Srebrenica 30 godina poslije genocida: Sjećanje, odgovornost i izazovi negiranja
Srebrenica 30 Years After the Genocide: Memory, Responsibility and the Challenges of Denial
Contributor(s): Zilha Mastalić Košuta (Editor), Muamer Džananović (Editor)
Subject(s): Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Law and Transitional Justice, Military history, Political history, Studies in violence and power, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Politics of History/Memory, Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
Published by: Institut za istraživanje zločina protiv čovječnosti i međunarodnog prava Univerziteta u Sarajevu
Keywords: Srebrenica genocide; collective memory; transitional justice; historical revisionism; peacebuilding; war;
Summary/Abstract: Obilježavanje tridesete godišnjice genocida nad Bošnjacima u Srebrenici i oko nje jula 1995. godine predstavlja jedan od najvažnijih trenutaka institucionalnog, naučnog i društvenog suočavanja s prošlošću u savremenoj Bosni i Hercegovini. Tri decenije nakon jula 1995. godine, Srebrenica ostaje trajna opomena čovječanstvu, simbol najtežeg zločina počinjenog na tlu Evrope nakon Drugog svjetskog rata, ali i mjesto koje nas obavezuje da istinu, pravdu i dostojanstvo žrtava čuvamo od zaborava, negiranja i relativizacije. Univerzitet u Sarajevu, kao najstarija i najveća visokoobrazovna i naučna institucija u Bosni i Hercegovini, ima posebnu odgovornost da kroz naučnoistraživački rad, obrazovanje, javni dijalog i institucionalno djelovanje doprinosi očuvanju sudski utvrđenih činjenica o genocidu, razvoju kulture pamćenja i jačanju društvene otpornosti na govor mržnje, historijski revizionizam i negiranje počinjenih zločina. Ta odgovornost ne proizlazi samo iz akademske misije Univerziteta, nego i iz moralne obaveze prema žrtvama, preživjelima, porodicama ubijenih i budućim generacijama. Istovremeno, trideseta godišnjica genocida u Srebrenici i trideseta godišnjica potpisivanja Općeg okvirnog sporazuma za mir u Bosni i Hercegovini predstavljaju dva temeljna događaja recentne historije Bosne i Hercegovine. Njihovo historijsko, političko, pravno i društveno značenje nije se moglo posmatrati izolirano niti smjelo biti zanemareno ili marginalizirano. Riječ je o događajima koji su duboko oblikovali savremenu bosanskohercegovačku stvarnost, unutrašnju političku dinamiku, regionalne odnose, međunarodni položaj Bosne i Hercegovine, kao i ukupne procese suočavanja s prošlošću, izgradnje mira i očuvanja društvene kohezije. Upravo iz takvog razumijevanja akademske i društvene odgovornosti proizašao je širi programski okvir Univerziteta u Sarajevu za obilježavanje 30. godišnjice genocida u Srebrenici i 30. godišnjice potpisivanja Dejtonskog mirovnog sporazuma. U okviru tog programa, Univerzitet u Sarajevu pristupio je organiziranju niza aktivnosti usmjerenih na očuvanje historijske istine, poticanje naučnog istraživanja, jačanje interdisciplinarnog pristupa i otvaranje prostora za ozbiljan javni i akademski dijalog. Time je potvrđeno da Univerzitet ne posmatra obilježavanje ovih godišnjica samo kao prigodnu komemorativnu obavezu, nego kao dio svoje trajne institucionalne misije...
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-9958-028-61-8
- Page Count: 391
- Publication Year: 2026
- Language: Bosnian, English
The Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Historical and Ideological Context
The Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Historical and Ideological Context
(The Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in Historical and Ideological Context)
- Author(s):Ben Kiernan
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Military history, Political history, Nationalism Studies, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:35-49
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:genocide; Srebrenica; ideology; nationalism; “ethnic cleansing”; territorial expansion; racism; religious prejudice; genocide studies; comparative genocide; Yugoslavia; international justice;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter situates the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina within a broader comparative and historical framework of twentieth-century mass violence. It argues that the ideological foundations of the genocide in Bosnia in the early 1990s shared key characteristics with other genocidal regimes, including those in Cambodia, Rwanda, and elsewhere. Four central ideological elements are identified: racial and religious prejudice, territorial expansionism, the drive to restore a perceived lost national grandeur, and the idealization of rural life combined with anti-urban sentiment. Drawing on historical precedents from the Second World War and the postwar period in Yugoslavia, the chapter demonstrates how these ideological patterns evolved into a coherent framework that enabled and legitimized genocidal violence. Particular attention is paid to the role of Serbian nationalist discourse in constructing Bosniaks as both a biological and political threat, thereby justifying their destruction. The chapter also highlights the interplay between expansionist ambitions and practices of “ethnic cleansing”, as well as the symbolic targeting of urban spaces. By placing the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a wider comparative perspective, the chapter contributes to a deeper understanding of the recurring ideological mechanisms that underpin genocide. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of international justice processes, including the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, in establishing accountability and historical truth.
