The Heritage of Peace: The Importance of Peace Museums for the Development of a Culture of Peace (2017)

While the heritage of war is both obvious and abundant in many societies, that of peace and antiwar is largely unknown and sometimes even repressed. That heritage deserves to be discovered and displayed in peace museums, thereby helping to correct a widespread perception that history shows that war is inevitable and peace impossible. Belief systems shape society and history; ideas once held to be utopian are later realized. The abolition of war has become an imperative for survival in the nuclear age. That age has stimulated the growth of peace research, peace history, and peace education which provide insight and inspiration contributing to the development of a culture of peace and nonviolence. Peace museums are symbols of that culture and ideal instruments for its promotion.