Centre for the Study of the Afterlife of Violence and the Reparative Quest

06/10/2026

𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 | 𝐃𝐫. 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐲

On 11 August 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 hosted a powerful presentation on “𝑨𝒔𝒉 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆: 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒁𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒎 𝑼𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒃𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒂𝒉” by post-doctoral fellow, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐃𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐤𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐤𝐲.

The presentation invited reflection on how the wounds of historical violence and generational trauma can be transformed into political narratives that reproduce new forms of dehumanisation. Dr. Washkansky’s work challenged us to think critically about the ways memory, victimhood, fear, and existential threat can be mobilised to legitimise violence.

A difficult but necessary conversation about the afterlives of the Shoah, the politics of memory, and the profound ethical responsibility of refusing to reproduce the violence we remember.

02/10/2026

𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 | 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐤𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐊. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐡

On 1st September 2026 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 hosted a public seminar by 𝐃𝐫. 𝐀𝐤𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐊. 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐡, post-doc fellow, postgraduate coordinator and lecturer for our 𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 program. Dr. Anyieth’s seminar entitled: “𝑪𝒐𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝑼𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑽𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉 𝑺𝒖𝒅𝒂𝒏” referred to material unions formed under pressure, manipulation, threat or the use of physical, emotional or social force that undermines the free and informed consent of one or both parties.

Coerced Unions explores how social expectations, economic dependency, patriarchal authority, legal pluralism, and community norms operate as instruments of force, blurring the boundary between “choice” and informed consent. This paper draws on my current manuscript to illuminate how gendered power, custom, and law interact to produce and sustain violence in marriage processes and within the institution of marriage in South Sudan.

29/09/2026

📢 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 📢

𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 at Stellenbosch University invites applications for the 𝗠𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿.

The programme offers an interdisciplinary and decolonial space to critically examine violent pasts, their ongoing impact across generations, and the challenges of repair.

📅 Application Deadline: 31 October 2026
📍 Programme starts: 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 2027
🔗 Link in the bio for more details

We look forward to welcoming applications from committed scholars ready to engage with pressing questions of history, trauma, and repair.

29/09/2026

𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐝𝐨𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 | 𝐃𝐫. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢

On the 25th of August 2026, 𝐃𝐫. 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐢, AVReQ Post-Doctoral Fellow presented a seminar on his research entitled: 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆: 𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚, 𝑰𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑪𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝑷𝒐𝒔𝒕-1964 𝒁𝒂𝒏𝒛𝒊𝒃𝒂𝒓.

Drawing on qualitative data from heritage experts and diverse local communities, including African, Arab, Indian, and Shirazi groups, the presentation demonstrates that cultural heritage extends beyond monument conservation to become a contested arena where identity, memory, historical justice, and political authority are negotiated. While the Zanzibar Revolution promoted African-centered heritage as part of post-colonial nation-building, it also raised concerns about the underrepresentation of minority histories and cultural traditions among Arab and Indian ethnic groups.

Dr. Chami’s presentation argues for a pluralistic, participatory and people-centered heritage framework that recognizes how communities construct memories, attach meaning to heritage and interpret a multicultural past by focusing on political revolution in the context of post-1964 Zanzibar. His research contributes towards international debates on decolonizing heritage management and advancing inclusive governance in post-conflict and post-colonial societies.

28/09/2026

𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎’𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨-𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬.

28/09/2026

𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄!

KINDLY GIVE US A FOLLOW:
TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH US!

24/09/2026

Celebrating our shared heritage 🇿🇦

Today, we celebrate the diverse cultures, languages, traditions and stories that shape who we are.
At Stellenbosch University, our diversity enriches our community and reminds us of the strength in learning from and with one another.
Happy Heritage Day to our SU community!

22/09/2026

𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐

This month at 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 we had the pleasure of hosting our 𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬. In these presentations our inaugural 𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 cohort presented their research that they’ve been working on over the course of the year. From exploring the afterlives of Gukurahundi violence, to studying the role of political imprisonment as a tool for Apartheid domination and questing to understand the reproduction of heteronormativity in residence spaces, our 𝐌𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 cohort’s proposals reflect the truth depth of research that we aim to cultivate at 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐.

Presenting and disseminating research is a key part of the postgraduate program at 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐, with the aim of cultivating researchers who are not only able to write up their research but to share their work across various platforms and environments.

In addition to their academic endeavours, it has been a pleasure to watch our students grow as people and researchers. We look forward to watching themselves and their research projects develop over the next stage of their academic journey. We are already so deeply proud of them.

18/09/2026

𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎’𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐

On 15 September 2026, 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 hosted a Welcoming Seminar for 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚 𝐎'𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐎'𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 is a scholar, filmmaker, and curator whose work focuses on memory, trauma, land restitution, and freedom in post-apartheid society. She is known for her films and exhibitions on forced removals, colonial legacies, and her research emphasizes ‘colouredness,’ belonging, and restorative justice.

In this memorable lecture, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐎'𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥 challenged the silence of colonial pasts and encouraged the audience to pursue activist scholarship, drawing from our own positionalities and histories to demand repair and restitution.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐎'𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐥, welcome to 𝐀𝐕𝐑𝐞𝐐 and Stellenbosch University!

16/09/2026