| Abstract | It is well known that, in post-conflict societies, political elites portray and memorialise the past in the service of nation-building. Far less attention has been paid to the relationship between local memory practices and nation-building. By examining how community members in Timor-Leste and Bougainville commemorate the past, construct monuments, undertake reconciliation practices and ritually rebury the dead, this project aims to reveal how citizens' collective memories are shaping nations. This research aims to contribute new theoretical understandings of the relationship between memory and nation-building, while also influencing policy debates on peace-building and transitional justice after conflict.
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