UMAM D&R Information

UMAM D&R was founded as a Lebanese non-profit civil company in 2004, and received its status as an association in 2007. UMAM D&R concentrates on themes of active memory by intentionally revisiting Lebanon's violent past. The generally disempowered but increasingly numerous voices calling for truth-seeking in Lebanon, the ongoing cycles of blame and counter blame within political discourse, and the omnipresent threat of renewed political violence, serve to build the case that the strategy of closing the files has failed and Lebanon urgently needs to begin the tasks of truth-seeking and public truth-telling. UMAM D&R aims to preserve and revive fading memories of civil violence and war, as well as to provide a platform for public access to, and exchange of, such memories. UMAM D&R believes that they are essential for building the future - as a key to historical and political self-analysis, to understanding national and individual identity formation, to acknowledgment and recognition of responsibility and blame, and potentially to reconciliation. UMAM D&R preserves memories primarily through collection and digitalization of materials from Lebanon's history (See UMAM's Collection). It strives to revive memories of Lebanon through events that stimulate public participation and contributions to the archive. UMAM D&R provides a platform for public access to memories of civil violence and war through the Hangar, a large converted warehouse in Southern Beirut. It also coordinates and supports other public events around Lebanon. Finally, UMAM D&R enables exchange of memories and ideas both within Lebanon and with other post-conflict societies in the hope that Lebanon will formulate plans and strategies for dealing with its own unique past.