Juin 2013

It is no easy thing to refer to ressentiment (not "resentment"). Broaching the question of ressentiment is complicated, since it often gives rise to misunderstandings and stirs up confused and contradictory feelings. In this seminar we decided to tackle the issue of ressentiment by broaching frequently avoided questions on relations between a country and its people. The focus of conflict management is almost always on territorial negotiations, diplomatic agreements, or customs issues, neglecting one of the fundamental issues underlying the conflict: ressentiment. This Proposal Paper is the outcome of a seminar held on the subject in Chile in 2008. Its conclusions are still completely relevant.