The frequency and lethality of armed conflicts and other forms of mass violence are increasing worldwide. Some of the most destructive wars currently being waged in Europe, similar to those fought on the territory of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, are called ethnic conflicts. The “fuel” of such conflicts are ethnic or national divisions and inter-ethnic violence within multiethnic societies.
While politicians, scholars, and civil society alike are mostly engaged in analyzing and attempting to resolve such conflicts at state level, examples of successful resistance to inter-ethnic violence at the local level often go unnoticed. For example, during the 1990s in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, some multiethnic communities preserved inter-ethnic collaboration and peace despite the broader context of war. Similarly, in Cyprus, Ukraine, and Israel/Palestine, some ethnically mixed communities deploy constructive resistance to ethnic divisions and violence in those countries.
This interdisciplinary international conference is an opportunity to exchange knowledge, experiences and lessons learned on constructive resistance to violence and preservation of local peace even in the most difficult circumstances.
Because local communities often have more power than we believe.
The conference will be held on Monday, September 22, 2025, starting at 10 am, on the Campus of the University of Rijeka. The conference will be in hybrid format, with both on site and on line participation.
Draft agenda and the Call for registration will be published soon.
The organization of the Conference has been supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Croatia.