Transmitting the Power of Memory: From International to Local Activism

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This week, my Global Politics group received a folder on The Amnesty International Group Kenyon College Chapter. Among the materials, a letter dated March 2, 1987, stood out to me, prompting deep reflection on this week’s readings about the relationship between past and present events and how history is structured and remembered. In this letter, the group representative calls on faculty and staff to join a letter-writing campaign aimed at advocating for prisoners of conscience, individuals persecuted for their political, religious, or social beliefs. Drawing on the belief that “the pen is mightier than the sword”, the letter urges participants to write to governments that violate human rights, with the goal of promoting justice and safeguarding fundamental freedoms.

This letter deeply resonates with Schwartz’s argument about how the past connects to the present to serve as a societal model. According to Schwartz, collective memory functions as a cultural tool for meaning-making, linking past events to both each other and contemporary circumstances. Schwartz asserts that collective memory performs two essential roles: it serves as a template that organizes and motivates behavior and as a frame within which individuals locate and find meaning in their present experiences (Schwartz 2011:245). In the case of this letter, the act of writing on behalf of prisoners of conscience draws from past global human rights struggles, transforming these historical precedents into frameworks for present-day activism.

Equally compelling is Schudson’s concept of the “structure of available pasts,” which argues that memory is not spontaneous but constructed through institutions and social practices (Schudson 2011:287). This letter perfectly illustrates how institutional memory is localized and transmitted to more local practices. By encouraging people to engage in letter-writing, a form of activism deeply rooted in human right groups’ global traditions, the group reinforces and extends the broader institutional memory of fighting for human rights. This action connects the local community to a global legacy of advocacy, embedding human rights activism within the campus’s collective memory. Furthermore, the letter also reflects Schudson’s notion of memory selectivity. Public memory, as Schudson notes, is shaped through selective focus on particular events or injustices (Schudson 2011:289). The Amnesty International Group Kenyon Chapter’s focus on prisoners of conscience demonstrates this selective emphasis, highlighting a specific facet of global human rights issues to galvanize action. Just as certain novels become “classics” through cycles of recognition, institutional support, and cultural reinforcement, movements like Amnesty International build enduring authority and relevance through those advocacy efforts and institutional backing.

In reflecting on this letter, it becomes clear how historical memory and present-day action are interconnected. The call for faculty engagement not only addressed immediate human rights concerns but also reinforced a tradition of activism that continues to influence the campus culture today. Through the lens of Schwartz and Schudson, this letter-writing session transforms into a profound example of how institutions preserve, transmit, and activate memory to inspire meaningful social change.


Reference

Schwartz, Barry. “From Abraham Lincoln and the Forge of American Memory.” The Collective Memory Reader, Oxford University Press, New York City, New York, 2011, pp. 242–247.

Shudson, Michael. “The Past in the Present versus the Present in the Past.” The Collective Memory Reader, Oxford University Press, New York City, New York, 2011, pp. 287–290.

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