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.
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.
Despite the divisions, war narratives and burdens of the 1990s, young people in the region are finding ways to build bridges and create common spaces to build a better society.
In the three decades of peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, the international community has transitioned from a judicial role to a crucial partner in strengthening institutions and non-governmental organizations, respecting human rights, implementing transitional justice, and supporting young people.
The conclusion drawn from the international conference “Dayton Legacies: 30 Years of Peace” was that there is no option other than peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).