Social and political psychologists have attempted to reveal the reasons why individuals and societies that acknowledge that peace would improve their personal and collective wellbeing, and are aware of the required actions needed in order to promote it, are simply incapable of making this step forward. Some social psychologists have advocated the idea that certain societal beliefs and collective memories about the nature of the opponent, the ingroup, the history and the current state of the conflict distort the perceptions of society members and prevent them from identifying opportunities for peace. But these cognitive barriers capture only part of the picture. Could identifying the role of discrete emotions in conflict resolution potentially provide a wide platform for developing pinpoint conflict resolution interventions? Using a vast array of primary sources, critical literature analysis and first hand personal experiences in various conflict zones (Middle-East, Cyprus, Bosnia, Northern Ireland), Eran Halperin introduces a new perspective on psychological barriers to peace.

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