Memory, identity, and justice:

Collective construction in H.I.J.O.S. Salta

Abstract

This article analyzes the process of reconstructing the collective memory of a human rights organization in Salta, Argentina. Drawing on life narratives and experiences of activism within H.I.J.O.S., it examines how the transition from individual suffering to the public sphere enables the formation of a shared identity. Using Maurice Halbwachs’s contributions on the social frameworks of memory, the study explores the transformation of “childhood memories”—initially perceived as isolated fragments within the family setting—into a collective consciousness that demands justice. The article addresses local milestones such as the commemorative events held at the National University of Salta (2002), at Palomitas, and at El Gallinato; the practice of escraches as forms of resistance to the impunity of the 1990s; and the subsequent path toward trials for crimes against  humanity.