Gernika¥s 19th international convention on culture and peace
Presentation

“Life stories, symbolic sites and reconstruction of identities in Peacebuilding”

Gernika Gogoratuz in its 19th International Convention on Culture and Peace invites you to share academic and community experiences that demonstrate local and international capacities in Peacebuilding.

This year's edition, titled "Life stories, symbolic sites and reconstruction of identities in Peacebuilding", is linked to European research project CRIC, which will hold its 2nd Annual Meeting in Gernika. CRIC Project (2008-2012): Identity and Conflict: Cultural heritage and reconstruction of identity after the conflict, is a cooperation program under the EU Seventh Framework Program (FP7-SSH ID-2007-5.2.1 History and Identity). The partners in this project are: University of Cambridge, Norwegian Institute of Cultural Heritage Research (NIKU), University of Surrey, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Gernika Gogoratuz, Paris-Sorbonne University, International Peace Research Institute - PRIO Cyprus Center, Umeå University, Dresden University of Technology.

Presentation of project CRIC

Recent conflicts in Europe, as well as abroad, have brought the deliberate destruction of the heritage of others, as a means of inflicting pain, to the foreground. With this has come the realisation that the processes involved and thus the long-term consequences are poorly understood. Heritage reconstruction is not merely a matter of design and resources - at stake is the re-visioning and reconstruction of people's identities! This project aims to investigate the ways the destruction and subsequent selective reconstruction of the cultural heritage impact identity formation. The project seeks to illuminate both the empirical and theoretical relationship between cultural heritage, conflict and identity. In particular, it will examine how destruction as well as reconstruction affect notions of belonging and identities at different scales ranging from the individual to the pan-national.

Five regional case studies will provide historical depth, variation, and different trajectories, while the shared methodologi and axes of investigation will ensure comparative measures are reached.

Collectively the project will aim to answer the following questions:

  • what conditions and ideologies inspire the destruction of cultural heritage and what is selected for destruction?
  • what are the consequences at local, national and regional levels of such destruction and the subsequent reconstruction of parts of people's heritage?