The Broken Olive Branch

Harry Anastasiou, peace scholar, practitioner and educator, takes the struggle for peace and reconciliation in his native Cyprus as a model for understanding the belligerent nature of ethno-centric nationalism everywhere. From the vantage point of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution theory and practice, Anastasiou's analysis offers uncharted new insights and a fresh perspective on the protracted nature of the Cyprus conflict, the causes of the long rivalry between Greece and Turkey, and the tangible prospects for peace within the conciliatory framework of the European Union. Drawing from a variety of academic disciplines, and synthesizing a broad array of historical, political and cultural phenomena, Anastasiou's work presents an understanding of the Cyprus conflict that is both challenging and indispensable for the quest for peace in the Eastern Mediterranean region. In its non-partisan and highly interdisciplinary approach, the work marks a unique and significant contribution to scholarship in the field of Peace and Conflict Studies and the Cyprus problem. Its clear and methodical analysis makes the complex problems it addresses academically intelligible and pedagogically accessible to university students and interested citizens. Anastasiou's work is an engaging encounter with the phenomenon of ethno-centric nationalism, as well as a provocative educational venture in inter-ethnic peace and reconciliation.