The Srebrenica Massacre as the Culmination of the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Srebrenica Massacre as the Culmination of the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina
(The Srebrenica Massacre as the Culmination of the Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Author(s):Marko Attila Hoare
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Political history, Studies in violence and power, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:51-59
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:Bosnia and Herzegovina; Srebrenica; Genocide; War;
- Summary/Abstract:The Srebrenica massacre is referred to as the ‘Srebrenica genocide’, in light of the fact that it is the only atrocity of the 1990s war in Bosnia-Hercegovina that has unambiguously been ruled to have been genocide by the international courts. In fact, the Srebrenica massacre was not a standalone or local genocide, but the culminating genocidal act of a genocide that had begun in 1992. The form that the Srebrenica massacre took is only comprehensible in relation to the events of the previous three years, not only in the Srebrenica region but across Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Changing Historiographical Perspectives on the Srebrenica Genocide
Changing Historiographical Perspectives on the Srebrenica Genocide
(Changing Historiographical Perspectives on the Srebrenica Genocide)
- Author(s):Norman M. Naimark
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Historical revisionism, Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:61-83
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Genocide; Srebrenica; Raphael Lemkin; Ben Kiernan; Armenian Genocide; Holocaust; A. Dirk Moses; Serbian Republic; Slobodan Milošević; Potočari; William Schabas; Denial;
- Summary/Abstract:This essay examines the ways in which the historiography of the Srebrenica genocide has changed over the years in the context of the history of genocide studies. It focuses, among other questions, on the problems of using the genocide concept, on the increasing importance of understanding political causation of genocide, and, finally, on the various forms of denial.
The Road to the Srebrenica Genocide: Mechanisms of the Genocidal Process in Eastern Bosnia (1992-1995)
The Road to the Srebrenica Genocide: Mechanisms of the Genocidal Process in Eastern Bosnia (1992-1995)
(The Road to the Srebrenica Genocide: Mechanisms of the Genocidal Process in Eastern Bosnia (1992-1995))
- Author(s):Zilha Mastalić Košuta
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Military history, Political history, Military policy, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:85-105
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:Srebrenica; genocide; Eastern Bosnia; Podrinje; genocidal process; Army of Republika Srpska; political and military mechanisms;
- Summary/Abstract:This article examines the Srebrenica genocide as the final stage of a multi-year historical process in which the genocidal process in Eastern Bosnia between 1992 and 1995 gradually developed, became institutionalized, and was implemented through the interaction of political objectives, military strategies, administrative structures, and mechanisms directed toward the destruction of the Bosniak population. Drawing on theoretical approaches that conceptualize genocide as a process rather than an isolated event, the study argues that the mass killings committed in July 1995 constituted the culmination of previously established political, military, administrative, and humanitarian mechanisms directed toward the destruction of the Bosniak community in the Podrinje region. The paper analyzes the strategic objectives of the political leadership of Republika Srpska, the military directives of the Main Staff of the Army of Republika Srpska, systematic violence committed against the Bosniak population of Eastern Bosnia, the prolonged blockade of Srebrenica, the obstruction of humanitarian assistance, and the institutional preparation of the final military operation. Particular attention is devoted to the analysis of Directive No. 4 (1992) and Directives No. 7 and 7-1 (1995) as key military documents that provide important evidence of the planning and implementation of measures aimed at creating conditions of insecurity, isolation, and physical depletion of the population as integral components of the broader genocidal process. This research is based on an analysis of primary sources, including military documents, international reports, and relevant case law of international tribunals, employing historical and comparative methods. It concludes that the Srebrenica genocide was neither a spontaneous consequence of military operations nor solely the result of the July 1995 offensive, but rather the final stage of a deliberately organized and institutionally implemented process in which political objectives, military strategy, and humanitarian isolation created the conditions for the physical destruction of a substantial part of the Bosniak population of Eastern Bosnia. The article proposes an interpretative framework that situates the Srebrenica genocide within broader historiographical debates concerning the temporal development of genocidal processes and the transformation of policies of exclusion into mechanisms of physical destruction.
