We-R

Mission Statement

We-R explores the complex relationship between collective memory and national identity by introducing a ground-breaking perspective: the study of the Constitution as a lieu de mémoire. The aims of the project are to better understand how and to what extent contemporary Constitutions may be used as tools for bringing the past in the present, and analyze the ways in which configurations of memory and identity through the Constitution can obstruct reconciliation and democratization processes especially in post-conflict deeply divided societies. The pivotal objectives are to elaborate a new theory of constitutional interpretation, and an innovative strategy for dealing with the past in post-conflict societies marked by deep cleavages. We-R is genuinely interdisciplinary, and uses an innovative multimethod approach that integrates empirical research into comparative law methodology.