Memory activism

Memory activism – a term describing a growing phenomenon of grass-root initiatives across the globe aimed at influencing how the past is being used, presented and institutionalized in the present. It captures the engagement of various individuals, communities and civic society organizations in the field of remembrance and memory that were traditionally dominated by public institutions. Memory activism can be perceived as a result of social dissatisfaction with certain narratives about history or the need to address topics that have been silenced or repressed. In 2023 “The Routledge Handbook of Memory Activism” was published, proposing new analytic frameworks for understanding the phenomenon.