Laura Efron Asian and African Studies, History Department, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

1. SASHT Conference 2014Rethinking Recent History Teaching:Some approaches and contributions from the Argentinian case Laura Efron Asian and African Studies, History Department, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

2. Aims: • To present the historical and educational features of the recent past and its high school teaching in the Argentinian case • To share some class experiences and think about the achievements and difficulties teachers have when working on recent past with their students • To promote discussions abput the link between past and present and the place that history has or should have in the promotion of critical thinking

3. Why did I choose to share these experiences? • 1941, Educational Journal, TLSA. Alie Fataar and Benjamin Kies critical ideas about history teaching in the Western Cape. • "The History we Teach" and "The Nazi education system" • Thinking links between the South

4. Why comparing South Africa and Argentina? • Geopolitical position in both continents • European Colonial rule experiences • Apartheid - Argentinian cycles of democratic and dictatorship regimes • Coup d´etat 1976-1983

5. Key points in Argentinian recent history • 1976 Militar Coup d´etat. State Terrorism: • political parties and unions banned • 30.000 "desaparecidos" • 300 concentration camps (not officially recognised) • 8.600 political prisioners • more than 20.000 exiles • 400 abducted babies. • 1982: The Junta Militar was forced to open political negotiations after the Malvinas War defeat.

6. Returning to democracy: Alfonsín's Period 1984-1989 • Foundation of the National Comission of Dissappeared People (CONADEP) • 1985: Conviction of the top members of the military goverment • 1987: Parliament passed two impunities laws (Obediencia debida y Punto Final) • First official memory: "The Two Evils Theory"

7. Since 2001 until today • 2003. Kircher new goverment changed Human Rights National Policy. New National narrative: "State Terrorism" instead of the "Two evils Theory" • 2005. Supreme Court of Justice confirmed that the Impunity Laws were against the principles of the new constitution: re-opening of cases considered crimes against humanity • March 24th was declared National Day for Memory, Truth and Justice • Creation of Memory sites

8. Educational Policies 2006. New National Education Act 26206: Makes a special remark in the teaching of recent Argentinian History and in the construction of memories in school spaces. New National Curriculum includes both aims.

9. Conceptual background • The past is not static, it is reinvented and revisited from the present time (Bloch) • Past-Present as a concept with multiple implications for individuals and society in the thinking of the future (Kosselleck) • Transitional times: special moment in which it is possible to dispute and re-shape national identities

10. The relationship between memory and history • Tension between official memory and subaltern memories • Tension between History as a cientific discipline and histories as the popular experiences and memories • Can collective memory be plural and heterogeneous? • How can teachers deal with the conflicts that teaching recent history brings into class? How can we deal with the students backgrounds and family memories?

11. El programa "Jóvenes y Memoria, recordamos para el futuro"The "Youth and Memory, remembering for the future"programme Created in 2002 by the Memory Provincial Commission of Buenos Aires. • General aim: teach Argentinian recent history and promote the consolidation of public memories • Specific Aim: promote critical thinking among students about their past and present

12. El programa "Jóvenes y Memoria, recordamos para el futuro" The "Youth and Memory, remembering for the future" programme The Programme: - One group between six and twenty students with a teacher. Week meetings - Bibliographical Research - Problem definiton. Local approach. Past-Present problematics. - Research - Exposing the results: film, play, music performance, mural, paintings, etc. - Special classes for teachers and students

13. El programa "Jóvenes y Memoria, recordamos para el futuro" The "Youth and Memory, remembering for the future" programme Sharing the results: 1. Local exposition: Inviting the neighbours to school 2. Schools expositions: Students and teachers involved in the programme go for a weekend to a special camp where all the participants share their experiences and results

15. Class Research as a tool to deal with recent past and memories in dispute • Research opens questions instead of giving closed answers • It allows students to get involved with the past and change their presents • Invites students to understand how history as a cientific discipline works • Promotes the inclusion of memories in the re-construction of the historical past • Creates a wider and more complex view of the past, including different social actors and interests. • Promotes the creation of multi-causal explanations • Gives the students a special sense of responsability as future citizens