Memory policies on COVID-19 in France and beyond

Presentation of a research project as part of the "Jeudis de la Maison Suger", a residents' research seminar.

This session will bring together Deisy Ventura and Kathia Martin-Chenut for a discussion on memory policies related to the COVID-19 pandemic, at the intersection of justice, international law, and democratic challenges.

Presentation of the project

"Drawing from the Brazilian experience of the COVID-19 pandemic, where severe human rights violations were committed by the state—largely unknown to the international academic community- I propose a new approach to COVID-19, conceptualized as a subject of memory, truth, and justice. Situated within broader multidisciplinary and multicentric studies on COVID-19 in which I participate, my research at MSH aims to gather information and engage in critical reflection on COVID-19 memory policies in France, their modes of action and sources of funding, as well as the agendas they are linked to and the tensions surrounding them. This exploratory case study seeks to outline a classification of these policies based on their nature, origin, and objectives, among other factors. The study could contribute to the debate on universal legal standards for memory preservation, whose relevance to COVID-19 I wish to examine. Furthermore, it may also enrich discussions on the theoretical and practical frameworks for managing international health crises in France and beyond."

Speakers

Deisy Ventura holds a Ph.D. in International Law from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She is the Deputy Director of the Institute of International Relations and the Doctoral School of Global Health and Sustainable Development at the University of São Paulo. Additionally, she serves as the Brazilian Coordinator for several international research projects, including the SMAPL project and the IRP ALCOM initiative.

Discussant: Kathia Martin-Chenut is a research director at CNRS, assigned to ISJPS. She co-leads the Center for Comparative Law and the Internationalization of Law at ISJPS, Paris 1.