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Memory studies, by definition, requires scholars to engage in dialogue with the past. But research in the field also sheds light on important contemporary issues. Case in point: a three-day conference at UCLA this month at which scholars presented their research on political violence.

The event, titled “Violence and Repair,” featured talks by doctoral students from the U.S., Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America along with responses and keynote lectures by senior scholars. And while the presentations covered a historically and geographically broad range of violent conflicts and their aftermath, the event as a whole pushed participants to consider how their work in memory studies might inform — or be informed by — current concerns and contemporary activist movements.

At one session, activists Kristin Nimmers and Miya Iwataki spoke about their work advocating for reparations for Black Americans and Japanese Americans, respectively.

“That discussion helped answer the question, ‘What can scholars do right now in the face of political violence?’” said Jennifer Noji, a UCLA doctoral candidate in comparative literature and a co-organizer of the conference. “In part, it’s simply doing our research. If we can better understand the historical context that leads to violence, we can also propose what kinds of repair and remedies could begin to address that violence.”

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Photo: Jennifer Noji/UCLA