Peace Newsletter - mreza-mira.net

Peace Newsletter

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issue 32 September 2013

Peace Newsletter 2

impressumEditor-in-Chief:Goran Bubalo

Editors:Suzana BožićEdita ČoloŠejla Dizdarević

Translation:Mersina Šehić and Goran Bubalo

Proofreading:Katie KlaricChristine-Therese Broesamle

Design/layout:Šejla Dizdarević

[email protected]/mzim.bh

tel: +387 33 812 401

The year 2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, which was triggered by the assassination of the Austro-Hungarian heir to the throne in Sarajevo on June 28th 1914. This can be seen as a symbolic date for a century of a “Culture of War and Violence” with two world wars and numerous regional wars - among them the one in the former Yugoslavian countries in the 1990’s when Sarajevo suffered from the siege of the city during the “last war in Europe” - as well as for the global dominance of structural and cultural violence.

But the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century have also seen a world-wide rise of nonviolent actions and achievements as an alternative to war and violence, and increased efforts for global and social justice, human rights, peace and reconciliation which was reflected in the declaration of the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence (2001–2010) by the United Nations.

Inspired by the experience of three “Peace Fairs” held in Paris in recent years we have come the idea that BiH is a country that will initiate struggle for a culture of peace and non-violence in the 2014.

Within preparations for Peace Event 2014: From a World of War and Violence to a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence on September 6-9 Sarajevo hosted meeting of 40 activists from all around the world.

The Peace Event Sarajevo 2014 will be:

� A meeting and exchanging place for activists, practitioners and researchers of peace and active nonviolence.

� An opportunity to review the achievements and challenges related to peace and nonviolence in Europe.

� An opportunity to present a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence in its diverse dimensions.

� A space to plan joint initiatives for the advancement of a Culture of Peace

The Peace Event Sarajevo 2014 will include, among others, the following types of activities: Plenary sessions, keynote speeches, workshops and roundtable discussions on the above mentioned topics; A Peace trail, with NGOs presentations, exhibitions; music and film festival; Public events, street actions, artistic performances, animations in/with schools; An International Youth Camp.

Themes of the event are:

� ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE: Nonviolent actions for social justice; Nonviolent revolutions

� SCIENCE AND PEACE: New technologies and Peace; Scientists for Peace

� HISTORY AND PEACE: Demilitarization of History; Histories of peace movements

� NETWORKING: Strengthen peace movements; Involve young people

� ECONOMY AND WAR/PEACE: War industry & Arms trade; Conversion of these industries

� ARTS AND PEACE: Peace artists; Music for peace; Forum and Playback Theatre

� WOMEN FOR PEACE: Role of women in/after war; Gender issues and gender equality

� DEALING WITH THE PAST: Reconciliation; Peace memories; Culture of remembering

� HUMAN SECURITY: Human rights, gender justice, economic, food, health and development security

� SUSTAINABILITY AND PEACE WITH NATURE: Ecological issues, economical systems and growth

� MEDIA AND PEACE: Journalists & Press agencies for Peace; TV, Radio, Internet

� NETWORKING: Strengthen peace movements; Youth involvement

� ACTIVE PEACE POLICY: A new European

PreParations for Peace event 2014:

from a World of War and violence to a culture of Peace and non-violence

Peace Newsletter 3

choosing peace together

Activists at the meeting

policy for Peace; Ministries of Peace; Conflict transformation and Civil Peace corps

� EDUCATION FOR PEACE: Education for Peace and Nonviolence; Curriculum for Peace; Teachers for Peace

� INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE: Religions and cultures in peacebuilding; Cultural diversity.

For more information visit: http://www.peaceeventsarajevo2014.eu/

feeL tHe strenGtH of PeacePeace is a gift which connects energies of light and birth. Each person brings peace

in himself as the greatest treasure. The time and space where the living energy of peace will be manifested is gained by freedom in recognizing the values of other, as well as by the revelation of the beauty and love of a fellow being, which are found in infinity. It is a challenge to hit the road spread out in front of us when we feel the strength of peace. We meet ourselves as the ‘other’, and thus make new contacts between ourselves and those to whom we are delivering the message of peace. Building peace without understanding this relationship causes misunderstandings and conflicts, violence and war. That is why it is important to answer the questions: Who are we who build peace? Why is it that, in many parts of the world, the need for peace is like the need for water, air, ground, and fire? What is it that differentiates us from one another so much that we do not respect the dreams and hope of each man? In whose name do we destroy and deconstruct peace in the world, while we mention the right of life in liberty and the recognition of cultural diversity in a garden in which we are nothing more than gardeners. The music of spheres and the nature of our existence hide the answers to these questions in the sanctity and the light of peace. The creation of the house of peace is an eternal inspiration of peacemakers and their messengers, even then when death and tragedies of a man and his family, as well as all close and distant neighbours rule the world due to incomprehension and non-acceptance of ‘others’. A WEEK OF PEACEBUILDING is a personal encounter with a peacemaker. At the moment when one, each for himself, feels the strength of peace, a new energy of light in the universe and the sense of existence is initiated. And the purpose of existence is there among us.

