Dr Michael Weatherburn Highlights the power of historical dialogue at Senate House event

by Cleo Bowen

Image credit: Mikael Kinanen

Speaking at the 'Narratives of Power: Memory Politics in Europe and the Contemporary World' event, Dr Weatherburn discussed how history can guide today’s most pressing conversations.

 

In January, the seminar Narratives of Power: Memory Politics in Europe and the Contemporary World, was held at the University of London’s Senate House. Organised by Finnish NGO Historians without Borders in cooperation with the ICD Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, and hosted at the Institute of Historical Research, the event brought together historians, scholars, and practitioners to explore how history is narrated, remembered, and deployed in public life.
The opening session examined the relationship between colonialism and historiography, featuring contributions from Professor Gurminder K Bhambra (University of Sussex) and Professor Philip Murphy (University of London), who reflected on how colonial pasts continue to shape present-day public discourse and education.

 

Dr Michael Weatherburn: Historians without Borders

A highlight of the second session was the contribution of Dr Michael Weatherburn (Imperial College London), who joined founding Chairman of Historians without Borders, Erkki Tuomioja, and Dr Elisa Tarnaala (University of Helsinki) to discuss how historical knowledge can support peacebuilding, conflict resolution, and policy work. Historians without Borders is a Finnish NGO dedicated to strengthening the role of historical knowledge in international understanding.

In conversation with Tuomioja—Finland’s longest-serving Foreign Minister, a former MP of 42 years, political grassroots activist, and author of 20 books—Dr Weatherburn offered a distinctive framing of the statesman’s career. He introduced Tuomioja as a “fascinating amalgam” of two British historian-figures: E.P. Thompson (1924–1993), and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown (1951–), himself a historian by doctoral training. Tuomioja confirmed that he had worked closely with E.P. Thompson during their involvement in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and continues to wear a CND badge.

Dr Weatherburn also reflected on the intellectual roots of the Historians without Borders initiative, noting that Tuomioja may have drawn inspiration from Thompson’s Customs in Common (1980). He connected this with broader questions about how historians can contribute to international structures designed to engage responsibly with contested pasts.

Shared Themes

Across both sessions, a common message emerged: memory is not only about understanding the past, but about recognising how historical narratives shape power dynamics in the present. The discussions highlighted the responsibility historians carry in engaging openly, critically, and collectively with these narratives—an approach exemplified by Dr Weatherburn’s contribution.

Recordings and materials from the seminar are available via Historians without Borders: Narratives of Power: Memory Politics in Europe and the Contemporary World webpage.

 

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Cleo Bowen

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