Memory, memories, conflicts: Pedagogical reflections against the backdrop of the “second Nakba”|Memoria, memorie, conflitti. Considerazioni pedagogiche sullo sfondo della “seconda Nakba”

The article explores the role of pedagogy in addressing contemporary conflicts, with a particular focus on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the and the situation that emerged following Hamas's attack on October 7h, 2023, and the genocidal response in Gaza. Through a critical reflection on the paradoxes of our time - between fear and security, utopia, dystopia, and disillusionment – it questions pedagogy’s transformative potential in rethinking the relationship between subject, history, memory, human rights. Central to the discussion is the concept of memory, understood as an educational tool to connect past and future, with reference to memories of the Shoah and the Palestinian Nakba. The article highlights tensions between different historical and political narratives, analyzing the risks of ritualized memory and those of its instrumentalization. Finally, it underscores the need for critical and conscious education, capable of addressing contemporary fractures without succumbing to ideological polarization but instead fostering dialogue and building bridges between different identities and memories.