Framing, Not Freezing Memory: Legal, Cultural, and Social Consequences in Postwar Kosovo

Session Submission Type: Panel

Affiliate Organization: Society for Albanian Studies

Brief Description

This panel discusses how to balance preserving the memory of the past while allowing it to evolve, a critical task especially in postwar societies. Collective memory is often shaped by narratives that influence identity and justice. If narratives become rigid, they risk freezing memory in a singular perspective, limiting dialogue and growth, as well as impeding accountability. The panelists address the legal, cultural, and social consequences of freezing the frames of memory in postwar Kosovo.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Pëllumb Kelmendi, Auburn U

Papers

• Framing, Not Freezing Memory - Arsim Canolli, U of Prishtina (Kosovo)

• Post-War Kosovo and the Role of Law in Shaping Memory: Why Genocide Qualification of the Crimes is More Than Just a Legal Term - Nevenka Tromp Vrkic, U of Amsterdam (Netherlands)

• Unstable Firsts: Transitions and Trans Lives in Kosovo Media - Lura Limani, Independent Scholar

Discussant

• Anna Di Lellio, New York U