It’s why we do what we do.

Posted on May 26, 2011 by Zannah Mae

As a student of Peace and Conflict, it’s pretty easy to get jaded. It’s no wonder really: there have been a lot more failures of humanitarian interventions than successes. Even missions that have been deemed successful can be problematized by commentators from across the spectrum as too militaristic, too much like an occupation, not robust enough, or with a mandate that is too limited to be effective. As much as I know it’s naive to think that there’s a silver bullet that can solve these complex and often entrenched conflicts, sometimes it would be nice to know that something works. Continue reading →

A Silent Switch of Subject

Posted on May 21, 2011 by Aaron

For a trip undertaken by students of Peace and Conflict, the word peace was rarely heard by us. Even more rare were discussions of a positive, just, or even a sustainable peace. For that matter, the themes of rebuilding, reconciliation, or post-conflict justice were also strangely absent. While there was some uplifting talk of educational reform, especially from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the language of post-Conflict Bosnia, especially amongst the international presence there, has become focused on disentangling corrupt and muddled political institutions, and overwhelmingly toward encouraging eventual European Union succession and with it greater economic development. Continue reading →

Uncovering the Massacre of Markale Market

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Saleha

During a stroll down Mula Mustafe Baseskije street during our first full day in Sarajevo, I was immediately struck by what appeared to be an open lot in between buildings, containing rows of

The Markale Market, Sarajevo. (Source: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n2UJhp1Z9QM/Si4_EL5xySI/AAAAAAAAEwY/_NpPgp7urNM/s400/2009+Bosnia+May+16-20+185.jpg)

perfectly aligned green tables. Without a person or explanation in sight, I speculated that, given the rows of identical tables, such an establishment functioned as a marketplace or bazaar of sorts for locals. Nevertheless, the thought of this marketplace in operation, filled with all the charm and delight of the Sarajevo city centre, evoked a fleeting sense of contentment within me as I braced Continue reading →

Two Benchmarks for SSR: Representativeness and Integration

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Andrew Do

Sven Gunnar Simonsen in an article on security sector reform (SSR) that this PCS460 class read asks the question: Could [SSR] also contribute to nation-building and thereby to peace-building?  Simonsen suggests that an ethnically mixed security sector can indeed facilitate peace.  However he is cautious to point out that just because one’s security sector is ethnically representative of the population does not mean that it is well integrated, noting that “the connection between representativeness and integration is intricate.”  The observation is especially pertinent within Bosnia & Herzegovina, where the international community has been heavily involved with security sector reform in the region.  As Simonsen suggests, the international community may help enable certain outcomes with respect to SSR but their leverage is circumscribed within different domestic contexts in which they operate in.  In short, the international community can only do so much, if anything at all.

Roughly half of the PCS460 class on an early morning in Sarajevo visited the European Union (EU) Police Mission in an isolated corner of the city.  The goal of the meeting was to discuss international efforts at security sector reform within Bosnia and Herzegovina.  As we entered the EU Police Mission Continue reading →

The War Experience Interpreter: A Meeting with the Ex-Mayor of Tuzla

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Amelie

Fifteen odd years after the end of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the transition to peaceable, cohesive and functioning relations in the post-war state continues to be obstructed by a number of significant structural obstacles. In light of the dominance of these structural issues in our discussions on the Bosnian transition, we often ignore ‘micro’-level issues, like the pervasive resilience of certain mentalities. These include mentalities that have been hardened by the communist experience and by war, and their end result is often intransigence and cynicism, which can also serve to prevent a true transition.

I would like to offer a brief reflection in response to the ICM’s meeting with the ex-mayor of Tuzla Continue reading →