Written by:Ibrahim Spahić, IPC SARAJEVO President

Peace Newsletter 4

Women’s Alternative Government of BiH: A Year Later

Written by: Vesna Stojanovic, Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Banjaluka

Without pomp, great promises, or costly celebrations—all that anniversaries are usually met with—the first anniversary of the BiH Women’s Alternative Government will be marked on Septem-ber 16th. Our alternative ministers—Ismeta Čardaković, Gordana Vidović, Murisa Marić, Slađana Ujić, Džemila Agić and Mirsada Bajramović— were elected at the end of summer 2012 by votes from the non-governmental sector and by all those who recognize their years-long efforts and results in fields such as: finance; human rights; the fight against all forms of violence; rural development; health and social policy; environment and sustainable develop-ment; civil society and activism. These efforts showcase women’s expert potential, which exists in our country to a great extent but is not used enough. It was emphasized at the Government’s pro-motion in Banja Luka on September 16th, 2012 that the Women’s Government, as an informal political actor on the public stage of BiH, will articulate the stances and needs of citizens of BiH, women and men alike, draw attention to problems, suggest solutions and be engaged in increasing the participation and impact of women in socio-political life. It was said so – it was done so. And, can you imagine, without party dictatorship or men’s nomenclature, without going to get “it’s own opinion” somewhere else. Because ministers of the Alternative Government believe that women are a different power for a change.

Not long after the first gathering and bringing of strategic documents and an action plan for the four-year first mandate of this Government, Murisa Maric was elected as the first President and initiated first reactions to some current problems. And there are lots of problems in this post-war Dayton and post-transitional BiH. Due to political divisions and uncertainty, there are no great investments; the unemployment rate is still very high, which is why apathy and pessimism are overwhelming feelings to such an extent as to make our people stop believing that things will ever be better.

One of the first reactions of the Women’s Alternative Govern-ment was a joint appeal with BiH Women’s Network in condemn-ing the more frequent violence against girls and women in BiH, calling on authorities at all levels to firmly handle perpetrators of violence and provide adequate protection to victims, in order to promote the principle of zero tolerance of violence against this vulnerable social category. Then, there was the appeal to the BiH Parliamentary Assembly to adopt the Law on ID, which was the cause of public protests across the country. In a time of “white plague” or depopulation and discouraging birth policy, citizens of this country were astonished by the blunt of parliamentary mem-bers confined to their game of narrow-minded political interests, leaving newly-born babies without identity.

Women in rural areas are an entirely different subject in our country as in others. What is like to get education, start your own business and fight against deeply-rooted prejudices and stereo-types about the women’s place in rural areas? There is no better person to answer this question than the Minister for Rural Devel-opment, Slađa Ujić from Gučevo near Rogatica. We do hope that her efforts and her on-going fight will also be recognized by World

Women Summit Foundation, as we have nominated Slađa for their rural life women’s creativity award. It is the award that this Foun-dation will have been giving for nearly twenty years on October 15th –the International Day of Rural Women.

The Government joined in marking International Environment Day on June 5th, having appealed to citizens to mind the food quantities they buy, prepare and throw away in their households. With this appeal the Women’s Government has given a modest but no less important contribution to environment protection and the continuous efforts to keep the balance of world population be-tween its needs and its limited resources.

It was July when the Women’s Government invited the State and entity-level governments in BiH to harmonize criminal legis-lation with the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse – Lanzarote Convention, which was ratified by BiH in September 2012. This Convention, as an entirely new international document and legal foundation for further upgrade of laws, defines the terms of sexual exploitation and sexual abuse of children, wherein the “child” is ev-ery person younger than 18 years; it also established other mecha-nisms of protection and provisions for help précising, et al, that the limitation for criminal prosecution of a criminal act of sexual exploitation and abuse of children starts from the day the child reaches legal age.

One of the ways to show that the expert capacities of the Women’s Government can be mobilized and used in co-operation with local authorities and civil society organizations is the Public Call that the Government opened this summer for financial non-refundable aid to individuals and/or organizations in undeveloped and rural areas of BiH. Though our alternative ministers are very aware of the painful fact that aid, to be collected at the donor’s event in fall this year, will not sort out all of the problems, they do know that sometimes a little means a lot to someone. After all, solely the forming and working of the Women’s Government over the last 12 months (www.zenskastranapolitike.hcabl.org), composed of capable, hard-working and above all self- confident, persistent women on the thorny path toward change and a better life in this small, suffering but beautiful country is by all means a significant denial of pessimism and apathy. Cheers to that!

Prvi sastanak Ženske alternativne vlade BiH, septembar 2012, Banjaluka

Peace Newsletter 5


Let’s choose Peace together

When I had a brainwave to write this text, just starting was the hardest part. It seemed to me that, after all the events during these 20 years, the introduction would be longer than the content. I do not want to write about myself, nor will I write my biography to you. In order to understand where I find the urge to write something about myself, I must tell you that I have been active for a couple of years in the project ’’Let’s Choose Peace Together’’, which is implemented by CRS and Caritas BK BiH, and I try to contribute as much as I can to reconciliation in this area.

The war which happened to us and the consequences it yielded are something scary and incomprehensible to me. Unfortunately, time after the war is somehow different as well. Everything changed and turned upside down; as people would say, ’’What was up now is down,’’ and the saddest thing is that people and human values have changed. I split my life in two parts, a life before the war and a life after the war.

