Prior to her role at BIRN, she focused on cultural development and programming, particularly within projects related to memorialisation, the culture of remembrance and the promotion of human rights. With over ten years of experience, her expertise lies in project development and implementation within post-conflict societies, and transitional
justice processes.
She recently enrolled on a masters degree in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
Let’s meet her.
1. Can you tell us more about yourself and the work you’re currently involved in?
My primary professional interest is transitional justice, particularly in the areas of memorialization, documentation, and the preservation of archives. As a Program Coordinator for the Balkan Transitional Justice (BTJ) program, my work involves overseeing projects that explore the media’s role in the transitional justice process. BTJ focuses on how the media can contribute to building a more informed society by utilising various tools and practices related to transitional justice in the region.
2. You recently enrolled in an academic program at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. How does this academic pursuit relate to your work at BIRN, and in what ways does your current role influence and shape your further education?
I am deeply honoured to have been accepted and awarded a full scholarship for the MAS in Transitional Justice, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law at the prestigious Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. This program is among the few of its kind globally, offering a unique blend of theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on perspectives on transitional justice practices and international
humanitarian law.
My decision to pursue this academic path has been strongly influenced by my work with BIRN, one of the oldest regional NGOs in the Balkans, which continues to focus on transitional justice in the region. The evolving political landscape and the dynamics of modern armed conflicts highlight the need for a deeper understanding of transitional justice mechanisms together with human rights, and how they are implemented. This
growing complexity has inspired me to pursue academic research in the field.
3. BIRN started an initiative called ‘Reporting House’ to create the first independent, non-profit regional exhibition and community space in the Balkans that brings the comprehensive story of the break-up of the former Yugoslavia and its aftermath to the attention of as many people as possible. How far has BIRN gone regarding this?
In keeping with BIRN’s mission to support professional and independent investigative journalism, Reporting House will focus on the role played by the media during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, both in terms of reporting on war crimes and in fanning the flames of conflict.
The BIRN team has been working on this project for the past 3 years and we gathered more than 500 artefacts, documents and audiovisual materials provided by journalists and other media workers who covered the wars, as well as by local and international institutions and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. All of these will be featured in a permanent exhibition.
The exhibition will provide powerful and moving insight into the crimes that came to characterise the Yugoslav wars – from ethnic cleansing and the military siege of towns and cities, to rape as a tool of war, detention camps, and mass graves. Visitors will learn about the warmongering of media outlets before and during the wars and about the crimes that were uncovered by journalists determined to bear witness. The project also entails a community space that will be open to the public through various initiatives and events related to media and journalism.
4. What would you like to achieve next at BIRN?
What I’m most looking forward to is the opening of the Reporting House in Sarajevo and continuing our work on archive-based projects, such as documenting mass graves in the former Yugoslavia.
5. What are you most proud of about your work in BIRN?
How we manage to turn silence into stories. In a region where the voices of survivors and human rights victims often remain buried, we try to bring their truths to light—whether through investigations or giving voice to those who thought they’d never be heard.