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Only Journalists Can Fight for Serious and Independent Media | Balkan Diskurs
Anja Zulić
June 30th, 2018
the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in Sarajevo has published an official research report on the state of media freedom in 17 local BiH communities that reveals the real-life, everyday struggles that journalist and reporters face in their efforts to produce unbiased, objective, and relevant content.
As a part of the project “Real Voice of Journalism”, supported by the European Union through the small grants program “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans”, the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in Sarajevo has published an official research report on the state of media freedom in 17 local BiH communities that reveals the real-life, everyday struggles that journalist and reporters face in their efforts to produce unbiased, objective, and relevant content.
The research is based on the work of the local media through the voices of its journalists and has provided an opportunity to showcase the true state of journalism in targeted BiH communities.
Tatjana Milovanović, one of the report’s authors, stated that 30 journalists contributed to the research. All of them are professional journalists who work as correspondents and freelancers for different local media outlets.
“The research was broken down into several stages. We first asked them to describe one working day and to tell us about the challenges they faced. They were also asked to tell us what they think the advantages of being a journalist in BiH are as well as what their recommendations for improvement would be,“ explained Tatjana.
Tatjana also noted that the research showed that many journalists are aware that they sometimes do not conduct their work in the most professional of ways. The research revealed that there are many reasons for this. Some of the primary problems that were uncovered are common to all journalists, while others are specific to local BiH journalists and their reporting environments. Financial dependence on local authorities, various pressures and threats, and ever-increasing censorship and self-censorship have been highlighted as the main obstacles. According to the journalists interviewed, this is exactly the kind of situation that contributes to a working environment in which is hard to do work in a professional manner.
In local communities, many correspondents agree that the hardest topics to report on are nepotism, corruption, and stories about post-conflict issues. According to the interviewees, topics related to economics, everyday life, culture, and sports are much easier to report on. The interlocutors also consider media outlets such as Radio Free Europe (RFE), N1 Television, Al Jazeera Balkans, and the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN BiH) as most trustworthy. The research also revealed that journalists consider the existing legislation decent but that the laws are not being implemented correctly, which adds to the problems faced by media workers in BiH.
Other challenges faced by journalists in local communities include finding relevant interviewees as well as the general lack of topics and events to cover.
‘‘What bothers me the most are the stories that have nothing to do with the everyday life and problems of people in local communities. News is only being “produced” in favor of the governing structures and is manufactured to show us how everything is great and everybody is happy. There is a lot of censorship going on and every attempt to hear another opinion is being blocked,” states a journalist from Višegrad who wishes to remain anonymous.[1]
Another author of this report and journalist for Radio Free Europe (RFE), Marija Arnautović, also stated that it is much harder for local journalists in smaller communities to report on certain topics than it is for journalists in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, or Mostar. What is also worrying is the lack of solidarity that exists between local journalists as well as their claims that they don’t truly feel safe while on the job.
Lejla Turčilo, a professor at the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Political Science, explains that there is absolutely external pressure being put on the media, but that there are also pressures put on journalists by media houses themselves who seem value everything but their own correspondents.
“Very often, it is reported that the first location at which journalist’s rights have been threatened is, in fact, at the media agency for which they work. The owners and editors of those agencies are more concerned about politics and public opinion than they are about their own journalists, and when you point out to the editors what their journalists are saying about the deplorable working conditions, the only response you receive is ‘if they have somewhere else to go… they are free to do so.’ That is the scariest attitude that exists towards journalists in my opinion,” says Turčilo.
This raises the question about what kinds of stories we can then expect from the journalists that are working in such conditions, but for Turčilo, such conditions do not justify the unprofessionalism that we often see within media.
Citizens Do Not Trust the Media
A public opinion survey conducted by the Association of BH Journalists in 2017 points out the fact that BiH citizens have an almost equal distrust of the media as they do for the religious community. Media distrust is a result of living in a system that was once under the control of the Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and during a time of extreme nationalism after the state collapsed and the media served the political leaders and military propagandists.
“There are media that indeed work in accordance with the journalistic standards, but there are also those who remain under the influence of the political parties and work in accordance with those parties’ interests. Such media base their reports on less than truthful information and focus more on praising the parties they represent and on campaigning against their opponents. The basis for the media to be independent is to have financial independence, which is rare today,“ says Gojko Veselinović, a journalist from Banja Luka.[2]
What the Real Voice of Journalism (RVJ) research has shown, and what Borka Rudić from the Association of BH Journalists points out, is that there is an increasing number of online media outlets that are being established by politicians during election campaigns.
“Your research has detected some critical problems, one of which is the launching of media outlets by politicians. We have journalists and editors on elections lists. Journalists can and should actively participate in politics, but it shouldn’t influence their work or the media content they produce. Only journalists can fight for professionalism in their field. They must protect their profession because no other system will solve these issues for them,” Rudić emphasizes.
According to data from the Communications Regulatory Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CRA), there are 386 active (traditional) media outlets in BiH, including 10 daily newspapers, 189 other print magazines 144 radio stations, and 43 television stations. An accurate statistic on the number of online media platforms is not available at this time.[3]
The RVJ research further revealed another challenge local media makers face, which is a lack of media literacy among citizens. Given the large number of active media outlets and the high volume of available news content, this is a significant challenge to overcome.
Milorad Milojević, a journalist from Banja Luka, believes that very few citizens are equipped to critically and objectively analyze the information they receive through the media.
“I often record surveys and work directly with citizens and what I have noticed is that people very easily fall under the influence of populist politics… It seems that some of us have not moved very far from the war trenches.“[4]
It is also a significant challenge for journalists, especially those working in local communities, to resist falling under the influence of politics and to succeed in reporting in an objective and ethical manner.
Milojević would agree, stating that the main challenge for journalists is to retain their independence and not fall under the influence of censorship and self-censorship. “The biggest challenge is to present an unbiased story in a way that everyone understands. Journalists should work for all citizens, not for politicians, business people, or criminals,” he says.[5]
In Lieu of A Conclusion
The constant political pressures are only mounting, especially within the local media, which is one reason why professional journalism is fading. The lack of adequate processing of attacks on journalists also poses a significant problem. A very small percentage of reported cases have been resolved, and, even if resolved, they are treated as a misdemeanor rather than a criminal offense. Thus, attacks on journalists are treated as disturbance of public order and peace and not as a criminal act of violating the journalists’ right to report, thereby diminishing the gravity of these crimes.
Journalists are under constant pressure and the poor economic situation only serves to further compound the issues. Many journalists are working for multiple media houses simultaneously and their salaries are abysmal. Unofficial data from the Association BH Journalists reveal that an average journalist’s salary is 500-600 BAM (Bosnian Convertible Mark) and that only journalists and working for media houses that are financed from abroad have a higher monthly income. Additionally, most journalists are employed on short-term contracts.[6]
Journalists need help to fight for decent working conditions in local communities, but above all, they must become a united front in that fight. And they also need to insist that journalism as a profession needs to be free from any influence so that they can be fully responsible for any and all content they create. Again, it is only the journalists themselves that can fight for serious and independent journalism.
This article has been published as part of the “Real Voice of Journalism’’ project. The project is funded by the European Union through the small grants programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans” implemented by the Croatian Journalists’ Association as part of the regional project “Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety”, which is carried out through the partnership of six regional journalists’ associations – Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), Association of BH Journalists (BHJ), Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), and Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM)
[1] Post-Conflict Research Center. Interview during the implementation of the project “Real Voice of Journalism”. January – April 2018.
[2] Post-Conflict Research Center. Interview during the implementation of the project ‘’Real Voice of Journalism’’. January – April 2018.
[3] Regulatorna agencija za komunikacije (RAK) https://www.rak.ba/bos/
[4] Post-Conflict Research Center. Interview during the implementation of the project ‘’Real Voice of Journalism’’. January – April 2018.
[5] Post-Conflict Research Center. Interview during the implementation of the project ‘’Real Voice of Journalism’’. January – April 2018.
[6] IREX Media Sustainability Index https://www.irex.org/resource/media-sustainability-index-msi