Currently, I am at the age when those two halves are approximately equal in time length and I am sure that I felt much safer and better in the first period. As a mountaineer, in the first part of my life I was climbing a hill, walking, progressing step by step, and I arrived at some point. In the second, I am returning by the same path and I arrived at the bottom. Unfortunately, I was not alone on that road. I had the company of the majority of citizens of this country. I am afraid that our road continues further down under even the bottom! That is the reason I am writing this, because it is the only thing I can do, and to avoid the scenario of reproaching myself in the future for being only a silent observer.

Those who come to power say for years that they are creating something better. Various reforms are mentioned; we strive to join the EU, they promise a better life, and we are actually moving in the opposite direction. Then they tell us it is not their fault, the developed world expects from us to reconcile, and then they will let us integrate and it will be better afterwards.

A reconciliation. When I hear that word from those who hold power and who run this country, the same who should really lead people to reconciliation in this area, it echoes in my ears as a utopia and a demagogy. Those same people who speak about the reconciliation alienate us even more with their actions, and as I see it, with an eye of a common citizen, many actions which are done for the benefit of reconciliation are in fact counterproductive. I have a feeling, gentlemen, that you do not know what is necessary for reconciliation. Is it necessary for me to tell you? I, who, unlike you, mean nothing in this world. One of many equals who make this world. In short, a nano-particle of this world. I will tell you because that is not something complicated or abstract, nor something coming from another world, but something very simple, worldly and human. We lack TRUST! Only when we restore trust in each other, will we get a reconciliation as a gift or a reward. And how to gain trust? WITH TRUST! The trust is not gained by spattering one another. Let’s try to analyse (if we are afraid to do it aloud, then each for themselves) all that bothers us. Let’s not always put blame on someone else. Let’s think about whether we are to blame for something. We are always aware of our wishes

and needs. We give our best to achieve those. But think about it: do they endanger someone else? Let’s try to notice the needs of others as well, and what is even more important, let’s try to understand their justifiability, and base our attitude and opinion on that, as well as build a path which would lead us further.

Do we, who survived the war for which probably most of us are not to be blamed, ask ourselves sometimes if we passed the exam on humanity in that war? Did we help someone in real need? I know there are people who helped others in various ways in those times of war.

I know there are people who saved someone’s life although they put themselves in danger and I respect and admire them immensely. But, were there more of us who could do the same or similar, but we didn’t for some reason? They were scared for themselves or simply indifferent. I do not know whether there would be any war at all, despite all the pressures and political turmoils, if the majority was against it. For this reason, I suggest all of us who possess those good and beautiful human virtues and qualities, to not let anyone hold us over the edge of a pit and fill our heads with statements full of hatred and misunderstanding. I suggest uniting under our goals, which will bring welfare to all of us, and those are a long-term peace, freedom and economic progress.

Today, when someone is arrested and accused of crimes, and that someone is of the other nationality, the most of us exult over it and are ready to consider him as guilty even before a verdict, although we do not even know what he actually did. And are we ready to finger-point someone of our nationality, whom we know for certain took part in a crime, and to say he is the one, to let him answer for what he had done?

Are we capable to listen about victims in the war, to grieve no matter who they are? Or do we first see what their names are, and then, based on that, grieve or not? Let me make things simpler: are we ready to give 50 pfennings to that beggar in the street if he does not belong to our nation?

I have a feeling many people did not form an attitude on

Written by:JankoSamouković

Peace Newsletter 6

important vital issues, but they are led by the everyday political outsmarting of politicians. So when (I will use the first person) that ‘my’ criticises publicly or when he accuses someone

“them” of something, I exult over that, because his story makes me feel good and I say: “Well, this one is good; that was well said,” even though I know it has nothing to do with reality or truth. Even though I know that what he says leads nowhere. The most important thing is that it is in accordance with an attitude imposed on me.

I am not proud to belong to a generation which allowed war to happen, and which took part in the war, no matter how harmless was my role in it. Even if I had the opportunity to choose when to be born, and not to be a contemporary of some war and destruction in this area, my only possible option would actually be not to be born at all. Actually, my sincere wish would be that the choice of the generations born after 1995 is a right choice, because all their knowledge of war is based on what they heard or read, without personal experiences.

Many of us blame the others for the war which took place. Some say the war was imposed on us, and all that may be in part true, but let’s not lie to ourselves! Confess. We are to blame... all of us. If we are not guilty and if we did not give our contribution to start the war, then we are guilty for not doing anything to stop it from beginning. And anyway, why do we, “the nice”, let those same people who brought war and destruction to us keep tensions and intolerance for almost 20 years? Why do we let them tell us stories which could start the avalanche? Why do we, “the nice”, let them be a majority in this country? When we have the need to accuse politicians for their actions, let that be politicians of our nationality, so when we all accuse ours, it will have much bigger weight and efficacy.

My great wish is that this country progresses and I would give everything for it to happen, but for progress and an approach to the contemporary and cultural world. My perception of progress is not only the one in economic terms. I as an individual am truly helpless for that progress, but there are many other things on which I can have an impact and make my contribution, in the “grain by grain” style. I can be well-educated, honest, civilised, tolerant, sympathetic, with developed eco-awareness; I can be everything that distinguishes a human from an animal, and that can send a positive image to the world of us here as normal and civilised people.

