“There is no harmonization of views on anything, including the common past”

TAMARA NIKČEVIĆ - journalist [Montenegro]

GENERATION OF LIVED HISTORY

The war does not end with the cessation of the conflict. Survivors continue to carry it deep inside them. The way post-war society relates to war affects individuals and shapes transgenerational memory.

• How has the generation that lived in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region during the wars in the former Yugoslavia – and especially during the genocide in Srebrenica – experienced and shaped this history in the past 30 years: through personal memories, reflections, but also through narratives in the media, films, books, textbooks and rituals of remembrance?

"Over the past thirty years, generations that came of age in the 90s or were born in the countries of the former SFRY (without Bosnia and Herzegovina) formed opinions and attitudes about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as about the genocide in Srebrenica, mainly based on media writings, feature or documentary films, available books and textbooks, direct testimonies of victims, rituals of remembrance... Nevertheless, I think that the formation of their views was predominantly influenced by the media, especially those who, through constant attempts of historical revisionism, excluded the responsibility/guilt of the state and political structures of Serbia and Croatia for the aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina and crimes committed in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The verdicts of the Hague Tribunal, as well as the views of the Zagreb liberal public and the media, have changed this type of historical revisionism and denial in Croatia to some extent. Although there were also media in Belgrade, NGOs and individuals who talked and wrote about the war and crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina, unfortunately, this did not significantly affect the dominant attitude in Serbia."

A GENERATION BORN IN HISTORY (THOSE BORN IN 1995)

Thirty years later, we are once again witnessing the shaping of history amidst political manipulations of narratives. That is why transgenerational memory is required to carry a culture of remembrance and responsibility to the truth – in the name of future generations who must learn how peace is built and preserved.

• How does a generation born in the year of the Srebrenica genocide today understand this history? And how did growing up in this heritage shape their sense of identity, memory, and responsibility?

"I do not have a relevant insight into how the generation born in the year when the genocide was committed in Srebrenica understands the historical moment in which this terrible crime took place."

TRANSGENERATIONAL MEMORY DYNAMICS (1995-2025)

Society in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still marked by war traumas. Prevailing ethno-national policies keep citizens in fear, under constant threat of a new war – for their own interests. Politics has instrumentalized trauma.

• How – and whether – generations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the regions that lived through the wars in the former Yugoslavia, especially the events of 1995, and the generation born that same year have shaped mutual understanding of the past? To what extent are their views aligned today – and how do they differ?

"I think that there is no harmonization of views on anything, including the common past and the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s. The proof is also in Bosnia and Herzegovina: the attitudes and opinions of generations born and raised in the Bosnian-Herzegovinian entity Republika Srpska are drastically different from those in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was influenced by family and personal memories, experiences and interpretations, as well as continuous media poisoning and deceiving the public through the performances of the political and social elite and the media."

REGIONAL FUTURE: TRANSGENERATIONAL MEMORY, HERITAGE OR TRAUMA (2025-2055)

Thirty years after the war, ethnic identity still dominates the civic. In post-war society, the structure of ethnically divided space often makes civic initiatives impossible, as they are automatically attributed an ethnic sign.

• How could political, social, educational and cultural development in Bosnia and Herzegovina – and more broadly in the region – affect how transgenerational memory will be preserved, reinterpreted or denied in the next 30 years?

"I think that Serbia has the greatest influence on political, social, cultural and educational development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Civic initiatives are almost powerless in this regard; the agency network of Serbian intelligence, political and ecclesiastical structures is incomparably stronger and more influential. Until Serbian society truly confronts its own past, there is no recovery of the region, no recognition and respect for the victims of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as transgenerational harmonization and preservation of the culture of remembrance. I do not see that such a thing is possible in the near future."

GLOBAL FUTURE: TRANSGENERATIONAL MEMORY, INDIFFERENCE OR REVISIONISM (1995-2025-2055)

In the modern world, geopolitics is rapidly conditioning historical narratives and transgenerational memory – openly trading influence in conflicts and party choices through daily-political revisionism.

• How could global political disruptions, conflicting international historical narratives, and changing norms on justice and human rights shape the ways in which knowledge of wartime events from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the region will be transmitted, challenged, or withheld across generations over the next 30 years?

"Global political disruptions, accepting lies as truth in societies created in the former Yugoslavia is an alibi for disrespect for human rights, as well as for denying one's own responsibility and guilt for wars and crimes committed in the 1990s. In this sense, I am afraid that the perspective of the region is tragic."



The opinions and insights expressed in this text reflect solely the views of the author. We publish these contributions to encourage reflection and open space for diverse perspectives on the topic of transgenerational memory in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the wider region.