How conflict changes (national) identities

National (ethnic) identity is one of the important components of collective consciousness. It is a communal shared viewpoint and a collection of perceptions based on certain linguistic, geographical, religious, historical and mythological ties and relations. At the same time, the components of identity of one and the same nation or ethnic unit may undergo certain changes in different historical periods. For example, if before the modern times one of the main components of the Armenian identity was the connection with the Armenian Apostolic Church, after the beginning of the 20th century besides language, it was the memory of the Medz Yeghern, the Armenian Genocide, that became the main factor defining and uniting Armenians. The self-image of modern Azerbaijanis is also undergoing changes. In both societies, unfortunately, one of the components of identity is antagonism towards the other, which is constantly exploited both from outside and from within, by political elites, and leads to bloody conflicts.

How can national identity be developed without encouraging hostility towards one’s neighbour? Political scientist Edgar Vardanyan and analyst Gulkhanim Mamadova talked about this issue on Pressklub TV in the programme ‘The Line of Contact – Current Issue’. The programme was prepared on the joint initiative of Yerevan and Baku Press Clubs.