author: Anja Zulić


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Confession: The Look of Contempt | Balkan Diskurs
Slobodan Blagovčanin
July 2nd, 2018
“His gaze was full of contempt, but his words tried to convince me that he could not live without me. He insisted it was the only way.”
“Yes, he spit on me! He again said I was a whore who slept with everyone except him. He again uttered that gruesome lie, forcing me to plead my innocence. We were in my car, in the parking lot and I was overcome with anger. I wanted to push him out and escape at the same time. As he slowly exited the car, he told me through the open window that he would lie down in front of it. He told me to kill him.” Thus begins the story of a girl who endured violence at the hands of her boyfriend.
Under the condition that she remains anonymous, she continued her story: “His gaze was full of contempt, but his words tried to convince me that he could not live without me. He insisted it was the only way. He moved about three meters away from the front of my car and leaned down under the headlights, believing that I was not ready to take revenge. He moved three meters from the front of my car and leaned down beneath the headlights, believing that I was not ready to avenge myself. And it was true. In that moment, I wasn’t ready.”
As she shifted the gears into reverse, he remained unaware of all the moments of humiliation that ran through her head.
“Images of his hand over my face that night he drove me to the forest flashed through my mind. He couldn’t know the contempt that flooded over me once more when I remembered the humiliation of being dragged me out of the club in front of my friends. He didn’t know how many nights I had cried because of his jealousy. He couldn’t know how much it hurt me when he asked me to send him my location after I told him I was shopping… that I was in DM, Mercator, Stradivarius …,” she said.
She wondered if he could ever understand how she felt every day when he called her a whore only because she wanted to keep her chastity until marriage.
After one of his beatings, she remembers the reaction of her family who had decided to conceal their knowledge of his violence. “I felt humiliated. Everyone knew they he was violent towards me, but I loved him,” she said.
Images of that fateful night again flashed through her mind. “One slap, then another. Buzzing in my ears and my head as I leaned against the window gasping for air. In one moment, as the rain trickled down the window, my thoughts turned to how I want the torture to end. WHORE! WHORE! You are sleeping with everyone except me! His hand in my hair, then my hair in his hand,” she said.
She explained the feelings of worthlessness she felt running through her veins in that moment and her desire to just disappear.
“Then, I shifted the gears from reverse into drive. I heard the creaking of the car and then accelerated. After more than a year, I again felt valuable, capable, and in control. Nothing frightened me. Both of my hands were on the steering wheel and my right foot pressed down on the gas. I’m not going to lie to you, there was a rush of adrenaline. I closed my eyes and, for a moment, I was surprised that I hadn’t felt anything pass underneath the car, and then I realized it. Him, whom I loved like crazy. Him, because of whom I had lost my best friends. Him, because of whose violence I began to doubt my family’s love. Him, the one who had made my life a prison. Him, him, him. All this time, he was just an ordinary coward! A coward, who I watched running away in my rearview mirror like he had lost his mind. Wretched man. Once again he didn’t have the courage to face himself. As I watched him in my rearview mirror, fearfully moving between the cars, I finally felt relief for the first time in a long time,” she said.
She finally felt the bars around her disappearing and the chains falling away from her wrists.
“My legs were suddenly free again and I swear I could hear the restraints breaking apart. For the first time, I was not a victim. For the first time, he didn’t have dominance over me. For the first time, I was the bully and he was the victim, but he wouldn’t let me show him how it felt to be on the other side because he was running away. And I let it be. I will always remain grateful for it!” she said.
As she was telling her story to the man, a friend, sitting across from her, a waiter interrupted to tell them that there was no black tea, only green. “In these cases, I’d ask for a coffee, but it didn’t matter to me. I just felt anger towards those cowards who consider themselves men. In that moment, I wished that he could experience the same pain that she experienced, but my anger quickly subsided when I glanced at the girl, who now was full of pride, satisfaction, and self-confidence,” said the man who listened to the confession.
A friend of the girl who had been a witness to the violence said, “I only wish he could see the impact of his actions on that innocent smile. I wish he was here to witness us laughing at his cowardice. He will never understand that the use of physical force is no way to be a man.”
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

source: news-balkandiskurs

created: July 2nd, 2018

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Slobodan Blagovčanin


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Dutch Media and the Srebrenica Genocide: Coverage or Cover-up? | Balkan Diskurs
Anna Idzinga
July 11th, 2018
Dutch media coverage of the Bosnian War partly explains why Dutch politicians and the general public are conflicted about the role played by Dutchbats during the war.
Dutch media coverage of the Bosnian War partly explains why Dutch politicians and the general public are conflicted about the role played by Dutchbats during the war.
While discussion of the Balkan conflict continues in Western media, Dutch journalists believe the public is disinterested in the subject, and even Dutch politicians remain indifferent to the topic (J. Wieten, 2002: 31).
According to David S. Rohde, an American author and investigative journalist, one reason for this disinterest is can be attributed to the fact that media coverage during the war did not reflect the reality on the ground. Dutch journalist Bart Rijs, who worked in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992, and from 1994 to 1998, blames himself for the lack of accurate and nuanced media coverage. He believes that he depended too much on media reports from other cities and was too eager to believe external reports about the role of the Dutch battalion in Srebrenica. According to Rijs, the brutal massacre of 8,373 Bosnian boys and men by the Army of the Republika Srpska and the Scorpions paramilitary in the UN ‘safe area’ of Srebrenica was as much a surprise to journalists as it was to Dutch politicians and peacekeepers.[1]
Headlines published in Dutch newspapers between July 1995 and June 2015 offer some interesting insights into how the Dutch media covered the fall of Srebrenica and influenced public opinion.
Before Srebrenica fell to Serb forces in July 1995, Dutch media focused on the well-being of the Dutch Blue Helmets. Instead of covering stories of people starving, being killed, and otherwise abused, the media portrayed the Dutch Blue Helmets as victims. One such headline was Dutchbat leaves positions in the South of Srebrenica (Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau, 11 July 1995). This article described Dutchbat soldiers fleeing Srebrenica for Potocari along with thousands of residents. Another article, Airstrikes failed, residents of Srebrenica are gone, Serbs are shooting Zepa and Gorazde – Dutchbat on the run (Eindhovens Dagblad, 12 July 1995), focused on the well-being of thirty Dutch soldiers held captive by the Serbs. The article Fall of Srebrenica could mean the exit of the Blue Helmets (De Stem, 12 July 1995) expressed concerns about the reputation of Dutch Blue Helmets, stating that remaining in Srebrenica would lead to further humiliation. Together, these articles describe how Dutch media put the victims of Srebrenica in the periphery when covering the situation in that specific location.
It was not until September 1995, months after the genocide occurred, that an article was published about the large number of missing persons under the headline: 8,000 Muslims from Srebrenica are still missing (NRC Handelsblad, 15 September 1995). This article was skeptical about the role of the Dutch government in the fall of Srebrenica, describing how the Bosnian Serbs separated 3,000 Bosnian Muslim boys and men from the women, children, and the elderly under the direct watch of the Dutch Blue Helmets. These 3,000 boys and men were executed, while the other inhabitants were allowed to leave for Tuzla.
In October 1995, the General Dutch Press Bureau (ANP) published the article American press discovered role of the Dutch in Srebrenica (ANP, 8 October 1995). Here, the author examined articles published in the New York Times and the Boston Globe that were critical of the role of the Dutch. In this article, a Dutch Department of Defense spokesman stated that the Dutch did not have the option to take a different course of action, but both newspapers signaled this would remain an unfinished point of discussion in the Netherlands. The Dutch journalist mentions the well-known photograph of General Ratko Mladic, Bosnian-Serb commander of the units that perpetuated the massacre in Srebrenica, standing with Dutch Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Karremans, commander of the Dutchbat troops, but does not fully explain the context. This meeting between the two military leaders was seen as a pivotal moment in which Karremans gave Mladic official permission to overtake the safe area, which would lead to the Srebrenica genocide.
It is noteworthy that in the same month these critical articles were published, articles in the Netherlands appeared with headlines like Pronk [the former Minister for Development and Cooperation] gives Srebrenica refugees more money (ANP, 25 October 1995). After the discovery of mass graves in and around Srebrenica in early 1996, articles detailing how the Dutch Government was again donating money to the refugees of Srebrenica makes it seem as though the Dutch Government was trying to cover up the role of the Dutch Blue Helmets and to avoid making apologies.
To this day, no one can be sure how great the Ministry of Defense’s influence on the media coverage of Srebrenica was. According to Carolien Brugsma, editor at NOVA (a news program on Dutch television) from 1992 to 1999, the Ministry of Defense was responsible for hiding or “misplacing” reports. Brugsma believes that the government did not care about the Open Government Act, which creates a public right of access to government information and actively worked to prevent access. Journalists Frank Westerman and Bart Rijs agree: the Ministry of Defense was determined to keep the focus of public debate on the United Nations rather than on the Dutch Government in order to protect the well-being and reputation of the Dutchbatters, who were already having to cope with public humiliation.[2]
Recent publications had indicated Dutchbatters were willing to talk, but who had, in the end, chosen to remain silent, perhaps to save the reputation of their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Karremans. According to Dutchbat veteran D.Z., the blockade on information and veterans’ unwillingness to speak about Srebrenica no longer exists. He said, “No one was talking, afraid that they would only put more oil on the fire. But now that Karremans will not be prosecuted, people start talking.” This led to a number of revealing articles in May and June 2015 with headlines that included Minister stopped air force (Tubantie, 30 May 2015) and Photos of Srebrenica possibly exist (De Gelderlander, 15 June 2015).
Due to the Dutch Ministry of Defense’s intrusive relationship with the press between 1992 and 1995, the press tended to focus on the failures of the United Nations and the Dutch Government instead of investigating the sequence of wartime events. Incomplete reporting eventually resulted in overlooked facts. It is hard to conclude to what extent such omissions are attributable to the journalists and the media given that their task to provide accurate information was made difficult by the Ministry of Defense as well as by Serb restrictions on in-country journalists.
In 2015, the 20-year anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide again led to increased media coverage on the subject. A documentary was released on Dutch television in July 2015, revealing new facts on the disputed history, including documentation of mass graves around Srebrenica recorded at the time of the massacre. Hopefully, new perspectives and information will lead to the truth about what happened in Srebrenica and will provide greater insight into the role played by the Dutch and others that led to this terrible tragedy.
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Additional Reading
Heuvelman, A., Fennis, B. (2011). Mediapsychologie. Den Haag: Boom Lemma.
Raad voor Media en Ontwikkeling (2003).  Over het Krachtveld tussen Burger, Media en Politiek. Den Haag: Sdu Uitgevers.
[1] Rijsdijk, E. (2014). Europe’s worst massacre. The making of Srebrenica into a global area. Skript Historisch Tijdschrift, 24(1), 49-64.
[2] Wieten, J. (2002). Srebrenica: een ‘veilig’ gebied. Deelstudie: Srebrenica en de journalistiek. Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie (NIOD).