How many of us are ready to accept those human values, or thinks about them at all? What image do we send to the world? To that same world to which we want to join? Is it the image of throwing a garbage bag into a river? Is it the image of leaving garbage when we travel and stop to have a rest by some arranged water fountain, with benches and a table, for which someone tried really hard to make for us? Not to mention all negative examples of our behaviour; I am afraid there would be too many of them. It is contradictory how all those people do not want to abandon their bad habits, and they struggle with all their heart for some major changes, for which they say will lead us to Europe. It

is like building a house from a roof. Europe is important to us, to have bigger incomes, or it would

be even better if we could receive money from the state based on something, but not doing anything. People, that is not the real world, nor is it the Europe we strive to. They do not need us the way we are, because if we expect some benefit for us from the integration, we must know that they as well expect some benefit from us. On the contrary... why do they need us!

While talking to others, I get an impression we are all ’’nice’’, we all support those previously mentioned, true and beautiful human values, we all condemn the bad... well, I will start to believe there are really aliens who leave bad traces all over our beautiful country. No, those traces can not be ours. We are all ’’nice’’.

If I said something bad about people, and you are not bad, my true apologies.

I do not want any nationality in Bosnia to feel singled out. I do not want as well that no one feels left out.

I gave my best for the text to be neutral and not to refer to anyone. If someone still resents, it means he recognised himself somewhere in the text and gained the impression that I refer to him.

I want someone who reads this text to believe that the author belongs to his people, because he will understand him better that way. Most sincerely, I did not write it as a member of one nation, but as a citizen of this country.

Foto: Dženat Dreković

Peace Newsletter 7


To Be Here Twenty years of Catholic relief Services in BiH

After growing from life experiences, sooner or later, there comes a time when the simplest words sound the strongest, when the most usual gestures are recognized as those the closest to sanctity, and the shortest sentences mean the most. Thus, in order to highlight joy about the fact that, this year, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) completes 20 years of its activities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), for the light motif, the slogan and the message, I will borrow the words of a former CRS high official who, at the beginning of his speech to CRS employees, simply said: “and here we are”. Warm and inspiring words followed his introduction, but this opening sentence stayed in my mind for years – and my heart. For no matter how one organization is able to demonstrate good examples of positive actions and results, successful stories, employees’ loyalty and commitment, diverse projects, reliable partners, and successful cooperation with governmental and non-governmental institutions and

organizations – to be present somewhere for so many years, to be here – includes, and maybe encompasses, everything that is good, successful, positive… To be here means to know how to meet needs; to know how to work with people to achieve success; to know how to address both demands and challenges with flexibility in order to meet goals in a constantly changing political landscape.

CRS’ first experiences in BiH were those of war. When the first office opened in Sarajevo, CRS employees’ days did not differ much from the days of other people in surrounded Sarajevo. Employees, like beneficiaries were without water, electricity, wood, and other basic supplies. Nevertheless, the colleagues who worked at the time remember those days for beautiful friendships, beginner’s challenges and creative ways to deliver aid, more than they remember wearing coats in freezing temperatures in an unheated office. In some of the few photos from that time, there are smiling faces in fat jumpers

and jackets. The office was more like a shelter for coordinating projects to deliver aid (nylon for shattered windows, food, clothes, etc.) to people in need and provide psychosocial help (seeds, garbage trucks and containers.) The employees (in fat vests!) were diverse in age, profession, and country of origin. After the CRS office opened in Sarajevo, offices in Zenica, Travnik, Banja Luka and Mostar were opened, and continued to operate in post-war years, encouraging first steps towards the recovery by replacing broken glass on houses, dispersing food, and repairing houses and infrastructure such as schools, ambulances, bridges, roads, plumbing systems, and electricity systems.

Almost parallel with offering urgent help to meet basic needs, another kind of need was recognized - the need to restore enthusiasm. Support was offered through schools, civil institutions, people with disabilities’ institutions and faith based and secular NGOs to regenerate the fabric of society.

During this time, CRS had a broad portfolio of important projects: connecting schools via technology;

Written by: Renata Dlohi-Kastelic

Peace youth camp

Peace Newsletter 8

parent school partnerships; food and school lunch donations; cross-border cooperation; integrated community reestablishment; restoration of cantonal Caritas; interreligious cooperation; microloans; and advocating for community welfare and reconciliation which are implemented parallel to housing and infrastructure reconstruction. Engaging deeply in local authorities’ efforts to solve burning issues such as a sustainable return, collective centers’ closure, peace restoration and reconciliation, combat human trafficking, passing legislatives in the area of social housing, CRS is still present in BiH nowadays, recognizing real needs and finding new solutions. Apart from managing projects in country, CRS BiH functions as a head office to implement projects with partners from South-East Europe and some countries of Central Asia. Over the recent years, through its offices in Sarajevo and Mostar, CRS has led the process of development of cantonal laws and urban strategies on social housing, in cooperation with the Entities’ ministries of displaced persons and refugees as well as the state ministry for human rights and refugees. At the same time, it builds social housing complexes throughout the country, sharing the vision of donors such as the Dutch government, BPRM, UNHCR and the previously mentioned ministries, to improve BiH’s welfare. In addition to design and implementation, CRS contributes financial support to these projects and partners.

CRS is one of USAID’s implementing partners for peace restoration and reconciliation in BiH through long-term projects. CRS also supports returnees by offering them knowledge, resources and ideas for their economic stability. CRS is active in communities throughout BiH and works with local partners to improve living standards and create a better future. Employees contribute time, knowledge and talent to promote integrated human development. As such – CRS is here, in BiH. And as such – CRS remains here.

