Peace, war and how we talk about it. A discourse analysis of Colombian history schoolbooks

Fecha: 13 de julio 

Hora: 11:00 a.m.

Lugar: Virtual

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Desaprender la guerra – “unlearning” war is a central demand of peace education in Colombia, which is intended to contribute to socially overcoming the decades-old conflict. An important role is played by history education, which in 2017 was explicitly assigned the task of contributing to peace and reconciliation through historical memory by Law No. 1874. But what discursive offers exist at all to talk about the past in such a way that it contributes to reconciliation and peace? This lecture takes a close look at textbooks for history lessons and examines how war and peace are represented in the texts, how responsibilities are attributed, what social and individual scope for action is shown, and what assignments of meaning are constructed in the narrative.

Tatjana Louis: is associate professor at the Department of Languages and Cultures at Los Andes University, Bogotá. She has published, amongst other topics, on expulsion and migration in Columbia and on narratives in history textbooks. She is currently working on the collaborative DFG-funded project “The Impact of Memory Work within the Colombian Education Community: An Exploration in Historical Consciousness.”