27.04.2021 International Webinar zu “Civil War Memory, Victims’ Narrative, and National Reconciliation in Algeria" am 22. Mai 2021
International Webinar - 22 May 2021 - 14:00- 20:00 PM - Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies (CNMS) - Germany
Introduction:
In the 1990s, Algeria faced a violent civil war between the government and the Islamist insurgency. It was a new challenge for the post-independence political elite and civilians alike. The country, which was facing a profound regional and international isolation, entered a phase with high levels of violence: massacres, assassinations, mass killing, and enforced disappearance. According to the official Algerian estimates and independent ones, up to 200,000 people were killed, and thousands disappeared. Also, thousands were affected by internal displacement. In 1997, a new peace agreement was established to stop the cycle of violence; it was an outcome of long-process negotiations that started in 1994 between the intelligence and the Islamic Army for Salvation (AIS). Later, with Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s arrival to power, this agreement had been consolidated with the announcement of civil concord law in 2000 and the charter of peace and national reconciliation (CNPR) in 2005.
On 22 May 2021 (14:00- 20:00), Philipps-Universität, Centre for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, will organize an international Webinar on “Civil memory, Victims’ Narrative, and National Reconciliation in Algeria.” The workshop is a part of the project entitled “The 1990s Civil War in Algeria: Victims’ Narratives, National Reconciliation, and Sustainable Peace”, under the supervision of Pr. Dr. Rachid Ouaissa. This project is funded by “Fritz Thyssen Foundation.” The organizers seek at bringing together researchers from different academic fields who are interested in discussing the reconciliation policies, reparation politics, and victims’ narratives in Algeria. Thus, they invited academics from the fields of conflict studies, psychology, memory studies, and sociology. In addition, they invited activists who work on the ground directly with victims from different groups. Similar participation would allow us to understand the challenges that they face in the field and help us to develop new perspectives illuminating the grass-root peacebuilding strategies across the country.
Topics covered:
The workshop tends to discuss the following issues:
1. Victims’ narrative in Algeria.
2. National Reconciliation and peacebuilding.
3. Role of civil society organizations.
4. Trauma, forgiveness, and healing.
5. Gendered narrative.
6. Trauma and novels.
7. The memory of the civil war and Al-Hirak.
8. Diaspora narratives and civil war memories.
9. Enforced disappearance and justice.
Objectives:
1. Disseminating the information and sharing knowledge on peacebuilding processes and their challenges in post-conflict societies in the MENA region.
2. Exploring the grass-roots strategies of peacebuilding in Algeria.
3. Demonstrating the role of Diaspora in peacebuilding processes in post-conflict societies.
4. Developing new insights and frameworks that allow us to consolidate peace through the MENA region.
Discussants:
1. Pro. Dr. Susanne Buckley-Zistel, Center for Conflict Research, Philipps University, Germany.
2. Dr. Faouzia Zeraoulia, Research Fellow, Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Marburg.
3. Dr. Christoph H. Schwarz, Research Fellow, Institute for Social Research, Johann Wolfgang Goethe University, Germany.
Administratif Staff:
1. Meret Jacob, Assistant Student, CNMS, Philipps University, Marburg.
2. Verena Fibich, administration employee, Politics of the Near and Middle East, CNMS, Marburg.
Targeted audience:
Conflict studies scholars, peace researchers, students, activists, and practitioners.
Digital Access:
To register contact: zeraouli@staff.uni-marburg.de/ zeraouliafaouzia@gmail.com
WORKSHOP’S PROGRAM
14:15-14:30 Pr. Dr. Rachid Ouaissa, “Opening the Event and Welcoming Participants,” Center for Near and Middle Eastern Studies, Germany.
First Panel: Civil Society, Reconciliation, Identity and Healing (Dr. Faouzia Zeraoulia discussant)
14.30- 14.50 Dr. Jessica Northey, “Civil Society, Justice, and Memory: Associations and Reconciliation in Algeria,” Conventry University, Assistant Professor, Center for Trust, Peace, and Social Relation, UK. ab8276@coventry.ac.uk.
14.50- 15.10 Pr. Dr. Messaouda Sadouni, “Victims of National Tragedy: Forgiveness and Healing”, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Psychology Department, University of Algiers “2”, Algeria. zohra_sadouni@yahoo.com
15.10-15.30 Nazim Mekbel, “Algérie, drame d’une crise identitaire”, Independent Researcher (Masters Degree, Sociology, Nice), founder of AJOUAD archive, France. mekbel.nazim@gmail.com.
15:30- 16:00: Discussion
16:00-16:10 ………………………………..………………..Break………………………………………………….…….
Second Panel: Memory, Trauma, and Historical Narrative (Pr. Dr Susanne Buckley-Zistel discussant)
16:10- 16:30 Dr. Latefa Narriman Guemar, “Fragmented Narratives of the Black Decade: Lamia’s case study-Terror, Trauma, and Gender”, Research Associate, Centre for Migration, Refugees and Belonging, School of Social Sciences, University of East London, UK. L.n.guemar@uel.ac.uk
16:30- 16.50 Ikram Berkani, “Trauma Narrative(s) in Mosteghanemi’s Trilogy of Novels,” Ph.D. candidate, Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities, Coventry University, UK. berkanii@uni.coventry.ac.uk
16.50- 17 :10 Dr. Hayette Rouibah, " La mémoire de la diaspora Algérienne en France pendant la décennie noire et le Hirak," Associate Professor, Department of Political Sciences and International Relations, University of Jijel, Algeria. rouibah_hay@hotmail.com.
17:10- 17:30 Dr. Jennifer Howell, “Disappearance Drawn: Rendering the Invisible War Visible through Comics”, Associate Professor of French and Francophone Studies, Illinois State University, USA. jthowel@ilstu.edu.
17:30-18:00: Discussion
18:00-18:10: …………………………………………..Break……………………………………………………………..
Third Panel: Truth, Impunity, and Past Mobilization (Dr. Christoph H. Schwarz discussant)
18:10- 18:30 Moussa Bourefis, “The Enforced Disappearance in Algeria: a Crime that Endures,” Human rights Activists (Doctor at Helse Bergen hospital and one of the founders of association Meshaal), Norway.
18 :30-18 :50 Dr. Samia Chabouni, "La Politique de réconciliation en Algérie, impunité et crise de confiance”, Associate Professor, Department of Political Sciences and International Relations, University of Jijel, Algeria (invited Lecturer-researcher, LAM, L’IEP, Bordeaux). samia.chabouni@yahoo.fr.
18:50- 19:10 Dr. Faouzia Zeraoulia, “Mobilizing Civil War Memory during Political Crises in Post-Conflict Societies: Case of Algeria,” Research Fellow, CNMS, Germany.
19:10- 19:40 Discussion
19:40- 20:00 Conclusions