RECALLING SREBRENICA: FURTHERING EDUCATION ON THE GENOCIDE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITHIN THE UNITED STATES
RECALLING SREBRENICA: FURTHERING EDUCATION ON THE GENOCIDE IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITHIN THE UNITED STATES

Summary/Abstract: Genocide education in the United States constitutes a complex landscape filled with institutional fragmentation, representational gaps, and pedagogical challenges. This study examines where the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina fits within educational and curriculum development frameworks. To illuminate the systemic challenges that face attempts at teaching about Bosnia inside America, we conduct a multi-methodological analysis of state-level genocide education mandates, curriculum resources, and pedagogical approaches, and survey political, social, and economic factors that influence curriculum design, like the decentralized nature of the American education system, where state-level autonomy holds significant sway. Through this review, our study uncovers profound disparities in the recognition and representation of Srebrenica and the broader Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in U.S. classrooms. Few states explicitly acknowledge the genocide in their educational requirements, and available curriculum materials remain substantially inadequate. Our investigation also crucially centers on curriculum development processes. It explores the complex pedagogical considerations essential to creating meaningful, sensitive, and thorough genocide education materials, alongside specific challenges and advantages that come with schooling on Bosnia. These considerations include testimony selection, student and parental sensitivity, linguistic accessibility, emotional intelligence structures, and the strategic implementation of comparative genocide studies. Our findings underscore the urgent need for a more nuanced, trauma-informed, and comprehensive approach to genocide education. And by highlighting current limitations and proposing fresh strategic foundations for curriculum development, this research contributes to broader discussions about historical representation, educational equity, and the role of education in commemorating genocides and preventing future atrocities.

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