A Global History of Never Again: New Perspectives on a Ubiquitous Phrase

Abstract:

In this talk, Dr. Jacob Blanc (McGill University) draws on his new research into the global history of the phrase "never again." Although the phrase still retains its connection to the legacies of the Holocaust, for the past fifty years it has grown into a nearly universal slogan, invoked across the world in the aftermath of a wide range of atrocities, from overt cases of genocide and authoritarian violence to "lesser" forms of mass trauma like school shootings, environmental disasters, and the destruction of indigenous lands. The phrase is both an analogy of the past and a moral imperative for the future—with deep insight as well on the contingencies of the present. Dr. Blanc draws on examples from across the world to reflect on the global meanings of violence, memory, and the language that we use to make sense of tragedy.

About the speaker:

Dr. Jacob Blanc is an associate professor of history and international development studies at McGill University. He is the author of five books and edited volumes, most recently Searching for Memory: Aluízio Palmar and the Shadow of Dictatorship in Brazil (UNC Press, 2025).