The past:
“Those who control the past, control the future.” (George Orwell, 1984)
How do representations of the past affect our understanding of it? How are historical representations incorporated into collective memory? To what degree are ideas of national identity embedded in collective memory, and what role do museums and social online media play in the creation of this collective memory?
Too many times, leaders and nations have dwelled in the past, which has handicapped the immense potential of the present, instead of using knowledge of the past advantageously towards the future.
In conclusion, history has proved that it cannot disappear. Wars can never disappear. Poverty can never disappear. Sickness can never disappear. Corruption can never disappear. Yet our connected history has produced success, happiness, growth, and prosperity. History has shown contrasts, andNamibia, the country we are so fortunate to
live in, advocates the diversity of every individual. In the words of Shakespeare, “What is past is prologue.” Indeed, the future of mankind will build upon what it has already established. As time progresses, the common public memory of the past will continue to fuse and intertwine all nations’ destinies together based on what each individual accomplishes now, in the present.
Now is the time to look at what is our common memory - and include all sides of the wars as part and parcel of one nation. And learn to use our differences to map a path for the future.
