Prijedor, Banja Luka, Brčko, Bijeljina, Zvornik, Srebrenica, Sarajevo,Sokolac, Foča, Sarajevo, Čapljina,Velika Kladuša. These are just some of the prison camps in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Many times I stop and catch myself thinking for hours about how much evil and hatred is needed to commit such crimes.How much fear, difference, insensitivity and lack of humanity is needed to commit a war crime and a crime against humanity.
Then I remember Srebrenica… and the number ofmen systematically killed in cold blood. The conclusion: we will not forget, let alone forgive. As much as everyone felt that one is good, honest – for that much hate it feels the only answer is hate, withdrawal within their group, in itself, isolation from others and those who are different.
„Men often hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they can not communicate; they can not communicate because they are separated.“[1]
„Emotions are a mainstay of ideology, then propaganda. I wonder how the relatives, neighbors, friends started shooting at each other. Is it possible that the victimization of ‘their’ people divided us into folds and depersonification of the opponent/enemy was so big that destroyed every form of humanity, and a terror set on.
Some would say that this is one of the hallmarks of totalitarianism whichrose to the prominence just before the war and during the war. It has long been known and is often argued that the propaganda and terror in totalitarian countries are two sides of the same coin.“[2]
The general terror of the population became the rule of war. Military objectives, facilities, security has been pushed to the side.The best examples of this are Sarajevo and Dubrovnik .
“The effectiveness of this kind of propaganda points out one of the main characteristic of modern masses. They do not believe in what it is obvious, in the reality of their own experience, they do not believe their eyes or their ears, but only its mass, which is ready to be by anything that is universal and internally consistent.
If you need to choose between clashing anarchic, totally arbitrary decomposition of the one, and obeying extremely rigid, insane consistency of ideology on the other hand, the masses will probably chose second option although it will result with their own death.
Masses of undefined, extemporaryand useless individuals were given the possibility of self-determination and identification”[3]
However , after the war, things do not change , and this is where we see the difference between totalitarianism and developments in the Balkans during the last war. Germans experienced catharsis , and changed the entire system.Transitional justice is brought to an enviable level. Bosnia and Herzegovina , on the other hand, is stuck there, frozen in time and space. Attitude remained the same and fascism is still present in every segment of our society .
“Substantial weakness of totalitarian propaganda come to light only at the moment of defeat . Without power of movement , its members suddenly cease to believe in the dogma which yesterday they were much more willing to give life for.
After the war, the Allies were trying to find at least one Nazi who is willing to come forward and admit it in the society where 90% at one point sincerely supported the Nazis; however, it was all their efforts remained in vain.”[4]
The main problem of nation-state is preserving its history clean. Confessing mistakes of past generations as a legacy transferred to the new generations. That and connection between the groups who committed the crimes, creates the atmosphere where there is a complete lack of the political will to prosecute crimes committed during the war.
The war has revealed all the weaknesses of our society.But young people need to create BiH and the region of the virtues we possess and which is much more than a weakness.
Project youth ambassadors of reconciliation stresses that. Youth is eager for advancement and education. They are set in a professional environment and the environment in which they can be equal to create a new society, which is free from intolerance and discrimination .
But the past should not be forgotten. Transitional justice must be made. From trials, reparations for victims, institutional reform up to the truth telling. It is precisely where I see the role of myself and other young people. Only we can change the situation in the country because they do not directly bear the burden of the war and desturction. Hate against another must be produced within us, but through the media , the environment and other methods of influence. However, it is unnatural and atypical for people. By telling the truth and having respect for the victims, we will help the entire society. Catharsis is not yet possible. Let us set off with small steps of ordinary people on a voyage to improve our lives.
The same culture, language, mentality connects us. We will never be closer to each other than we are now . The same problems beset us, which we can solve together. We should not allow colective traumas to activate again, that would lead to more conflict.
“People are changing . But for worse. It is easier to persuade people to do evil and to hate than to love and do good . Evil is attractive, and is closer to human nature. For good and love, one needs to grow and needs to work harder. There are people , though they are rare, whom neither pain nor thought destroy the serenity and simplicity. They actually make them better.[5]