author: Anna Idzinga


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Real Voice of Journalism (Part III) | Balkan Diskurs
Balkan Diskurs
July 25th, 2018
Balkan Diskurs is proud to announce the finalization of the research project “Real Voice of Journalism (RVJ)”, implemented by PCRC in cooperation with Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) BiH and the WARM Foundation Sarajevo.
Balkan Diskurs is proud to announce the finalization of the research project “Real Voice of Journalism (RVJ)”, implemented by PCRC in cooperation with Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) BiH and the WARM Foundation Sarajevo. This project was initiated in October 2017 with the aim to improve the overall position of journalists and activists and to prevent further violations to freedom of expression in BiH and was delivered over a period of nine months, during which time 30 local journalists and reporters of varying demographic backgrounds and from a variety of media houses were interviewed.
The extensive research findings released throughout the course of the project revealed the real-life, everyday struggles that journalist and reporters face in their efforts to produce unbiased, objective, and relevant content. The outcomes of the research can be accessed in the final report “Real Voice of Journalism: report on the state of media freedom in 17 local communities in BiH”, which was presented during an official launch conference held in Sarajevo on 18 May 2018. In addition to its offline publication, the Real Voice of Journalism report was made available online on both the Balkan Diskurs and PCRC websites. A total of six articles related to the research findings were also published online and include:
“BiH’s Media Landscape: Unsustainable and Partially Free’’
“Local Media in BiH: Financial Dependence and Political Influence“
“Media Landscape in Republika Srpska: Polarization and Financial Dependence”
“Herzegovina’s Media: A Problem of Ideology and Self-censorship“
“Only journalists can fight for serious and independent journalism’’
Throughout the project timeframe, the project and its research findings were additionally promoted via a strategic social media communications strategy. As a result, the report and its complimentary articles reached a combined audience of more than 102,000 visitors in its first month online. Project products were also shared with Balkan Diskurs’ and PCRC’s social media audience (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter platforms), which reach a combined audience of over 9,500 followers. To date, the project has reached a total of more than 274,000 people through both online and offline activities.
This project is funded by the European Union through the small grants programme “Protecting Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in the Western Balkans” implemented by the Croatian Journalists’ Association as part of the regional project “Western Balkan’s Regional Platform for Advocating Media Freedom and Journalists’ Safety”, which is carried out through the partnership of six regional journalists’ associations – Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS), Association of BH Journalists (BHJ), Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK), Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), and Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (TUMM).

author: Balkan Diskurs


text:
The Fisherman Who Almost Caught a Nobel Prize | Balkan Diskurs
Slobodan Blagovčanin
August 8th, 2018
The Arab Spring in Syria resulted in the influx of over 5 million refugees into Europe, tens of thousands of whose bones were swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea. While Syria burned and refugees ran in the pursuit of a safer life, Kostas Pinteris from the island of Lesbos offered them a helping hand.
The Arab Spring in Syria resulted in the influx of over 5 million refugees into Europe, tens of thousands of whose bones were swallowed by the Mediterranean Sea. While Syria burned and refugees ran in the pursuit of a safer life, Kostas Pinteris from the island of Lesbos offered them a helping hand.
The island of Lesbos, a popular tourist destination that has left people breathless for decades, is now a safe haven for countless Syrian refugees who are running scared from the whirlwind of war that continues to unfold in their homeland. The war in Syria has caused a large migration of people into Europe, has shown Turkey’s humanity, has split the European Union, and, it is safe to say, was one of the triggers of Brexit.
Amidst all this, in Skala Sikiminia, lived Kostas Pinteris, a humble Greek fisherman who made his living on the sea. He spent his days on his boat, from which he threw his net and reeled in his fishing pole lines. At night, he slept in his family home where he lives with his parents. His quiet fisherman’s life was soon disturbed by what was happening in the world. His phone would ring non-stop, often in the middle of the night, and his family home became a volunteer center. His fishing boat became a refuge for those drowning in the sea, and his Nobel Prize nomination served as a slap in the face to all the “Europeans” who refused to help the refugees.
When Kostas appeared among us, we didn’t even know who he was. We saw a large, yet calm and steady man. In his eyes, there was a quiet liveliness, but also confusion at the sight of all of us who came to Turkey from different parts of Europe to participate in an event organized around the topic of multiculturalism. His arms were strong and his palms scuffed and rough from the rope of his anchor. He sat close to me and calmly watched as the group complained because dinner was late.
To break the silence, I asked him where he was from and what he did for a living. He briefly replied that he was a fisherman from Sikimini, a small village in the north of Lesbos, 10 kilometers away from Turkey by sea.
“When I was a child, I did agricultural work. We’d spend days in the olive plantations with our parents. I’d spend my free days with my grandparents. They’re the biggest reason for my passion for ocean waves and fishing nets. That’s when I fell in love with boats and wished to own one when I grew up,” said Kostas. Then, with pride in his voice, he continued, “I’ve had my own boat for several years already and I used to make a decent living from it.”
Luckily for me, the Turkish restaurant service was particularly slow and Kostas was generous and willing to indulge my curiosity. As I sat there surprised to hear him speaking in the past tense, he discreetly began to tell his heroic story.
“It all began as a result of the wars happening in the world, at a time when many wished to reach European soil because they believed it was their ticket to salvation. They came in small boats in ever-increasing numbers. I must admit that I was initially very skeptical. Then more started to arrive in ever smaller rafts and boats.”
With a sigh, he momentarily paused before continuing on with his story. “I stopped fishing and my life was turned upside down! I now fished people. Sometimes, I even dragged dead bodies out of the sea.”
With my look of apprehension, the real-life superhero proceeded: “Yes. That is my life! I’ve saved thousands of misfortunate migrants. Unfortunately, it was too late for some of them, but I did my best. During such periods, I wouldn’t have time to earn a living for myself for days and my life just revolved around helping those less fortunate. I lived exclusively off of my parents.” As he spoke this last sentence, he smiled briefly as if he were apprehensive of judgment on my part.
He looked upon my silent stare and the selfishness that it must have reflected as I contemplated how he wasn’t afraid for himself.
As if he had read my thoughts, a turbulent and emotional reaction followed, like that when you want to defend yourself: “Afraid? Of course I was afraid! Calls were coming in the middle of the night, often when the sea was rough with raging winds. The Coast Guard was not allowed to react and the colleagues who usually went ‘fishing people’ with me would have been silent, which I understood considering they had families of their own. So, what are you supposed to do? You know you can help a mother, a child, or an old man, and you just turn over and continue to sleep? I could never live with such knowledge. Sometimes, there were so many people on my boat that I even became doubtful of its durability.”
There were many days and nights that Kostas left his family home to help people. And this was without ever receiving anything in return. However, as humble as the first moment I met him, he added: “When I would return home exhausted, it was always enough for me to know that I had saved lives that day or night.”
Then, with a dose of pride and an innocent, childlike smile, he recalled a night when he had saved a great number of people:
“When we reached land, the rescued stood in line to wait for me. Someone called out to me, and then, one by one, they came up to me to hug and kiss me, saying thank you! It was incredible. The elderly wanted to kiss my feet as a way to show their gratitude. I will never forget that moment, that night, and that feeling.”
Although dinner had been served a long time ago, I didn’t pay much attention to it. There was no helping my curiosity and my desire to hear more from this hero. Deep inside, I knew that it would be appropriate to wait for dinner to end and restrain my curiosity, but I was troubled by the thought of the injustice that a man who saves and has saved others is left to his own devices, without any help from the authorities.
Kostas put his cutlery down for a moment and said: “The European Union has never helped me or my village with a single cent during this crisis. I must admit, however, that after my boat broke down in February this year, the Greek government bought me some mechanical parts I needed, after which I fixed the boat myself.”
After a few moments of silence, during which he seemed to be thinking, he added: “Well, yes, that would be it. I’ve never gotten any other help.”
Mr. Gurkan, the organizer of the event in Turkey and the one who talked Kostas into coming, wasn’t sitting too far away from us. He spent the whole night trying to calm the participants regarding the late dinner and it didn’t seem to be following our conversation. Then, in one moment, just when our hero was about to pick his cutlery up again, he said:
“Kostas, why haven’t you told him about your nomination?”
I sat quietly looking at Kostas and waiting for the answer. In slight protest, more so because he even had to mention it rather than because we had interrupted his dinner once again, he said:
“Although this is not something particularly important to me, someone came up with the idea to nominate me for a Nobel Prize. At that moment, I was much more happy that the world was talking about my village and about Skala Sikiminia as a place with good people. I truly didn’t pay much attention to the nomination. I’ve helped, and will continue to help because I’m human and I believe that all humans have a right to life!”
Shortly thereafter, the sluggish Turkish waiters began collecting the plates that the excited mob cleared in a flash, and, although it was customary for participants to have a social gathering after dinner, I did not join them. I instead went to my room and thought about the man who helps yet asks for nothing in return, the man who is willing to risk his life and his greatest love—his boat, to help strangers who are negatively represented in the European media.
I thought about the man who, with his goodness, asked me whether I am selfish, and who, with his calmness, reminded me of all the moments I did not help. The man who inspired me to write about him with the knowledge that not even a thousand pages would be enough to illustrate his greatness!
The author would like to express a special thank you to the following individuals for providing their help in the writing of this article: Athanasioss Dimo for the selfless help he offered in the making of the text and Mr. Gurkan Akcaer, the organizer of the event in Turkey.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: August 8th, 2018


text:
Pretty Woman Forum: the Social Network Heroines | Balkan Diskurs
Azra Memišević
August 16th, 2018
The Pretty Woman Forum is a Facebook group that has 47,826 members from across BIH, the region, and even the world. The initial aim of the group was to serve as a place for the exchange of information, advice, and experiences, however, over time, it became a service for helping people in need.
The Pretty Woman Forum is a Facebook group that has 47,826 members from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and even the world. The initial aim of the group was to serve as a place for the exchange of information, advice, and experiences, however, over time, it became a service for helping people in need.
It is a forum that has become an integral part of many women’s lives: a place where they began helping one another and doing things for each other that one would normally only do for close friends and family members. In time, good souls and hardworking hands began to change lives.
“The idea to make the group such as this spontaneously started from a group I had made to sell clothing. The women on the platform expressed the desire to organize among ourselves and to help a family or a sick child at least once a month. Since I’ve been working for a humanitarian organization for a number of years, I somehow took it upon myself to take care of the details and make things transparent, so that we could help those who needed it,” said Nina Grebo, a mother of three girls and one of the Facebook group’s administrators.
Now, the main goal of the group is to help those on the margins, the sick, and those in need.
“For me personally, my favorite action is one that is still ongoing and that is to help my friend’s son, Marko, who is suffering from retinoblastoma, or eye cancer. The women from the Forum have helped him to carry out further tests and to cover the huge expenses that this terrible illness carries with it,” said Nina.
One of the forum’s many humanitarian actions was launched for 16-year-old Nejra Hafizović. Nejra was diagnosed with a brain tumor and urgently needed surgery and relocation to Turkey. The estimate for the surgery and chemotherapy amounted to 37,500 euros. Due to the complexity of the disease, the surgery couldn’t be postponed, but the money had to be paid within a month.
A few days after the first Facebook post, a donor was found who was willing to cover the costs of Nejra’s treatment.
“She’s now in Turkey where she is waiting for the operation, and she checks in every day. She is receiving great care and they are predicting a full recovery. I’m anxiously awaiting her return to Bosnia,” said Nejra Šogolj, a future political scientist, humanitarian, and another one of the Facebook group’s administrators.
Other actions taken on by forum members include daily individual visits to the Jagomir Psychiatric Hospital and collecting donations and supplies for the Parent House, the Mjedenica Institution, and others.
“At the Jagomir Psychiatric Hospital, we’ve helped 22 patients who received packages with hygienic supplies, coffee, sweets, and books. Around 70 women from the Forum responded to this call to action. We received thank you notes, roses, and some art and crafts they made during one of their workshops,” remembers Grebo.
The Forum has proven that its members, whose numbers are constantly growing, have an understanding among one another. They understand the problems, worries, and hardships of others. They understand that their joint contributions will help others and change their lives for the better. Their efforts to work daily on such goals demonstrate their solidarity and humanity.
“There are other aspects of the Forum that can’t be ignored, such as how women have succeeded in developing small businesses as a result of good advice from other members, new connections, and the ability to promote their work on the platform. Some have also made lifelong friends. Sometimes the amount of information can be overwhelming. But, all in all, it’s a positive story. The Forum isn’t just made up of individuals or administrators, but rather of women who are always ready to extend a helping hand,” concludes Grebo.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: August 16th, 2018

author: Azra Memišević


text:
Marina Adamović: The Limitless Humanitarian | Balkan Diskurs
Svetlana Rajković
September 14th, 2018
I don’t recall the first time I saw her. I know she was sitting in a wheelchair, collecting money for people in need and for the treatment of those who are suffering from various kinds of ailments. Several times, I left a small contribution hoping that, this time, it would end up in the right hands.
I don’t recall the first time I saw her. I know she was sitting in a wheelchair, collecting money for people in need and for the treatment of those who are suffering from various kinds of ailments. At least, that was what was written on the cards and photographs that were hanging from the sides or her wheelchair. Several times, I left a small contribution hoping that, this time, it would end up in the right hands. In all honesty, I didn’t pay much attention to her.
I remember the time when I was constantly giving money to a boy who would sit in the pedestrian zone in a wheelchair. It turned out he was not disabled and, after his ‘’shift” was over, he would get out of the wheelchair and walk home. I would also regularly buy greeting cards to help the children with disabilities. I learned afterward that the money was not going to the children, but to the people who print the greeting cards.
For those reasons, I lost interest in donating. I was tired of the fake beggars and those who collect money for ‘’humanitarian’’ purposes just to have the money end up who knows where. I apologize to those who are the exception, of whom there are not many. This story is, however, about precisely that – the exception.
I would pass by her day after day. She was not always in the same place, but she was always in the same old wheelchair with the same jar where people would leave their voluntary contributions. She would regularly change the photographs and signs on her wheelchair, which displayed appeals for help for those in need treatment, many of whom were from abroad. She was most often collecting money for children and young people. Days would pass, then weeks, and months… And every day she would be there, in the pedestrian zone, and sometimes, when I would walk past her, I would leave some small change. But one day, I noticed a photograph of my friend’s daughter hanging from her wheelchair. I knew the girl was suffering from a rare disease, and this woman was collecting money for her treatment. I immediately called my friend and asked him if he knew she was collecting money for the treatment of his daughter. He said he was aware and that the woman had already collected a large sum of money for her.
I was surprised. Only then, after hearing all the words of praise about her, was I made aware that the money was actually going where it was needed. In fact, I realized that there truly is someone you could believe in. And other people also started to believe in her when they became aware of her charity work and after the media began to write about her humanitarian efforts.
I then started to inquire about her. I learned that for a period of twenty years she was having problems with her bones and that a few years ago the disease overcame her body, limiting her movement. She had studied law and the French language. Now, she collects money to help those in need of different types of treatment. She also writes poetry and the money she earns from her book sales is given to humanitarian causes. She asks for nothing in return because she says she doesn’t need anything.
She is happy that she is able to help others, which, she says, fulfills her mission in life, and she has raised money for people from many different places. She is always there, come rain or shine, snow or wind, with the same mission – to help someone each and every day. And she has experienced her own problems, indeed. Money has been stolen from her, she has been forbidden to place her wheelchair in front of the retail shop windows, and her worn-out wheelchair has collapsed before so that she could not continue with her mission for a time. A while back, someone launched a campaign to collect contributions for the purchase of a new wheelchair, which she was given so that she could continue with her humanitarian work. With the support of the local community, she was able to continue her fight to support those in need.
In December of last year, she finally got her place in the sun when the local government gave her recognition for her work. In the pedestrian zone where she is often located, a small glass case was built for her with the name “Bank of Benevolence.” You can now leave your money in this box at any time and it will, without doubt, go towards humanitarian causes.
Now I am sure that the contributions I mentioned at this story’s outset were, indeed, ending up in the right hands. I admit: I did not believe then, but I do believe now.
Marina Adamović. Humanitarian. Poet. A brave woman who fights for what she believes. A brave woman who fights for others. Her name should be remembered. If you pass by her one day on the streets of Niš in Serbia, leave a donation and know that it will be in safe hands and will go to those who truly need it.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: September 14th, 2018

