BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:Valedictory speech prof.dr. S. Legêne METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260220T154500 DTEND:20260220T171500 DTSTAMP:20260220T154500 UID:2026/valedictory-speech-prof-d@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260408T211840 LOCATION:Hoofdgebouw, Aula De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:Valedictory speech prof.dr. S. Legêne X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

(No) Peace with the Pas t: Politics of History Today

Why we need imagination and crit ical history in politics

Susan Legêne, professor of political histo ry (2008-2025), discusses in her valedictory speech how all around us history is being invoked in today’s political debates, commemorati ve practices and heritage initiatives. History is being invoked as an explanation for today, as a call to action, as an expression of long ing for a past bygone, in sympathy for past authoritarianism or as a warning to let history not repeat itself. 

In December 202 5 EU President Ursula von der Leyen stated: ‘Yesterday's peace is g one. We have no time to indulge in nostalgia. What matters is – how we confront today. We cannot afford to let the world views of others define us.’ But what then defines us, what past-developments deter mine the world of today? In Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s epic poem The p erfect nine, Gĩkũyũ the progenitor expresses a core value that sho uld define all of us: “Every human is human because of other humans .”
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Why we need imagination and critical history in polit ics

S usan Legêne, professor of political history (2008-2025), discuss es in her valedictory speech how all around us history is being invok ed in today’s political debates, commemorative practices and herita ge initiatives. History is being invoked as an explanation for today, as a call to action, as an expression of longing for a past bygone, in sympathy for past authoritarianism or as a warning to let history not repeat itself.  In December 2025 EU President Ursula von der Leyen stated: ‘Yesterday's peace is gone. We have no time to indul ge in nostalgia. What matters is – how we confront today. We cannot afford to let the world views of others define us.’ But what then defines us, what past-developments determine the world of today? In N gũgĩ wa Thiong’o’s epic poem The perfect nine, Gĩkũyũ the pr ogenitor expresses a core value that should define all of us: “Ever y human is human because of other humans.”
Read more in the news item (No) Peace with the Past: Politics of History Today END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR