#bosnia

Just let there be no war!

movie: Dara Of Jasenovac (2021)

song: Just let there be no war, Đorđe Balašević❤️

For me, the most important part of my education with LIU Globalis the experiential learning. Reading theory may be necessary, but nothing can compare to the impact of going into the field and learning directly from people’s lived experiences. During the last weekend of our Europe semester, we ventured by bus from Sarajevo, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Srebrenica and Klotjevac, Republica Srpska.

This region was the setting of the genocide in 1995 in which around 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men were massacred.

 On the first day, we visited the memorial in Srebrenica. There we learned directly from a tour guide who was a survivor of the genocide and had lost several family members there. He told us about his personal experiences and about the failure of the UN and the international community to help.

After this, we continued on to the smaller community where we would spend two days and nights. We stayed in the home of one of the few returning families there. Three generations lived in a bright pink house, parents, grandparents, and three young daughters. They welcomed us with a feast of rice, peppers, fresh homemade cheese, and delicious stuffed pies. They live right on the water, surrounded by the staggering mountains. Everywhere we looked was a variation of vibrant greens and blues. The intensity of the beauty seemed to match the intensity of the horror that took place there.

Over the course of several days and meals and walks with the family, they told us much of their story. On the first night walking with the grandfather of the family and several other Global students, he pointed out to us each place where another house used to be.

As the family did not speak English and we could not communicate further than a general greeting in Bosnian, we relied on the help of our organizer, Nerkez, as well as several Bosnian students who joined us. Luckily they were all always willing to translate so we were able to communicate and learn a lot from the family. They shared with us how their income mostly comes from various farming and agricultural pursuits, and hosting student groups like us. There are still many challenges to life in this region though.

 During a walk one morning we saw where children in the town used to go to school, yet now the nearest school to this family is quite far away and in danger of closing due to lack of students. Already it is hard to get to it, as the road leading there is bumpy and in need of maintenance. If this school were to close it is possible the family would have to move because in Bosnia and Herzegovina homeschooling is illegal and all other schools are simply too far away to commute to.

Another challenge they are facing is complications with the government of Republica Srpska. The government of Republica Srpska is dominated by Bosnian Serbs, while the families who were impacted and are now returning to Srebrenica are primarily Bosnian Muslims.

 One way the government is impending in the efforts of some families to return is by naming the area a national park. Already they have begun to declare it, but if the process continues it could become legally impossible for more families to return and rebuild their houses and it could even escalate to a point where the families who have already returned must leave again. In effect, the efforts of the government of Republica Srpska to turn the region of Srebrenica into a national park could be seen as a perpetuation of the ethnic cleansing of Bosnian Muslims.  

After this trip, we returned to Sarajevo with more questions to ponder than answers. Perhaps this is the clearest sign of a truly impactful learning experience.