Fifty years of amnesia: AUB commemorates Lebanon civil war

The American University of Beirut (AUB) launched Fifty Years of Amnesia, a series of events commemorating the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990).

The initiative, organized by the Department of History and Archaeology in partnership with civil society organizations, student societies, artists, and activists, seeks to break the decades-long silence around one of the most formative and devastating periods in Lebanon’s modern history.

The official launch took place on April 14, 15, and 16, 2025, at AUB’s West Hall, marking the symbolic anniversary of the Ain el-Remmaneh bus incident that ignited the war. Over the course of a year—through April 2026—Fifty Years of Amnesia will feature exhibitions, lectures, workshops, concerts, and other public initiatives both on and off campus.

These events aim to encourage critical reflection, historical dialogue, and collective remembrance in a country where the war remains unacknowledged and largely undocumented.

“While the Lebanese Civil War officially ended in 1990 with the Taif Accord, which ushered in a new political arrangement, there has been no state-sponsored effort to recognize the conflict’s complex legacies or to honor its many victims. Instead, Lebanon adopted an official policy of forgetting—a willful amnesia that has silenced discussions about justice, memory, and accountability,” the organizing committee noted, adding, “This is not just a commemoration; it is an invitation to remember, to question, and to engage. We hope to open space for all generations to confront the past and imagine a different future.”

Members of the public, students, artists, researchers, and institutions are invited to contribute to this initiative. Proposals for events or collaborations are welcome and may be submitted to histarc@aub.edu.lb