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Conceptualizing Mass Violence: Representations, Recollections, and Reinterpretations, a new book recently published by Routledge as part of its series on "Mass Violence in Modern History," draws attention to the conspicuous inability to inhibit mass violence in myriad forms and considers the plausible reasons for doing so. Focusing on a postcolonial perspective, the volume seeks to institutionalize the study of "consciously enforced mass violence" in South Asia.
Essays explore and deliberate upon the varied aspects of mass violence, namely revisionism, reconstruction, atrocities, trauma, memorialization and literature, the need for Holocaust education, and the criticality of dialogue and reconciliation. The language, content, and characteristics of mass violence/genocide explicitly reinforce its aggressive, transmuting, and multifaceted character and the consequent necessity to understand the same in a nuanced manner. The book studies recent episodes of mass violence from six continents through an interdisciplinary approach and suggests that dialogue aimed at reconciliation is perhaps the singular agency via which a solution could be achieved from mass violence in the global context.
The book was edited by Navras J. Aafreedi, Presidency University (India) and Priya Singh, Asia in Global Affairs (India). This book launch will be convened by Yael Siman, Iberoamericana University (Mexico). Discussants over the two sessions will include several of the authors whose essays are included in the book.
The program will be run under the auspices of
Iberoamericana University (Mexico)
in partnership with
Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas (USA)
Asia in Global Affairs (India)
Department of Hebrew, Biblical, and Jewish Studies, University of Sydney (Australia)
Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre (South Africa)
Holocaust and Genocide Studies Program, Kean University (USA)
Salzburg Global Seminar (Austria)
West Bengal State University (India)
(All times for Mexico City)
13 September 2021
11:00 Sylvia Schmelkes (Mexico), Welcome Address from the Vice Dean, Iberoamericana University (Convener)
11:05 Roger Magazine (Mexico), Introductory Words
11:10 Priya Singh (India), Reading Mass Violence: Introduction to the Volume
11:15 Robert Langham (United Kingdom), Comments from Routledge (Publisher)
11:20 Anita Sengupta (India), The State and its Margins: Changing Notions of Marginality in Turkey
11:25 Rituparna Roy (India), Fabric, Food, Song: The Quiet Continuities in Bengali Life Seventy Years After Partition
11:30 Srimanti Sarkar (India), The Genocide of 1971 in Bangladesh: Lessons from History
11:35 Muddassir Quamar (India), Holocaust Denial and Minimization in the Indian Urdu Press
11:40 Fuzail Siddiqi (India), The Failure of Secular Publics and the Rise of the Jewish Religious Public in Nathan Englander’s For the Relief of Unbearable Urges
11:45 Stephanie Rotem (Israel), ‘Grassroots’ Holocaust Museums: Revealing Untold Stories
11:50 Tali Nates (South Africa), New Developments in Holocaust & Genocide Education in South Africa: : The case study of the Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre
11:55 Charles Ehrlich (Austria), Holocaust, Propaganda, and the Distortion of History in the Former Soviet Space
12:00 Q&A
12:25 Yael Siman (Mexico), Closing Remarks for Day One
12:30 End of Day One
14 September 2021
18:00 Sylvia Schmelkes (Mexico), Day Two Welcome Address from the Vice Dean, Iberoamericana University (Convener)
18:05 Dennis B. Klein (USA), Violence and Violations: Betrayal Narratives in Atrocity Accounts
18:10 Nancy Nicholls Lopeandía (Chile), Pinochet's Dictatorship and Reflections on Trauma in Chile: How much have we learned in terms of human rights?
18:15 Tutku Ayhan (USA), Overcoming "Intimate Hatreds:" Reflections on Violence against Yazidis
18:20 David Patterson (USA), Sonderkommando Photo 4 and the Portrayal of the Invisible
18:25 Daniela Gleizer (Mexico) & Yael Siman (Mexico), Holocaust survivors in Mexico: Intersecting and Conflicting Narratives of Open Doors, Welcoming Society and Personal Hardships
18:35 Suzanne Rutland (Australia), Holocaust Studies in Australia: Moving from family and community remembrance to human rights and prevention of mass violence
18:40 Navras J. Aafreedi (India), Holocaust Education in India and its Challenges
18:45 Q&A
19:25 Yael Siman (Mexico), Thank You and Closing Remarks
19:30 End of Day Two
You can find out more information about the book's contents and order a copy of the book in hardback or electronic format here.
Please find recordings of both Day 1 and Day 2 below: