In the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the small town of Vitez, young people have been gathering for three years to learn about preserving peace, coexistence, and tolerance. The Peace Festivals are organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC). During the first two editions, they gathered nearly 100 young people from different parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina to work together on building a better and more peaceful future for our country.
“The region of the former Yugoslavia (1945-1991) is where East and West, North and South meet, and where bloody, turbulent plots intertwine. But it is also a region rich in nature and the kindest people, and certainly not lacking in periods of prosperity.” This is how Tatjana Neidhardt, architect and daughter of the legendary architect Juraj Neidhardt, begins the story of the architecture of the former Yugoslavia.
The Srebrenica association House of Good Tones has been fulfilling its mission for over a decade, believing in the idea that changes must be local, lasting, and sustainable. From the very beginning, their goal has been to connect young people from Srebrenica, Bratunac, Potočari, Milići, Konjević Polje, and Skelani, providing them with various skills through modern teaching methodologies. Although they started as a musical movement, today, young people within the association have the opportunity to explore and study other fields.
Music cares not for geographic and other boundaries. Fans and admirers of the same kind of music may easily find each other and be connected, ignoring everything that divides them.
The Sevdah Foundation is an association of music professionals and creators dedicated to preserving and nurturing the Bosnian folk music tradition of Sevdalinka. Young people, determination, knowledge, and enthusiasm are the main resources and the driving forces at the center of their work.
Tihoslava, Borislava, and Miroslava Ditrih, three young sisters who were brutally murdered during the Second World War, are symbols of peace and resistance in Zenica. There is limited information about their activities due to the lack of archival material and the clandestine nature of their work. However, the great importance attributed to their story is reflected by the central street in Zenica named in their honor.