The data on the number of grants, donors, users, and communities who benefited from CRS’s projects, the number of bridges built (real bridges, as well as those between returnees and

their pre-war communities, bridges among people who worked with CRS in communities, bridges between the present and the accepted past, bridges between old wounds and healed ones), and the quantity of enthusiasm in communities for CRS projects, could be added to this brief chronology… and all that, without including the effect the words of testimony might have, testifies: here we are.

To be present and to be here means to succeed and still monitor the needs of Bosnian citizens, to find the sources and ways to meet them, and what is equally important, to have a good team of people in order to continue the mission of helping those who are here and who are in need.

‘Here we are’ is a simple sentence that encompasses all those who – as donors, beneficiaries, partners, participants or in any other way – met

CRS. It confirms that good intentions, knowledge, listening to others, and creativity are never echoless and they offer consolation that everyone needs in everyday life. It is a consolation to those who have a bit more, as well as to those who have much less – that a person is in the spotlight – unique, with all their problems, fears, needs, challenges put in front of them, and still not lonely, but in a situation that can always be improved and can be seen through a brighter perspective.

Because of the simple fact that we are all trying to improve our surroundings bit by bit together, and because there are persons who need to be encouraged, and because there are those who give money to improve our surroundings, CRS is here, as a good neighbor and as someone who is glad to be a part of a more integrated, clearer and brighter mosaic that Bosnia and Herzegovina is piecing together.

Peace Newsletter 9


War anD Peace

A fight for peace is a sacred goal of every man Wars are described in length as well as in detail in numerous mov-ies and works of literature, art, and drama - but what lessons does man learn from them? Wars result in millions killed, afflicted, sad; they leave mothers, children, sisters in tears... blood, tears, ruins, prison camps..., and in the end each war leads to peace. „This war was started at the table, and it will be ended at the table“, said one soldier of the Bosnian army in the last year of the last war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the first front lines of Bosnian de-fence, somewhere above Glavatičevo.

We do not think about peace enough, do not work on it enough, do not appreciate it enough; we do not know how to enjoy the blessings of peace. All those who felt war know there is no such price which justifies it (except, of course, for a defensive war of liberation). So many killed, wounded, depopulated, bereaved, missing, sad, so much blood, sweat and tears... Why? There are types of people that prepare and instigate war far from any life threat, who want war never to end. These are peo-ple who will not feel fear of a sniper or bombshell, nor the moisture of a cold trench and dugout, a fear of their own or enemy’s trench invasion holding a bayonet; these are individuals who will not have fleas in their hair due to lack of hygiene in waterless craggy mountains, whose sons live in London, New York or Vienna, these are individuals and groups who will never have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSP)...

The International Day of Peace as well as the International Day of the Disappeared is quickly forgotten, and the race for creating hatred – the basic prerequisite for war – continues to be run again. Bomb-shells will be replaced by words, journalists will become a weapon of politicians who, whenever they need it, light the blasting fuse like masters of war and our lives. Politicians are outside of and above the law; they are ruling our destinies and, as irresponsible towards and inadequate for their high functions, cost people a lot of their nerves and lives. A war is always wanted by those people for whom the span between wishes and possibilities is too large, who are scarce in spirit, and who envy those better, prettier and more successful, who want shortcuts to achieve power and „reputation“, for whom a goal justi-fies the means. They are incapable but with enormous ambitions and wishes to make a career, to prove themselves to their village or street, to all those who – as they say – underestimated, humiliated and con-sidered them less worthy and important.

A war is always wanted by idlers and unaccomplished, margin-alised, complex-ridden persons who see war as their last chance to be-come someone and to have something. In those conditions, universal politicians (those who do not have their own attitude) enter the stage; they are the first onto pre-election stages and stands, and later onto war stands. Such politicians build their power on lies, promising salva-tion to the naive from centuries-old oppressors, who are always and only of other nations: , „they are guilty, we are nice, “ – the garbage is always in someone else’s yard. Numerous gentlemen and ladies of a dubious past, neighbourhood couch potatoes and authority informers who boast in different ways emerge on top. Those incompetent – but now powerful – persons , who „graduate“ overnight, have offices, suits and ties, limousines, drivers, secretaries and mistresses, carry guns, drink whiskey, have the newest cellphones and jeeps, appear from the

shadows... In a war, and evidently after it, upstarts who like „to have and to be“ but without any effort and at someone else’s expense are highly influential.

Is the awareness of peace issues at least a bit raised after the last war in Bos-nia and Herzegovina? Imagine that during the four war years in Bosnia, hundreds of thousands of people, women, children were killed, wounded and went missing, while that many and much more were im-prisoned, wounded, depopulated, bereaved, humiliated,... Why ? The questions which tear apart the lives of many families and communities are: for how many years will, for instance, families of the disappeared live in uncertainty, and when will those people be either found dead or decently buried? Imagine that a man looks forward to a discovered skull of a child. That is not a life, that is not peace. When will war be over to these families?

These are some of permanent questions of war and peace, and their answers are always the same, because the principles of war are always the same, people’s characters are the same, robbers’ methods the same; the disabled and the poor always experience the regular post-war phenomenon. And thus all the way around, a little break for a new war. But, people, a war is not a game. In war, children and peo-ple get killed, villages disappear, factories and cities... However, every-thing is soon forgotten and everything happens all over again: which nation is prettier, smarter, older, better, more jeopardised, thieves start talking and the hungry are left un-fed....

