Difficult History - Students

Introduction

In 1995, the Dayton Agreement brought the wars in the former Yugoslavia to an end. There were no winners, as the result was a redrawing of the ethnic map that led to states that were more ethnically homogenous but tainted by guilt and silence. Many parents did not share their past with their children out of anger, or guilt, but some youngsters did not sit still and are digging into their own recent history. Will the silence be broken?

This case is an example of a difficult past. Some people are trying to “silence history”, while others are trying to investigate the past and discuss it in public. So, how should we deal with a difficult past?