Memocracy

The global fallout from Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine has revealed contested memories of imperialism, colonialism and oppression in different parts of the world. For Ukrainians and other peoples from the former Soviet space, Russia’s invasion constitutes imperial and colonial expansion by a revanchist hegemon who never came to terms with the collapse of the 20^th century’s ‘last empire’. At the same time, some Global South actors view Russian actions on the global stage through an anti-imperialist and anti-colonial lens, echoing the Soviet Union’s struggle against Western powers during the Cold War. While the latter perspective effaces the Soviets’ subjugation of peoples across Eastern Europe and central Asia, Eastern Europeans’ fragmentary understanding of Western rule across the Global South generates misunderstandings and missed opportunities in their mutual relations. Against the backdrop of divergent memories of imperialism, colonialism and oppression across the Global South(s) and the Global East(s), this initiative of the ‘Memocracy’ project aims to begin a conversation about the shared histories, common struggles and points of divergence between Eastern Europe and the Global South. It will address topics like transregional memory of genocide and crimes against humanity, multilateral cooperation beyond the West (East-South, East-East, South-South), and anti-imperial international law through the United Nations, International Court of Justice, and other global governance institutions. Although Eastern Europeans have fewer historical ties to Africa, South America and (parts of) Asia than their western counterparts from the ‘old continent’, this workshop moves beyond Europe to globalize the study of law and memory, while beginning a dialogue between ‘east’ and ‘south’ to build understanding of their mutual trajectories in time and space.

Speakers:

Dovilė Budrytė, Georgia Gwinnett College

Lauri Mälksoo, University of Tartu

Erica Resende, Brazilian War College

Moderator:

Patryk Labuda, Polish Academy of Sciences

Please register here.