snapshot.

a thesis by anu kulkarni entitled "Demons and Demos: Violence, Memory and Citizenship in Post-Conflict States" (copyright 2005). another truly fascinating read. a snapshot of the abstract is provided below.

My work poses a fundamental, yet unexplored question in the study of democracy and post-conflict reconstruction: How do past political violence and the ways in which societies address the consequences of repression, war, and large-scale human rights violations affect the development of citizenship in post-conflict democraces?

My research examines the individual and collective effects of deadly conflict and the political dynamics of memory and accountability processes, like truth commissions, and other mechanisms, to formulate a theory of citizenship development in post-conflict democracies. I argue that the emotive, relational and institutional effects of deadly conflict present barriers to individual and collective political expression that remain long after transitions to democracy are implemented. Political passivity is one consequence of fear in populations harmed by extreme violence. Memory and accountability processes, including truth commissions and other mechanisms, contribute to the development of citizenship under some circumstances by creating opportunities for political expression, alleviating some effects of residual fear and mediating political beliefs through the shaping of personal and public memory of violence. But the extent to which they do so is limited by key conditions, especially the degree, intensity and timing of prior violence; the type of conflict; the distribution of power; and the type of agreement that terminates the conflict.

do the themes sound familiar?

posted by Lazarus, 12:08 PM