The Pilica Cultural Centre: A Site of Recurrent Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992 and 1995
The Pilica Cultural Centre: A Site of Recurrent Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992 and 1995
(The Pilica Cultural Centre: A Site of Recurrent Genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992 and 1995)
- Author(s):Muamer Džananović
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Military history, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:109-130
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Bosnia and Herzegovina; 1992-1995; Pilica; detention camps; schools and cultural centres; genocide; memory politics;
- Summary/Abstract:During the 1992–1995 aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the authorities of the self-proclaimed Republika Srpska (RS) established a system of camps and detention sites in which schools and cultural centres were used for mass detention, torture, and killing of civilians, primarily Bosniaks. This article analyses the systematic character, geographical spread, and scale of these crimes, with particular focus on Pilica as an example of recurrent genocide: in 1992 against Bosniaks from the Petkovci and Zvornik area, and in 1995 during the genocide in and around Srebrenica. By examining the chain of detention facilities, the study demonstrates the spatial, institutional, and methodological continuity of genocidal practices. It also addresses post-war attitudes toward these sites, marked by insufficient memorialisation, denial and relativisation of crimes, and the role of the educational system in sustaining a culture of genocide and war-crimes denial.
Priznanja pred Međunarodnim krivičnim sudom za bivšu Jugoslaviju: Studija slučaja „Srebrenica 1995”
Priznanja pred Međunarodnim krivičnim sudom za bivšu Jugoslaviju: Studija slučaja „Srebrenica 1995”
(Guilty Pleas Before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia: The “Srebrenica 1995” Case Study)
- Author(s):Jasmin Medić
- Language:Bosnian
- Subject(s):Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Law and Transitional Justice, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:131-149
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:Srebrenica; ICTY; guilty pleas; genocide; judgments; discourse;
- Summary/Abstract:Among the seventeen individuals indicted for war crimes before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague who entered guilty pleas, three cases stand out in particular in relation to participation in crimes committed in the Srebrenica area in July 1995 by members of the Army of the Republika Srpska (VRS). Guilty pleas were entered by Dražen Erdemović, a member of the 10th Sabotage Detachment; Momir Nikolić, Assistant Commander for Security and Intelligence of the Bratunac Brigade; and Dragan Obrenović, Deputy Commander of the Zvornik Brigade. In addition to these, the case of Radislav Krstić, Chief of Staff of the Drina Corps, is also significant, as he became the first person convicted of genocide before the ICTY. Although he did not plead guilty during the proceedings themselves, Krstić acknowledged his own responsibility on several occasions while serving his prison sentence. The analysis focuses on the legal and socio-political implications of these admissions of guilt, the circumstances under which they were made, and the narratives the accused constructed in their testimonies. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of their testimonies in proceedings against other defendants accused of genocide, thereby contributing to the establishment of facts and demonstrating the direct involvement of the Republika Srpska military leadership in the commission of genocide. The paper also examines the broader social context, specifically the impact these admissions had on public discourse in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Prikrivanje genocida i drugih oblika zločina protiv čovječnosti i međunarodnog prava – slučaj izmještanja masovnih grobnica u Srebrenici i Prijedoru
Prikrivanje genocida i drugih oblika zločina protiv čovječnosti i međunarodnog prava – slučaj izmještanja masovnih grobnica u Srebrenici i Prijedoru
(Concealing of Genocide and Other Crimes against Humanity and International Law – The Case of Mass Grave Relocations in and around Srebrenica and Prijedor)
- Author(s):Mujo Begić
- Language:Bosnian
- Subject(s):Military history, Political history, Criminology, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:151-169
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:Srebrenica; Prijedor; mass graves; crime concealment; grave relocation; discovery; exhumation; and identification;
- Summary/Abstract:The aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina resulted in genocide and other forms of crimes against humanity and international law committed by Serbian military and police forces. This paper will address the mass graves found in the areas of Srebrenica and Prijedor, the attempts to cover up the crimes, and the relocation of the victims’ remains from primary to secondary graves. Through this work, we aim to highlight the systematic, planned, and organized concealment of mass killings and the role of the highest military, police, and political structures of the Republic of Srpska during the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our goal is to compare and point out the similarities in the actions and to show that these actions and activities were not the result of individual decisions but were made at the highest level. Additionally, we will highlight the consequences of these actions in terms of the difficulty of finding, exhuming, and identifying the victims.
