Healing Through Remembering

10/12/2010

Do Historians Help or Hinder: Seminar by Dr Ian McBride

The first of what it is hoped will be a series of seminars on topics linked to the Decade of Commemorations, was held on November 26th at HTR. Entitled “Do Historians Help or Hinder?”, the speaker was Dr Ian McBride from the Department of History at King’s College, London. Dr McBride explained that historians were increasingly in demand from all areas of the media to explain historical events. Although they are good at explaining events and putting them into context he said, historians are not good healers because they disagree about almost everything.

He explained that there is no set historical narrative, because it is hard to step outside the community or the time we live in. Interpretations change through time, one of the examples he gave was changing views on Sir Roger Casement and his Black Diaries. Ian explained that because historians today need to publish internationally, this can help to revise the dominant narrative. Historians help us to understand the past.

The initial responses to Ian’s talk were given by Dr Laurence McKeown, an writer and playwright and former republican prisoner and Karen McCartney from the Ulster People’s College. Karen delivers the People’s History Initiative. When the discussion was opened up to the floor there was a lively debate on various topics, including the history of the ordinary man, how history is taught in schools and the difficulties and discomfort we have in dealing with very recent history.   

23/11/2009

HTR launching Conversational Workshops on Dealing with the Past

Healing Through Remembering is launching Conversational Workshops on Dealing with the Past, an outreach programme offering in-depth opportunities for considering wide-ranging issues around dealing with the past.

The project will be launched at four venues during week beginning November 30th.

Please click here for full details.

Each event will begin with tea and coffee and will be followed by a buffet lunch.

The event will provide an opportunity to meet with the Healing Through Remembering delivery partners and those that have already taken part in workshops.

To confirm attendance please contact Claire Smith at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or by calling 02890238844.

10/06/2009

At the End of the Day: Forward thinking into the Past report launch

Healing Through Remembering, (HTR) which has received funding from the European Regional Development Fund through the PEACE III Programme to further its work on dealing with the past, launched a report on Commemoration of the conflict in and about Northern Ireland and called for more discussion on the issue.

The launch which took place today, [Wednesday 10th June] began with an introduction from Brandon Hamber (Chair of HTR and Director of INCORE). Dr Geraldine Smyth ( Chair of the HTR Commemoration Sub Group and Senior Lecturer at the Irish School of Ecumenics - Trinity College Dublin) gave a short presentation on the report. She said
‘Commemoration is at the heart of what makes us human and it helps make us whole. In remembering we hold dear those we have lost, and we keep faith with others – including those coming after us. If we can remember with open hearts, we can find healing and release from pain.’

The event included a presentation on ethical remembering by Dr Johnston McMaster, (Lecturer and Programme Co-ordinator, Education for Reconciliation - Irish School of Ecumenics, Trinity College Dublin (Belfast campus)). He challenged society to consider commemorative activity as a means of understanding where we are and why. He noted that this has particular significance in the lead up to the centenary anniversaries of the signing of the Ulster Covenant, the Easter Rising and the Battle of the Somme. He said, ‘We cannot avoid looking back… but how will we remember… and will we be able to pick out aspects of past events which we might even share and appreciate together.’

Geraldine Smyth, (Chair of the Healing Through Remembering Commemoration Sub Group) said, “The event is offered as an invitation to explore and reflect together on the deep importance and the complexity of commemorating the past while keeping the future in view.  In society at large, we need to expand the debate on why, how, where and when our past conflict and all our losses will be commemorated.”

Kate Turner, Director of Healing Through Remembering stated “Healing Through Remembering is promoting discussions on commemoration that consider how best to understand the past as well as to honour it.”

The report collates the contributions made at a one day Round Table event which was organised by the Healing Through Remembering (HTR) Commemoration Sub Group. It includes summarised presentations of commissioned research papers, a presentation on the international context and a summary of the discussions on the day.

Healing Through Remembering continues to enable deeper discussions, forums and events on how best to deal with the conflict in and about Northern Ireland to build a better future.

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  HTR Media Release - Commemoration - forward thinking into the Past

   

  Click on the image to download the pdf.

   

 

19/01/2007

Commemoration Roundtable Event

Healing Through Remembering and its Commemoration Sub Group hosted a roundtable event on the issue of commemoration relating to the conflict in and about Northern Ireland.

The event, held at the Institute of Irish Studies at Queen’s University Belfast, began to address some key issues relating to commemoration including the parameters and key values of commemoration, and the role of commemoration in societies emerging from conflict in healing and building relationships.

A report from the event will be available shortly and will incorporate two research papers on commemoration which were commissioned by the Sub Group.