‘Reporting War’, which opened on Wednesday, spotlights how some media in former Yugoslavia actively paved the way for conflict by fuelling fear and deepening divisions in society.
A BIRN exhibition examining the role of media in the violent breakup of Yugoslavia opened on Wednesday at the History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo, drawing a diverse audience of members of the public, civil society organisations, diplomats, academics, and journalists.
Reporting War: The Role of the Media in the Collapse of Yugoslavia explores how segments of the media in the former Yugoslavia moved beyond reporting events to actively shaping the conditions for conflict.
Through curated materials, the exhibition highlights how narratives rooted in historical grievances were amplified to fuel fear, deepen divisions and normalise violence.
Rather than portraying journalists as neutral observers, the exhibition presents a more complex and at times troubling picture, one in which media outlets contributed to the polarisation of society and the erosion of multiethnic coexistence. It frames propaganda not as a byproduct of war, but as a precursor that helped make violence appear both justified and inevitable.
Alongside this, the exhibition offers a contrasting perspective through the work of foreign correspondents who reported from the region during the 1990s. Using contact sheets and field notes, it captures fragments of their daily lives and professional routines, reflecting a generation of reporters some of whom described the Yugoslav wars as “our Vietnam”.
Set against today’s global media environment, marked by algorithm-driven information flows, declining trust in traditional outlets, and increasing hostility toward perceived “outsiders”, the exhibition raises questions about the power of media narratives and their capacity to shape political realities.
The exhibition is open to the public every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the History Museum in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
*The exhibition is implemented as part of the project Reporting Culture: Connecting Communities for Change, supported by the Regional Office of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in Tirana. It is carried out by BIRN Hub under the “Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans” (CC4WBs) grant scheme, a European Union-funded initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and strengthening the cultural and creative sectors across the region.
On March 30, the fourth Anti-Corruption Forum, “EU by 2028? Crypto, Malign Influence and Disinformation,” organised by BIRN Montenegro, called on the authorities to focus on substantive reforms, strength independent institutions and combat corruption and hybrid threats in the final phase of the country’s European integration.
Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic said the country must develop mechanisms to identify hybrid activities and malign influence, warning that disinformation should not be spread by decision-makers.
“Never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate goal of hybrid activity is for citizens to lose trust in institutions. Consequently, this undermines the strategic vision of becoming a full member of the EU,” Milatovic said.
“We should work on strengthening independent institutions and establishing stronger oversight of the crypto market. It is becoming increasingly difficult to track suspicious financial flows in the world of virtual assets, offshore arrangements and complex ownership structures that obscure the identification of beneficial owners,” he added.
BIRN Montenegro Director Vuk Maras said that EU membership represents a historic opportunity for Montenegro, while stressing that the process requires broad cooperation.
“EU accession should not be just a box-ticking exercise but a genuine step towards improving quality of life and the rule of law,” Maras said.
Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanovic said the biggest challenge in accession negotiations is securing final court verdicts in organised crime and high-level corruption cases. Supreme Court President Valentina Pavlicic warned that a lack of judicial staff represents a serious obstacle to concluding those cases.
During the forum discussions, civic activists and government and state institutions representatives called for the regulation of cryptocurrencies, warning that legal gaps could be misused in money-laundering schemes.
They also urged strengthening independent regulators in the fight against disinformation and ensuring a systemic and active response to malign influence.
BIRN Kosovo and Internews Kosova have launched two publications shedding light on disinformation trends and the legal gaps that enable their spread in Kosovo.
Presented on March 27 in Pristina under the Media Integrity and Disinformation Watch project, supported by the British Embassy in Kosovo, the conference brought together policymakers, media professionals and researchers to confront the scale and complexity of the issue.
At the centre of the event were two reports: Mapping Disinformation: Russian and Serbian Narratives in the Media and Social Networks in Kosovo and The Unstandardized Fight Against Disinformation: A Needs Analysis for Legal and Strategic Changes. Together, their key findings show that disinformation targeting Kosovo is not random, but structured, persistent, and strategically driven.
The Mapping Disinformation report finds that misleading narratives, largely originating from Russian and Serbian sources, are designed to exploit interethnic tensions, fuel insecurity and gradually undermine social cohesion. These narratives circulate across television, online media and platforms like Telegram, increasingly powered by artificial intelligence to scale their reach and adapt across languages. Global crises are routinely repurposed to reinforce false claims, while parts of the local media amplify the problem by republishing questionable sources. The influence landscape is also widening, with actors like China stepping in through Albanian-language content. All of this is compounded by structural weaknesses, limited transparency in media funding, weak editorial controls, and low institutional capacity, creating fertile ground for disinformation to spread.
The legal analysis shows that while Kosovo’s legislation was once aligned with EU standards, it has since fallen behind, particularly in regulating digital platforms and ensuring media accountability. The absence of a national strategy, combined with poor institutional coordination, has resulted in a reactive rather than preventive approach. Public officials and media professionals often lack the tools and clarity needed to respond effectively, while opaque media ownership and weak cooperation with global platforms further delay action against harmful content.
The reports were presented by Kreshnik Gashi, editor-in-chief at Kallxo.com and Visar Prebeza, editor at Krypomerti who emphasized the cyclical nature of disinformation. Gashi noted that much of the content reaching Kosovo audiences originates from Russian state-linked media, only to be republished or adapted locally. Prebeza added that the Kremlin maintains a steady interest in daily developments in Kosovo, consistently reframing them through a disinformation lens.
Labinot Leposhtica, Head of the Legal Office and Court Monitoring Coordinator at BIRN Kosovo, stressed that transparency in media ownership, financing, and advertising is critical to safeguarding the integrity of public information, warning that without it, accountability remains largely superficial.
Addressing the conference, British Ambassador Jonathan Hargreaves highlighted how disinformation is becoming increasingly difficult to detect, particularly with the rise of AI-generated content. He warned that such narratives deliberately target social cohesion, interethnic relations, trust in elections and the credibility of Kosovo’s still-consolidating institutions, slowly eroding stability through continuous and subtle pressure.
Albulena Haxhiu, Speaker of the Kosovo Parliament, said that in today’s fragmented and often unregulated media environment, disinformation is no longer accidental but carefully planned and strategically distributed across multiple channels, frequently without clear authorship or accountability. In such conditions, she noted, institutional responses remain scattered, uncoordinated, and ultimately insufficient.
This conference gathered representatives from Kosovo’s parliament, legal officers, representatives from security and justice institutions, media and civil society. In total, there were 54 participants, 27 women and 27 men.
The BIRN report examines how Kosovo implemented early intervention measures under its National Strategy for the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism (2023–2028) between November 2024 and November 2025, and finds a clear gap between national policy and local practice. While the strategy emphasizes prevention, its execution at the municipal level remains slow, fragmented, and largely formal rather than operational.
Based on interviews, surveys, and institutional data, the report identifies key structural weaknesses: poor communication between central and local authorities, lack of standardized reporting and unified guidelines, delays in establishing functional referral mechanisms, and a serious shortage of psycho-social professionals in schools. Critically, there is also an absence of empirical risk assessments, meaning institutions lack evidence on which communities or groups are most vulnerable to radicalization.
A central finding is that Kosovo’s approach is still largely reactive: focused on arrests, rather than preventive. Municipalities, which should serve as the first line of defense, are often not properly informed or equipped to implement the strategy. The referral mechanism, a key tool for identifying and supporting at-risk individuals, is barely operational, and the education system lacks the capacity to detect early warning signs due to understaffing.
The report also highlights a significant geographical and ethnic divide, noting that Serb-majority municipalities, especially in the north, are largely excluded from national prevention efforts.
Overall, the report concludes that without stronger coordination, better data, increased mental health capacities, and full integration of municipalities into implementation, Kosovo’s shift toward proactive prevention of violent extremism will remain incomplete
From studying international politics to joining BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH) in 2014 and her current position of Head of Programmes – and playing basketball to relax – these are some of the moments from Katarina Zrinjski’s everyday life. Let’s meet her!
One reason why Katarina enrolled at the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Belgrade was because she didn’t know then what she wanted to do for a living.
“I studied international politics, which gave me a broad education in several fields related to social sciences. That suited me perfectly while I was figuring out what I wanted to become,” she says.
“Just before joining the MA program in Peace Studies, I realised that transitional justice was the field I wanted to explore further. Peace Studies definitely showed me the direction I wanted my career to take,” Katarina adds.
After completing her studies, she worked at the Humanitarian Law Center (HLC) in Belgrade for almost three years before joining BIRN BiH.
“My position was in outreach for HLC, as well as coordinating the REKOM process. That was actually my first contact with BIRN BiH, as we were receiving press clippings related to transitional justice topics from the former Yugoslavia — and the majority of articles from BiH were BIRN BiH court reports,” she recalls.
“Just a few months after I left HLC, I got a call from the former BIRN BiH director asking if I would be interested in joining the team. Within two weeks, I moved to Sarajevo.”
But when she started to work at BIRN as a Project Officer in 2014, she didn’t know what to expect. Her relocation to a new country, city and job happened in less than two week – a challenge in every sense.
“I was excited about everything: exploring a new environment and taking on new tasks one by one. Very quickly, my role became more like that of a project manager than a project officer, as I was responsible for the whole project portfolios,” she recalls.
“When I joined BIRN BiH, transitional justice was the main and only field we worked on. Within the next year-and-a-half, we were already covering topics such as corruption, terrorism and the rule of law. It felt like BIRN BiH’s growth was mirroring my own, and I loved that process. It set standards from the very beginning – that we, as an organisation and I as an individual, must always strive for more. That’s still the case today,” Katarina explains.
Her professional path led her to the Head of Programmes position. Since this is a new role, which no one held before, Katarina created the Terms of Reference for the position herself.
“The idea was to have one person responsible for planning and overseeing all projects, ensuring they align with the organisation’s strategic goals. Personally, I want to make things a bit easier for the editorial, finance, and executive leadership teams by assisting them however I can. We’ll see how this role develops, but I know I’m 100-per-cent ready for new challenges, and I’m truly grateful for this opportunity,” she says.
BIRN BiH has three main programmes that have evolved over the years: transitional justice, rule of law and foreign influence. Transitional justice, Katarina’s favourite, has remained BIRN BiH’s core focus.
“We are still the only organisation reporting on every war-crime trial related to BiH, which makes our archive invaluable,” she notes.
The second programme, which is becoming increasingly relevant, is on foreign malign influence in BiH. “We’ve produced several investigations that have had a major public impact and prompted reactions from institutions,” she says.
“For example, our journalists uncovered ways of recruitment in the Russian army and revealed that two Russian diplomats, expelled from European countries after the invasion of Ukraine, were accredited in Russia’s diplomatic mission in BiH — a story that drew international attention,” Zrinjski notes.
When it comes to the rule of law, BIRN BiH’s reports have prompted dozens of investigations by prosecutors’ offices and even verdicts in serious crime cases.
“We’re also the only organisation reporting on disciplinary proceedings against members of the judiciary. Recently, after a tragic tram accident in Sarajevo that claimed one life, we discovered that the tender documentation for tram maintenance didn’t require relevant experience – an example of how our journalists uncover systemic issues,” she says.
“I can confidently say BIRN BiH has become a respected organisation, both domestically and internationally, and is now a key player in monitoring and reporting on Bosnia’s most important social and political issues,” Katarina adds.
If she had to explain what BIRN BiH represents to someone unfamiliar with it, she would summarize it in its mission statement: “In our relentless pursuit of truth and justice, we stand as guardians of democracy, ensuring that the voices of the voiceless are heard and that the lessons of history are never forgotten.”
Katarina and Denis Dzidic, a BIRN BiH Director
“This reflects the core drive behind our work. Although it’s often emotionally challenging and demanding, the satisfaction we feel when we see the impact of our work is priceless,” she says.
“Our greatest strength, besides the amazing professionals at BIRN BiH, is the trust we’ve earned from many different groups – from victims and their families to partner NGOs, fellow journalists, the international community, and even public institutions that see us as a trustworthy partner in our shared mission to improve life in BiH,” Katarina thinks.
However, she believes that there is still room for improvement.
“My mantra is that we can always do better. No matter how good we are, if we relax, we create space for mistakes. That’s why we constantly work to improve, to grow, and to find new ways to present our work. It’s a joint effort by many people at BIRN BiH, and I do my best to make these processes as smooth as possible,” Katarina says.
Some things make her most proud, such as how BIRN BiH continues to touch people with their stories, by motivating them to speak up, share, and trying to make a difference.
“I’m also incredibly proud of how important BIRN BiH has become. I truly believe that if we stopped working tomorrow, the impact on Bosnian society would be profound. It might not be visible immediately, but in the long run, our critical and constructive presence would be deeply missed,” Katarina reflects.
For all young people who would like to work at BIRN, she has one piece of advice: “Be prepared to work hard.”
In her personal life, she thinks she’s the same person privately as she is at work – with the same ambition and dedication to the people and things she loves.
“Nothing compares to spending time with my family; that’s when I’m most relaxed and happy. When I need to clear my head, I grab a basketball and shoot hoops at a nearby court,” she concludes.
The tailored, intensive training was structured to serve justice professionals in their daily work, including cases related to terrorism, extremism, and radicalism. On the first day of training, the participants were presented with the agenda, trainers, and details of the training.
During the second day, the training followed by a technical deep dive into Kosovo’s national counter-terrorism strategies and legal frameworks, achievements, challenges, and current affairs. The afternoon session shifted toward the rising threat of right-wing extremism, where participants analyzed the development of these ideologies and engaged in a hands-on simulation of a strategic investigation based on a staged terrorist incident. The sessions were led by Luan Keka, Director of the Kosovo Police Unit on Anti-terrorism, and Nexdet Haxhaj, a Kosovo Police Investigator with the Unit on Anti-terrorism.
On the third day, participants focused on research and the technical definitions of terror-related crimes. Burim Ademi, a Supreme Court Judge, led a session defining terrorism as a criminal offense, specifically examining the roles of terrorist groups and individuals in executing these acts. On the second part of the day, the focus shifted toward the global and regional landscape of violent extremism with Luan Keka detailing the development of religious extremism, while Special Prosecutor Naim Abazi discussed the critical legal hurdles regarding the admissibility of evidence in urgent cases and the importance of sentencing hearings. The afternoon was dedicated to practical application which included group work on investigating international religious extremism cases moderated by Kreshnik Gashi and Nexhdet Haxhaj.
On the final day of the training, the lectures were focused on the logistical, financial, and communicative aspects of countering terrorism. The morning session began with a presentation on research results, specifically examining how pre-sentencing report mechanisms are utilized in terrorism-related convictions. Following this, the sessions delved into the technical and strategic side of enforcement:Financial and Criminal Intersections with Supreme Court Judge Burim Ademi who led a session detailing the various methods used to finance terrorism and the ways these activities intersect with organized criminal groups. Preventative Programs: Besim Hasani from the Intelligence Unit discussed the development of the “Chanel” program in Kosovo, highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced by multidisciplinary teams at the local level.
This training was attended by 31 participants, including 16 prosecutors and judges. The participants have actively engaged in this training by sharing experiences and posing questions on how to effectively deal with terrorism and violent extremism.The training was part of the ‘Resilient and Inclusive Communities Program” funded by GCERF.
Seven journalists and investigative teams shared the three prizes for best investigative stories at the jubilee 25th edition of the investigative journalism awards, organised by the Macedonian Institute for Media, MIM.
The report ‘Campaign Financing for the 2025 Parliamentary Elections in Albania: Sources, Expenditures and Reporting Transparency’ analyses official financial reports submitted to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), combining structured datasets with comparative financial analysis to identify key trends in campaign expenditures, sources of funding and reporting inconsistencies that influence the transparency of electoral competition.
First prize went to stories investigating the causes of the fire at the nightclub in Kocani. The Investigative Reporting Lab, IRL, was awarded for the story “Kochani – Our Moral Compromise”. The team behind the programme “KOD”, broadcast on Telma TV, was recognised for its series of investigations on the same topic, while Fokus journalist Irena Mulachka was awarded for an article that revealed the secret owner of the agency Rubikon.
Second prize was awarded to the team of Prizma/BIRN Macedonia for the database “Religious Properties Uncovered” and the investigations stemming from it, and to the journalists Aleksandar Metodijev and Suzana Mitseva for the series “Coal at the Crossroads”.
Third prize was shared by journalist Fisnik Djelili for a story on the misuse of funds for the treatment of stray dogs in Tetovo, published by the portal Portalb, and Aleksandar Dimitrievski for the story “Police Special Forces to Be Dressed by a Women’s Fashion Studio and a Company Registered Before the Tender”, published in the TV magazine 360 Degrees.
Certificates of recognition were awarded to Miroslava Simonovska and Frosina Fakova Serafinovic from Sloboden Pechat, to Bjanka Stankovic for a story published in the magazine Lice v Lice, and to Slavica Filipovska Ivanova and Mihail Miloshevski from 360 Degrees.
