Think Tank

Bloody Memory: Parallel Victimization and Narratives of Suffering in the Armenia-Azerbaijan Conflict

Authors/Researchers

Kristie Moore (University of California, Berkeley)

Mentors

Dr. Ann Phillips (George Mason University)

This paper examines parallel victimization and the construction of suffering narratives in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, centering the experiences of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). In the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, competing territorial claims over Nagorno-Karabakh intensified, with both Armenian and Azerbaijani governments mobilizing collective trauma to reinforce national narratives. Drawing on scholarly works, official documents, and firsthand testimonies, the study analyzes displacement as a sustained form of violence and critiques how politicized memory obstructs individual and societal healing. Through a focus on Azerbaijan’s refugee resettlement efforts and the recent displacement of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, the paper argues that durable reconciliation depends on truthful historical engagement and an emphasis on individualized experiences of suffering.