Resistance to Memorialization and Judicial Truth: A Measure of Their Power
Resistance to Memorialization and Judicial Truth: A Measure of Their Power
(Resistance to Memorialization and Judicial Truth: A Measure of Their Power)
- Author(s):Rosa Aloisi, Jayden Salter
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Law and Transitional Justice, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Historical revisionism, Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:171-214
- No. of Pages:44
- Keywords:Memorials; judicial truth; political rhetoric; denial;
- Summary/Abstract:On May 23, 2024, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 78/282, designating July 11 as the ‘International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica’ (hereafter the Resolution). Co-sponsored by Germany and Rwanda and supported by over 2,000 organizations, the Resolution constitutes a significant instrument for the institutionalization of historical memory. However, the measure faced significant opposition from Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and the President of the Republika Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s political entity, Milorad Dodik. These leaders characterized the institutionalized memorialization as a politicized assault on Serbian sovereignty, arguing that such initiatives serve to exacerbate ethnic hostilities and undermine regional stability rather than facilitate reconciliation. This represents a recent instance where the international community’s efforts to utilize memorialization as a tool for reconciliation have been subverted into a political weapon. It also represents one of the many tools of denials and revisionism that are constantly used to rewrite the historical and legal truth established in countless judicial pages and archival testimonies. This contribution suggests that denial is a powerful interconnected net of actions, all contributing to the dismantlement of established legal and historical truth. We plan to systematically analyze some of the legal truth established by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and three different types of denialism that we call “urban,” “literary,” and “political.” Through the assessment of the historical evolution of sites of memorialization, the publications of former convicts, and the statements of leaders, this contribution provides a complex, layered account of denialism and of its dangers.
Denying Genocide, Undermining Peace: Serbia, Russia, and the Assault on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denying Genocide, Undermining Peace: Serbia, Russia, and the Assault on Bosnia and Herzegovina
(Denying Genocide, Undermining Peace: Serbia, Russia, and the Assault on Bosnia and Herzegovina)
- Author(s):Edina Bećirević
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Historical revisionism, Politics of History/Memory, Politics and Identity, Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:217-234
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:genocide denial; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Serbia; Republika Srpska; Russia; secessionism; historical revisionism;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper analyzes the coordinated roles of Serbia, the regime of Milorad Dodik in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Republika Srpska entity, and Russia in destabilizing Bosnia and Herzegovina through the promotion of genocide denial and support for secessionist ambitions. It argues that denial of the genocide committed against Bosniaks is not merely a revisionist narrative, but part of a broader political strategy aimed at undermining the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina and delegitimizing Bosniak national identity. Drawing parallels with Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and its denial of Ukrainian statehood and nationhood, the paper situates the political alignment among Serbia, the Dodik regime in Republika Srpska, and Russia within a broader global pattern in which authoritarian states use historical denialism as a geopolitical instrument. Through an analysis of political discourse, international alignments, and diplomatic obstruction, the paper demonstrates how this alignment normalizes historical revisionism, emboldens secessionist rhetoric, and threatens the long-term stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.
Institucionalizirano sjećanje nasuprot institucionaliziranom negiranju: Političke implikacije Rezolucije A/ RES/78/282
Institucionalizirano sjećanje nasuprot institucionaliziranom negiranju: Političke implikacije Rezolucije A/ RES/78/282
(Institutionalized Memory versus Institutionalized Denial: The Political Implications of Resolution A/RES/78/282)
- Author(s):Hikmet Karčić, Ben Gerstein
- Language:Bosnian
- Subject(s):Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Historical revisionism, Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia, Court case
- Page Range:235-256
- No. of Pages:22
- Keywords:Srebrenica genocide; genocide denial; Resolution A/RES/78/282; United Nations;
- Summary/Abstract:The paper analyzes the political and normative significance of United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/78/282 (2024), which designates 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Srebrenica Genocide. The Resolution reaffirms the judicially established fact that genocide was committed against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, condemns its denial and the glorification of convicted war criminals, and thereby situates Srebrenica within a broader global memorial framework. The paper demonstrates that the adoption of the Resolution provoked strong political opposition in Serbia and Republika Srpska, where genocide denial has become an institutionalized political practice. Particular attention is devoted to the international dimension of denial, including the failure of the 2015 United Nations Security Council resolution. In conclusion, the paper argues that the 2024 Resolution constitutes an important normative instrument in the struggle against revisionism, but that its long-term effectiveness depends on its integration into educational, political, and memorial policies at both regional and international levels.
