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Living Memorial Museum - Overview

Original Recommendation

The Healing Through Remembering Report of 2002 recommended establishing a permanent living memorial museum. The Living Memorial Museum would serve as a dynamic memorial to all those affected by the conflict and keep the memories of the past alive. It will also provide a diverse chronicle of the history of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland, increase public awareness of the impact of the conflict, disseminate information and provide educational opportunities ensuring lessons are learned for the future.

The specific purposes of the LMM would be to:

- Promote understanding and appreciation of different beliefs and perspectives of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland by preserving, interpreting and sharing the range and diversity of experiences;
- Provide commemorative space—along with educational space—in the form of a garden of reflection and various forms of commemorative remembering such as plaques or memorials;
- Build an understanding of the different cultures through educational programming and living exhibits designed by communities themselves;
- Remember the past and our conflicted history in a safe and measured way to learn lessons and guard against future violence;
- Actively demonstrate that different perspectives can be housed together in a sensitive and tolerant way, and in so doing preserve individual dignity, strengthen our communal forms of remembering, and increase respect and tolerance for all;
- Provide an informal way of learning—not only about the past but about each other—in a reflective and peaceful environment and way the individual chooses;
- Record the journey of the HTR project and provide a home for the historical information about it. This record will be for the benefit of others directly or indirectly engaged in similar initiatives and not only for academic/historical consideration, and
- Be a resource for other places to provide knowledge and experience to mitigate violence and conflict.