SIGHTSEEING
Nora Hochbaum
A historical memory project for the future :
Parque de la Memoria - Monumento a las Víctimas del Terrorismo de Estado
General Manager
Parque de la Memoria – Monumento a las Victimas del Terrorismo de Estado Buenos Aires , Argentina
Writing in times of pandemic about the experience of the Parque de la Memoria – Monumento a las Victimas del Terrorismo de Estado ( Park of Memory – Monument to the Victims of State Terrorism ) perhaps raises again the issue of how we work on historical memory and how we construct the future . At times when reality challenges us and we know little about what awaits us as a community , as a country and as global citizens , it is even more important to remember . We must learn from our experiences and construct collective memory that brings us together and gives us the strength and tools we need to endure the challenges and give hope to the next generations .
Human rights organisations in Argentina know a lot about convictions , the investment of energy , tenacity and , above all , love . For 42 years , the Madres y Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo ( Mothers and Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo ) have been an example of the fight to construct a country that defends historical memory , truth and justice . The park was built on the foundations of this struggle . It was not conceived to heal wounds , but is a place for remembrance , homage , testimony and reflection .
When the state commits crimes against its citizens , without any control and through an organised system , we call it state terrorism . This happened in Argentina and Latin American in the 1970s and at the start of the 1980s . Thousands of people disappeared or were assassinated . They were tortured , illegally detained and even today their whereabouts is unknown . They were stripped of their identity , buried as “ no name ” in shared graves or tossed into the waters of La Plata River . Many others were forced into exile .
The unprecedented crimes committed by Argentinian state terrorism include the establishment of over 200 clandestine detention centres , and the confiscation and theft
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Observing Memories ISSUE 4