Encyclopaedia: ‘The Siege of Sarajevo 1992-1996’ (BH edition)

The method of creating the educational package led us to the encyclopedia format, linking concepts, people, events, photographs, and drawings that encompassed causes and consequences, and followed the course of a new phenomenon. By the end of the 20th century, this approach had changed the way global media covered wars. Through the media, the siege entered homes around the world from Sarajevo. No one could remain an indifferent witness to the immense suffering of Sarajevans or to their efforts to remain human. The siege turned the citizens of Sarajevo, each one of them, into everyday heroes.

This encyclopaedia is a testimony to a specific era, to the four-year phenomenon of siege, and the triumph of human nature over terror. The book is undoubtedly a valuable resource for researchers of all kinds, from those studying history, politics, diplomacy, military doctrine, media, medicine, human rights, crisis response, humanitarian disasters, urban survival, and terrorism, to those exploring the human mind, the mental map of resilience, humanity, and new directions in art. This book does not offer conclusions; instead, it presents facts, testimonies, and evidence, tracing this historically unique event in chronological order.

While the siege was ongoing, the world watched in horror and pain at what unfolded on television screens. At the time, no one could have known that, in the early 21st century, the entire world would enter an era of constant danger. No one is fully protected anymore, no one is entirely safe. An urban catastrophe can strike anyone, whether due to an invisible enemy like terrorism or a natural disaster. In a time of uncertainty and restricted movement for citizens worldwide, a new, universal feeling has emerged - fear. This makes Sarajevo’s experience all the more valuable. For four whole years, Sarajevans faced a daily test of overcoming fear. And they proved that the only proper antidote to terror is freedom from fear. Terrorists aim to stop life through fear, using fear to project more fear and incite further violence. Anyone who manages to understand and internalise the ‘legacy’ of Sarajevo’s experience gains a powerful resource for confronting the unexpected as a whole human being, so that the positive forces in the world can stand equally against the minority who threaten and kill.

Additional context
"Being under siege" is a matter of physical endurance and a particular state of mind. The most challenging part is coping with the initial shock. One must accept the reality of being constantly watched and controlled in every situation and at every moment. "Putting a European city under siege at the end of the 20th century" in the Sarajevo scenario meant encircling the city from surrounding hills with a wide ring of light and heavy weaponry and using it to target unarmed civilians. There was no safe zone; every Sarajevan was exposed to sniper and shell fire, whether at home, on the street, in school, in the park, in the hospital, or at a place of worship, constantly under threat from invisible terrorists and the possibility of sudden death.

The second phase of the "siege condition" meant resisting countless forms of the most sophisticated terror inflicted on civilians: the denial of water, food, electricity, gas, fuel, heating, shops, newspapers, television, phones, and transport. To "be under siege" meant accepting the fact that nothing familiar existed anymore, that death was more likely than life, and that the former way of living had vanished.

The third phase emerged as a biological-humanistic-creative (BHC) response to this new state of existence. The citizens of Sarajevo discovered extraordinary reserves of humour, innovation, creativity, wit, and imagination as a form of freedom in the fight against constant terror. Daily life revolved around very practical needs: time and the rhythm of day and night were often regulated by brief, rare moments of electricity or midnight rain, when everyone would rush out to collect rainwater in the street. Night became day, as darkness offered protection from snipers to those who had to travel long distances in search of water.

The seasons during those four years were measured by how much food you could gather from improvised gardens, how much firewood you could collect in the park, and whether there was snow or rain that could be used as additional sources of water. Such circumstances changed the state of consciousness of all citizens. Amid that chaos, a spontaneous need emerged to establish some kind of balance. To maintain mental health, each person sought to find equilibrium between their old life and the new conditions that had arisen. Thus, Sarajevo experienced its most significant cultural boom during the most prolonged siege in modern history. The cultural boom became a social trend, a way of life. Actors acted, writers wrote, sculptors made sculptures, painters painted, journalists published newspapers, film directors made films, just as bankers and directors went to banks and offices without phones or windows. It required enormous intelligence and concentration to find solutions to something nearly impossible.

“The world needs the experience of Sarajevo!” The centuries of our civilisation are woven from important experiences, some of which have been lost forever in historical chaos and thus became useless to humankind, while others (like specially programmed "chips" in the human brain) are passed down from generation to generation. Experience means lessons and guidance on how to react and survive if a person finds themselves in a similar situation, if such experience has already occurred (somewhere). This book enters the 21st century, celebrating human achievements and the human capacity to utilise intelligence to thrive in the "new world." If measured by human achievements, the four-year-long siege of Sarajevo can be considered one of the wonders of the world. Here, the human mind and humanity triumphed over human evil and terror.

Sarajevo chose culture as a way of life and as a weapon of defence against terror, thereby becoming a beacon of hope for humanity. Citizens walked the streets under a constant barrage of fire from grenades and snipers, not only to carry out their daily survival tasks but also to attend theatre performances and exhibitions, using culture as a means to defend human civilisation. Their experience can serve anyone facing the threat of disasters caused by climate change or human factors.

Sarajevo demonstrated that an urban environment can endure total destruction and siege while remaining civilised and humane, and even achieve notable accomplishments in the philosophy of life, mental therapy, and artistic creation.

Sarajevo was under the scrutiny of the world’s media; every part of the city was filmed, every story was told, and thousands of journalists entered and exited the city aboard UN planes delivering humanitarian aid. Every death was documented. The global media chronicled Sarajevo’s gradual destruction and its fierce struggle for survival. Without media coverage, the world would not have witnessed this harrowing battle between good and evil, and Sarajevo might have disappeared. The media raised voices, awakened global conscience, and influenced political decisions.

Digitising experience and memory does not guarantee their preservation. Our experience has shown that, in times of total destruction, nothing can be preserved except the human capacity for thought. This is the one constant we can rely on, since everything created by humanity can be destroyed. We must maintain the memory of the past to ensure effective channels of knowledge for present and future generations so they may acquire and apply wisdom and safeguard our Collective Global Memory forever, regardless of what the future holds.

Note:
All of these projects have since demonstrated that this method is key to documenting events if we want our efforts to serve as a meaningful contribution to the interpretation and understanding of the 1991–1999 period in the former Yugoslavia, for both local and global education. This project has already proven and continues to prove its value as a contribution to the process of truth and reconciliation, as well as to the democratisation of post-war society.