Unwanted Memories of (the Wars of) the 1990s

Abstract

This chapter begins by placing the discussion of memories of the wars of the 1990s in the broader context of experiences and memories of everyday life in Serbia at the time. These are largely unwanted memories that people would rather avoid, and yet often reference in passing, especially in the context of unexpected disruptions to their daily routine. The chapter analyses how these memoryscapes shape the actions and claims of memory activists as they critically engage with knowledge about that decade. It also traces the editing and shaping of the new (post-Yugoslav) calendar of Serbia and its very limited engagement with the wars of the 1990s.

Digital remembrance: Honouring Srebrenica genocide victims via #ŠtoTeNema

“…Using Rigney's (2018) memory-activism nexus , Orli Fridman developed a solid monograph, Memory Activism and Digital Practices After Conflict: Unwanted Memories (2022). Fridman also coined the notion of #hashtag #memoryactivism (2019), referring to hashtags usage on social media to commemorate a disputed history.…”

“…In the case of memory activism, hashtags serve as a memory tool, which helps to organise and share information about the past. As Fridman (2022, 134) claims, ‘ … [hashtags] bring the unspoken to the surface, voicing what has been repressed, silenced, and denied in mnemonic struggles.’ This online practice generates an alternative space for remembrance to share and spread alternative perspectives on a contentious past and injustices, particularly in the context of (post-)conflict. #Hashtag #memoryactivism aims to promote alternative forms of knowledge and disseminate information (often counter-memories) about contested histories within societies.…”

“…Dan bijelih traka ) on-site and online commemoration that, from a local and regional level, became a transnational commemorative event. In her monograph, besides #WhiteArmBandDay, Fridman (2022) explores other initiatives like #Sedamhiljada (#Seventhousand to commemorate 20th anniversary of Srebrenica in Serbia), #NisuNašiHeroji (#NotOurHerous to condemn the ICTY convicts that become received as heroes and celebrities in the region of memory : Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo) and #JesteSeDesilo (#ItDidHappen to fight hegemonic narrative of Serbia, claiming that there was no war in Serbia). Although Fridman mainly focuses on Serbian case(s), her works remain crucial for my research and the region of memory (activism) : the post-Yugoslav space.…”

“…This article responds to the call of third-wave memory studies scholars (Fridman 2022; Rigney 2018), inviting researchers to focus on the relationship between memory, activism, and a bottom-up approach instead of concentrating only on the traumatic past. The #Hashtag #memoryactivism study framework, suggested by Fridman (2022, 2023), allows me to explore hashtag #ŠtoTeNema initiators, participants, and their place in memory politics.…”

“…This article responds to the call of third-wave memory studies scholars (Fridman 2022; Rigney 2018), inviting researchers to focus on the relationship between memory, activism, and a bottom-up approach instead of concentrating only on the traumatic past. The #Hashtag #memoryactivism study framework, suggested by Fridman (2022, 2023), allows me to explore hashtag #ŠtoTeNema initiators, participants, and their place in memory politics. Regarding the importance of agency in transnational memory politics (Wüstenberg and Sierp 2020), I pay particular attention to the role of artist Aida Šehović, her team, and online users in raising awareness about the Srebrenica genocide not only on the local and regional but also on the global level.…”