The awards recognise exceptional professional dedication, investigative persistence and a strong commitment to the public interest.
The Macedonian Institute for Media has been presenting best investigative story awards since 2001. Marking the 25th anniversary, a panel discussion was also organised on the challenges and future of investigative journalism in North Macedonia, featuring representatives of the five investigative newsrooms that have won the most awards so far.
BIRN Albania has published a new analytical report examining the financial statements submitted by political parties and electoral subjects for the 11 May 2025 parliamentary elections in Albania, providing a detailed assessment of campaign financing patterns, spending priorities and transparency challenges affecting public oversight of political finance.
The report ‘Campaign Financing for the 2025 Parliamentary Elections in Albania: Sources, Expenditures and Reporting Transparency’ analyses official financial reports submitted to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), combining structured datasets with comparative financial analysis to identify key trends in campaign expenditures, sources of funding and reporting inconsistencies that influence the transparency of electoral competition.
According to the report, electoral subjects declared approximately 485 million ALL (around €4.9 million) in campaign expenditures. Financial resources were strongly concentrated among the two largest political blocs, which together accounted for more than 88% of total campaign spending, confirming a pronounced structural imbalance in campaign financing between major political actors and smaller electoral subjects.
The analysis shows that campaign spending was primarily directed toward a limited number of strategic categories related to political communication and campaign management, including consultancy services, media advertising, social media promotion and campaign rallies. Consultancy services and media represented the largest spending categories, much of it concentrated among a limited number of providers.
At the same time, the report finds that campaign financing in Albania continues to rely primarily on internal party resources and public funding allocations, while contributions from individual donors represent a comparatively smaller share of reported income. Approximately two-thirds of declared campaign income falls within the category of internally generated party funds, a classification that often includes transfers from party structures and previously accumulated financial reserves. However, the report highlights that this category remains one of the least transparent components of campaign financing, as detailed source breakdowns are frequently not provided in financial statements.
While political parties formally complied with reporting obligations established under Albania’s electoral framework, the report identifies several structural limitations affecting the accessibility, comparability and completeness of campaign finance information, including limited standardisation of expenditure descriptions, insufficient detail regarding certain categories such as consultancy and social media services, and restricted availability of machine-readable datasets for independent analysis by civil society and researchers.
The findings provide an evidence-based contribution to ongoing discussions on political finance transparency and electoral integrity safeguards in Albania, particularly in light of recent legislative amendments affecting campaign expenditure ceilings and reporting obligations. By systematising financial data submitted to the Central Electoral Commission, the report supports efforts by institutions, civil society organisations and international partners to strengthen oversight mechanisms and improve the transparency of campaign financing practices.
This report was prepared by BIRN Albania with the support of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), within the framework of the project “Western Balkans Framework: Investing in Democratic Resilience”, funded by the FCDO through the British Embassy in Tirana.
Workshop in Sarajevo focused on challenges in reliably collecting, verifying and preserving evidence in increasingly digital and high-risk environments.
A three-day regional workshop on documenting and archiving human rights violations and international crimes concluded in Sarajevo this week, bringing together around 20 participants from across the Western Balkans to strengthen skills in open-source investigation and transitional justice practices.
Organised by BIRN Hub in collaboration with Mnemonic, the workshop combined legal, archival and digital investigation methodologies to address one of the most pressing challenges in contemporary accountability efforts – how to reliably collect, verify, and preserve evidence in increasingly digital and high-risk environments.
The first day was dedicated to transitional justice mechanisms, with an emphasis on the role of archiving and documentation. BIRN Senior Project Manager Nejra Mulaomerovic introduced participants to the core pillars of transitional justice, alongside an exploration of the critical role archives play in advancing justice and accountability.
The critical role of archives in supporting justice processes was highlighted. Researcher and consultant Lily Radwan explored how documentation contributes to truth-telling, memorialisation and survivor recognition with a Syria case study; criminal law expert Professor Goran Simic examined the use of archival material as evidence in war-crimes trials, underscoring its importance for strengthening the rule of law.
Practical exercises aimed to translate complex transitional justice concepts into accessible public narratives, developing scripts and communication approaches tailored for wider audiences.
As a result of the workshop, BIRN produced a series of short video reels explaining the main pillars of transitional justice, aimed at making these concepts more accessible to a wider public audience.
The second day shifted to the technical and methodological foundations of open-source investigations, OSINT, led by Mnemonic director Hadi al Khatib. Through a structured workflow grounded in international standards, such as the Berkeley Protocol and the Murad Code, participants were introduced to principles of reliability, provenance and reproducibility in digital investigations.
Sessions guided participants through source mapping in high-risk environments, digital archiving techniques and the development of metadata schemas to ensure the integrity and usability of collected materials.
Emphasis was placed on documenting not only content but also context and decision-making processes – key components for ensuring evidentiary value. Participants applied these methods in practical verification exercises, analysing digital content through source assessment, corroboration and geo-temporal indicators.
The workshop concluded with sessions on ethical and legal considerations, focusing on “do no harm” principles, data protection and the responsible handling of sensitive material. A forward-looking discussion on the use of Artificial Intelligence in open-source investigations addressed both its potential and its risks, particularly around bias and misinformation.
The workshop aimed not only to build technical capacity but also to foster a regional network of practitioners equipped to document violations in a way that supports accountability, safeguards affected communities and preserves historical record.
Workshop Overview and Participant Breakdown
Dates and place: 11-13 March 2026, Sarajevo
Number of participants per country:
Kosovo 5
Montenegro 2
Serbia 5
BiH 12
Germany 1
Total number of participants: 25
The full findings and activities are available in the EDS Report, which can be accessed here.
On March 13, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina, BIRN BiH, the Srebrenica-Potocari Memorial Centre, the Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education, and the Ministry of Education of the Sarajevo Canton concluded a Memorandum of Cooperation on strengthening the quality of teaching about the wartime past and developing a responsible approach to teaching about sensitive historical topics.
The cooperation is focused on improving the methodological approach to history teaching about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 through the use of judicially established facts and relevant sources.
“It is important that students learn about the genocide and war crimes based on judicially established facts and credible sources. Such cooperation further strengthens professional support for teachers and contributes to the development of a responsible approach to teaching about these topics as an important part of building a culture of remembrance in the upbringing and educational system,” said Sarajevo Canton’s education minister, Naida Hota-Muminovic.
Teachers and schools in the canton will have access to professional resources and educational material based on verdicts of international and domestic courts, including the Database of Judicially Established Facts about the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina developed by BIRN BiH, as well as manuals and educational content developed in collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre.
With the support of the UN Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, BIRN BiH, together with the Srebrenica Memorial Centre and the Association of Forgotten Children of War, is implementing the project “Building Long-Term Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Investing in the Future”, which aims to transform the way young people learn about the war in Bosnia through facts, empathy, understanding and a multimedia approach.
As part of the project, the database was created, based on which the manual on “How to Learn and Teach about the War in Bosnia and Herzegovina” was developed.
“By signing the Memorandum of Cooperation, we have institutionalized support for history teachers at the level of the Sarajevo Canton, and put the materials developed by BIRN BiH at disposal. In this way, we support the improvement of education in the field of studying war history in a factual, objective, multimedia, and multi-perspective manner,” said BIRN BiH’s Executive Director, Denis Dzidic. “This form of cooperation is also an important step in the process of exchanging experiences and good practices and building long-term peace,” he added.
The Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre, Emir Suljagic, said the Memorandum represents an important institutional step in improving education about the genocide and the culture of remembrance in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“Education about the genocide and war crimes must be a systematic part of the educational process through the development of educational programmes and teaching content that allow young generations to understand historical facts,” Suljagic said.
The Memorandum foresees the organisation of professional training for teachers and professional associates, the exchange of teaching materials and professional consultations, as well as support for teachers in the preparation and implementation of lessons about the war in Bosnia and the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.
“The Institute for the Development of Pre-University Education of the Sarajevo Canton will provide professional and methodological support to teachers so that the teaching process is based on verified, judicially established facts, and contemporary didactic approaches,” said the Institute Director, Senada Salihovic.
To create the Database, several hundred final court judgements were analyzed, including decisions of the Hague war-crimes tribunal, ICTY, the Bosnian state court, and other courts from Bosnia as well as the region relating to war crimes committed in the 1992-1995 period.
Last year, the Sarajevo Canton education ministry presented a revised and extended edition of teaching materials on the history of the war in Bosnia, the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica genocide, which have been integrated into primary and secondary school curricula in the canton.
