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Ajla Delkić: Strengthening the Bosnian Community in the U.S. | Balkan Diskurs
Balkan Diskurs
June 27th, 2016
[:bs] Ajla Delkić: glas Bosanaca u SAD-u [:en] Ajla Delkić: Bosnian voice in the US
The Bosnian American community numbers over 250,000 and the remittances that the diaspora sends account for well over 10% of Bosnia’s GDP. This community has now gathered around a unique non-profit organization whose primary goals are to advocate on behalf of Bosnian Americans and to advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU and NATO integration.
The Bosnian American community numbers over 250,000 and the remittances that the diaspora sends account for well over 10% of Bosnia’s GDP. This community has now gathered around a unique non-profit organization whose primary goals are to advocate on behalf of Bosnian Americans and to advance Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU and NATO integration.
The Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (ACBH) has been operating in the United States since 2006 with the aim of advancing the interests of the Bosnian American community and improving relations between the U.S. and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Balkan Diskurs spoke to Ajla Delkić, ACBH’s Executive Director, about the organization’s work and its ongoing projects.
“In 2006, a small group of Bosnian Americans decided it was time to give the Bosnian American diaspora in Washington, DC a voice. They believed that the diaspora had a responsibility not only towards their homeland but also to advance the interests of those Bosnians living in the United States. Since its inception, ACBH has been instrumental in making sure that important legislation has been passed, harmful legislation has been curbed and has worked on ensuring that BiH stays relevant and that the historical narrative of BiH is portrayed accurately and without bias,” Ajla explained at the beginning of our interview.
One of the recent developments most relevant to ACBH’s work was the new resolution on Srebrenica that marked 20 years since the genocide occurred. The resolution was introduced in U.S. Congress in June of last year and unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a press release issued by the U.S. Helsinki Commission, Congressman Chris Smith stated that “the thousands of innocents who were brutally slaughtered in Srebrenica deserve our remembrance of the tragedy for what it was: genocide. The international community must ensure the perpetrators are held accountable for their actions, and study the lessons of Srebrenica with the aim of preventing future atrocities.”
ACBH has not only campaigned to make sure that relevant legislation is being passed, it has also had to counter resolutions that were detrimental to BiH and the Southeast Europe region.
“There was a resolution being pushed by the Croatian American lobby in the U.S. Senate a few years ago, and now the same resolution is being pushed in the U.S. House of Representatives. In short, it states that the U.S. Congress should send a special envoy to BiH that would assess the situation and report back to the President of the United States within one year. Although this resolution offers some valid points and suggestions, it is more harmful than good as it would essentially take away voting rights from people in BiH by ensuring that individuals would only be able to vote for politicians that are of the same ethnic background as them, which is undoubtedly undemocratic,” Ajla explained.
She named the Congressional trip to Sarajevo and Maglaj in June of last year as one of the most recent activities of ACBH in BiH. “After the catastrophic floods in 2014, ACBH wanted to help and we were thus able to secure a $100,000 grant which was kindly matched by the U.S. Department of State meaning that $200,000 went directly towards demining efforts in BiH. We then traveled to Maglaj with a Congressional delegation to see the area that had been demined.”
“This was our third Congressional delegation to BiH and, as usual, ACBH stressed on meeting with the civil society, local NGOs and policymakers so that the members of the U.S. Congress and their senior staff could get a better sense of the overall situation in BiH. ACBH ensures that all of our delegation trips are well rounded and, by also meeting with the civil society sector, U.S. policymakers receive a broader perspective and can hear directly from the grassroots level about the current state of the communities and challenges they face every day.”
In terms of ACBH’s relations with BiH’s political elite, Ajla stated that most of them are either not acquainted with ACBH’s work or perhaps not as keen to cooperate. ‘’U.S. politicians have to answer to their constituents, and are thus very eager to work with their respective communities to find common ground. ACBH’s close relationship with the Bosnian American communities more or less equals untapped potential. The Bosnian American community represents a large voting body and, as dual citizens of BiH and the U.S., we can vote in both countries. While most of us do not live in BiH full time, the remittances that the diaspora sends account for more than 10% of Bosnia’s GDP which means that the diaspora equals money and votes. Any savvy politician in BiH should be able to discern the value in that.”
Numbering over 250,000 people with dual citizenship, the Bosnian American community has a great voting potential. Unfortunately, the current voting system makes it difficult for the Bosnian American diaspora to exercise their voting rights. Ajla recalls: “One of ACBH’s board members received her voting ballot after the election and that was sadly the case for a lot of people living in the U.S., which is just unacceptable.”
“I encourage BiH’s politicians to visit Washington, DC more often and to also invite U.S. Members of Congress to visit BiH. These types of exchanges go a long way in strengthening the relationship between the two countries. While ACBH was instrumental in forming the Congressional Bosnia Caucus and is responsible for forming and nurturing the relationships with members of U.S. Congress and on educating them about BiH, it would be beneficial if BiH’s politicians saw the value in this and were open to more collaboration,” she explained.
Last year marked the 20 anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which put an end to the war in BiH. However, today the accord is considered outdated, and many reforms are needed.
Ajla agreed: “The Dayton Peace Agreement, while less than perfect, did put an end to the war, and in that sense, it was successful. With that said, it is widely understood that the Dayton agreement was never meant to make BiH into a functional country – it was meant to end a war and purposefully left room for improvement. While there are tools that can be used to ensure that BiH makes progress, Dayton has also provided greedy politicians with the space to flourish and thus has evolved into allowing for a less than ideal situation in BiH.”
Besides politics, media is another area of BiH’s society that Ajla finds problematic: “BiH needs more independent media outlets and more needs to be done to increase freedom of the media as well. In addition, the media itself needs to be based on professionalism and should strive to portray the news with the utmost accuracy and should be devoid of vulgar rhetoric.”
ACBH puts great trust and responsibility on the BiH youth by providing them with scholarships to pursue internships in the U.S. Congress. “In past years we’ve seen a surge in young Bosnian Americans who are really interested in bringing a change to BiH, and as an organization we just want to provide them with the necessary tools to learn about how the U.S. political process works and engage them in the democratic process, but also ensure that they are adequately familiar with the state of affairs in BiH so that they can more effectively affect positive change.”
She concluded our interview with a simple message: “I think there is a lot of hope for BiH, and the Bosnian American diaspora does want to engage and is still interested in positively contributing to our homeland. However, democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires active participation of the citizens and I hope to see all citizens of BiH exercise their right to vote come the next election and to hold those they elect accountable. ACBH will continue to combat genocide denial and the revision of history as well as engage U.S. and BiH policymakers in striving to bring about progress to BiH and its citizens.”


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Will Nuclear Waste Infiltrate the Banks of the Una River? | Balkan Diskurs
Andrea Aleksić
July 6th, 2016
Nuclear waste from the Krško Power Plant might soon end up on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina where the construction of a repository was announced, causing fear among citizens of both countries.
Nuclear waste from the Krško Power Plant might soon end up on the border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina where the construction of a repository was announced, causing fear among citizens of both countries.
The Krško Nuclear Power Plant, owned by Croatia and Slovenia, was constructed during the time of the former Yugoslavia. It was announced that the nuclear waste from the Slovenian town of Krško will be transferred to Trgovska Gora in the Croatian town Dvor on the Una River, near the Bosnian border.
The acquisition of permits for the relocation of waste is expected next year, and the construction of the repository will take two years.
News about the construction of a repository for nuclear waste was met with disapproval from the residents of Dvor, as well as from their neighbors from Bosanski Novi, the closest Bosnian town. The residents are concerned about their safety and the potential impact the waste could have on the environment and on their health. The citizens of Dvor are also afraid for their youth and feel it is better to move them out of the town if the waste will be disposed of in their municipality.
“We need it like we need a hole in the head, as they say. This area should remain as it is – natural and clean,” says one local resident.
No less anxious are the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) that are living in the area. According to Miloš Šolaja, professor of International Security at the Faculty of Social Sciences in Banja Luka, citizens have a reason to be afraid.
“We have a problem with technology and maintenance. How can small countries maintain such expensive security measures? Another issue is that, for these small countries, especially the ones that are energy-poor, this is a very good source of energy. Nuclear energy is relatively cheap and clean, but in the event of a disaster, it could become a hazard, which could later be very difficult to control,” explains Šolaja.
He stresses that coordination between countries is the best way to resolve such situations and that the safest way to solve this problem is to destroy waste using global systems that were set up for it. Serbia, for example, sends their nuclear waste to Russia.
Čedomir Crnogorac, professor of Geoecology at the Faculty of Sciences in Banja Luka, claims that storing nuclear waste is strictly regulated under the global and European frameworks, with clearly defined safety standards. Thus, the storage of nuclear waste in the European Union (EU) is a strictly controlled procedure.
“There is always a potential risk, but I don’t think someone will “play” with the trust or threat of severe punishment of the international community. The Una and Sava rivers are border rivers and polluting them would severely undermine the credibility of the Croatian Republic within the global context. It would primarily jeopardize tourism, but also a host of other activities. Just imagine how much it would diminish the chances of marketing Croatian agricultural products in the EU and elsewhere, both inside and outside of Europe,” Crnogorac explains.
Currently, the real threat is difficult to assess as opinions are still divided. Crnogorac adds that this type of issue is never local or limited to one country, but must be viewed globally.
“From the outset and without any visible scientific or expert elaboration, the reactions have been exceedingly pessimistic. About 90% of the information comes from daily political promotion that is contributing to the rising tensions, and almost no one is listening to what the experts have to say,” adds Crnogorac.