And only one look in the eyes of your children, your family would be enough to remember mothers and sisters of those who fell in ac-tion and those who wait over twenty years for news about their child who went missing in war. Let’s not forget that all wars lead to peace and that every man on the planet wants the same: peace, a roof over his head, safety for his children, education, progress. Let’s help our-selves and thus others, let’s be in the front lines to fight for peace, toughly, publicly and daily.

The Bosniaks, their struggle for survival of the country and na-tion, for peace and truth, their experiences, collective memory and oblivion are a special topic... Konjic is only one example of oblivion, because the town which defended its area and helped in the defence of other towns does not have a single memorial room, memorial book nor commemoration march dedicated to the memory of town de-fenders, the defenders of freedom and peace.

The world is one and the struggle for peace is unique, my distant friend. It is only necessary to understand that in war, my as well as your brother dies; my as well as your sister is raped. All crippled children are our children, my friend, all bereaved mothers are our mothers, and my as well as your home is burned in war, my friend. It is always about me and you, my friend, no matter what happens in our nearer or farther surrounding, because the world is one. Thus, everything – including war consequences as well – is quickly transferred to all parts of the world. For this reason, the struggle for peace is a sacred goal of each man on the planet, and especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Written by: Mirsad Čukle

Peace Newsletter 10

ICMP marks 30th August 2013 - International day of the Disappeared

ICMP’s main goal of the events this year to mark the international day of disappeared was to raise awareness about the universality of the issue of missing persons and human rights violations aris-ing from the issue. The main audience/target group of events this year were youth from different parts of BiH, together with FA representatives and gen-eral public in three cities: Prijedor, Banja Luka and Sarajevo.

ICMP hosted, in cooperation with the do-mestic NGO Pravo Ljudski, three small film festivals that took place in Prijedor, Banja Luka and Sarajevo where the main event was the screening of the Mexican documentary film, Tracing Aleida.

Following the film screening in Sarajevo ICMP hosted a panel discussion, during which the speakers discussed the role of national authorities, international institutions and civil society in ac-counting for missing persons, as well as the impact of addressing these cases on the post-conflict so-cieties, or countries suffering from missing persons cases as a result of human rights abuses.

In addition, ICMP, in cooperation with the domestic NGO Pravo Ljudski, hosted workshops targeting youth groups in Prijedor and Banja Luka. These workshops focussed on missing persons as a transitional justice and human rights issue. In com-memoration of all those who disappeared during the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Prijedor Association “Izvor” orga-nized, with ICMP’s financial support, a series of street actions, or installations, in the following cities across BiH: Mostar, Tuzla, Sarajevo and Prijedor.

ICMP provided financial support to Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb family members to mark the international day of the disappeared by holding simultaneous press conferences in Pristina and Belgrade on 30 August. ICMP is proud to note that two Kosovo Albanian family members of missing persons will participate in the press conference in Belgrade, while two Kosovo Serb family members of missing persons will participate in the press conference in Pristina. This was the first time that Kosovo Albanian and Kosovo Serb family members of missing persons made a joint public statement, which underscores the common approach they have taken and the cooperation they have developed.

ICMP also provided support to the MPI Advisory Board. ICMP made available its “Trazimo” video clip that it produced jointly with Cinema for Peace in 2012 to mark the international day of disappeared that year in BiH. ICMP also provided the funds to the MPI Advisory Board to add another slide to the end of the video clip, which gives an MPI telephone number so that viewers can call and give information, and to update the clip for usage in 2013.

“Tracing Aleida” is a documentary film by Mexican filmmaker Christiane Burkhard. The film follows the story of Aleida Gallangos, a 32 year old Mexi-can woman who, up until four years ago, did not know her real identity. Her parents disappeared in 1975 during what is known as the Guerra sucia (Dirty War) and both her brother and herself were adopted by different families and lost track of one another for almost 30 years. During these last years, Aleida has dedicated herself not only to tracing back and reconstructing her family background, but to search for her brother and to continue their rela-tionship after an unexpected meeting in Washing-ton D.C. As it outlines the life of these two siblings, the documentary proves to be a faithful account of one of Mexico’s most obscure events in its recent history. The documentary seeks to put a face, a voice, and a name to one of the hundreds of cases of missing people in Mexico during the sixties..

Peace Newsletter 11


Ante Čakić-Did photography exhibition

THe MID-BoSNIA CroATS’ WAY oF THe CroSS, 1992-1994

Written by: Anđelko Kvesić

There is one more exhibition in front of us, which witnesses the tumultuous war days in the Lašva valley from 1992 to 1994. It shows Croatian soldiers in a trench, having a rest during a bat-tle. There are wounded children, devastated churches, demol-ished sacral statues and desecrated graveyards. There is much evidence and a true illustration of horrors and sufferings, but a demonstration also of the tough resistance of one nation as well to stay and survive.

