Memoria, Verdad, y Justicia: Commemorative Acts of Solidarity for Memory, Truth, and Justice in South America

Abstract

On March 24, 2016, a national holiday of Remembrance took place in Argentina as a means of commemoration of the fortieth anniversary of los desaparecidos (the disappeared ones). This holiday is a day to remember those who have been lost due to terrorism of the state, to celebrate the end of a murderous military coup, and to come together to demonstrate against past, current, and future crimes against humanity. Of the many groups that come in celebration and protest, none are as renowned or as influential as the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo. These women spoke out against the military regime when it was most dangerous to do so and gained invaluable steps against infringements on human rights. Thus, this organization became an example for others who fight on a global scale against the disappearances of loved ones, in turn amplifying a movement where individuals make and re-make their identities and activism through connection with the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo across national and geographic boundaries. This movement, described in this work as Global Critical Solidarity, provides a framework for further investigation of human rights movements based in local contexts that are (re)made in digital spaces to reach global audiences, in turn developing a deep sense of kinship that has critical implications for the understanding of shared humanity through diversity.