Sean Pettis is Programme Manager for Legacies of Conflict at the Corrymeela Community in Northern Ireland. He was a guest speaker at the Cumberland Lodge conference on 'Difficult Histories & Positive Identities' conference, on 25-26 February 2019.

In this short talk, which set the tone for a conference session on 'Peace, Reconciliation and Positive Identities', Sean addressed the following issues:

- How do you reconcile a very recent difficult past, one which is still very present in the minds of survivor and perpetrators alive today?

- How can positive identities grow out of forgiveness and peacebuilding efforts today?

- What, if any, impact can community projects, including arts projects, have on creating positive shared identities in post-conflict communities?

- How can the phrase ‘history doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes’ be helpful for understanding reconciliation and peacebuilding as a means of safeguarding future generations from reliving these difficult histories?

The 'Difficult Histories & Positive Identities' conference was part the 2018-19 Cumberland Lodge series on 'Identities & Belonging'.