author: Svetlana Rajković


text:
The Future is Youth: Academy for Young Leaders in Civil Society | Balkan Diskurs
Amra Džonlić
October 4th, 2018
Many would argue that there is no prosperity or hope in this country. Young people are leaving to seek employment elsewhere, so who will be responsible for carrying out the changes necessary for a prosperous future?
Many would argue that there is no prosperity or hope in this country. Young people are leaving to seek employment elsewhere, so who will be responsible for carrying out the changes necessary for a prosperous future? This is the story of an Academy and 20 exceptional young people from across Bosnia and Herzegovina, who set aside the divisions imposed upon them in an effort to become leaders that will bring about positive change in their communities.
The story begins in 1993 with a group of German students who decided they wanted to help young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Croatia during the war from 1992 – ’95. Their humanitarian action achieved significant enough impact that it resulted in the establishment of the Schüler Helfen Leben foundation (SHL), now Germany’s largest humanitarian organization managed by young people. As the organization continued to develop, many short- and long-term, youth-centered projects were delivered and a new opportunity emerged to empower youth and provide them with the means to promote changes they wanted to see in their society.
After the war in BiH was over, one of SHL’s primary incentives became creating conditions in which young Bosnians could further their skills to initiate positive change in their local communities through activism. Through activism, young Bosnians could become active agents of the causes they believed in, gaining a new sense of autonomy and responsibility. This idea would eventually give birth to what is now known as the “Academy for Young Leaders in Civil Society”
SHL’s Academy for Young Leaders in Civil Society offers an intensive educational program that aims to educate 20 exceptional young people each year from across BiH who have the potential to become the ambassadors of change. With the support of mentors and certified trainers, this one-year program emphasizes the importance of individual growth through the learning and application of vital leadership skills.
As I sit inside the SHL training institute in Sarajevo waiting for my first interview, I am surrounded by colorful walls, paintings, and images that elicit motivation and creativity. I arrived at the Academy that day with the goal to speak with some of its members and get their perspectives on the program and its impact. I first spoke with the Academy’s program coordinator, Adnan Pripoljac, who explained that one of the primary aims of the Academy was to “introduce a specific set of values, skills, and knowledge that could help transform students into leaders.”
Adnan went on to explain that the program focused on three basic pillars as part of its formal and informal educational approach. The first pillar – lectures. The young people who are selected to for the program attend a series of educational modules that present a number of important topics, including personal development, activism strategies, social research, media literacy, academic writing, and political and economic development. The program’s second pillar is the Capstone project, which is a community-based project that each participant develops and implements before graduating from the Academy. Finally, the third pillar is based on gaining real-world experience through a two-month internship, intended for every student to gain a sense of independence, while working in different communities and living outside of their comfort zones.
The Academy is not only about the three pillars of education, however, it is also about bringing together 20 young people from across BiH who have different religions, nationalities, and political views so that they can learn about one another, create new friendships, and work together towards the same goals. By educating Bosnian youth in an effort to improve the quality of youth engagement in society, the Academy hopes to set an example of leadership for other youth across the country via the work of its graduates. This is based on the premise that ‘a leader encourages others in their local community to step forward and become more active’.
One of the most important components of the Academy’s program is its lecturers. The curators of the lectures are meant to serve as “role models for the students,” says Pripoljac. With this in mind, I set off to speak with a Darko Brkan, Founder of the Sarajevo-based non-governmental organization Zašto ne (Why Not), an organization that promotes civic activism, government accountability, and the use of digital media in deepening democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is also a founding member of Dosta! (Enough!), one of Bosnia’s most prominent citizens’ movements for social justice and government accountability. Darko, who started his career just 11 years ago now stands as one of the most prominent ambassadors for change in the country. As a lecturer of the Academy, he teaches the Activism and Technological Skills modules.
“In order to achieve the best possible results as an activist, you must also embody the role of a leader. I believe that without leadership skills, it’s not possible to achieve proper goals as an activist and an initiator of change,” Darko notes.
I asked Darko what he believed were the biggest challenges facing Bosnian youth today. Darko remarked, “BiH is full of challenges, so it is hard to pinpoint where to start. But there is hope that these problems can be solved if we set aside our differences and come together to change the political makeup of this state,” says Darko who believes that youth activism is powerful enough to overcome many of today’s challenges if the efforts are strategically focused.
“We live in a time that requires a lot of patience and effort and you need a lot of passion to achieve great things, If you look at other countries, you can find examples of how activism has been used to make sustainable and significant changes. I don’t think it should be different in Bosnia. Yes, things are a lot more complicated and take a lot more time more time to achieve here, but I personally believe change is possible, otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing,” states Darko.
After speaking with Darko, I knew that my story would not be complete without getting the impressions of some of the program’s current participants.
Mirha Krivić (23) lives in Tuzla and studies Chemical Engineering and Technology. One of her goals during the program is to explore how she can use her specific skill sets and knowledge to contribute to the betterment of her local environment. I ask Mirha about her Capstone project and she explains, “My project is based on trying to meet the needs of young people in a small community called Srebrenik that belongs to the Tuzla Canton. The main goal is to create a space where young people can interact with other young people and work together on projects that contribute to their community.” Before attending the Academy, Mirha was engaged in a number of youth activism movements. She is a strong believer that change can be achieved in a community if “people are unified, motivated, and an overall effort is given.”
Marko Džoić (24), born in Vinkovci and an IT student at the University of Mostar explains, “The main reason I applied to the Academy is because of the informal education it provides, which is something I that wasn’t provided as part of my high school and university programs. The other reason I applied is that I wanted to meet new young people who are interested in the same things that I am and who want to change things in their surroundings for the better.” As is the case with Mirha, Marko also has an ambitious Capstone project for which he will attempt to establish a representative student body at the Federation entity level. He believes that such a body would help empower the role of students and increase their outreach capacity at their universities, and thus “improving the status of students who are dedicated to improving the quality of education in BiH”.
As my time at the SHL training house came to an end, I thought about the many young people who are deciding to leave this country and who have decided not to actively participate in trying to make a change. I then watched as the Academy’s students finished their lectures and prepared for dinner; their laughter, an indicator of the fun they were having as they shared this wonderful experience together. And I see that it is in the midst of BiH’s current political turmoil, its slow economic progress and high unemployment rate, and its slow process towards reconciliation that these young people have come together with optimism and a motivation to change the status quo. Thus, this story shows that there is hope, but in order to see change, we have to be that change because the future is youth.
Schüler Helfen Leben is now accepting applications for its 2019 program. Visit http://shl.ba/lat/akademija to apply.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: October 4th, 2018

