Page 351 - Proceedings book

Curating Memory and Constructing Peace: The Transformative Role
of Museums in Narrating Violence in Post-Conflict Societies

T.K.Kotigala
Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, University of Kelaniya, thevunik@gmail.com

Keywords Abstract
Museums today are no longer passive repositories of artifacts;

Museum Narratives they are active agents in shaping collective memory, cultural
narratives, and social values. This study examines how museums
Violence foster Collective Memory and Collective Imagination—distinct
Transitional Justice Homo sapiens traits—by curating shared memories that mold
civilizations. In light of humanity’s “Killer Ape” legacy of
Collective Memory
violence, war and genocide museums confront a profound ethical
Sustainable question: should they glorify conflict, or cultivate justice,

Development empathy, and reconciliation? Framed within Sustainable
Development Goal 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions),
this research explores how museums can advance Transitional
Justice by promoting truth, justice, reparation, and non-
recurrence. Using a comparative case study of the United States
Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) and Sri Lanka’s
Puthukkudiyiruppu Victory Memorial and War Museum
(PVMWM), the study investigates how narrative framing shapes
collective memory and impacts post-conflict reconciliation. The
USHMM constructs an empathetic, human-centered narrative,
emphasizing critical reflection, victim dignity, and the prevention
of future atrocities. In contrast, the PVMWM advances a
triumphalist, state-centric narrative that marginalizes the
suffering of civilians, risking the entrenchment of exclusionary
memories and deepening societal divisions. These contrasting
approaches highlight the pivotal role of museums as ethical
actors in transitional justice processes: either bridging divides
through inclusive memory work or reinforcing fragmented,
adversarial histories. Ultimately, the study argues that museums
possess a dual capacity—to serve as custodians of complex,
painful truths, and as catalysts for building more equitable,
peaceful futures by fostering shared understandings of past
violence.

1. Introduction

In post-conflict societies, the narratives surrounding violence and reconciliation shape
collective memory and influence the trajectory toward lasting peace. Museums, as key

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