source: news-balkandiskurs

created: July 6th, 2016

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

author: Andrea Aleksić


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Shutter Speed: The Story of 4 Afghan Photojournalists | Balkan Diskurs
Amela Orlović
July 13th, 2016
After years of civil war and oppressive Taliban control, taking photographs became a crime, which caused a complete media blackout in Afghanistan. When the US invaded the country in 2001, fledgling free press emerged and a newfound fascination with the power of photography was brought to light.
After years of civil war and oppressive Taliban control, taking photographs became a crime, which caused a complete media blackout in Afghanistan. When the US invaded the country in 2001, fledgling free press emerged and a newfound fascination with the power of photography was brought to light.
When the US withdrew from Afghanistan, so did the foreign reporters, causing local reporters to step forward to continue reporting on all aspects of their culture.
Under Taliban rule, education, knowledge, freedom and development was prohibited. With the regime no longer in power, people are attempting to move forward. They will never forget the memories from the Taliban era, and are instead just learning to live with them.
“Frame by Frame”, a film directed by Alexandria Bombach and Mo Scarpelli, follows the journey of four photojournalists as they work to build free press in their country.
The four journalists—Najibullah, Wakil, Farazana, and Farzana’s husband Massoud—met through AINA, an Afghan media and culture center that aims to bring free press to the country by training local photographers. Under the organization’s guidance, the four photojournalists were each able to follow their calling to report on the untouched realities of Afghan life. Through the shutters of their cameras, they light up the corners of darkness that people could not see before.
Najibullah believes that photos are a part of life; he believes that it is a photographer’s duty to risk it all in order to document and report on peoples’ lives. The pictures that he takes are a part of Afghanistan’s history. He believes that a country where historical, artistic and/or cultural photography is not allowed is a country without an identity.
Wakil’s photographs portray both the good and bad of Afghan society. He focuses on capturing the beauty of Afghanistan’s culture and traditions, but also the cultural problems that are so deeply embedded in the society. He showcases poverty, addiction to drugs, and corruption. However, he also captures rehabilitation, hope and the path to a brighter future.
Massoud’s photographs have won 5 international awards, including the universally acclaimed Pulitzer Prize. While everyone runs away from war and conflict, Massoud runs towards it. He wants to capture the horrific realities of this universe, and he does not want the world to forget about the refugees from Afghanistan or the people still currently living there.
As part of Afghanistan’s photographic revolution, Farazana has broken even greater barriers with her work that delves deeper into the lives of Afghan women. Her photographs, which won 2 international awards, showcase the changes that women have experienced over the last 10 years.
As a female living in a male-dominated society, Farazana faces the biggest risks as a photojournalist, as strict gender policies and norms stand against the photographing and filming of women. Farazana faces the likelihood of being interrogated and jailed, and is constantly asking herself: “If I die, is it worth it?”
Women are poorly represented in the Afghan media, and many women want their stories to be told and their voices to be heard. Change cannot happen without putting their stories out there for people to read and understand.
The possibility that the world will forget about Afghanistan exists, but Afghan photojournalists will fight to ensure that this does not happen. Photography speaks an international language, and photojournalists will continue to use it to give a voice for the voiceless in their motherland.
When working as a photojournalist, the images captured emerge from situations and moments that are often very difficult to document. As stated in the movie: “Though there may not be tears flowing from the eyes, the heart cries when reporting.”
However, this is the duty of a photojournalist; a good photographer is able to empathize. Without this crucial ingredient, a photograph will lose all meaning. With empathy, a photographer is able to work on a subject from the bottom of their heart. When this is achieved, only then can the photographer enlighten the world with their photographs.
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The Balkan premiere of “Frame by Frame” took place during the 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival, which took place in Sarajevo from 26 June to 2 July 2016. Organized 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.

author: Amela Orlović


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Unrecycled Materials Cost Bosnia Millions in Potential Revenue | Balkan Diskurs
Mladen Lakić
July 14th, 2016
The undeveloped waste recycling system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) harms not only nature, but also our budget.
The undeveloped waste recycling system in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) harms not only nature, but also our budget.
Recycling waste in BiH is one of the insufficiently exploited potentials of our country. The Director of the Center for Ecology and Energy, Džemila Agić, believes the government is responsible for this situation.
“It is necessary to establish a system for recycling waste so that it becomes a common practice rather than an exception. The government is responsible for securing the appropriate infrastructure, after which the entrepreneurs can take over,” she explains.
One of the Center’s studies shows that organized garbage collection is being taken care of in only 40 percent of BiH. “We have a fundamental problem and it is ridiculous to expect that the appearance of recycling bins for sorting garbage, which is the basis of any recycling process, will happen overnight,” stresses Agić.
She explains that glass, paper, plastic and metal are recyclable and that those materials end up on legal and illegal garbage dumps every day, causing immeasurable harm to the ecosystem. “Saying we don’t recycle is equivalent to saying that we are throwing money away and destroying our water supply without any worries,” she adds.
According to Agić, the biggest source of revenue is in the export of glass packaging or multilayered Tetra Pak, but Bosnia does not have the capacity for that.
“Have in mind that recycling generates over 100 million euros annually in the European Union. If BiH managed to acquire even a portion of that income, our situation would significantly improve,” says Agić.
The Director of the company Ekopak, Amela Hrbat, explains that the system of separate waste collection and the recycling of packaging waste have been enforced in BiH for almost a year now, but only around 10 percent of waste is recycled.
Only in BiH’s Federation Entity
The first of its kind in BiH, Ekopak is a non-profit company created for the management of packaging waste and owns the “Green Dot” license for Bosnia and Herzegovina. “We operate based on the Ordinance on Packaging and Packaging Waste Management on behalf of companies who transfer the obligations from that rule book onto Ekopak,” explains Hrbat.
According to her, recycling is a process that one learns and adapts to. Hrbat says that the percentage of waste recycled in European countries is around 50 percent, but we should keep in mind that this topic is still relatively new in BiH.
“At the end of 2013, we became part of the “Green Dot”, which is a system Germany has been part of since the eighties. In essence, it is a packaging label that guarantees that the company participates in the waste recycling management system,” Hrbat notes.
She explains that there are 20 centers for the collection of packaging waste in BiH. “All of them are in the Federation Entity because the legislation is such that it only deals with this issue at the entity rather than the state level,” says Hrbat, adding that the company does have plans to expand its activities to the Republika Srpska Entity.
Both of our interviewees agree on one thing – including ecology as a part of education creates a foundation for the clear recognition of the importance of recycling.
The Center for Ecology and Energy emphasizes projects that are specially adapted for youth. “It is enough to point out the possibility of using something old, something they no longer need anymore. Through simple brochures, it is easy for children to understand the process, and you’d be surprised to see children explaining to their parents that today’s newspapers can be used to make new material,” Agić explains.
Ekopak holds ecology competitions where, through socializing, learning, and receiving small prizes, primary school students learn more about ecology. “Some of the students were so creative that they sent us photographs from schoolyards where they used old tires to make ornaments, thus moving them out of the way while at the same time beautifying their space,” says Hrbat.
Sorting Waste
When it comes to starting a private business in the field of recycling, the situation leaves much to be desired. The few companies engaged in this business face many problems.
“One of the biggest problems is that there is no primary sorting of waste, so it is hard to come by the raw materials we want to recycle,” explains Novak Pejaković, the Director of Nora Plast, a company that recycles nylon in Banja Luka. According to him, it costs more to buy the waste from which they extract the materials they want to recycle, and it would be much simpler if there existed a system for sorting this waste.
“Starting any business, especially one in this field, requires large investments, and the expenses increase when you face obstacles like these. I believe that there would be more recycling plants if the state would at least take care of the first stage of sorting so that we aren’t wasting our resources doing it,” says Pejaković. He mentions the Republic of Croatia as an example where the state gives subsidies for waste recycling.
Mayor of the Pale Municipality, Miroslav Kovačević, explains that these issues can’t be dealt with at the municipality or city level. “Waste disposal and processing is something that should be dealt with by the appropriate ministry. The Ministry of Physical Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of Republika Srpska promised that we would soon get a waste disposal area at this location that meets the modern standards,” says Kovačević. Supported by donor funds, he explains that this is part of a project that his Ministry is implementing in the municipalities and cities of the Republika Srpska.
“The plan is to open landfills for solid waste management in Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Zvornik, Doboj, and Eastern Sarajevo, after which recycling bins for waste sorting can be expected,” says Kovačević.
He explains that the municipalities can still do certain things to stimulate the launch of private recycling companies. “If someone is interested in such an endeavor, the municipality could possibly provide them with land for a period of time free of charge because such companies mean employment, and that is an opportunity we shouldn’t pass up. But, it is the initiative of the entrepreneurs that plays the key role,” notes Kovačević.
Our interviewees feel that understanding waste as a raw material, as opposed to viewing it as garbage which needs to be removed from our sight, is the key to creating a system which has multiple benefits – the most important of which being the preservation of natural beauty and the recovery of our country.

