Search for Positive Peace in Eastern Slavonia: Contentious Historical Discourses and School Communities

History is heavily rooted in what can be called narrative politics - different versions of the same historical event are tools used to assert, maintain or challenge action and legitimacy of the Other. Discursive contention is often transmitted into the realm of relationships and interactions on the ground that are marked by tensions and divisions. Eastern Slavonia will serve as a case study to explore how the members of school communities are affected by the master historical discourses, how this translates into their views of the Self and the Other and what is the role of teachers and parents in this process. The purpose of this study is to learn from school communities about the ways of dealing with the legacy of their contentious past and how this local knowledge can be used to promote interethnic understanding and tolerance as well as prevention of future violence.