Public memorialization, which includes the erection of monuments and memorials, is an integral component of transitional justice and dealing with the past.
During the inaugural Western Balkans Peace Forum, which took place in Podgorica, Montenegro, on March 3rd and 4th, international organizations, a united front of peace activists and young people highlighted the values of regional cooperation and youth engagement in building a better and safer society.
Identity-based violence and its causes continue to be a widespread issue throughout the Western Balkans, even thirty years after the end of the wars in the 1990s.
On March 3 and 4, 2026, representatives of 25 civil society and international organizations converged on Europe House in Podgorica, Montenegro, for the inaugural Western Balkans Peace Forum (WBPF), organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) with its partners.
The Interreligious Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (IRC-BiH), joining representatives of Islamic, Orthodox, Catholic and Jewish religious communities, epitomizes a contextual approach to post-conflict coexistence and sustainable peacebuilding.
While regional politicians are increasingly embracing nationalist rhetoric and deepening divisions, young people from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia are takin a different approach - one based on daily collaboration, solidarity, and learning.