Memory Conflict and Peace

MemoryLab - University of Glasgow

Event: Memory, Conflict, and Peace

15 January 2026

Studio 2, the ARC at the University of Glasgow

10am - 4.30pm

Memories are never neutral. They shape how communities understand their pasts, define their identities in the present, and imagine their futures. Yet, memory can both unite and divide: it can provide the foundations for belonging and resilience but also fuel hostility and conflict. This event invites an exploration of how memory intersects with violence and conflict, reconciliation, justice, and the pursuit of peace.

The keynote will be delivered by Prof. Ann Rigney (Utrecht University): 'Remembering Hope'. Prof. Rigney has worked very recently on the cultural memory of activism and protest in Europe: how dissent and resistance are remembered, transmitted, and transformed over time, how collective remembrance of demonstrations and rights-based struggles becomes part of cultural narratives, shaping how societies reckon with injustice, how marginalised voices challenge silence and erasure. This keynote address will set the stage for thinking about memory as an active force in shaping present and future struggles for recognition and justice.

Building on these themes, the programme will move into case studies that investigate how memory contributes to conflict to address questions such as: How do official narratives sustain nationalism and preparedness for war? In what ways do digital media amplify, reshape, or contest memories of past violence? What can we learn from societies where memory of division remains a site of contestation?

The conversation will then turn toward peacebuilding. Here, memory will be approached as a resource for dialogue rather than division: how cultural artifacts, community practices, and international collaborations create spaces for reconciliation, and how the preservation and reworking of remembrance can open new paths toward healing.

The event will offer a unique opportunity to reflect on the dual nature of memory: its dangers on the one hand and its resilience and potential to be a bridge between past wounds and future possibilities, on the other.

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