author: Mladen Lakić


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The Shock of the Image | Balkan Diskurs
Bridget Granger
July 15th, 2016
One of the most controversial matters in the media today is the decision to publish, or withhold, violent and disturbing photographs while reporting tragic events.
On Thursday, June 30th, WARM Foundation hosted a conference entitled “The Shock of the Image: does it inform?” which included discussion on the manner in which violent events are portrayed in the media.
The conference featured Enrico Dagnino (Photographer), Bernandino Hernandez (Photographer), Jérôme Huffer (Head of photography department at Paris Match magazine), Paul Lowe (Photographer & Course Director of the Masters Programme in Photojournalism & Documentary Photography at London College of Communication), and Enric Marti (Associated Press Chief photographer for Latin America & Caribbeans).
One of the most controversial matters in the media today is the decision to publish, or withhold, violent and disturbing photographs while reporting tragic events. This controversy was the crux of discourse throughout the conference and spawned discussion from the five panelists about what they believed to be the most effective way to show violence in the media.
Lowe initiated the dialogue by speaking about the importance of ethics and responsible decision-making on the part of news Editors-in-Chief. He emphasized the obligation of the press to accurately inform the public and carefully select images that avoid turning the subject(s) into an icon. This is especially true if the individuals emerge as a symbol for something they do not believe in or support. Hernandez expanded the discussion by asserting his belief that the media has a tendency to trick the public into believing certain things or people are “good” or “bad.” This phenomenon is harmful to media consumers because it has the propensity to distort the truth, especially in the minds of children.
Another topic that was stressed by panelist Marti, was the ubiquity of a “double standard” that exists in Western photojournalism. The double standard was defined as a type of incongruous ethical representation of certain religious and ethnic groups. For example, it is rare to find published images of limbless, blood-sodden bodies of Americans, Britons, and Frenchmen in major news sources. It is not uncommon, however, to find violent images of third-world citizens strewn about media publications.
Huffer brought a particularly interesting context to the discussion. He exclaimed that “An image should make people angry at the event and not the people in the image”. Balance, context, and distance are always structures photojournalists have to take into account. When editors discuss if an image should be published or not, they try to find the balance in how the photograph will convey emotion. This is a difficult task, however, because how someone reacts emotionally to a photograph varies greatly.
This led to a debate between the panelists as well as audience members. Huffer defended his stance on not publishing a photograph of an attack in France even though the image was all over social media. Many people in the audience argued that they had a right to be informed. Huffer exclaimed because they could not get validation of who and when the image was taken – it could not be published. The discussion continued with several questions about publishing images to inform the public.
Photojournalists and editors have to make very difficult decisions and take into account many contexts when deciding whether or not to publish violent and disturbing photographs. These professionals each brought their own unique perspectives to the panel. Does it inform? No definite conclusion was made as it is greatly based on one’s own opinion and personal experiences in photojournalism.
Organized by the War Art Report and Memory Foundation (WARM), 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.

author: Bridget Granger


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Documenting Disaster: Perspectives on the Process and Purpose of Archiving War | Balkan Diskurs
Laura Feehs
July 18th, 2016
On 29 June 2016, the fourth day of the 2016 WARM Festival, the WARM Foundation hosted a conference entitled ‘War Archives,’ which featured panelists directly involved in preserving documents that give testament to the lived experiences of war.
On 29 June 2016, the fourth day of the 2016 WARM Festival, the War Art Reporting and Memory Foundation (WARM) hosted a conference entitled ‘War Archives,’ which featured panelists directly involved in preserving documents that give testament to the lived experiences of war.
Moderated by Pierre Hazan (advisor in humanitarian action and international justice), the conference included Cécile Hennion (Le Monde journalist and WARM Syria Archive Project researcher), Suada Kapić (FAMA Collection), Adnan Pavlović (WARM Ex-Yugoslavia Archive Project researcher), and Zsuzanna Zádori (Audo-Visual Archivist).
The conference opened with Zsuzanna Zádori, an audio-visual archivist working on the Chechen archive that recently launched an online site. As she highlighted the mission of the archive to promote truth, justice, and memory, Zádori underscored the larger purpose of archiving to ‘preserve, restore, digitize, analyze, and share.’ While the collection of photos, video, and audio recordings poses a daunting task, she noted that ‘collecting is the easiest part. What is really, really important is what you attach to the video.’
Witness protection presents a tremendous concern in the compilation of archives. To address this issue, a split between unclassified and confidential material enables archivists to remove metadata on documents linked to witnesses. Moreover, access to files is controlled through website monitoring and viewer accreditation.
Suada Kapić of the FAMA Collection continued the conference by exploring the process of archiving the Siege of Sarajevo for use in education projects. The work following the conflict echoed the challenges Zádori addressed, particularly in verifying facts behind the collected photographs. With the gradual growth of archives, however, this ‘living museum’ now offers opportunities to understand life under the siege from sources outside of the media and government reports.
Transitioning from established collections, Cécile Hennion highlighted the ongoing work of archiving the Syria crisis with the WARM Syrian Archive, which focuses on documenting culture and media. With the close of their borders to international media and tightened censorship, Syrian civilians spread news through ‘their own tenacity and creativity.’ These ‘improvised journalists’ provided much of the material necessary for archiving the conflict, but the amateur status of civilian reporters resulted in unverified data necessary for appropriate archiving. Unlike the Chechen and Sarajevo collections, the Syria conflict continues to unfold, requiring archivists like Hennion to wonder ‘when this war will stop, and what it will become.’
Adnan Pavlović continued the discussion of archiving the phenomenon of ‘life under the war’ through his work with the WARM Ex-Yugoslavia Archive Project. Twenty years post-war, archivists work to discover the unseen material for documentation of the experience of war outside of political perspectives. Emphasizing the vitality of collaboration with the local communities, Pavlović suggested that a better understanding of the war will help to prevent future conflicts, both regionally and internationally.
While the work of the panelists varied regarding the conflicts archived and their respective progress to date, the conference highlighted the legal, political, and technical constraints of archiving war. Despite these impediments, each speaker emphatically articulated the vitality of creating a ‘living museum,’ through which the documentation of conflict gives testament to the lived experiences of conflict and asserts an outcry against the proliferation of war.
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The WARM Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the War Art Report and Memory Foundation (WARM), 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.

author: Laura Feehs


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The Gray Matter of the Bosnian Basin | Balkan Diskurs
Abdullah Kozlić
July 18th, 2016
Solving the air pollution problem in Zenica requires investments, both for industrial plants and home heating systems that use coal.
Solving the air pollution problem in Zenica requires investments, both for industrial plants and home heating systems that use coal.
Harun Halilović, the expert associate for environmental protection at the Department for Ecology and Communal Works in Zenica, points out that air pollution in Zenica is primarily caused by two pollutants – dust and sulfur dioxide.
“These are the two pollutants that constantly exceed the allowed numbers. Dust is generated by the industrial facilities and is prevalent around ArcelorMittal, while sulfur dioxide is produced by home heating systems and all coal-fueled furnaces,” says Halilović.
He also states that the biggest problem is the lack of funds for project development and the creation of new strategies to solve the pollution problem. He explains that if Mittal solved its ecological issues and installed treatment plants, the dust problem would be solved.
As for the sulfur dioxide, Halilović explained that, one solution is to find new sources of heating. One possibility would be to connect to the heating network of the Kakanj Thermal Power Plant, which “requires huge investments”.
When it comes to citizen’s associations that fight for clean air and the environment, Eko Forum from Zenica stands out as it actively puts pressure on the relevant authorities and ArcelorMittal to place filters in their flue-gas stacks.
“Currently, we are fighting by way of the law. We’ve sent letters, released information to the public, taken people to the streets, and organized protests and meetings, but none of this has given us any results. In the end, we turned to the law, filing criminal charges and initiating lawsuits, and now we will see whether this will yield any results,” said Samir Lemes, President of Eko Forum Zenica.
Lemes emphasized that Eko Forum receives only partial citizen support. This is due to the misunderstanding that the organization wants to close the plant, which will result in a loss of jobs.
“These types of steel plants operate quite differently in Germany, Belgium, Poland, and Romania as a result of larger investments. These countries built in filters, and the plants function normally. That is all we ask for. We don’t want the steel plant to close,” said Lemes.
“As for the home heating systems, the central heating network needs to be expanded, but the current problem is the price over which Mittal has the monopoly. Reforestation is another issue we need to work on. We need to increase the number of trees in the city… There are hundreds of solutions, we just need to look around and learn how others are doing it,” concluded Lemes.
According to ArcelorMitttal, Zenica is situated in a valley with weak airflow, and air-pollution is present in other Bosnian cities, such as Tuzla and Sarajevo, which don’t have steel plants.
“Steel production has existed in this city for more than 120 years, whereas ArcelorMittal has only been present for the last 11. Before this company came to Zenica, little to nothing was being invested towards environmental protection. Now the company is trying to solve problems that have been neglected for 110 years,” said Azra Sivro, the environmental protection manager for ArcelorMittal Zenica.
“The company’s goal is to reduce the emissions to the lowest possible levels so that the values are in accordance with the laws of BiH. From 2005 to 2015, we’ve invested around 95 million BAM into various projects that have directly or indirectly contributed to reducing emissions from our plant,” Sivro emphasized.
ArcelorMittal believes that they are not the sole factor responsible for air-pollution in Zenica.
“The emissions from our facilities make up only 20% of the total SO emissions in the Zenica valley. The company is continuously working on reducing its emissions and will continue to do so, but we must all be aware that the dynamics of investing in environmental protection programs depend on the sustainability of the company as well as the European steel market during tough times,” explained Sivro.
During its research into this topic, Balkan Diskurs created a mini survey, in cooperation with the “Be Green” project from Zenica, to analyze citizens’ ecological awareness. The survey was administered via several online portals. 76 people completed the survey (38 men and 38 women).
The following charts indicate some of the results of the survey:

author: Abdullah Kozlić


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Bosnian Youth’s Environmental Disinterest Will Lead to Further Degradation | Balkan Diskurs
Sara Velaga
July 21st, 2016
70 young Bosnians were surveyed about the causes of pollution. Half responded that they throw away glass bottles without ever thinking about where the waste will end up. Around 92% of respondents believe that there are not enough dumpsters for the various types of garbage near the places they live.
70 young Bosnians were surveyed about the causes of pollution. Half responded that they throw away glass bottles without ever thinking about where the waste will end up. Around 92% of respondents believe that there are not enough dumpsters for the various types of garbage near the places they live.
President of the Center for the Environment in Banja Luka, Nataša Crnković, stated that there was a noticeable change regarding environmental awareness among citizens, but this awareness is still insufficient.
“The relevant authorities at all levels of government have yet to deal with environmental issues in a serious and systematic way,” stressed Crnković, while also pointing out that there is not enough available information about environmental issues and that the NGOs who decide to work on such issues are faced with a lack of financial support.
Crnković also talked about the Center for Environment and their initiative to protect the green space where authorities approved the construction of a church, which faced an avalanche of resistance. She added that the Center has also continued their campaign “The Battle for Sutjeska” which fights against plans to build hydroelectric power plants on the Sutjeska and Hrčavka Rivers.
Ecovision (Ekovizija) is fighting for the environment using a mobile app that allows citizens to photograph a problem, take coordinates and mark where the problem exists on the map. According to Ecovision’s Project Manager, Sanela Hodžić, all problems reported via the app are compiled into a single database and published on the organization’s website: ekovizija.ba.
The mobile app idea emerged as a result of the Community Boost_r Competition organized by DokuKino and Zašto ne with the support of the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The idea behind the contest was to secure adequate funding for the winners as well as to provide them with sufficient training so that they can successfully implement their projects, which were geared towards improving life in their communities and strengthening cooperation between authorities and citizens at both the state and local levels. Last year Ecovision’s idea was used as a part of the “Good Water Neighbors” project organized by the Center for Ecology and Energy of Tuzla.
Hodžić’s message to young people is to pay more attention to the science related to this topic and to start following world trends.
Director of the Public Utility Company in Jajce, Mensur Makić, emphasizes that the landfills in the municipality are full and that the burning of trash presents a problem for the environment. Makić further explains that citizens are negligent when it comes to the disposal of waste and that a potential solution could involve monetary sanctions.
Although Makić is currently in negotiations with various environmental organizations to set up containers for different types of waste, he is not quite sure how citizens will respond to recycling or whether the plans will be effective. According to him, the priority has been placed on creating new landfills, as the existing ones are full.
Resolving environmental issues should be approached systematically and should be incorporated into the educational system.
Around 80% of the young people surveyed feel that they do not know enough about this topic, but they are aware that they live in an increasingly polluted environment. Bosnia and Herzegovina has tremendous environmental richness. It is, therefore, crucial that youth start to become more accountable and active in the fight to protect Bosnia’s environment so that they may continue to enjoy its many natural resources in the future.

author: Sara Velaga


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Baghdad, Chronicle of an Immured City | Balkan Diskurs
Louis Monroy Santander
July 22nd, 2016
Belgian photo-journalist Laurent van der Stockt and French reporter Lucas Menget have jointly collaborated to create “Baghdad, Chronicle of an Immured City”, a film about the day to day experiences of social divisions in war-ridden Baghdad.
Belgian photo-journalist Laurent van der Stockt and French reporter Lucas Menget have jointly collaborated to create “Baghdad, Chronicle of an Immured City”, a film about the day to day experiences of social divisions in war-ridden Baghdad.
Van der Stockt, receiver of the Columbia University School of Journalism Award and the Paris Match Prize amongst other recognitions, has extensive experience working in conflict areas such as the former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq and Syria. Menget, editor in chief at French news TV channel I-Télé, has focused his own work on conflicts in Iraq, the Middle East and various regions in Africa, Asia and South America.
Their collaboration has led to a deeply insightful take on the reality of war-affected Baghdad. Their work, “Baghdad, Chronicle of an Immured City” begins with an insider’s view of family life in Baghdad and how what seems to be a normal gathering of relatives becomes a revealing space of the fears, divisions and concerns affecting the lives of everyday Iraqis. “I can see nothing to give us hope at all,” explains one family member as he goes on to describe how he was nearly killed by a car bomb in the middle of the city.
The movie further explores the social divisions created in Iraq as a consequence of international intervention, the civil war between Sunni’s and Shiite’s, and the emergence of Daesh as a further dividing threat for both the people of Baghdad and Iraqi citizens in general.
The effects of issues such as religious sectarianism, the rise of extremist terrorism through ISIS, and the way religion and politics have forced social divides within the country are intricately analyzed through the lenses of Menget’s and Van der Stockt’s cameras. An example of this includes the on-screen appearance of Zainab, an elderly Iraqi citizen who depressingly expresses her concerns about civil war and terrorism in Iraq: “This is the worst time of my life. All Iraqis suffer. This is worse than the Iran-Iraq war.”
Equally insightful were the views of Lucas Menget after the film’s presentation. He explained how the most difficult issue during filming was not gaining access to government compounds during coverage of the ongoing “video propaganda war” between the Iraqi government and ISIS, but to gain the trust and approval of Iraqi citizens in order to enter into their lives and film inside of their homes.
A real ethnographic experience, product of Menget’s and Van der Stockt’s approach to everyday life in Baghdad, the film reveals important parallels to many of Bosnia’s post-conflict issues. The nostalgia for a past of harmonious coexistence and friendship between all citizens, the realization of how the embedding of religion and politics into people’s lives has affected them forever, and the urgent call for social reconciliation are all cross-cutting themes. Perhaps this last point is best expressed in the words of Kassim, an engineer, who explains to the camera how, despite the existence of walls that divide the city, there remains a sense of unity among the people in his neighborhood: “Everyone knows who is Sunni or Shiite. It is not a problem. This is one of the areas that coexists without any problems”.
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“Baghdad, Chronicle of an Immured City” had its Balkan premiere during the 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival. The WARM Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

author: Louis Monroy Santander


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Made by Nature or by Man? Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Organic Farming Practices | Balkan Diskurs
Edina Šahmanović
July 25th, 2016
Not so long ago, asking about the eco-friendliness of our food was irrelevant, as this was the only kind of food that existed. Nowadays, becoming more informed about which foods are organic and which are not can have important health implications for Bosnia’s citizens.
Not so long ago, asking about the eco-friendliness of our food was irrelevant, as this was the only kind of food that existed. Nowadays, becoming more informed about which foods are organic and which are not can have important health implications for Bosnia’s citizens.
The terms “eco-friendly”, “bio”, and “organic” are used for food produced in accordance with the principles of organic farming. It is indisputable that food produced in an unnatural way contains more synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other chemicals. Although the consensus is that these agents are used in quantities too small to be detrimental to our health, there are indications of harmful effects.
Hajro Muris owns an organic farm in Lukavac, and he believes that this type of production is the solution as the food we buy for our children is becoming more and more chemically treated. He says growing organic food is not difficult.
“This is not difficult work for us, and we rather enjoy it because we like spending time outdoors, in nature. While working, it is more common to see a doe or a rabbit than another human being. An organic farm is not a job, it’s a lifestyle,” says Muris, adding that they live a 100% organic lifestyle.
Erna Okanović and her father Hazim also live in harmony with nature, and they practice herbal medicine, or alternative, medicine.
“Most disease can be prevented, or even cured, with water and plants. A good well full of fresh water and a meadow full of medicinal herbs are the best pharmacies in the world,” says Erna.
An old proverb says: “There is a plant for every disease”, and Erna agrees with that. She has spent her childhood and youth in nature, studying and analyzing what her young body responds positively to.
She explains: “When combatting disease, alternative medicine offers a number of different treatments that strengthen the body’s immune system and re-establish balance.”
According to her, the balance between the body and mind is extremely important.
“Every meter of meadow or forest represents a small herbal pharmacy, and you don’t need a prescription for the medicine that grows there – all you need is a little knowledge and a lot of will,” says Erna.
Twenty-year-old Mirha Jahić knows organic food well, as she spent her childhood in a small village near Tuzla. She explains that her mother taught her how to plant lettuce and red beet in her own little garden.
At five years old, Mirha remembers how she rejoiced when her little garden grew and bore fruit.
At five years old, Mirha remembers how she rejoiced when her little garden grew and bore fruit. “There was so much happiness for me on that farm. So much happiness grew from the few seed that I initially planted,” says Mirha nostalgically.
“I grew up in an environment that provided me with the opportunity to spend my days outdoors, eating healthy food, and drinking organic cow or goat milk, and my favorite thing was going into my mother’s garden, picking a tomato, and eating it without even washing it. No need to wash tomatoes from my mother’s garden,” she explains.
Organic Control (OK) is a Bosnian organization that has developed standards for organic production and processing as well as a program for certification in accordance with those standards.
“Certification allows the manufacturer recognition and better product placement in the local and international markets. This organic certification also guarantees the application of, and compliance with, the standards for organic production. Certification, provided that it is valid and issued by an accredited certification agency, is what separates a true organic manufacturer from its dishonest competition, or, in other words, the ‘self-proclaimed’ organic manufacturers,” says Bernisa Klepo from OK.
In many cases, time is needed for the conversion of certain products before certification can be issued, meaning that specific requirements set forth related to organic farming standards and practices must be met for a specified period of time.
“Annual plant products can be deemed organic after a 2-year conversion period. Regarding perennial crops, the conversion period is at least three years. For the certification of wild medicinal herbs and forest fruits, no conversion period is necessary,” Klepo explains.
Depending on the specific conditions, the conversion period can be reduced or extended. Thus, in the case of farmland, which hasn’t been exposed to products forbidden in organic production, the manufacturer can ask for a retroactive conversion period and submit evidence that will help establish that the conditions in question were being met for a period of at least three years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina possesses over 1.5 million hectares of arable land, which is largely uncontaminated, and thus very suitable for the establishment of sustainable organic agricultural production.

