Tidying up the ghosts that haunt us
Victor Angelo
In
the times of the Soviet Union, it was said in Moscow that the past was
unpredictable. The history of communist governance changed every time a new
clique took over the Kremlin. That joke reminds us that the narrative about
history has colossal political importance. It is usually captured by the ruling
class to justify its control of power. This is the case in dictatorships.
In
a democratic framework, a version should prevail, especially in describing the
most controversial eras, which is as close as possible to a broad consensus.
States are built with ups and downs. They result from the various facets that
peoples have experienced over time, in a connection of heroic and creative
moments with others of retrogression and tragedy. The truth is that a modern
country cannot live in continuous disquiet with its past. States that have
experienced profound national crises and have finally managed to leave behind
authoritarian regimes that abuse human rights must find ways to put that phase
of their history in order and focus their energies on building a future that is
free, prosperous, and more just. And at peace with itself.
This
is what happened in the 1990s in South Africa or, later already in our century,
in Sierra Leone after the atrocities committed during the civil war
(1991-2002). In both cases, the new political authorities established Truth and
Reconciliation Commissions. In addition to holding accountable those who had
played a key role during the dark period and acknowledging the crimes committed
by individuals who acted as excessive enforcers of orders received, the
commissions allowed for the building of an acceptable memory about those
painful times, provided a platform for victims to make their voices heard and
addressed common anxieties.
Over
the past three decades more than forty countries have seen the need to make a
collective introspection of their past. They have used tools for the
administration of justice and reconciliation close to those piloted by the
South Africans and Sierra Leoneans, with the necessary adaptations for each
context. In general, these efforts have led to the strengthening of national
cohesion. A summary of their conclusions shows that the focus was always placed
on four pillars: explaining what happened, amnesty, reparations and resolving
discrimination. The aim is to acknowledge mistakes, prevent their repetition,
erase hatred and create the conditions to face the future in a constructive
manner.
One
of the most recent commissions was the Canadian one (2015). The core of its
mission was to analyse the injustices perpetrated against indigenous
communities and to propose measures of reparation and equalisation of
opportunities. The issue was important as it fed a social fracture line and
gave space to racist discourses on white superiority. Looking at the United
States, Canadians understand the importance of combating racism and radicalism
based on skin colour.
A
people cannot spend their days discussing the ghosts of old. Nor imitate the
Stalinists who erased characters from official photographs according to the
political convenience of the hour. The ghosts that each people have - some will
have more than others - should be catalogued with common sense and stored in
the museum of historical facts.
Recent
noises have led me to write this text. I am referring to the controversy about
the coats of arms in Praça do Império opposite the Jerónimos Monastery in
Lisbon, the demolishing idea that brought the Monument to the Discoveries to
the social networks or even the passing of a former soldier who won his medals
in the colonial war. The extreme passion of the positions taken by many shows,
once again, that we still cannot talk calmly about the Portugal that turned the
page almost fifty years ago. Now, without forgetting what happened, the many
problems we face require us to move on to the next chapter. Otherwise, we will
be in conflict with ourselves, absorbed in shooting ourselves in the foot, for
the profit and pleasure of those who want to keep us distracted.
(Automatic translation of the opinion piece I published today in the
Diário de Notícias, the old and prestigious Lisbon newspaper)