author: Amra Džonlić


text:
The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina: Partnering with Youth to Consolidate Peace | Balkan Diskurs
Salla Uusitalo
November 6th, 2018
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth population has the potential and ability to work for peace and security in innovative ways. Sadly, recognizing the country’s youth as genuine partners for peace often falls short and their voices go unheard. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is working diligently in their efforts to spark a change.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s youth population has the potential and ability to work for peace and security in innovative ways. Sadly, recognizing the country’s youth as genuine partners for peace often falls short and their voices go unheard. The OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina is working diligently in the efforts to spark a change.
Living as a young person in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a road paved with obstacles. While economic and social barriers make it hard to integrate into the job market, widespread corruption and nepotism contribute to a sense of injustice and disenfranchisement. The country suffers from severe brain drain and its youth show less and less interest in political participation. This significantly reduces the quality of human resources in BiH and hampers the role of youth as key partners for building peace and stability. One of the actors working hard to create a systematic change and advance meaningful youth participation is the OSCE Mission to BiH. In 2014, the Mission established something ground-breaking within OSCE executive structures: an advisory group for obtaining, formulating, and effectively integrating youth perspectives into the Mission’s work.
Asja Borić, current alumna of the OSCE Mission’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG), takes a sip of her coffee and explains: “Young people can build unique bridges, initiating the exchange of different experiences with their peers.” While discussing the types of contributions youth can make to consolidate peace in BiH, Borić elaborates on several notable examples of how she and her YAG colleagues have provided their youth perspectives to high-level policy-making decisions and have supported local youth initiatives in small and remote communities. An active volunteer since the age of 13, Borić is a shining example of constructive civic activism taking place within the country and happily agreed to sit down with Balkan Diskurs to discuss the work of YAG and her experiences as a young professional living in BiH.
Borić was actively engaged in the work of YAG for two consecutive years before acquiring her alumna position. “The idea that my non-governmental activism could be more relevant and effective through the group initially sparked my decision to apply for YAG,” she describes with a smile. She highlights the importance of possessing high-level support when trying to affect positive changes in the society: “In BiH, young people are often ignored by local or national officials regarding their quests for youth-related projects, but with official support from internationally reputable organizations such as the OSCE, their voices are at least heard.” Accordingly, making the voice of youth not only heard but also listened to is one of the main reasons why YAG exists.
The advisory group is the OSCE Mission’s most meaningful mechanism for engaging young people as partners. Borić further explains that YAG assists the Mission to design youth-responsive policies and activities, and provides insight on current political, social and economic issues. In 2016 and 2017, for example, YAG partnered with the Mission’s Security Co-operation Unit and was engaged as a part of a youth working group at two consecutive Annual Review Conferences on Compliance with the OSCE and UN Security Commitments of BiH. The Conferences are major forums for dialogue between the government, civil society, and the expert community in assessing the implementation of international security obligations and security-building measures of BiH. The youth participants provided invaluable contributions at the forums: in 2016, their recommendations and concrete solutions were presented by a group rapporteur, and in the following year four of the group’s recommendations were officially adopted – a truly impressive number, considering that there were twelve official recommendations in total. Clearly, enabling youth to have access to such decision-making forums is one of the core functions of YAG and it has yielded results.
Like any other social group, the youth population is sometimes divided and anything but homogenous. It is, thus, important to take into account their diversity when considering their agency and potential contributions. Borić explains that the members of YAG are selected with the aim to ensure ethnic, religious, social, geographic, and gender balance, but all are competent volunteers who have demonstrated active engagement within their respective communities. She then draws attention to the group’s diversity: “More recently, YAG has been enriched by the membership of youth representatives from marginalized groups in BiH, such as persons with disabilities, Roma youth, and LGBTQ youth.” The representation of such groups is essential considering that the country’s constitution discriminates against Jews, Roma, and other minorities, and its socially conservative society often forces sexual minorities to remain hidden in an effort to stay safe.[1] [2] “From the very beginning, we developed sensitivity and understanding towards each other’s needs. That is our biggest strength when targeting a broader youth audience.” Borić says with humility.
Reaching out to a wide range of youth is often easier said than done, however. Many young people live in social and political peripheries outside of the principal cities, which poses the risk of their voices being lost among those working in towns such as Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Mostar. Borić mentions that one of the main strengths of YAG lies in the availability of Mission support from its extensive field office network. The Mission’s Head Office in Sarajevo and nine field offices across the rest of the country are uniquely positioned to engage with youth around BiH and play an integral role in supporting YAG members’ visits to smaller communities. In fact, one of Borić’s most meaningful activities as a YAG member has been the chance to participate in a number of field visits across the country. In Tuzla, for example, she met with youth organizations and young leaders from Ugljevik and Tuzla with an aim to support and promote youth leadership and civic activism across different jurisdictions.
Preventing Violent Extremism and Radicalization
As the discussion continues, the conversation shifts to the topic of preventing violent extremism. Considering the complexity of the issue at hand, Borić remarks that just telling youth to be active in their communities and pursue their professional development goals is not a solution to escaping the suffocating narratives of violent extremism that exist in various forms all around them. “We must be realistic and emphasize that the majority of BiH youth live on the social margins, unable to access opportunities for personal and professional development. They are easy targets for violent extremism and radicalization, which can sometimes provide them with a sense of belonging, purpose, and even financial security and prosperity of some kind,” she comments. To avert feelings of disenfranchisement and marginalization, working with youth, equipping them with the proper tools and the confidence to navigate in this society, and giving a voice to young people who perhaps might not be able to participate in shaping the society is key.
Preventing and countering violent extremism is a central part of the OSCE Mission’s multi-dimensional approach and is driven by the need to provide youth with a stronger sense of belonging, positive purpose, and ownership. To illustrate, every year the Mission brings young people closer to BiH’s security institutions and policies through its Youth and Security Summer Schools. YAG also works with the issue and Borić explains that the group is divided accordingly into two subgroups: one that focuses on Gender Equality, and one on Countering Violent Extremism. She provides a specific example of YAG engagement related to this topic: “My YAG colleague was invited to represent YAG and BiH youth at the OSCE Expert Working Session on P/CVERLT and Southeastern Europe, where he was directly involved in the development of one of the OSCE guidelines on the role of civil society in preventing and countering violent extremism that leads to terrorism.” Borić points out that not only is this a suited example of youth ownership, but also an example of OSCE-initiated youth engagement leading to the incorporation of youth perspectives into OSCE policy documents.
Combatting Segregation
When discussing the most pressing issues affecting the lives of young people in BiH, the segregated schooling system and discriminatory education policies are at the top of the list and their role in preventing the country from moving toward a functional and stabilized society is undeniable. In the country’s Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity, in particular, the “two schools under one roof” phenomenon keeps the younger generations physically and emotionally divided, impeding true reconciliation. Various international and national actors have called for the elimination of segregation in education over the years but achieving reforms has proved problematic. The country’s ethno-nationalist political parties maintain ethnic segregation as it solidifies divisions, creates mistrust among the country’s citizens, and leads to homogenous voting blocks. Simultaneously, BiH’s complex governing structure and fragmented education system make addressing the issue of segregation even more difficult.[3]
The OSCE Mission to BiH is making a conscious effort to address the issue by endorsing more work with youth, their parents, and non-governmental partners in an effort to establish community-level pressure on decision-makers. Borić mentions a YAG youth mainstreaming project proposal she personally drafted for the Mission to tackle some of the problems that result from segregation in education. The proposal focuses on encouraging children from different ethnic and social backgrounds to interact with each other through joint excursions and activities. This would foster respect for diversity and create friendships. It cannot be denied that Borić’s proposal has great potential and, in fact, its potential success has already been tested in her childhood.
Borić shares a personal story from her past, when the artificial divisions and invisible borders in her school were torn down. During her time in the First Primary School of Konjic, she and her fellow primary school graduates were sent on an excursion together but were assigned to two different buses according to their ethnicity. However, after spending five days together, the group returned to Konjic together in one bus, leaving the other to drive back to Konjic completely empty: “For eight years, we have been kept separated and taught to hate one another, yet we needed only five days together to overcome our negative opinions and prejudices about one another.” After the students returned to Konjic, they successfully lobbied their teachers and school board members to initiate the organization of a joint prom night, which would bring the personnel from all classes together at the same table. The story clearly depicts the power of young people taking a stance and not staying silent on unfair decisions. Moreover, it echoes why mechanisms such as YAG are greatly needed.
The Future of YAG
The OSCE Mission’s Youth Advisory Group not only reflects and strengthens the voices of BiH’s youth, but also helps young people to perceive themselves as the leaders of today and the civic and democratic leaders of tomorrow. In other words, the YAG model emphasizes that youth are not problems to be solved but are instead essential partners for peace and development. Borić warmly talks about her time as a YAG member and explains that it has provided her with unique insight into the OSCE’s platform for political dialogue and joint action to improve the lives of individuals and communities. In addition, it has helped her to further pursue her educational and professional development goals as well as to gain lifelong friendships and valuable memories. “I am looking forward to the days when my fellow YAG colleagues are successful experts in leadership positions,” she says with optimism.
Becoming a YAG alumna has enabled Borić to thoroughly understand the added value of the alumni network. As its membership grows, the network serves as a source for constructive peer support, both for the active members themselves and for BiH youth in general. Without a doubt, this young professional deserves her spot as an alumna – her YAG generation managed to successfully establish an internationally-recognized foundation for the group’s further development and greater effectiveness as a youth mainstreaming, outreach, and policy mechanism. Their work in promoting the importance of youth participation within other OSCE executive structures has already yielded promising results as the OSCE Presence in Albania initiated a replication of the YAG model earlier this year.
When discussing her hopes for the future of YAG, Borić says that she expects the new generation of members to continue to refine an activities-based approach involving more young people across BiH and different stakeholders in the OSCE decision-making process. “When it comes to political and civic participation of youth in BiH, I expect increased involvement, co-operation, and exchange through the newly-established inter-governmental Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO). I assure you that RYCO will enable a more supportive social, political, and legislative environment where young people can enjoy access to one another across the Western Balkans in the coming years,” Borić concludes. Indeed, young people from different countries can play an exemplary role when it comes to furthering the reconciliation process in the region. They have unique and innovative capabilities to co-operate and create something together, focusing on things that unite rather than separate them.
As the conversation draws to a close, it becomes clear that the OSCE Mission’s Youth Advisory Group is a bright example of recognizing young people’s potential to work for peace and stability in BiH. It helps youth to reclaim their rightful role as full members and shapers of society as well as enables talented young professionals such as Asja Borić to strengthen their expertise and contribute to the continued development of the country. When one considers how many young people are leaving BiH each year in search of better living conditions and employment as a result of their exclusion from meaningful civic and political participation, mechanisms such as YAG become that much more important. Let us face it, without the involvement of its young people, BiH cannot build a lasting peace based on an inclusive political culture and democratically accountable institutions. The OSCE Mission to BiH takes its youth-related work seriously and it is time for BiH decision-makers, officials, and institutions to do the same.
[1] Human Rights Watch (2014), Bosnia and Herzegovina: Political Discrimination Back in Spotlight, available <https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/06/24/bosnia-and-herzegovina-political-discrimination-back-spotlight>
[2] Balkan Insight (2017)), Bosnian LGBTs Remain in Closet to Stay Safe, available <http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bosnian-lgbts-remain-in-closet-to-stay-safe-10-04-2017>
[3] Hadžiristić, Tea (2017), Two schools under one roof: a lesson in ethnic un-mixing from Bosnia’s segregated school system, available <https://www.opendemocracy.net/wfd/can-europe-make-it/tea-hadziristic/two-schools-under-one-roof-lesson-in-ethnic-unmixing-from-bosnia->

