Sanitized History and Sanitized Citizenship, Nov 4

August 28th 2013 marked the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech. This event was not only commemorated in the U.S. but across the globe since the U.S. civil rights struggle inspired many other struggles for justice and human rights. King said, “1963 is not an end but a beginning,” implying an on-going struggle. Yet the way the events of the civil rights era (and other struggles for justice) are often taught is as a complete historical victory for justice leading into a perfect, just present.

In this talk, Dr. Osler will reflect on the ways in which concepts of “conflict” and “struggle” are conceptualised in different societies and schooling systems. She will draw on her ongoing research in post-conflict Iraq/Kurdistan and reflect on the lessons that educators in established multicultural democracies can learn about teaching for justice and human rights, from such “post-conflict” societies.