Institute of Historical Justice and Reconciliation (IHJR), EuroClio, Hague

THE NETHERLANDS

INSTITUTE OF HISTORICAL JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION (IHJR), EUROCLIO, HAGUE

Kushal Singh Sohal, St. Antony’s College, MSc Modern South Asian Studies, Remote Working

Work Projects

I interned on the IHJR's 'Contested Histories’project from 1 September to 21 September2020. My main task was to assist with theformation of a qualitative database that deriveddata from an array of case studies and assesshow this should translate onto a mappingplatform. The case studies concerned contestedhistories in different parts of the world, ranging from statues of American Confederacygenerals in the United States to memorials to the likes of Vladimir Lenin across formerSoviet Union states in modern Eastern Europe.

Working alongside my supervisor Katria Tomko, I sought to recategorize the keycomponents of the case studies; the aim was to make the information easier to navigateinternally and, thereby, more accessible for the wider public and policy makers oncetranslated onto a mapping platform. We filtered through the case studies in order toascertain key qualitative data, ranging from the co-ordinates of the site of contestation todetermining its core legacies.

We used a combination of Excel and Google Sheets to produce such databases. The processof revising the pre-existing databases was structured around daily conversations on thenuances of categories (i.e. legacies and defining geopolitical regions). We also worked tostandardise case names and continually revised the categories that identify therepresentation that a contestation takes on, i.e. monument and memorial. I also conductedresearch on the place of emotions in linked protest movements (i.e. works by scholar JasperJames), I think being able to break the toxicity around such a matter is vital in modern daydiscourses.

With the database taking more coherent shape, we began experimenting with ARCGISOnline our software preference after initial research where we compared its features with those on other, more simplified mapping platforms. After watching multiple tutorial videos, I experimented with translating the data onto a multi-layered map. We found it a challenge to enable coherent filtering, so we changed the database into a binary format. But we found that more expert skills are required to produce the layering desired.

My final thoughts on the mapping platform related to the kinds of statistics we should capture and by which visual representations. I noted how hot spot, cluster, standard deviation and other statistical features could be used to show correlations in the qualitative data i.e. links between intensity of contestation and type of legacy or initial actor and type of remedy. During my internship, I also drew attention to triggering terminology (i.e. explorer) in IHJR case studies. I called on the need to build more rigorous language guidelines and revisit the mission statement to ensure the positionality of the organisation is reckoned with and such paradoxes are addressed.

Daily Life

I began the internship the day following my Masters thesis submission. My daily life during the remote internship was quite flexible, I created a healthy work-life balance. Working hours were structed around a daily call of between one and two hours in length with my supervisor.

On Tuesdays, I also attended the wider virtual team meetings. I worked both from my accommodation as well as different cafes around Oxford, often scheduling such stints around these work calls. I found such frequent changes in work environment to enable concentrated periods of productivity as well as air of newness to the internship experience. I often met friends for walks in the late afternoon or dinner in the evening, such social interactions allowed me to re-energize following working stints and to bring my final days in Oxford to a close in an enjoyable way.

Lasting Impressions

In terms of skill sets, I feel I further developed my ability to interpret qualitative data and use software such as Excel as well as mapping platforms. This experience was an eye opener into the real challenges that we face to belonging in spaces that appear closer to home.