created: November 6th, 2018

author: Salla Uusitalo


text:
Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation: A Guiding Star for Youth in Mostar | Balkan Diskurs
Kristina Gadže
November 30th, 2018
The division of citizens along ethnic lines burdens the Bosnian city of Mostar. The Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation works with youth to counteract this division and rewards those who have helped the city and its citizens during difficult times.
The division of citizens along ethnic lines burdens the Bosnian city of Mostar. The Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation works with youth to counteract this division and rewards those who have helped the city and its citizens during difficult times.
The Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation in Mostar was founded almost 16 years ago with the aim to research and document important events in Mostar and, more broadly, in Herzegovina’s history during the period from 1990 to 2004. The Center’s intent was to make information about such events more accessible to the public.
Alija Behram, president of the center’s board of directors, stated that the main idea was to “preserve our memories” as well as “the authentic testimonies of others”.
“Our documentation has been used in many important court proceedings before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague,” stated Behram.
The Center is also responsible for the establishment of peace awards such as the Mimar Mira Award and the Mostar Peace Connection Award. The Mimar Mira Award is awarded to those who have made recognizable contributions in the post-war period to peacebuilding in the territories of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the region. The first award was handed out in 2014 on the 10 anniversary of the restoration of the Old Bridge in Mostar. The Mostar Peace Connection Award was created as a way to give international recognition to prominent individuals who have contributed to peace and establishing trust and cooperation among people. Some of the most notable winners of these awards include Stjepan Mesić, Blaž Slišković Baka, Luciano Pavarotti, Nelson Mandela, Ivica Račan, Vahid Halihodžić, and Sulejman Reba.
Both awards are handed out during the “Mostar Does Not Forget Its Friends” event, which is dedicated to providing the people of Mostar with the opportunity to meet and thank those who advocated for and supported their city because, according to the Center, local authorities have not shown interest to do so.
“With the name of the event, we are trying to send a message to the world that it is of great importance that we never forget anything and should remember everything. This especially applies to the remembrance of friends of Mostar who came here during our most difficult times, some of whom survived assassination attempts such as Hans Koschnick. There is not much need to elaborate on the reasons behind why we chose to award the Spanish diplomat and former director of UNESCO, Federico Major Zaragoza. He and Charles Portman, former director of the World Bank in New York, were directly responsible for the restoration of the Old Bridge and the designation of this magnificent monument as a UNESCO Cultural Heritage site,” Behram explained.
Interethnic relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the subject of state politics and Behram notes, “The citizens are the ones who have taken more serious steps towards reconciliation and gradual rapprochement. Despite a few isolated incidents, there is no fear or barrier stopping people from interacting during various events. It is the political parties and the politicians that are making life harder and more complicated for the people of Mostar by creating an illusion of intolerance and an inability to live together.”
Behram believes, however, that it is easy to see through such politics and more people are criticizing and exposing the policies that only benefit the small group of political lobby centers and that serve to preserve their power and privileges. “Encouraging citizen’s to resist this type of politics is an important dimension of the Center for Peace and Multiethnic Cooperation’s work,” notes Behram, adding that he thinks it will take much more time and effort before the interethnic situation in Mostar can be labeled “desirable”.
Behram explains that Mostar is also divided in an educational sense, meaning that there is Croatian curriculum originating from Zagreb as well as Federal curriculum originating from Sarajevo.
He goes on to state, “The city of Mostar is the only city in Europe where, for almost a decade, there have been no local elections and executive functions are performed by people who have no mandate given to them by the citizens of Mostar. This has been made possible due to the ‘decree’ of The Office of High Representative (OHR).”
Behram adds that Mostar’s situation is congruent with the politics of the most influential political parties like the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ), who refuse to find an acceptable solution that will benefit Mostar’s citizens.
In the near future, the Center plans to open a Memorial Museum and the Mimar Mira Museum, which will aim to educate youth by facilitating excursion visits, history classes, sightseeing, and facilitated conversations with people who have helped Mostar and have promoted the development of interethnic relations.
The Center is always open to collaborating with young people through seminars, various types of research, and Ph.D. dissertations. Their archive of documents and their efforts to provide citizens with access to the truth about what happened in the last few years, and to award those who have protected the city of Mostar. All these things make this organization different from other NGOs.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: November 30th, 2018