It was a time of deaths on a regular basis, cries lifted up to the sky, as well as of victorious screams which encouraged a frightened soul and dejection of many unaccustomed to despair and fear. At those moments, people will turn even a church into a hospital. We have many trustworthy photographs of cultural events, a residence of the Bijeli convoy, as well as the one of a birth of twins among 500 babies who came to this world when deaths were the most common. There are photographs of the President of the Republic of Croatia and his nationals in Bosnia, as well as the most horrendous scenes of a massacre on cap-tured Croatian soldiers from Križančevo selo, Buhina kuća and Dusine. A little ode to the birth of life and the eternity of our existence in the face of the unpredictable forces of the Universe is presented poetically on a photograph of a lonely tree and a raising sun. These photographs have a documentary as well as a

true aesthetic pleasure. They promise new sensations out of the camera and from the heart of the artist, Ante Čakić.

Ante Čakić-Did

The lyrics between life and death

The bloody morning 1992-1994

Peace Newsletter 12

The cycle is named after the first photograph of a tree, be-hind which seems a bloody day will rise. Also, the bombing of Busovača by JNA, the line of the first war ambulances, the first wounded and the first candles for the dead are portrayed. The most horrendous photographs are those of the dead Croatian soldiers, captured in Križančevo selo and Buhine kuće in 1993. A brutal excess over living people gives images of how the Ge-neva Convention on Prisoners of War was treated in this war. Also, there are photographs of exiles, the birth of twins, cultural events, people in a line for food and many others in hope that we will not die out.

In 1994, the people of this region welcomed with a special regard the President of the Republic of Croatia, Franjo Tuđman,

in their area. The President arrived with high government offi-cials to give hope and encouragement to this people, and to pay a tribute for their tough struggle and survival on their hearths. His Eminence the Archbishop of Sarajevo visited Busovača for the First Communion, which is his first photograph outside Sa-rajevo.

This cycle starts with a post-war Mass in Mali Mošunj. There are the photographs of women protesting in front of the UNPRO-FOR, a silence, overcrowded graveyards, a visit to the scaffold of Croatian soldiers in Busovačke staje in 1993, many demolished houses, a damaged church, and Sinj’s tilters at the rings in Nova Bila. In the end, a girl with a rose: a little Bosnian Croat. She says let there be peace and let hate be gone!

Croatian leaders in 1994 after the truceAnd there came the light ... The peace of 1994

Patriots’ Day is held each year in Cazin Municipality. Cazin Municipality traditionally marks this anniversary of the breakthrough of true patriots who came from different Euro-pean countries, met in the Republic of Croatia, and then crossed the occupied territory of the Republic of Croatia in small groups to reach free territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As part of the commemoration, a march is traditionally held following the paths of those groups which crossed the occupied territory of Croatia. The total length of the path the patriots crossed is around 80 kilometres. According to unofficial data, the total number of patriots who crossed into the free territory is around 1400. The biggest group which crossed it on today’s date is a line of around 650 patriots. The number of injured is around 188, out of which 140 were captured and taken to prison camps in Kninska krajina, while 48 patriots were killed. The cooperation of Cazinska krajina and the Municipalities of Slunj, Rakovica and Cetingrad has lasted for centuries, and was especially evident in the 1990s. When the majority of Croats from these Municipali-ties was exiled in 1991, and found refuge in the Municipalities

of Cazin, Bihać and Velika Kladuša, the Croats in return offered support during the crossing in 1992, and guided groups of Bos-nian patriots to the free territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Patriots’ Day marked in cazin

Marking Patriots’ Day in Cazin

Peace Newsletter 13


Prison camp detainees’ association Novi Grad Sarajevo The association of prison camp detainees, “Novi Grad”

is a non-governmental organization gathering people who were put in prison camps by force during the war aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Association has over 1740 members, out of which 53% are from the East Bosnia area: Foča, Rogatica, Rudo, Višegrad, Čajniče Srebrenica, Žepa, and around 47% from the Sarajevo Canton. Unfortunately, most of them went through the worst tortures possible: psychophysical and sexual abuse and rape, which left permanent marks on their mental and physical constitution. No victim is left without consequences: lowered self-esteem, lowered self-respect, anxiety, depression, nightmares, shame, guilt, a victim identity. Those are people of an altered personality, who find themselves permanently changed, weakened and with little hope they would ever be able to function in harmony with their gender, as well as with their role in a family and society.

After we were given a headquarters by the Sarajevo Municipality of Novi Grad in 2011, we started to seek some sort of companionship and relaxation for the Association members. We contacted a British humanitarian organisation, Healing Hands network, which gives a free service of a manual massage therapy, bioenergy, and other similar methods of body relaxation. During two years, over 60 members tried this type of therapy and, which – as they say – helps them very much because few of them would be able to afford that. The Healing Hands Network therapists are professionals and very kind people, who understand this somewhat forgotten and very endangered population.

This year, we contacted U.G. Viva žene iz Tuzle, expressing a wish

and need for group psychotherapies for Association members (around 20 members). Most of the members did not gain any rights, especially when it comes to the rights on real medical treatments and a return to a normal life. In U.G. Viva, we encountered a very kind staff, who recognised our needs and then started one type of group therapies. After a few of them, the mood of our members was very positive and encouraging. We are witnesses that more and more of our members are dying each day. There are too many reasons for that, and too little actual help from the state for this population to receive at least a bit of attention and what they deserve.

Through this kind of companionship and relaxation, we try to show at least for a bit to our members that there is still someone who thinks about us, empathises with us and our traumas, and tries to fight for our rights and for what belongs to us.

