The Peace Activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

1. The Peace Activism in Bosnia and Herzegovina TERCA Sarajevo Goran Bubalo

2. Key organizations • Center for Nonviolent Action • Nansen Dialogue Center • Mennonite Central Committee • TERCA • CORNO Doboj/ Maglaj, CEM Travnik, PRONI Brcko • Research and Documentation Center • hCa Banja Luka • Human Rights Office Tuzla • Helsinski Committee for Human Rights in RS • Helsinski Committee for Human Rights in BiH • Youth Center Gornji Vakuf / Uskoplje • ICTY Outreach Program • Trauma Center

3. Key organizations • Youth Center Abrasevic Mostar • Center for Peacebuilding Sanski Most • Sezam Zenica • OKC Banja Luka • Conscience Objection • USAID project in schools • Bread of St. Anthony • Trauma Center • Izmir and work with soldiers • Odyssey Bratunac

4. Key organizations • IPAK Tuzla • CCI Mostar • Tuzla Citizens Forum • Education Builds BiH (Jovan Divjak) • Franciscan approach (fra Marko Orsolic, IMIC, fra Ivo Markovic, Pontanima) • BIRN (Balkan Investigative Reporting Network) • ICMP (International Commission on Missing People) • Youth Initiative for Human Rights • CARE Srebrenica Peace Project • Small Steps

5. Center for Nonviolent Action • Trainings and education • Working with soldiers: Four Views • Movies: Not a Bird to be Heard; All Wish to Cast a Stone; It Cannot Last Forever; Traces • Books: 20 Pieces of Encouragement for Awakening and Change; I Cannot Feel Well If My Neighbor Does Not • www.nenasilje.org

6. Working with women • Work on trauma: Vive zene Tuzla, Prijateljice, Women Victims of the War, Amica Tuzla, etc.) • Women BiH • Medica Zenica • Women to Women

7. Nansen Dialogue Center (network) • Sarajevo – Srebrenica/Bratunac www.ndcsarajevo.org • Banja Luka – Prijedor www.ndcbanjaluka.org • Mostar - Stolac www.ndcmostar.org

8. Research and Documentation Center • Research on population loses 1992 – 1995 • Oral history project • Trial monitoring • ICTY and Special Chamber for War Crimes in BiH Court • Victims / witness support • Conflict prevention public debates • Publications

9. Civil Society Board • 31 person from 31 sector (Civicus index) • Peace activism • Current activities

10. Current cooperation with government • Government’s attitudes • Network of peace organizations about IPA and MIPD processes • Plans for 2010

11. Mission of Alternatives to Violence Project is strengthening and encouraging people to have nonviolent life through confirmation, respect to all, building mutual cooperation and trust. Basis for AVP is coming from daily life of all actors, and is built on spiritual basis, encouraging each participant to change himself/herself and whole world.

12. Basic workshop is primarily focused on conflict resolution skills. By playing roles participants are learning new creative ways how to react. They are trying to find new ways to overcome conflict in their daily lives. Second level workshop is focused to processes behind the violence. Third workshop (Training for Trainers) is focusing to teambuilding and training skills.

13. AVP in BiH: • Zenica prison • Police • Schools • NGOs • Social care institutions • NGOs / CSOs • Local community

14. Peace Work and Art • Films • Film festivals • Performances • Theatre of the Oppressed (Forum Theatre)

15. XY Films • TV series: Fingerprints; Fingerprints – 15 Years After; Veni vidi vici; Has Anyone Been Forgotten; Hague Tribunal and Crimes in BiH • Films: Fantasy; Not If You Can, But You Must; Statement 710399; Justice Unseen; I See You My Friend • www.xyfilms.net

16. Performances • Women Side of the War • Dah Theatre • CURE

17. Theatre of the Oppressed (Forum Theatre) Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed (www.theatreoftheoppressed.org) Exists for more then 30 years. It is theatre method established in Brazil 30 years ago. Theatre happens when human being discovers that s/he can look into him/herself. When s/he discovers that, s/he see him/herself in “situation”. In that was we are all creating theatre. Specificity of Boal is including audience into the acting, where after play is done, audience is included, replacing actors at the stage, and through their life experience they try to resolve problem at hand. Performance is alive and keep attention of the audience all the time.

18. Peace Academy • Center for Nonviolent Action, Mennonite Central Committee, Nansen Dialogue Center, TERCA • 2008 - 2009 • Six courses • 9 lecturers • 110 participants

19. Peace Academy 2008 • Understanding the social and political elements of collective violence and mass crimes (with the Yugoslav and Rwandan cases)Vlasta Jalusic and Tonci Kuzmanic, Mirovni Inštitut (Slovenian, Peace Institute) Ljubljana • Civilizing Nationalism – Pacification of the RegionUgo Vlaisavljevic and Faris Cengic, University of Sarajevo • What Can We Learn from Peace Movements? Lessons of the Past for the Present and FutureBrian Phillips, Oxford Brookes University

20. Peace Academy 2009 • Memory: Remembering and ForgettingStef Jansen, University of Manchester • Activism ReloadedGoran Bozicevic, Miramida Center Groznjan, and Paul Stubbs, Institute of Economics Zagreb • Understanding Internal dynamics of Societies in Conflict: Collective Memories and Collective States of Denial: the Case of the Israeli – Palestine ConflictOrli Fridman, Institute for Comparative Conflict Studies (IFCCS) & SIT Study Abroad (Balkans)

21. Peace Academy • Continuation planned for 2010 • www.mirovna-akademija.org

22. Books • CNA • Gariwo i Svetlana Broz • Positive examples (Jezdimir Milošević) • Women Side of the War • Culture of peace about Dealing with the Past • hCa • Open Letter to Peacebuilders • Berghof Center • Peace Activism in BiH by hCa

23. UNDP Transitional Justice • Justice system, TRC, reparations, lustration • Initiated with research • Consultations • Small grants program • Book: Guide Through Transitional Justice in BiH

24. TRC inicijative • Initiative from 1998 • Dayton Project 2005 • Commssion for Srebrenica and Sarajevo • KOREKOM – regional initiative. In BiH: Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Tuzla Forum of Citizens; Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in RS; Izvor Prijedor; Center for Civic Cooperation

25. Other issues • Work in Srebrenica • Truth in Translation; September – October 2008; Mostar, Tuzla, Sarajevo, Zenica • Retreat in Groznjan, Croatia • Peace camps • Researchers • Mailing list • Consultations and support

26. Results • Support to the war victims (moral, psycho-social, economic, inclusion, etc.) • Awareness raising • Some influence to institutions • Dialogue and reconciliation in local communities

27. Challenges • burnout • professionalization and administration • lack of funds, sustainability • lack of willingness to openly discuss some issues • peace activisms is not popular at NGOs or activists • political scene in general • compromises by NGOs

28. Needs • cooperation, communication, joint activities, joint platform, network (also with other organizations) • including new people (especially youth) • political engagement / politicians; clear messages and demands; local and national level • transparency and openness, documenting activities • formal and non-formal education (also school books at various levels, including non-violent communication) • cross-border activities / regional dimensions • promotion • donor support