author: Kristina Gadže


text:
“Venezuela: The Collapse of a Dream” – Photographing a Cycle Violence | Balkan Diskurs
Kaleena McKell
December 4th, 2018
Media coverage of Venezuela’s deteriorating situation has centered on political leaders and Western responses, with little focus on the personal plight of individual citizens. Local photographer Oscar B. Castillo has spent the last ten years of his life documenting this underserved narrative: the impact of conflict and violence on the day-to-day lives of Venezuelans.
The Hugo Chavez administration and its lingering consequences have devastated Venezuela over the last two decades, causing hyperinflation, economic recession, food shortages, a ruined oil industry, and significant increases in crime and poverty. Media coverage of the country’s deteriorating situation has centered on political leaders and Western responses, with little focus on the personal plight of individual citizens. Local photographer Oscar B. Castillo has spent the last ten years of his life documenting this underserved narrative: the impact of conflict and violence on the day-to-day lives of Venezuelan citizens. The result is an effective case study on how to connect the outside world to underreported barbarity.
Oscar Castillo grew up in Venezuela’s bustling urban capital of Caracas where he later became interested in photography. His work is dedicated to providing an in-depth perspective on how violence impacts everyday life in his country. In order to authentically accomplish this goal, Castillo spent a decade following a diverse range of people, including security forces, government-supported paramilitary units, street gangs, and regular civilians.
This project has been a very personal and meaningful journey for Castillo, who proclaimed, “The exciting thing – the only exciting thing – is trying to better understand, to see more, and to compare different aspects of the current situation and its history.”
Castillo’s greatest motivation behind his work on this project has been to reflect on the situation that is unfolding in his home country. After witnessing the direct impacts of the conflict on the lives of the elderly who can’t afford medicine or on a child who struggles to get a meal each day, he says he has gained a greater appreciation for the interrelated factors that contribute to Venezuela’s ongoing cycle of violence as well as a deeper understanding of the mechanics of conflict, not only on a socio-political level but on a human level. “You understand how fragile the social fabric of a society can be and how easy it is to break, even if the people are highly resistant and do their best to survive adversity and not let it destroy them,” Castillo explains.
Castillo’s photographs range from close-up portraits to sweeping shots that capture the pain and suffering that has been inflicted upon ordinary people. One frame displays the extended hand of an old woman who cradles the precious remaining pills she has to ease the pain of her ailing health. Another portrays ill-equipped resistance fighters and protestors in action.
Castillo says that the documentation process is both physically and emotionally exhausting, with access to subjects often difficult to obtain. “You need focus and strength, but this work hits you where you feel it most. It hits you in such a personal way,” Castillo says. Some of his photographs depict people he knows personally, many of whom who are now incarcerated or dead. Nevertheless, his dedication has not faltered over the years and he intends to continue his work in Venezuela. “[I did not think] that I was going to get sucked into this crazy vortex that has shaken my life, my country, and my photography.”
According to Castillo, his photographs offer a visual timeline of Venezuela’s deterioration. “I think some represent a very important moment and are representative of a variety of situations,” he explains. His photographs also demonstrate his evolving approach to capturing painful moments. Portraying human experience through photography is a powerful method to allow people to reflect on the various aspects of war and its daily impact, and Castillo’s work gives viewers an intimate glimpse into the pain inflicted on all those affected. “It’s interesting, it’s hard, it’s challenging, but it’s important,” he states simply.
Castillo hopes that people walk away from his work with increased curiosity. His goal is not to interpret history for viewers but, rather, to provide a visual medium that conveys a broad spectrum of feelings, ideas, and stories. “I believe I have achieved something good if people walk away with more questions and critiques because that means they are contemplating the information, ideas, and points of view I have tried to present through my lens,” Castillo adds.
Castillo has been sharpening his visual storytelling skills through other projects undertaken in Mexico, India, and Argentina. Now, he wants to re-deploy his expertise in Venezuela and to continue his mission to document the underreported suffering that has befallen his fellow citizens. Through his photography, he hopes to create a space for his subjects’ voices to be heard. “The subject is the person best qualified to talk about their experiences and we have to find ways to amplify and disseminate their messages and stories,” he concludes.
A selection of Oscar Castillo’s photographs was compiled into an exhibition titled “Venezuela: The Collapse of a Dream”, which was recently featured during the 2018 WARM Festival in Sarajevo. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the WARM Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics, and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

created: December 4th, 2018

author: Kaleena McKell


text:
Meet the Mormons: Religious Minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Part I) | Balkan Diskurs
Anja Zulić
December 10th, 2018
BiH represents a society in which national and religious belonging are tightly bound together. The Law on the Freedom of Religion recognizes the Jewish community as a traditional religious community, however, it remains a religious minority. And there might, in fact, be as many as 200 religious minorities in BIH.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) represents a society in which national and religious belonging are tightly bound together. BiH’s religious communities with the largest number of followers are the Islamic community, the Serbian Orthodox Church, and the Roman Catholic Church. In addition to these communities, the Law on the Freedom of Religion also recognizes the Jewish community as a traditional religious community, however, despite this recognition, the Jewish community remains a religious minority. And there might, in fact, be as many as 200 religious minorities in BIH.
One of BiH’s many religious minorities are the members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), better known as Mormons, so-called after the “Book of Mormon”, which was named after the last prophet and historian that wrote it. The full name of the religion tells us that it’s a Christian denomination whose church, followers believe, was founded by Jesus Christ while he was on Earth.
“Jesus Christ calls his followers saints in the holy texts. The word ‘saints’ is in the name because that is what our Savior refers to us (LDS Church followers) as, but one should bear in mind that that word does not mean perfect, nor do we see ourselves as perfect. We believe that after Jesus’ resurrection and the death of the apostles, there was the so-called fallout, or more specifically, the loss of the full Gospel as Jesus taught it. That is why there was a need for a restoration, which is where the term ‘latter-day’ comes from—it is used to explain that the restoration of the Gospel has taken after a period of apostasy to the present day and will continue to the end of days,” said a spokesperson for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The LDS community has around 16 million members worldwide, with over 30,000 churches in 100 countries. In BIH, there are three LDS communities: one in Sarajevo, one in Tuzla, and one in Banja Luka. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formally recognized in BiH in 2012.
When it comes to BiH’s Law on the Freedom of Religion and the way religious minorities are treated as a result, members of the LDS community told Balkan Diskurs that their position is satisfactory and that they don’t receive any money from the city or state.
“We are financed exclusively through the donations of our members because one commandment says ‘Give a tithe (one-tenth) to the Lord’. The Church uses this money for many purposes, such as to build our places of worship and other religious buildings. It helps supports education, humanitarian work, the printing of books, and all other needs related to the Church,” some of the local members explained.
Missionary Work
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is among the fastest-growing religions in the world, which is a direct result of its members, who spread the messages of the Gospel throughout their lives. Every member helps spread the religion through missionary work. The missionary experiences are very positive, and unpleasant situations are rare.
“In our everyday lives, everyone has asked at least once: “What is the meaning of life?”, and “Why am I here?”, or “How can I be happy?”. Those are exactly the questions to which we can find answers in the Book of Mormon. Often, when people have everything necessary for life, and even a comfortable life, they still aren’t completely happy and content. It is often the case today that people have less and less, and some don’t even have the basic necessities, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon teach us how we can find the light at the end of the tunnel and that we have reasons for joy, peace, and hope for a better life, even in the most difficult of times. It is exactly that peace and joy that all people seek,” members of the Church said about their missionary work.
For young Mormons, a missionary life means serving others through Christ’s Gospel. Currently, there are almost 71,000 missionaries that have devoted up to two years of their lives to helping others to follow Jesus’ doctrine. They do this work voluntarily and raise the money for their missions on their own so that they can bring happiness to people and build their spiritual character. When asked if there are any differences between young Mormons and other young people, the members we spoke with said that they do not like to compare out of respect for the good and valuable traits of others, however, there are some differences.
“Young Mormons must maintain the code of prudent purity, which states that they mustn’t have any sexual relations before marriage. Physical intimacy between a husband and a wife is beautiful and sacred. It was given by God for creating children and expressing love in a marriage. When married, they also must be completely faithful to their spouse. Another code that must be followed is the code of health, called the “Word of Wisdom”, which states that nothing harmful should be introduced to their bodies, such as alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, coffee, and black teas. Also, they should be careful what they eat (less meat, more vegetables, and fruit), and participate in healthy recreational activities. The Code of Wisdom gives us guidelines for a better life of a higher quality because, within a healthy body, there’s a healthy spirit. Those are just some of the differences,” the members explained.
Young missionaries often stop people on the street to introduce them to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which they say is the “gospel of joy”, because it brings happiness to people. In addition to the Bible, LDS followers study the Book of Mormon, another testament about Jesus Christ.
“Within it is the entirety of Jesus Christ’s gospel. In short, this book explains the teachings of the gospel, lays out the plan to salvation, and very simply tells people what they must do to achieve peace in this life and eternal salvation in the next life,” the LDS members concluded.
[1] The restoration is often associated with a number of events that were deemed necessary in order to re-establish the early Christian church found in the New Testament and to prepare the earth for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. For most LDS followers, the restoration began with the Prophet Joseph Smith (considered the founder of the LDS movement) and has continued to the present through the work of the Lord’s living prophet’s.
This article is part of the “Religious Minorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina” series, which presents information about various religious groups and communities in BIH that aren’t recognized as traditional religious communities but have a significant number of followers.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: December 10th, 2018