English oral

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Date :Wednesday 9th March

Student: Mona GalloSupervisor: Fredérique Martin

5 minutes convincing people that it is important to testify

• 1-History of the Angolan independence war

• 2-History of my mom, orphan of the Angolan war

• 3-The importance to testify

Contents

History of the angolan war of independence

Conflicts between Portugal and pro independence movements in Angola (1961-1975)-preceded by 5 centuries of colonisation-Angola = country the most depopulated by the slave trade

Desire of emancipation from colonisation*15 years of fights*context of the Cold war and decolonisation *independence was declared on the 11th November 1975

> 50 000 deaths>tense political climate>painful memories>Luanda = most expensive and corrupt city in the world

Assessement

Fighting everyday so that people know through her testimony what happened"Memory gives history a name, a feeling, a way for everybody to identify and to imagine"

THE HISTORY OF MY MOM, ORPHAN OF THE ANGOLAN WAR

-was born in Angola few days after Luanda uprising-the war took away her mother, her father, her name, identity and culture

-6 years old : forced to raise colonists children-have to learn another language and way of life-adopted by the cousin of her mother, forced to move in Portugal -never seen her real family again

*leave a testimony in the collective memory*a way for people to know the reality*add a sensitive dimension to history

Contribution of testimony to history

Feeling the need to testify

Allowed people to be at peace

* feel soothed*pay homage to people*feel heard

"Personal stories involve the brain more and are therefore remembered in the future than a simple statements of facts" Paul Zak