author: Edina Šahmanović


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Cleaning Up Vareš | Balkan Diskurs
Zlatan Likić
August 8th, 2016
The ecological situation in the Vareš Municipality is unsatisfactory, because, even after the cleanups are organized, people go back to their old habits of littering on the now clean locations.
The ecological situation in the Vareš Municipality is unsatisfactory, because, even after the cleanups are organized, people go back to their old habits of littering on the now clean locations.
When it comes to ecology, Boško Andrić, the senior project adviser of the Vareš Municipality explains that legal issues exist, in addition to the general cultural issues that are present among citizens. In addition, Vareš is facing the problem of a city landfill.
“The open city landfill is the biggest problem. There used to be one in Breza but it’s no longer used. Open landfills are just like illegal dumps. People can come, pick through the trash, and birds and animals pick it apart. Natural processes occur; plant and animal waste is created, which later rots and evaporates,” says Andrić.
According to Andrić, covering and cleaning up the existing landfill is mentioned in the Waste Management Plan, as is taking the land from the local steel plant to create a new landfill. The problem is money.
Andrić explains that a plan was made to first separate and sort waste of which a portion is to be recycled, while the rest is to be taken to the landfill. “That is what the entire world is striving to do,” he adds.
He says that last year Vareš got 15-20 dumpsters and a garbage truck for the collection of municipal waste.
Andrić explains that the remediation of the landfill requires millions in assets and resources, but the ministry is only offering a maximum of 50,000 BAM.
“Most of the work has been carried out at the Veovača Lake, near the location of the former mine, Energoinvest. A project conducted by Japanese development agencies examined the contaminants contained within the lake, by testing its silt. This project revealed an environmental black spot in Veovača, meaning that the silt contained toxic substances. If the lake floods, these substances could cover Breza and the entire basin of the Bosna River,” Andrić states.
Emina Sarajlić, a member of the Vareš Scouts and a volunteer for the “Narko Ne” Association (“No to Narcotics”), says that young people are neither extremely careful nor completely negligent.
“In town, we often see people throwing small pieces of trash on the streets. However, I have yet to see a group of people who have spent the day outdoors, in nature, and haven’t cleaned up after themselves, especially when they know that waste collectors aren’t servicing a particular area. I think those responsible for our environmental problems are careless individuals who, regardless of age, are unfortunately not so uncommon,” she adds. Sarajlić also points out that there is a river that flows through the middle of town that mixes directly with sewage.
Garbage is regularly removed from the streets, but, until the waste collectors arrive, piles of trash often accumulate. Additionally, not every part of the city has trashcans as they were destroyed and, unfortunately, never replaced. Trash is often disposed of in the woods, which is the saddest part of all since Vareš possesses beautiful natural resources that the rest of the world could only dream of.
One of the founders of the Vareš scout unit “Zvijezda” (“Star”), Bozidarka Dodik, says it’s unbelievable how many dumps exist around Vareš that citizens don’t even know about.
“For two consecutive springs now, we’ve been doing a city cleanup called ‘Vareš Scouts for their Town’. Both times we’ve invited the public to join us, but very few individuals have participated. Those who did were mostly the parents and friends of our members,” says Dodik.
In 2012, Dodik, in collaboration with several other citizens from Vareš, organized the ‘Let’s Do It’ campaign to clean up the town.
“We had no financial support when we started, but we collected donations from citizens of Vareš living both here and abroad so that we could buy gloves, trash bags, sandwiches and drinks for the participants. On the day of the cleanup, we carried out a series of synchronized actions in various locations around the municipality – wherever the locals showed an interest. The turnout was relatively good – around 500-600 people participated,” she notes.
Dodik says that such initiatives can be repeated, and the results achieved by this group of enthusiasts confirm this.
“It is sad that people just continued to litter in some of the locations that we’ve cleaned up, and that partially answers the question of environmental awareness,” says Dodik.
“Young people still don’t pay enough attention to ecology or environmental protection,” says Sonja Ružić, a member of the Vareš scout unit.
Ružić also points out that young people do not think about the next generation, the pollution of the city, or the decline in the quality of our drinking water. She adds that maybe it is a blessing in disguise that Vareš no longer has any factories, which would further pollute the air and the environment.

created: August 8th, 2016

author: Zlatan Likić


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Walls | Balkan Diskurs
James Hill
August 18th, 2016
Nearly 30 years have passed since the Berlin wall was pulled down, a city was reunited, and a continent looked to a more hopeful future. Yet around the world walls and fences continue to divide people. “Walls”, a film by Pablo Iraburu and Migueltxo Molina, follows the real-life stories of the people living on both sides of such barriers.
Nearly 30 years have passed since the Berlin wall was pulled down, a city was reunited, and a continent looked to a more hopeful future. Yet around the world walls and fences continue to divide people. “Walls”, a film by Pablo Iraburu and Migueltxo Molina, follows the real-life stories of the people living on both sides of such barriers.
“Walls” is not an attempt to explore the geopolitical background of the fences and barriers depicted in the film; it simply aims to show the inhumanity and, to a certain degree, the madness of these self-imposed divides. The film is filled with dramatic cinematography and imagery of walls and fences from across the world combined with a close-up and intimate look into the lives and emotions of the ordinary people living either side.
We are first introduced to a young Mexican couple as they set out into the desert in search of a way to cross the border into the US. In their journey across the desert, their experience is exposed through moments of sadness, joy and intimacy. They seem totally alone in this vast desert. A split-screen then reveals some Americans on the other side of the border who distribute water to those wandering along well-trodden trails. After dropping off his final cache of water, one of the men admits, “I don’t support illegal immigration, but they are still humans and I don’t want them to die.” He ponders: “We don’t need walls, we need bridges to help people understand each other.”
Soon, we are watching a South African border guard discussing his daily fence patrols over a family dinner. He has “no problem with people, just when they cause trouble.” This scene plays out alongside footage of three Zimbabweans preparing their dinner over a woodland campfire while discussing their plans to the breach that very same border fence. “Walls don’t work. When you build them, people are curious about what’s on the other side,” one man discloses as he prepares some tomatoes.
Finally, we meet the Civil Guard of Spain, working night and day to avoid breaches along the fence that serves as a physical barrier between Spain and Morocco. On the other side, we learn of a Moroccan single mother, who works tirelessly to transport goods across the border. During a grey and rainy night, one Spanish policeman explains, “We think this fence is crazy, like all fences.” The fence soon faces a mass breach with hundreds of people clambering over the wire and onto European Union territory.
The film creators’ greatest success lies within their portrayal of walls for what they really are; senseless divides that impose and entrench separation among people who, without these obstructions, would be able to freely communicate and form friendships and loving relationships. As the American, Al Enciso says, ”Some believe that immigration is illegal. Some believe it is the right thing to do. I don’t care about those things. We all share the same basic emotions, no matter where you are in this world.” “Walls” shows us that no matter how high or how well defended these barriers are, humanity endures on both sides, waiting for that inevitable day when the wall will come crashing down.
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“Walls” had its Balkan premiere during the 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival. The WARM Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

