I was profoundly moved by the Peace Festival in Bristol this week.
Here’s a quick introduction from a University of Bristol press release:
“In August 2017, peace activists from Peru and Colombia gathered in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, to discuss the ways in which they had used art and creativity to tell stories about the history of conflict in their countries.”
http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2018/april/peace-festival.html
The film, artwork, and speakers highlighted how important it is to be able to be able to tell our own stories after we have experienced trauma, especially in social and political situations where a dominant narrative might try to silence the survivors. Hence the term ‘memory activist’ – it can be a dangerous and ongoing battle to ensure that the memories and experiences of survivors are heard and, hopefully, justice can be achieved.