Shadows of the Past Upon Peacebuilding
The wartime past of the region is still part of the present for many of its inhabitants, due to trauma, glorification of war criminals, and divisions on national grounds. As a result of the proliferation of false narratives, the unresolved issues of the past remain an obstacle to a more stable future.
House of Good Tones: A Place for Learning, Gathering, and Positive Change
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.
The Many Agents of Memorialization
War memorialization in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) remains a persistent and contentious subject. In the absence of state laws and regulations governing memorials, let alone a national commemorative strategy, the country’s memorial landscape is saturated with a wide range of memorialization efforts stemming from all levels of Bosnian society.
Healing the Past, Building the Future: One Volunteer’s Mission in Srebrenica
Imagine you sit in front of a world map and get to pick any place in the world. That’s where you will go and live for a year. Harun Čandić sat at home one day and looked at that map showing the 60 countries where he could go volunteer for a year, including such places New York, Cape Town, and even New Zealand. However, with the world at his fingertips, he chose the Srebrenica Memorial Center.
The International Commission on Missing Persons: The Search for Bosnia’s Missing is Key to Positive Peace
On July 11th, 2023, thousands of mourners arrived at the Srebrenica Memorial Center in Potočari to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. This ever-expanding cemetery serves as a final resting place for many of the approximately 8,000 Bosniak men and boys who were killed in the civilian massacres of 1995. Although nearly three decades have passed since the genocide, 30 victims were buried this year, the youngest of whom was a 15-year-old boy. Additionally, the year witnessed 71 re-associations, referring to the burial of newly found remains of victims who have already been identified and partially interred.
Denial of genocide more and more radical, but changes are possible
Despite the overwhelming evidence, including numerous firsthand testimonies, forensic findings from mass graves, recovered items, and documented records, genocide denial and hateful rhetoric continues to plague Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the wider region.