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Opinion Ethical and Respectful Remembering Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
‘Machnamh’ is an Irish word that encapsulates meditation, reflection, consideration and thought. Machnamh 100 is my invitation to residents of this island, and to all those with an interest in our shared past and our futures together, to reflect on that tumultuous period of 100 years ago and what it means for us today. In particular, Machnamh 100 is a forum for reflection on the War of Independence, the Civil War and the two new administrations on the Island. On Friday, 4th December 2020, I hosted the first of a series of Machnamh 100 reflections at Áras an Uachtaráin that considered the nature of commemoration itself, why we do it, what we choose to commemorate, and what we may have chosen to omit from our commemorations. Four distinguished scholars presented fascinating but challenging papers which, along with my own contribution, I hope, set the scene for our work ahead. The proceedings are available for everyone to view on the RTÉ Player and the President of Ireland website. I suggested that we are all challenged to engage with our shared past in a manner that is honest, authentic and inclusive, and that if commemoration is understood in this way that it might assist in healing the wounds of conflicts, recognise different narratives as to their causes, and their repercussions, that cannot, and should not, be forgotten. The complex events we recall from a century ago are integral to the story that has shaped our peoples in all their diversity, and how they are recalled and understood will continue to shape us and the decisions we make into the future.
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Amnesia will not help us. I believe that we, and those who are part of the discourse with us, must remember in full, taking all of the diverse perspectives and experiences of what happened into account, with a willingness to hear the stories that might prove less comfortable, and give space to the perspectives that might challenge each other. Ethical remembering will require us to shine a light on overlooked figures and events as all of us with intersecting stories attempt to achieve a deeper, more balanced and inclusive perspective. A central dimension of this is a refusal of conscious or unconscious amnesia, not only of persons but also of events and of the assumptions and actions that drove them. I suggested at what was our inaugural seminar in the series that it requires us to consider the marginalised voices, the disenfranchised, and voices ignored or overlooked in our recollections of the past. It must, for example, give adequate recognition to the essential part played by women and their experiences. The driving influences of class, power, violence and restraint must all be laid bare and, in doing so, perhaps allow us to find our own individual and collective openness to perspectives of the stranger, the ‘other’, including the enemy of yesterday. To this end, I am inviting scholars for a number of seminars from a variety of backgrounds to share their thoughts, to challenge us, and to challenge each other, in our dissection of the past and its implications for us today and also for tomorrow. History and access to it, drawing on good scholarship is so important for all of us. My hope is that Machnamh 100, through being a forum for reflection, will aid us in transacting our shared history in an ethical way and with a respect for complexity as we move forward together on a journey to the future.
