A state of peace is not only the absence of war but a full understanding and tolerance of others as well as the realization of human rights without discrimination. This is one of the messages from the meeting of representatives of the European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EU BiH) and participants of the State of Peace Youth Academy, which was held at the headquarters of the Delegation of the EU BiH in Sarajevo.
Roma are the largest of the 17 national minority groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with the existence of Romani people recorded in Bosnia for over 600 years. Yet, there continues to be a stigma attached to this minority group, which has translated into mistreatment and poor living conditions throughout the country (Minority Rights, Roma, 2015).
The European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Post-Conflict Research Center is conveying the first 'State of Peace' Youth Academy from August 18 – 31 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Young people from across the Western Balkan region will take part in a cross-country program with 15 + activities in 4 locations, travel across the country and enjoy their summer break in Bosnia!
The fourth annual Srebrenica Youth School, organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Center, brought together 40 young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Western Balkans, and around the world to explore topics such as transitional justice, memorialization, and historical narratives, as well as to honor the victims of the Srebrenica genocide.
Long before July 1995, when they witnessed the destruction of their own community in the only recognized genocide in Europe after the Second World War, they had learned about the Holocaust. This was confirmed by Munira Subašić, the President of the Movement of Mothers of the Srebrenica and Žepa Enclaves Association, whose son and husband were among the more than 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys killed by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995.
In commemoration of the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the exhibition “Mother’s Scarf” was displayed in Istanbul and Belgrade. The installation demonstrates the solidarity of women around the world with the mothers of Srebrenica, sending a message of unity in the fight for truth.