Any space for the positive past? The pedagogical potential of lived experiences of community resistance to ethnic segregation and violence in countries affected by violent conflict

The seminar presented  key findings of research in two ethnically mixed communities that had successfully resisted ethnic segregation and violence during the 1991-1995 wars in the former Yugoslavia (Gorski kotar (Croatia) and Tuzla (Bosnia-Herzegovina)).  It also explored how lived experiences of inter-ethnic solidarity and cooperation can be incorporated as an educational tool t=for use in formal and informal education to promote critical thinking about violent conflicts, as well as to support the prevention of future violence.

Dr Valentina Otmačić is based at the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Rijeka, Croatia and is a scholar and practitioner engaged in the fields of peace, conflict transformation and human rights, with a specific emphasis on resistance to identity-based violence and constructive conflict transformation. For over 25 years, Valentina also worked as practitioner with UN Agencies and international organizations in several countries, including Lebanon, Colombia, DR Congo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the USA.