Symposium July 14th 2017

“A Multiperspective Understanding of the Past: The Elephant in the Room of Diverse Societies?”

On July 14th, EUROCLIO, along with the IHJR and the Anna Lindh Foundation, hosted a symposium entitled, “A Multiperspective Understanding of the Past: The Elephant in the Room of Diverse Societies?” at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Over the course of the day, symposium participants grappled with challenging questions presented from multiple perspectives, which encouraged discussion and reflection on how we, both as members of society and as individuals, deal with difficult historical legacies. The day’s events included opening remarks by representatives of the Erasmus University and EUROCLIO Director, Jonathan Even-Zohar; a panel discussion on sensitive issues in the Netherlands featuring IHJR Director Timothy Ryback; presentations by EUROCLIO’s Dealing with the Past project team members, who travelled across the globe to experience different ways of grappling with the difficult past; parallel workshops, during which time the IHJR’s Social Cohesion Project was presented by Stanley Iwema and Melik Keskin; and conclusions by Pavel Tychtl of the European Commission. Participants came away from the symposium having learned a great deal about the modern struggles stemming from complex historical legacies, and having directly addressed the elephant in the room. More detailed information about the symposium will soon be available on EUROCLIO’s website and Facebook page.