. If we constitute alternatives to the hegemonic injunction to forgive, we might be able to open spaces whereby those who are excluded from the reconciliatory discourses, manage to participate and enrich the spaces of reconciliation while refusing to partake of the calls to forgiveness.

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

Type

Text

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