The panel discussion, moderated by Prof Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela, brought together an esteemed group of scholars and practitioners to explore the layered dimensions of witnessing and witness-bearing. The conversation unfolded with a deep interrogation of memory, trauma, historical accountability, and the ethics of engagement with past violence. The panellists, Prof Heidi Grunebaum, Tareq Baconi, Prof Tamar Garb, and Prof Seth Anziska, offered nuanced perspectives that intertwined personal experiences, historical narratives, and theoretical reflections. This discussion was not only an academic exercise but also an ethical and moral engagement with the obligations of witnessing.

The Role of Witnessing

Prof Gobodo-Madikizela opened the discussion by situating witnessing as an act that extends beyond passive observation. She emphasized the ethical responsibility involved in bearing witness, noting, to witness is to be implicated, it is to be drawn into the pain and reality of the other. Witnessing is not a neutral act; it is an engagement that demands something from us. This set the tone for the panel, urging an exploration of the transformative power of witnessing in both personal and collective memory.

Witnessing as a Form of Engagement with History

Prof Heidi Grunebaum expanded on this by interrogating the ways in which witnessing is mediated through narrative and testimony. Grunebaum highlighted the importance of storytelling in historical justice, stating that memory is not static. It is constructed through the stories we tell and retell. If we do not engage with these stories critically, we risk allowing historical injustices to be forgotten. She further emphasized the role of oral histories in keeping marginalized voices alive, adding, listening is an active process, it requires us to acknowledge the truths that may unsettle us.

The Ethics of Witnessing and the Limits of Representation

Tareq Baconi brought a critical lens to the discussion, cautioning against the potential dangers of witnessing that becomes voyeuristic or exploitative. He challenged the audience to consider, at what point does witnessing turn into spectacle? How do we ensure that the suffering of others is not consumed as passive spectacle but engaged with ethically? Baconi elaborated, the challenge is to witness in a way that amplifies rather than appropriates. We must ask ourselves: are we bearing witness in solidarity, or are we simply observing from a safe distance?

Gobodo-Madikizela, responding to Baconi’s concerns, guided the conversation towards the responsibilities of witnesses. She emphasized that true witnessing involves listening with integrity, stating, bearing witness is not about taking ownership of another’s pain; it is about making space for it. It is about recognizing that the act, when done with care, is a form of justice.

Art, Memory, and the Visual Dimensions of Witnessing

Prof Tamar Garb then introduced the significance of visual culture in the act of witnessing. Garb explored how images serve as sites of memory and commemoration, remarking, a photograph or a painting can hold the weight of history in ways that words sometimes cannot. The power of the visual lies in its immediacy, it forces us to confront what we might otherwise try to look away from. Garb further argued that art has the ability to challenge official histories, stating that artistic representations allow us to reframe narratives that have been silenced. They offer a counter-memory, one that resists erasure.

Witness-Bearing as a Call to Action

Prof Seth Anziska closed the reflections by reinforcing that witness-bearing is not a passive act but a call to action. Anziska urged that to bear witness is to be accountable, to act in ways that honour the stories we have been entrusted with. We cannot allow ourselves the comfort of detachment. Anziska emphasized that witnessing requires engagement, saying, recognition is not enough. Bearing witness is about making choices, choices that disrupt injustice, that refuse silence.

Prof Grunebaum echoed this sentiment, underscoring the role of education in cultivating responsible witnessing; we need to teach future generations how to witness in ways that do justice to history. It is not simply about remembering; it is about remembering ethically. Prof Garb and Tareq Baconi added final reflections, with the former reaffirming the power of artistic representations in sustaining memory and Tareq Baconi cautioning against the instrumentalization of trauma. Their insights provided a fitting close to a discussion that had crossed multiple dimensions of witnessing and its implications.

In concluding the panel, Gobodo-Madikizela reflected on the transformative potential of witnessing. She reminded the audience that witnessing is an act of care; it is about ensuring that history is not forgotten, and that justice remains a lived practice. The conversation, rich in insight and ethical reflection, underscored the necessity of witnessing as both a scholarly endeavour and a moral imperative. The panel offered a profound meditation on the role of witnessing and witness-bearing in shaping historical memory, inviting the audience to consider their own responsibilities as witnesses to the past and present. The discussion remains a vital contribution to ongoing dialogues on justice, memory, and ethical responsibility in societies grappling with the legacies of violence.