تاريخ الزمن الراهن : مواقف و تجارب

Abstract EN

This study sheds light on a new field in the of historical writing discipline, and it is related to what has become to be known as the present-time history, in which it has been observed in recent years, a great demand by historians to address recent periods and events, motivated by the desire to understand what is happening in the present, which contributed to the revitalization and activity of historical research and studies.

The study also discusses the general context of the emergence of the present-time history and the problem of its definition, as this new field was associated with the emergence of what is known in political literature as "Transitional Justice", and the related follow-up and fact-finding, through frameworks such as the fact-finding committees in Argentina in 1983, and Chile in 1990, the famous Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address committed human rights crimes of apartheid in South Africa in 1995.

The research also examined the problem of the sources approved in writing the history of the present time, including archives, oral stories and the diaries of the actors/militants, with the accompanying difficulties and constraints in the employment of these sources, which made some question the credibility of writing the present history, and confirms that the historian deviates from his specialty and storms into specialties that he has no right to; such as political science, sociology and anthropology.

The research found that the experiences of writing the present-time history were multiple and varied, and included developed countries and developing countries, and received varying successes, as well as documentary accumulations and distinguished academic research, refuted all the criticisms directed to the present-time historian.