Srebrenica: Lessons Learned and Unlearned
Srebrenica: Lessons Learned and Unlearned
(Srebrenica: Lessons Learned and Unlearned)
- Author(s):Benjamin Valentino
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Inter-Ethnic Relations, Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:257-279
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Srebrenica; mass atrocities; genocide; “ethnic cleansing”; atrocity prevention; international intervention; refugee protection;
- Summary/Abstract:This chapter reexamines the Srebrenica genocide as a key case for understanding mass atrocities in the post–Cold War era. Rather than offering a detailed narrative, it distills broader lessons and situates them within the wider context of 1990s conflicts, including the Rwandan genocide. Valentino argues that, despite advances in scholarship, these lessons have not been consistently applied in policy and prevention efforts. The chapter highlights four core insights: the persistent failure to anticipate atrocities; the integration of mass violence into wartime strategy, particularly in campaigns of “ethnic cleansing”; the limitations of “ancient hatreds” explanations in accounting for such violence; and the ineffectiveness of international measures such as sanctions, peacekeeping, and legal accountability when not backed by credible force.It concludes by emphasizing refugee protection as a crucial, though often overlooked, means of saving lives during mass violence. Overall, the chapter underscores the gap between knowledge and practice, showing how the lessons of Srebrenica remain only partially learned.
Pisati nakon Srebrenice: Gramatika tuge i etika svjedočenja
Pisati nakon Srebrenice: Gramatika tuge i etika svjedočenja
(Writing After Srebrenica: The Grammar of Grief and the Ethics of Witnessing)
- Author(s):Hariz Halilovich
- Language:Bosnian
- Subject(s):Studies of Literature, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Historical revisionism, Wars in Jugoslavia, Sociology of Literature
- Page Range:283-318
- No. of Pages:36
- Keywords:genocide; testimony; moral resistance; ethics of witnessing;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper examines testimonial literature produced after the genocide in Srebrenica as a crucial space of ethical witnessing, moral resistance, and the shaping of collective memory. While survivor testimonies have played a decisive role in legal and forensic reconstructions of the genocide, the paper demonstrates that literary and autobiographical forms of testimony transcend strictly legal frameworks, engaging deeper affective and ethical dimensions of mass violence. Drawing on memoirs, essays, and poetry written by survivors, the analysis explores how trauma is translated into language through a “grammar of grief” — a fragmented, restrained, and often incomplete mode of expression that articulates loss and the experience of survival without offering final resolution or closure within a coherent narrative form. Situating the analyzed texts within broader debates on testimony, memory, and ethics after atrocity, the paper argues that narration functions not only as a means of personal survival but also as an active intervention in contested fields of historical truth and collective remembrance. Testimonial literature after Srebrenica thus emerges in a liminal space between silence and speech, fact and affect, individual experience and collective responsibility. Within this in-between space, memory is shaped as a continuous ethical practice rather than a finished and closed representation of the past. By foregrounding the voices of survivors, the paper emphasizes their agency — that is, their capacity for action and resistance — in shaping how Srebrenica is remembered across generations, and argues that writing after Srebrenica constitutes a powerful form of moral resistance to denial and relativization.
Od šutnje do sjećanja: Uloga kulture u održavanju sjećanja na genocid u Srebrenici i oko nje
Od šutnje do sjećanja: Uloga kulture u održavanju sjećanja na genocid u Srebrenici i oko nje
(From Silence to Remembrance: The Role of Culture in Sustaining the Memory of the Genocide in and around Srebrenica)
- Author(s):Sarina Bakić
- Language:Bosnian
- Subject(s):Sociology of Culture, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Historical revisionism, Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:319-337
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:Srebrenica Genocide; role of culture; active participation; cultural practices; culture countering nationalist narratives;
- Summary/Abstract:The genocide in and around Srebrenica remains a serious and devastating event in the history of Europe. Yet, despite its undeniable historical significance, the struggle to preserve its memory continues to be fraught with political, social, and cultural challenges. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethnic divisions are deeply entrenched, the commemoration of Srebrenica’s victims is not merely an act of remembrance but a battlefield for shaping collective identity and historical truth. The role of culture in keeping the memory of Srebrenica alive is multifaceted, serving as both a means of personal and collective healing and as a powerful tool against the politics of denial and distortion. Despite widespread international recognition of this atrocity, efforts to preserve its memory face continuous challenges, including the already created culture of denial and political manipulation. This article explores the crucial role of culture in the process of memory-keeping and remembrance in post-conflict Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through an examination of cultural practices such as art, literature, music, memorials, and education, this study investigates how cultural expressions shape collective memory, challenge denial, and contribute to the long-term and challenging process of reconciliation. By analysing how survivors and local communities engage with these cultural forms, the author underscores how culture serves as a tool for both personal healing and collective identity formation. Furthermore, it addresses the importance of culture in countering nationalist narratives that seek to obscure or diminish the scale of the Srebrenica Genocide.