Amir Smječanin, President

Peace Newsletter 14

The second youth peace camp “Recipes for Peace” was held from August 23 to 25.2013 at “Motel” Milići. Although it was originally planned for youth from Milići and Kladanj, young participants from Bratunac, Srebrenica, Bosanska Krupa and Sarajevo came with great interest and on their own initiative.During the three days of the camp, twenty young people had an opportunity to learn about prejudices, gender inequality, school segregation, transitional justice and reconciliation processes in BiH. As creative intermezzo activities, workshops of painting and

photography were offered, and writing peace recipes was the final and most important activity in the camp. Through the project “Recipes for Peace” youth from various geographic and ethic areas developed greater awareness of the importance of tolerance, inter-culturality, and inter-entity dialogue; through various discussions and film screenings, they were able to share personal opinions and exchange experiences. Additionally, in July a camp was held for youth from Jajce and Mrkonjić Grad. Participants of both camps plan to meet at the end of November in Banja Luka at a conference where they will attend the presentation of the publication “Let’s Cook the Peace” and receive certificates of recognition as “Peace Cooks”.

recipes for Peace

Statement on casualty recording and military intervention in SyriaIn light of the debate currently taking place among many states on proposed military intervention in Syria, members of the every Casualty Campaign call on all parties involved to ensure that every casualty of the conflict in Syria is promptly recorded, correctly identified, and publicly acknowledged.States considering military intervention, and Security Council members in particular, should reflect on the implementation of earlier protection mandates such as UNSCR 1973 concerning Libya. Post-conflict assessments by NGOs and the UN Commission of Inquiry de-termined that NATO attacks caused civilian deaths, despite NATO’s claims to the contrary. This disparity demonstrates that protecting civilians from harm cannot rest on assurances and good intentions alone, but must be supported by accurate assessment and report-ing of realities on the ground.Specifically, protection requires assessment and evaluation by the intervening forces themselves to determine whether it is being and has been achieved. Pre-strike planning should include setting up a mechanism to: track harm, including deaths and injuries, caused to the civilian population as a result of combat operations; properly investigate harm to support accountability procedures; analyse civilian harm to glean lessons learned and inform tactics to lessen civilian harm; and properly respond to harm through appropriate measures (e.g. compensation or amends). Any decisions made by individual states, either unilaterally or collectively, should take the recording of casualties into consideration. This will require commitment by states to investigate attack sites, as well as casualties, of the broader conflict in Syria. Although this is a direct responsibility of states involved in the conflict, states may also provide support to civil society organisations that are doing such work.There are already civil society organisations undertaking casualty recording in Syria, many through using an on-the-ground network to collect and corroborate information on individual victims, and some by monitoring media and social media. The information they have produced regarding the deaths of Syrians has been compiled by the UN (OHCHR) and has been one of the only sources of civilian casualty data to support informed debate in the international community on what measures may be necessary to mitigate the conflict and its impacts. The members of the Every Casualty Campaign request that all parties to the conflict acknowledge and fulfill their responsibility to systematically record deaths caused during armed conflict, and continue to fulfil this responsibility until a comprehensive and accu-rate record of the casualties of the conflict in Syria is established. For inquires about this statement, please contact Hana Salama, who coordinates the Every Casualty Campaign at +44(0) 207 7549 0222, +44 (0) 7540620595 or [email protected] For more information about the Campaign and its members please visit: everycasualty.org/Campaign The Every Casualty Campaign is a coalition of civil society organisations, founded in 2012, which calls on states to agree an interna-tional framework on casualty recording. This framework would build on the Charter for the recognition of every casualty of armed violence launched in 2011 by a group of casualty-recording practitioners and other civil society organisations. Members of the cam-paign are working with states, civil society, casualty-recording practitioners, and international organisations to build recognition of this problem and promote concrete steps towards improved recording of casualties.Network for Building Peace collected 104 signatures of NGOs which were delivered to Head of BiH Parliament during the Human Rights Day at December 2011.

Peace Newsletter 15


Peace Newsletter 16

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This publication was produced with assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The author’s views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the usaid or the US Government.

New book: ‘’Local Agency and Peacebuilding: EU and International Engage-ment in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cyprus and South Africa’’, to be published by Palgrave.While local power and ‘agency’ seem to have become the new buzzwords for researchers in peace and conflict research, it remains a contested concept. Against this background, this book takes empirical findings as its point of departure, based on which it develops a relational and spatial concept of agency, which helps to understand the complex and subtle processes through which peacebuilding actors engage with each other. Using the example of the EU’s engagement in Bosnia-Herze-govina as a point of departure, the book outlines the complex mechanisms through which the subtle transformation of institutional discourses takes place. The monograph highlights the often neglected role of cultural actors in the light of their strategies to reclaim ownership of a peacebuilding process that

they do not seem to have a stake in. The book will draw paral-lels to the cases of Cyprus and South Africa, outlining the cross-cutting issues with respect to the discursive interaction of local and international actors – or indeed the lack thereof. The book addresses the need to make agency a workable concept in various disciplines, while it also contributes to the literature on EU peacebuilding, which is still very limited. The book claims that research has tended to neglect the vulner-ability of large international organisations (such as the EU) to be transformed by seemingly non-political actors, such as artists, museum directors, photographers, film makers and so forth. The latter in turn have been challenging the legitimacy of in international and often imposed versions of peace, raising questions about their ability to connect to local needs, actors and agendas.

Written by: Stefanie Kappler

Documents

Peace Newsletter - mreza-mira.net