Memory Politics and Past Injustices – Interview with Dr. Carles Fernandez-Torne, Spain
Dr. Carles Fernandez-Torne is Associate Professor at the School of Communication and International Relations, Blanquerna-Ramon Llull University
Dr. Carles Fernandez-Torne presents an innovative perspective into the importance of looking into a nation-state’s past. In his interpretation, introspection is revealing and healing. Acknowledging and understanding what established democracies have done in their past is imperative for them to comprehend what is going on today, what obligations the state holds to address past injustices, and how they can shape the future. Dr. Fernandez-Torne makes specific reference to settler-colonial states creating Truth and Reconciliation Commissions as a form of introspection. According to him, there is power in understanding the ‘ugly truth’; the openness towards addressing past injustices is also a fruitful way to identify continuous structural discrimination in our societies.
This interview is part of the interview series ” Expert Voices on Memory Politics” realized with the financial support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Kanada and the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union. The interviews were recorded during the October 2022 conference “Addressing the Past – Shaping the Future”.