created: August 18th, 2016

author: James Hill


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Coffee and Malian Music with Johanna Schwartz | Balkan Diskurs
Heidi Hald Christensen
August 29th, 2016
The film tells the story of how Malian musicians fought back against the Islamic extremists that banned their profession. Over a cup of coffee, Balkan Diskurs correspondent, Heidi Hald Christensen, had the opportunity to find out more about the mind behind the movie.
On the opening day of the 2016 War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival, Balkan Diskurs attended the screening of Johanna Schwartz’s film: “They Will Have to Kill Us First”. The film tells the story of how Malian musicians fought back against the Islamic extremists that banned their profession. Over a cup of coffee, Balkan Diskurs correspondent, Heidi Hald Christensen, had the opportunity to find out more about the mind behind the movie.
“I’m a filmmaker. A mother. A traveller. That’s about it,” Johanna laughs. Johanna Schwartz finds herself at the WARM Festival in Sarajevo in connection with the screening of her first feature film “They Will Have to Kill Us First”. In 2012, Islamic jihadists took control of northern Mali: cities were shut down, sharia law was instituted and all forms of music were banned. The film documents the struggle of several Malian musicians who are fighting for their right to sing. But the musicians did not give up without a fight.
The film’s protagonists include members of the band Songhoy Blues, singer Fadimata Walet Oumar, aka Disco in a female refugee camp, and singer Khaira Arby planning her comeback concert in Timbuktu. The musicians each have their own opinion about the Malian conflict but all of them emphasize the impossibility of life without music. Khaira puts it especially well when she compares a life without music to a life without oxygen.
For director Johanna Schwartz, this was a necessary story to tell. Johanna explains: “Obviously, it is an incredibly good story. But beyond that, the whole idea of banning music – it just hit so many people in the heart. Imagine waking up tomorrow to a world without music: record stores burned the ground, no radio, no iTunes. This is a story that anyone from anywhere can relate to, and it just hit me – right in the face”.
“They Will Have to Kill Us First” has a strong personal meaning for Johanna. With eyes full of warmth and passion, Johanna begins to talk about the day it all began: “I was on the bus when I saw that one of my friends had posted an article on Facebook: Music had been banned in Mali and Malian musicians were fighting for their right to play music. I began to cry.” Johanna goes on to explain how, for a long time, she had been searching for a story that she felt very passionate about. This was it. With the full support of her husband, she decided to make a film about it.
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“This is my first feature. I was making films for many years, but nothing that I made was chosen by me. It was all commissioned work. This is one of the reasons I wanted to leave – so that I could make my own things. I had to make something for myself,” Johanna explains.
Ironically, Johanna’s first professional job after graduating was at a music festival in Morocco, which brought people from around the world together. Fast-forward to now and she notices that the theme has recurred: “Music. Music has always meant a lot to me. I am a massive fan of music. From way back, music has helped to define me: who I was and who I became. Music provides a way to jump into a new culture and to understand and connect you to a place.”
And indeed, the honest and passionate Malian music that lies at the core of Johanna’s film enables the audience to truly connect with the Malian culture and the story of its musicians and people. Immediately from the film’s beginning, the unique tones of Songhoy Blues capture you, and, in a split second, you are transported from the cinema to Mali.
“Clear your mind, try to forget all that that is going on in your life and surrender yourself to the movie”. With these words, Johanna leaves it up to the audience to interpret the film’s title and to the many important messages that the film presents.
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“They Will Have to Kill Us First” had its Balkan premiere during the 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival, which took place in Sarajevo from 26 June to 2 July 2016. Organized 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: August 29th, 2016

author: Heidi Hald Christensen


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“Watani - My Homeland”: War-torn Syria through the Eyes of its Children | Balkan Diskurs
Neira Kadić
September 2nd, 2016
Children in a war zone are so vulnerable, but I also saw such an incredible degree of resilience and I decided I wanted to tell the stories of Syrian kids caught in this crisis in a really thoughtful, long-form way.
“Children in a war zone are so vulnerable, but I also saw such an incredible degree of resilience and I decided I wanted to tell the stories of Syrian kids caught in this crisis in a really thoughtful, long-form way.”– Marcel Mettelsiefen, Director of “Watani – My Homeland” –
Marcel Mettelsiefen trained as a doctor before becoming a full-time journalist and has a wide range of experience working in conflict zones, including Israel, Haiti, Afghanistan, Libya and Egypt. His experience in Syria stands out, as it tells a more intimate side of the conflict’s story through the lens of the country’s children.
The story of Syria has been told from a variety of angles, by both those directly experiencing the war and by those simply observing its horrors. Yet, what has often been underrepresented—as is the case in many other conflict-based stories—is the children’s view of the dystopia within which they are living.
Mettelsiefen’s “Watani – My Homeland” presents this underrepresented perspective on the war, for it is a perspective that he believes must be further examined and explored. The film presents a story that gives a voice to Syria’s most vulnerable while allowing the viewer to enter the lives of families who are forced to endure the horrors of this ongoing war. Watani depicts a place where children’s games involve imitating ISIS soldiers and helping their fathers build bombs. This particularly painful side of the war that Mettelsiefen reveals, where reality is interwoven with the children’s’ understanding of it, requires the viewer to interpret the events through a lens of warped innocence. It’s a reality in which one child from Mettelsiefen’s Syrian story, Mohammed (12), says that if he ever encounters Bashar al-Assad, he would rather become a “Hitler” and torture al-Assad endlessly instead of just letting him die.
Another scene documented by Mettelsiefen takes place in the city of Aleppo where anti-regime activist Abu Ali and his wife Hala have stayed to fight. Yet the city still serves as a playground for Ali’s four children who have been strongly influenced and forever changed by the war. These children run through the streets of war-torn Aleppo, teaching each other how to read and write while, at the same time, learning how to differentiate between a rocket and tank shells just by the sounds that they make. The nights are characterized by high doses of cough syrup taken to help decrease sleep disturbances caused by the ongoing explosions.
At one point during the three years that Mettelsiefen spent working on this film, Sara (4) Farah (7), Helen (10), Mohammed (12) and their mother were forced to cope with the kidnapping of their father, Abu Ali. They had to start a new life as refugees in Germany. To escape Syria, they fled through Turkey—a safer route than most. They were given a new home and were fortunate enough to have been left with some source of income, which is not often the case for most other refugees, especially as the refugee crisis continues to worsen.
The family’s escape to Germany marks a turning point in the film, which now focuses on the four children as they change and grow in their new environment, with life beginning to normalize towards the film’s end. Yet, they still show exhibit the characteristics of having lived through war; they still play the same violent games, they are torn between their Syrian identity and their assimilation to their new community, and they state how they miss Aleppo. They miss their homeland and all that they knew. These children must continue to live with the constant fear that their father’s corpse will be discovered and identified. Likewise, even in a peaceful environment, the terrible fear that emerges when an airplane flies over their heads serves as a reminder of the other reality that still exists in their minds.
Watani, then, isn’t solely a story of tragedy or hope. It’s a story of war and the way it is seen through a child’s eyes. It’s a story that involves loss, misunderstanding, and constant change. It’s the reality of a refugee family, which still lives with the hope that their father will someday return to them. It’s a story of a homeland lost.
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“Watani – My Homeland’’ had its Balkan premiere during the 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival. The WARM Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.
[1]Taddonio, Patrice. “Syria Changed My Life:” An Interview with Marcel Mettelsiefen. PBS.org, Frontline. April 19. 2016.
“Syria Changed My Life:” An Interview with Marcel Mettelsiefen
“Syria Changed My Life:” An Interview with Marcel Mettelsiefen

