Nostalgia - Shared Histories, Divided Futures

In this episode, Dr Nafees Hamid speaks with Dr Craig Larkin (Research Lead on Memory and Conflict for the XCEPT research programme), Dr Clara Voyvodic (Lecturer in Peace Studies at the University of Bradford), and Maria El Sammak (XCEPT Research Assistant and King's College London MA student in the War Studies department) about the powerful and often divisive role of nostalgia in global politics. As populist leaders from the United States to Turkey increasingly harness nostalgic sentiment to mobilise political support, this episode explores whether this longing for the past is a harmless comfort or a driver of division. Drawing on research on “The Golden Age" of Lebanon, rebel governance in Colombia, The Troubles in Northern Ireland and beyond, the conversation reveals how collective nostalgia can foster intolerance and nativism. Together, they examine why the future can feel so precarious and whether art can help us imagine a more inclusive path forward. This episode is produced as part of the XCEPT programme, which seeks to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations and to support practical solutions for peace. Learn more at www.xcept-research.org. Image credit: RORY NUGENT.com / Shutterstock.com. British Army patrol with neighbourhood kids in West Belfast, Northern Ireland (February 25th 1994)