Get over it? The true effects of violence in the Francophone world

Abstract: Get over it? Is an invitation to explore the Francophone world and the lingering effects of its unseen violence. This research project took us to four countries (Canada, Algeria, Martinique, Guinea), and explored the voice of the people, often unheard, but directly affected by French colonialism and it’s invasive forced assimilation. The measurable effects of colonialism, or the “what”, are of course data points that are easily found in economic exchange, raw resources depletion, ideological education, technology, etc... However, the unseen effects, or the “how”, on the core identity of a people is more nuanced, subtle, and yet more impactful. Findings: We intend to explore a form of violence that results in the loss of the self and the fragmentation of individualism. French colonization resulted in violent repercussions that exist in ex-colonies to this day. Violence of identity loss is unique to the individuals in each country. The French never fostered a sense of cultural cohesion, instead assimilation. Forced individuals of a country to be torn apart between two cultural, disharmonious forces. Power differential exists not only internally but on a global platform Fragmented identity results in a loss of individual power, cultural potential power, and global presence due to the self hating ingrained beliefs. Artist\u27s Statement We were inspired to explore this subject because it is the duty of the artist to redefine our human experience and represent the voices of the past. With this in mind, we researched authors that were passionate about exposing their experiences and are little read. Uncovering the words of history helps us to overlay the lense of knowledge in our outlook of the world today. We must always remember the capacity that literature has to help us understand, and respect one another, as a part of humanity’s collective whole