History and Reconciliation Web Log: Mission Statement

Based in the belief of the power of history to facilitate reconciliation, this weblog is intended to serve as a forum to exchange ideas on ways to use history as a tool for reconciliation of contemporary conflicts among various groups of professionals and students and those who are working to address the legacy of human rights abuses.

Major conflicts are often shaped by the opposing narratives that grow from fundamental historical misunderstandings, thus historians have a role to play in correcting misconceptions and in creating new space for political negotiations.

We invite you to contribute to the weblog to explore instances in which a new historical understanding can provide an opportunity for politicians and the public to reexamine particular beliefs that inform animosities, and in this way facilitate a new approach to conflict.

Through informal exchange of information and ideas, this weblog aims to provide a forum for debate, discussion, and learning.

This initiative is a part of the Salzburg Seminar's Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation, www.salzburgseminar.org/ihjr