Thematic Approach

GIRES, the Global Institute for Research Education & Scholarship dedicated to interdisciplinarity organizes the conference dedicated to interpretations of Collective Memory and its interconnections with Oral history and testimonies.

We wish to create a dialogue and explore the multifaceted field that connects collective memory and the role of oral history in shaping memory and identities. In specific, we hope to understand the dynamics of collective memory through critical analysis and discussion of the processes and understand how collective memory is formed, transmitted, and transformed within diverse cultural contexts. We hope that we will shed light upon the means of preserving, interpreting, and transmitting collective memory across generations, and its impact on cultural heritage and storytelling in order to explore the intersections between collective memory and identity between  individual or group identities, including the construction of national, ethnic, community, or familial narratives. Fields that we hope to be addressed are the intergenerational transmission by investigating the processes and methods of preserving and passing collective memory to next generations and at the same time discuss the ways in which collective memory and oral tradition are represented, interpreted, and reinterpreted through various mediums such as literature, art, performance, and digital media. Last but not least, we wish to focus on the importance of preservation and documentation addressing the ethical considerations, methodologies, and technologies involved in the preservation, documentation, and archiving of oral tradition and collective memory for future generations.

We welcome scholars, researchers, educators, practitioners, artists, and students who are engaged in the study, documentation, preservation, and interpretation of collective memory and oral tradition. We hope that the conference will be the platform for the participants to exchange, networking, and collaboration, fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse ways in which collective memory shapes our societies and identities.

Topics for presentations and discussions may include, but are not limited to:

Proposed Topics

– Oral history and the construction of historical narratives
– Cultural heritage preservation through oral tradition
– Indigenous knowledge systems and oral traditions
– Folklore, legends, and myths as carriers of collective memory
– Trauma, memory, and healing in oral testimonies
– Intergenerational transmission of collective memory
– Intersectionality and marginalized voices in oral traditions
– Performance, storytelling, and the embodiment of collective memory
– Digital technologies and the transformation of oral tradition
– Linguistic diversity and multilingualism in oral cultures
– Gender, sexuality, and oral narratives
– Ethical considerations in working with oral histories
– Education, pedagogy, and the role of oral tradition in learning
– Collaborative approaches to documenting and preserving collective memory

Proposed Formats (Lingua franca: English)
-Individual papers (GIRES will included it in a panel)
-Panels (up to 4 presentations-chaired by one of the presenters or appointed by GIRES)
-Roundtable presentations (chaired by one of the presenters or appointed by GIRES)
-Poster presentations
-Student presentations (one paper presented by up to 3 young scholars)
-Keynote speech (depending on the time availability)
-Pre-recorder presentation (s) (Asynchronous Platform)
-Pre-recorder presentation (s) (Synchronous-live- Sessions: live participation of presenter (s) during the Q&A sessions)

Publication Opportunity 
The Organizing Committee and GIRES Press will publish the most powerful and dynamic presentations of the conference and include them
in a collective volume in the form of short articles and/or long essays. For more information please contact us

Live Sessions Recording
All participants have the option to have their presentations recorded (during live sessions) in HD quality. The recordings will be uploaded to GIRES media for unlimited access and dissemination.

Asynchronous Options
All participants have the option to have their presentations (video/audio/text) uploaded to our Virtual Platform. All  registered participants will have access to the material for 5 days.

Our proposed topics & formats are not restrictive and we invite additional germane ideas
Our event will take place VIRTUALLY