created: September 2nd, 2016

author: Neira Kadić


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Islamophobia Undermines Young People’s Prospects | Balkan Diskurs
Lejla Bečar
September 12th, 2016
Islamophobia is becoming an epidemic in the modern society. Its impact is widespread but is most crucial and most difficult for young people.
Islamophobia is becoming an epidemic in the modern society. Its impact is widespread but is most crucial and most difficult for young people.
22-year-old Jennine Swan lives in New York (United States of America). She started wearing the hijab in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the terrorist attack on her city. While remembering her first encounters with Islamophobia, she explains: “They shoved me, spat on me, and told me to go back to my country.”
Although she doesn’t deny that she faces challenges every day, Jennine is determined and does not allow her religion to be an obstacle to the fulfillment of her goals and ambitions. She emphasizes that her attitude is not a universal one and that she knows many young people, especially women, who limit themselves and sacrifice their goals as they are more difficult to achieve for Muslims.
Jeninne points out that the Paris attacks, as well as comments made by American politician Donald Trump during the current election campaign, have caused a new wave of hostility towards Muslims in New York.
Mohammad Usman Zia, a 25-year-old from Saudi Arabia who currently lives and studies at Oxford, confirms that the hostility is not limited to New York. When he was 12 he moved to the States, specifically to a rural part of Kentucky, where he first encountered Islamophobia. He faced isolation and discrimination in school, which caused anger, depression, and a proclivity towards violence. He found refuge playing American football. “It quickly became clear to me that no one expects a Muslim foreigner in a starting position. The first practices were held during Ramadan, and it was a time when I balanced the most difficult physical and social struggles,” says Mohammad.
Dedicated training allowed him to enter into the starting lineup of the school’s team and he made friends and started feeling a sense of his own identity. Shortly thereafter, Mohammed and his family were forced to return to Pakistan, where he again was forced to experience the same scenario of social exclusion. Even though he was legally a citizen of Pakistan because his mother was born there, his ties with the United States were reason enough for the other students to reject him and view him as an enemy. Mohammed was 14 at the time.
Today, he views the challenges of his youth, as well as those he still faces every day, differently.
“The fluidity of identity is what’s most important. I’m an American as much as I’m a Muslim, an Afghan, and a Pakistani. For years I struggled to define my identity until I realized that there is no definition and that it encompasses various characteristics that define us as fulfilled and dynamic people who cannot, and should not, be limited to a single word,” says Mohammed.
Saim Saeed, a 25-year-old from Pakistan, stopped explaining himself to people as a function of his religion a long time ago. Although he does not identify as a Muslim, he often faces Islamophobia because of his origins and appearance, which, to him, is a standard form of racism. However, because he lives in a Muslim country, he is surrounded by various discussions and debates.
“In Pakistan, there is a lot of talk about who is truly a Muslim, and society is extremely negative towards religious minorities – Christians and Hindus,” Saim explains.
According to him, young people join radical movements for many reasons, but one of the most fundamental is pride and dignity. Pakistan is routinely humiliated and looked down upon by other countries.
“Our colonial history just reinforces this humiliation. The religious right has disproportionate power in Pakistani society, and it influences how society is shaped and how people behave. The state has helped to further this radicalization, and there are entire school systems, madrassas (Islamic religious schools), CDs, and videos that preach radicalism,” says Saim.
He feels that the recent terrorist attacks in Paris have just increased the hostility that Pakistani Muslims feel towards the West.
Parisa Elah-Madadzahed, 29, lives in the Netherlands. She believes that the reactions to the Paris attacks have been reduced to open expressions of Islamophobia. It became apparent to her that, before the attacks, people were more hesitant to express their honest opinions.
“The events in Paris have prompted people to be more open and more direct in expressing their sentiments toward Muslims,” Parisa adds.
Parisa does not wear the hijab (the traditional veil worn by Muslim women), so at first glance, people do not perceive her as a Muslim. However, when she mentions that she is from Iran, she is well aware that the next question will be whether she is a Muslim. She has dealt with many such questions in the past, especially while attending high school.
Tasniem Anwar, a 23-year-old who wears the hijab, has been dealing with incidents related to her religion since high school.
“A high school teacher (not from my high school) once told me that she had spoken with many girls who had worn the hijab and that, as long as I wore mine, I would never succeed or fulfill my ambitions,” says Tasnim, who claims that the Dutch society is only pretending to be liberal.
Parisa and Tasniem both say that the reality is that Muslims are facing Islamophobia, stereotypes, and rejection. Discrimination against Muslims is extremely pronounced in all spheres of society, ranging from job interviews to the construction of mosques, to the issue of refugees.
To her peers around the world, Tasniem advises: “Young people, regardless of their skin color, should take action to change societal systems that create inequality. The only way towards a more inclusive society is to overcome prejudices and stereotypes. To young people of color, I say this: Stand your ground. Don’t forgive those in power. The only way to change something is to make them listen to us.”
Discrimination can be subtle, but that does not make it any less serious. All of our interviewees agree that racism presents itself in many forms nowadays and that Muslims aren’t the only group that is affected, but we, as citizens of the world, should take responsibility to stop and prevent it.

created: September 12th, 2016

author: Lejla Bečar


text:
Photography that Humanizes: An Andrew Quilty Exhibition | Balkan Diskurs
Bridget Granger
September 15th, 2016
On 29 June 2016, the War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival hosted the exhibition “Afghanistan: After Enduring Freedom” at the Java Gallery in downtown Sarajevo. The exhibition featured photographs captured by Andrew Quilty, an Australian freelance photographer currently based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Written by Anna B. Roach and Bridget Granger, interns at the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo
On 29 June 2016, the War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival hosted the exhibition “Afghanistan: After Enduring Freedom” at the Java Gallery in downtown Sarajevo. The exhibition featured photographs captured by Andrew Quilty, an Australian freelance photographer currently based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
The exposition featured photographs of Afghanistan and its inhabitants. Many depicted people carrying out their daily routines, while some revealed the aftermath of the country’s ongoing conflict. At the entrance of the gallery, an image of a boy flying a kite is displayed. You are then met with shots of Afghan soldiers carrying a casket and of a body sprawled across an operating table in a hospital that had just undergone an attack.
The dissonance between the normalcy of a daily routine or mundane action and the context of extreme poverty and destruction that surrounds it is, indeed, one of the most striking aspects of the exhibit. Small shop owners chat in front of their workplaces, now turned to rubble. A young girl stands next to a bike, freshly cleaned, near her father’s grave, crying – the caption reads: “We’ve cleaned your bike, you can come back now.”
Quilty first became interested in photography in 2001 when his uncle gifted him a used Nikon F3 camera. His passion for photography transitioned from that of a hobby to a career after enrolling in the photography program at The Sydney Institute of TAFE and beginning work as a staff photographer for the Australian Financial Review.
In an interview with Quilty, he explained his decision to go to Afghanistan after being approached by a journalist friend who asked him if he knew of any photographers that would be willing to travel to the country to take photographs for an accompanying news article. He immediately volunteered for the job and ended up staying far beyond the completion of the initial project. He has since traveled throughout Afghanistan and many other Middle Eastern nations documenting poverty and the emergence of the Islamic State.
When asked by a local news outlet about the overarching message of his work, Quilty pensively declared: “I don’t think I have a message.” In a second interview, he stressed that his aim was not to offer an analysis of the situation, but to provide viewers and the media with material that will allow them to reach their own conclusions. “I document what’s in front of me, and leave it up to the viewers to respond and react according to their own interpretations,” Quilty remarked.
Indeed, Quilty’s work is geared towards an objective style of presentation that carries with it the sense that he is not out to point fingers. He does acknowledge the powers at play in Afghanistan’s intensifying conflict by portraying injustice and the way that widespread poverty commingles with U.S. military and political ploys, but he does so without attempting to place sole responsibility on one or the other.
His work takes on a certain humility as he does not claim to have the answers – he is simply portraying things as they are, humanizing Afghanistan’s least privileged people. Quilty’s humanistic approach is especially evident through an adjacently displayed pair of photographs, the first of which displays a man lying dead on an operating table, mid-surgery, surrounded by rubble and debris from a recent explosion. Obstructed by a piece of concrete dislodged from the ceiling, viewers are unable to see the man’s face. The second photograph, which was given to Quilty by the man’s family, shows his portrait. This puts a name and a face to the lifeless body seen on the operating table, which elicits empathy from the viewer, reminding them that this man was a beloved friend, father, husband and brother.
Quilty offers a bottom-up perspective on an issue that is too often told from the perspectives of the powerful. Through his pointed impartiality, his work offers a window into the Afghan conflict that refuses to fall in line with the East versus West narrative that fallouts of Cold War-era proxy conflicts are so prone to.
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The 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

created: September 15th, 2016


text:
Hugged By the Hills: Hope and Despair in Sarajevo | Balkan Diskurs
Balkan Diskurs
September 28th, 2016
The siege of Sarajevo lasted 44 months. For 1425 days, Sarajevans were first under the occupation of the Yugoslav People’s Army, followed by the Army of Republika Srpska. In what would become the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, independence, it seems, came at a cost.
The siege of Sarajevo lasted 44 months. For 1425 days, Sarajevans were first under the occupation of the Yugoslav People’s Army, followed by the Army of Republika Srpska. In what would become the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare, independence, it seems, came at a cost.
Photography and text by Hanieh Khosroshahi
Almost 14,000 (13,952) people were killed during the siege; more than a third of them (5,434) were civilians. With little food, people risked their lives crossing the city to get everyday essentials like water. For three and a half years, the people of Sarajevo hid in basements, darted across streets, and lived in fear of being killed. With nowhere to go, war became their reality.
Besides the human cost of the war, the urban fabric of the city was seriously damaged. As thousands of refugees fled Sarajevo, many Serbs moved in, breaking the multi-ethnic balance the city had once enjoyed (however, the percentage of Serbs in Sarajevo has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s).
With a 43% unemployment rate, ethnic divisions and tensions are still prevalent throughout Sarajevo, and remnants of war and suffering are still all around.
Despite its issues, Sarajevo exemplifies survival and resistance but most importantly, it is a symbol of peace and multi-cultural integration. The main world religions have coexisted in Sarajevo for centuries, making it a beacon of religious diversity and acceptance.
Sarajevo’s long tradition of ethnic tolerance can be seen through the intersection of the three constituent groups: Bosniak Muslims, Orthodox Serbs and Catholic Croats. During the 44 months of blockade, a sense of unity and togetherness was high amongst all Sarajevans in the capital.
Sarajevo sits at the bottom of a valley, hugged by the surrounding hills. Ravaged by war, the high number of casualties resulted in the use of Sarajevo’s open spaces as graveyards. Makeshift cemeteries are found all over the city, in parks and athletic fields, but mainly in the hills.
Perhaps the true essence of Sarajevo, its paradox and stark contrast, can be seen most visibly through its hills. It is in the hills where the essential fabric of Sarajevo gains rebirth. Despite their beauty, the hills bring back memories of war, to a time when Serb snipers were positioned there during the siege. Today, the hills commemorate the lives lost during the war of the 90s, but they’re also where families reside, where younger generations flee the hustle and bustle of the valley below, where friends go to catch up over a cup of coffee, and where lovers go to relax, embrace and watch the sunset.
The city of 400,000 inhabitants is once again a lively, vibrant, and nonchalant capital.
Most importantly, Sarajevo is where reconciliation takes place. The people of Sarajevo have long been united in their cultural diversity, and this shared heritage holds within it a sacred historical bond that binds the city together. The war was an attempt to destroy this bond. Today, Sarajevo stands as a city that has survived a campaign against diversity.
The hills honor and remember the spirit of those long gone, but they also instill a sense of hope for the nestled valley below. Despite the notion that Sarajevans must move on, the hills are a constant reminder of the suffering the city has experienced and undergone.