A Memory Journey: Road Tour from Sarajevo to Srebrenica
A Memory Journey: Road Tour from Sarajevo to Srebrenica
(A Memory Journey: Road Tour from Sarajevo to Srebrenica)
- Author(s):Hasan Nuhanović
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Transformation Period (1990 - 2010), Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:339-361
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Bosnia; Genocide; Srebrenica; Memory; Mass graves;
- Summary/Abstract:This paper offers a personal and ethnographic account of traveling the Romanija route from the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo to Srebrenica—a road imbued with layers of trauma, memory, and post-genocide silence. Through an autobiographical lens, the author reconstructs a “memory journey” that intertwines personal grief and loss with the collective memory of Bosniak survivors, many of whom were displaced or otherwise affected by the atrocities committed during the Bosnian war (1992–1995). As the journey moves through towns and village on this route, the paper documents specific sites of massacres, disappearances, and war crimes—places that remain largely invisible or unacknowledged by the local Serb population and broader public. Drawing on theoretical insights from memory studies, the narrative emphasizes how landscapes become repositories of pain and remembrance, and how acts of silent or selective forgetting perpetuate the divisions of Bosnia’s postwar society. The journey, while practical in function, becomes a ritual of mourning, resistance, and remembrance. It explores how survivors navigate physical and symbolic spaces of trauma, grappling with the enduring presence of the past in everyday geographies. Ultimately, the paper illustrates that for many Bosniak survivors, the simple act of driving from Sarajevo to Srebrenica becomes a deeply embodied, political act of memory work—where time becomes place, and landscapes speak of lives lost and justice deferred.
Srebrenica, Never Again to No-one and Nowhere: An Action-Oriented Approach to Genocide Education
Srebrenica, Never Again to No-one and Nowhere: An Action-Oriented Approach to Genocide Education
(Srebrenica, Never Again to No-one and Nowhere: An Action-Oriented Approach to Genocide Education)
- Author(s):Kim Sadique
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Sociology of Education, Politics of History/Memory, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:363-382
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:Genocide education; pedagogy; memorial museums; Srebrenica; action-oriented; empowerment;
- Summary/Abstract:Genocide education is intended to be a transformative experience, encouraging visitors to prevent its reoccurrence. However, it rarely focuses on ‘Never Again’ but rather emphasises memorialisation, or ‘Never Forget’. This paper explores the experiences of visitors to, and guide-educators in, two memorial museums. It considers differing pedagogical approaches and suggests ways visitors can be empowered to take a more ‘activist’ position and work towards ‘Never Again’.
We Wish You to Know That Our Future Is Not Frozen in Destruction
We Wish You to Know That Our Future Is Not Frozen in Destruction
(We Wish You to Know That Our Future Is Not Frozen in Destruction)
- Author(s):Rafiki Ubaldo
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Political history, Politics of History/Memory, Peace and Conflict Studies, Wars in Jugoslavia
- Page Range:383-391
- No. of Pages:9
- Keywords:memory; peace; future; genocide; destruction; survivors; cows; time; space; peacebuilding;
- Summary/Abstract:This piece of experimental writing3 illustrates the collapsing time and space between the stories of memory and loss among the survivors of the genocides against the Tutsi in Rwanda and Bosniaks in the former Yugoslavia. It provocatively comments on the destruction of cultural symbolism at the heart of those debates about the work of memory after genocide. Indeed, it problematizes the work of memory in post-genocide peacebuilding. Ultimately, it is a piece of experimental writing that pays attention to the resolve and resilience of survivors of genocide. This resilience may take different shapes in different situations, but it is observable across the cases.
