A/HRC/25/49 and museums and develop national strategies across a territory and over the long term, taking into consideration a wide array of narratives. Civil society has the capacity to mobilize groups of population, grant popular legitimacy, organize events and generate public debates. 101. The complementarity of the various actors is often difficult to put into practice, however. The authorities may be tempted to obtain short-term political gains by building monuments that will have little discursive impact for society as a whole, but will “close the book” – or so it is hoped. Victims and memorial entrepreneurs from civil society may disagree among themselves as to who and what to commemorate. The dangers are manifold, but the synergy between different actors is essential for fostering a broad debate on the representation of the past and related democratic issues and crucial for effective long-term reconciliation. Memorialization as a contribution to guarantees of non-recurrence demands that the past inform the present and facilitate the understanding of contemporary issues relating to democracy, human rights and equality. 102. Memorial practices concerning mass crimes involve a complex equilibrium between the personal emotions arising from evocations of the past and a removed historical narrative that can potentially enable reflection about resistance and civil disobedience. However difficult, the cohabitation between the emotional dimension and a distanced analysis is indispensable. Without emotional charge, the account of tragic events has little impact; without perspective, the risk is great of cultivating a victimized memory that loses sight of the need to prevent further violence. To reach such equilibrium, memorial practices, while giving space to the emotional dimension, must be informed and framed by rigorous historical research and study. 103. The Special Rapporteur recommends that States and other stakeholders support victims and families of victims of mass or grave human rights violations, or traumatic events, seeking to commemorate the past. Memorialization should be understood as processes that provide the necessary space for those affected to articulate their diverse narratives in culturally meaningful ways. Such processes encompass a variety of engagements which do not necessarily become concretized through the erection of physical monuments, but can also take the form of numerous activities and cultural expressions. 104. Goals assigned to memorials should be debated and decided upon on a case-bycase basis. States and other stakeholders should refrain from using memorialization processes to further their own political agendas and ensure that memorial policies contribute to, in particular: (a) Overcoming denials that fuel hatred, resentment and violence; (b) Providing symbolic reparation and public recognition to the victims in ways that respond to the needs of all victims oppressed in a recent or distant past and contribute to their healing; (c) The development of reconciliation policies between groups that were opposed during conflicts, through a process of official and public recognition of crimes committed; (d) A policy of prevention through pedagogical action and cultural interventions to reduce the risk of further violence between groups opposed in the past; (e) Redefining national identity by a policy of pluralism that acknowledges different communities and recognizes the crimes committed by all parties; 20