created: September 28th, 2016

author: Balkan Diskurs


text:
A Call for Understanding | Balkan Diskurs
Bridget Granger
October 14th, 2016
On Friday, 1 July 2016, the WARM Foundation partnered with Amnesty International to host a conference during the 3rd annual WARM Festival in Sarajevo entitled “Civilians Caught Between Jihadism and State Repression: Breaking the Myths”.
On Friday, 1 July 2016, the WARM Foundation partnered with Amnesty International to host a conference during the 3rd annual WARM Festival in Sarajevo entitled “Civilians Caught Between Jihadism and State Repression: Breaking the Myths”. Conference attendees had the opportunity to hear from five renowned panelists: Cécile Hennion (Le Monde journalist), Donatella Rovera (Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser), Sean McAllister (documentary filmmaker), Andrew Quilty (photojournalist), and Manoocher Deghati (photojournalist).
The conference commenced with a short introduction and background information on the current predicament of jihadism, as well as the problems facing thousands of citizens in nations with jihadist presence – particularly in Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan.
Western academics began using the term “jihadism” in the 1990s, in an effort to differentiate between violent and non-violent Sunni extremism. Today, the word is laden with stigma and stereotypes, and Le Monde journalist Cécile Hennion discussed how many people jump to conclusions about jihadist individuals without considering the environmental, political, and economic factors that may have played a role in their decisions to become jihadists. She asserted that there is little effort made by the media, especially in the West, to understand why individuals join groups such as ISIS.
In Syria, civilians live in constant fear of danger and bereavement. Within the short span from 2012 to 2013, the city of Aleppo transitioned from hosting peaceful, non-violent demonstrations, to being a location characterized by violence and demolition of entire neighborhoods. The state repression and insecurity under the presidency of Bashar Al-Assad were elucidated as two of the sources related to the rise in jihadism in Syria. Hennion commented on the manner in which media was covering the war in Syria and expressed her disappointment that it has the tendency to cover, and place more importance on, events such as an abducted child over news about the thousands of citizens being killed in Syria.
Yemen is another country that was mentioned as having a scarce amount of media coverage, and its conflict is often considered the “forgotten war.” During the conference, it was discussed that the victims in Yemen are far too often children and that there is also a growing number of child soldiers emerging across the region. A part of this problem stems from the utter lack of resources and opportunities families have in Yemen. This type of economic desperation was also identified as a factor associated with the increased support for jihadist groups.
Photojournalist Andrew Quilty talked about his experiences in Afghanistan, the extremely impoverished conditions there, and how civilians must cope with constant regime changes. “Afghans are so tired of conflict, and they will support whoever and whatever they need to in order to make it through to the next day,” Quilty explained. The promise of safety and security is another reason why civilians pledge their allegiances to groups like ISIS, or corrupt government regimes.
Many conference participants ultimately called for an increase in global awareness and understanding as to why individuals become jihadists and/or join extremist groups. In the words of Sun Tzu, “To know your enemy, you must become your enemy,” which, in the case of jihadists and violent extremist groups, means sympathizing and identifying with the myriad of deplorable conditions and obstacles that the citizens of Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, and many other nations face on a daily basis. If these circumstances and factors that promote jihadist ideologies can be ameliorated, perhaps the reach and perpetuation of groups like ISIS can be thwarted.
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The 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival took place in Sarajevo from 26 June to 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation, in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

created: October 14th, 2016


text:
“Untitled”: Enrico Dagnino’s Archive Under Fire | Balkan Diskurs
Laura Feehs
October 18th, 2016
Enrico Dagnino’s photography tells the stories of conflict. Most often, these stories are difficult to convey, difficult to observe, and difficult to understand. An interview with Dagnino gives insight into both his career as a photojournalist and his exhibit, “Untitled”.
Enrico Dagnino’s photography tells the stories of conflict. Most often, these stories are difficult to convey, difficult to observe, and difficult to understand. They are stories of war, of the atrocities committed by humanity against its own kind. Through documenting and processing these narratives, Dagnino also shares stories about himself within the private workings of his studio. An interview with Dagnino gives insight into both his career as a photojournalist and his exhibit, “Untitled”.
By: Laura Feehs & Anna Bianca Roach, Interns at the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) in Sarajevo
Enrico Dagnino’s current photography exhibit, Untitled, offers a glimpse behind the published photographs and into the humanity of the artist. This solo show featured at the 2016 War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival in Sarajevo, peers into his lived experience working in the field of war photojournalism, and his attempt to reconcile his professional life with that of his life at home in his studio in Paris, France. Raw, unfiltered, and deeply cynical, Untitled is more about Dagnino himself than about the events he covered, and portrays the intense turmoil he has faced.
Prior to the exhibit’s opening, Dagnino discusses the integration of photography into his life – a pivotal moment that propelled him into a career in war photojournalism. On 29 June, over a morning espresso at the Meeting Point in Sarajevo, he recounts his early struggle with writing and how he never excelled in conversing with people, but he explains that photography gave him the platform to speak out, a voice to be heard. At the age of 18, a friend placed a camera in his hands thus unwittingly transforming Dagnino’s ability to communicate with the world.
The fall of the Berlin Wall marked the beginning of Dagnino’s ongoing journey to document conflict. At the time, the adrenaline he experienced while capturing history enticed him deeper into the field. While relaying memories of his time in the Balkans, he laughs as he recounts his late night navigation through the streets of Sarajevo, where he had to briefly pause as mortars exploded, then continue his sprinting around the blocks. “It wasn’t for a photo, though,” he notes. “We desperately wanted pizza from across town, so we ran through fire to get it!”
In 1991, Dagnino found himself in Vukovar, Croatia during the three-month siege of the city. “Vukovar was the Berlin Wall of my own life,” he solemnly states. “I lost hope. If people are able to do the things I’ve seen, anything is possible. We are capable of anything.” He continues sharing his sense of guilt – of indirect responsibility – that we, humankind, contribute to violence. “We are part of the same humanity,” he says, to suggest that we are all culpable at some level for the barbarism of war.
In his attempt to process these realities, Dagnino finds solace in the haven of his home studio where he sketches, writes, and withdraws for a time. The pieces included in his current exhibit help to explain the dichotomy of “living in two different worlds.” Dagnino’s Untitled is particularly striking for the immense sense of vulnerability and intimacy it leaves his audience with.
The exhibition, hosted in an apartment in one of Sarajevo’s Austro-Hungarian era buildings, consists of two parts. Half of the space is dedicated to the exhibit proper, where one can see some of his best photographs. The other half – the more personal and more striking part of the exhibition – is a room left in purposeful disarray, with a replica of his desk and a wall decoration filled with his own personal belongings for the audience to rummage through.
The exhibition also leaves the audience with a sense of voyeurism: Dagnino’s journals reveal conversations with his partner and loved ones, deeply personal accounts of his travels, and pages upon pages of raw, visceral anger and sadness. Interestingly, he also notes that “[conflict zones are] the only place I feel good. I feel good with the people. I feel good with myself.”
Interspersed with the existentialism of his thoughts on conflict and personal relations are more light-hearted pieces. In the array of memorabilia, the audience can also find Dagnino’s old press passes, credit cards, and pornography. “This is my desk,” he declares, when asked why he chose this medium for his Untitled exhibition. “I’ve done this once before [in Paris] – but this time, it’s smaller. It’s different.”
Fraught with Dagnino’s harsh perspective on reality and his characteristic mix of cynicism and audaciousness, Untitled has the intense ambiance of a memorial exorcism. It feels like a pyrrhic declaration of freedom – perhaps from the duty to report, perhaps from the psychological effects this duty has had on him, perhaps from the audience itself.
Through his incredibly brave vulnerability to share his inner experience in conjunction with his professional work, Dagnino thrusts the weight of his career onto his audience, shedding the photojournalist’s classic bravado. Whether it is ultimately put up for himself, for his audience, or for a third party is unclear: nonetheless, it deconstructs reporters’ often-romanticized experience of war to demonstrate that “beyond the violence, there is a story. A human story.”
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The 3rd annual War Art Reporting and Memory (WARM) Festival took place in Sarajevo from Sunday 26 June to Saturday 2 July 2016. Organized by the WARM Foundation in collaboration with the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC), the Festival brings together artists, reporters, academics and activists around the topic of contemporary conflict.

created: October 18th, 2016