Coming to Terms with a Dark Past : How Post-Conflict Societies Deal with History

Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina are each burdened by memories of a civil war, between either social classes, racial groups or ethnic communities. History wars have followed the conflicts and been fought on the arenas of popular rhetoric, public memory, that is, monuments, museums and commemoration rituals, and history education. This book studies how the parties to these conflicts have attributed guilt to "the others" and victimhood to "us" in each country, and compares their respective memory politics and education strategies. The author draws on the potential on "history from below" activities and multiperspectival history lessons.-- Publisher description Cover Contents Abbreviations Foreword 1 Post-Conflict Society in the Grip of a Difficult Past 1.1 The Power of Shared Stories 1.2 Social Memory as Moral Discourse 1.3 Arch Myths of Guilt and Victimhood 1.4 The Role of Public Memory and History Education in Post-Conflict Reconciliation 2 The Burden of the Past in Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina 2.1 Class Conflict: Civil War in Finland The Parties and the Course of the Conflict The Reds The Whites The Course of the War The Prospect of Reconciliation 2.2 Race Conflict: Apartheid in South Africa The Parties and the Course of the Conflict The Africans The Afrikaners The Course of the Conflict The Prospect of Reconciliation 2.3 Ethnic Conflict: War in Bosnia-Herzegovina Three Nations – Three Gene The Parties and the Course of the Conflict The Serbs The Croats The Muslims The Course of the Conflict The Prospect of Reconciliation 2.4 The Chances of Reconciliation in Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina Compared 3 Dealing with Representations of Guilt and Victimhood in Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina 3.1 Guilt and Victimhood in Post-Civil-War Finland 3.1.1 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Reds Red Guilt Red Victimhood 3.1.2 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Whites White Guilt White Victimhood 3.1.3 Unloading the Burden of the Past in Finland Public Memory in Political Fluctuations History Education from Exclusion to Inclusion 3.1.4 Concluding remarks: Delayed Reconciliation 3.2 Guilt and Victimhood in Post-Apartheid South Africa 3.2.1 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Whites White Guilt White Victimhood 3.2.2 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Blacks Black Guilt Black Victimhood 3.2.3 Unloading the Burden of the Past in South Africa Did the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Rewrite the History? Public Memory of the Rainbow Nation History Education for the New South Africa 3.2.4 Concluding Remarks: Resolute Reconcilers 3.3 Guilt and Victimhood in Post-War Bosnia-Herzegovina 3.3.1 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Serbs Serb Guilt Serb Victimhood 3.3.2 Ascribing Guilt and Victimisation to the Croats Croat Guilt Croat Victimhood 3.3.3 Ascribing Guilt and Victimhood to the Muslims Muslim Guilt Muslim Victimhood 3.3.4 Unloading the Burden of the Past in Bosnia-Herzegovina The Power of Local Myths Public Memory – for Nation-Building or Reconciliation? History Education – Segregation or Integration? 3.3.5 Concluding Remarks: European Pressure –Domestic Doubts 4 How They Managed to Deal with the Dark Past in Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina Different Conflicts – Shared Myths “History From Below” as a Remedy The Quest for Multiperspectival School Lessons The Bosnian-Herzegovinan Dilemma Bibliography Index "Finland, South Africa and Bosnia-Herzegovina are each burdened by memories of a civil war, between either social classes, racial groups or ethnic communities. History wars have followed the conflicts and been fought on the arenas of popular rhetoric, public memory, that is, monuments, museums and commemoration rituals, and history education. This book studies how the parties to these conflicts have attributed guilt to "the others" and victimhood to "us" in each country, and compares their respective memory politics and education strategies. The author draws on the potential on "history from below" activities and multiperspectival history lessons"--Back cover