“The end of conflict does not mean the war is over, it changes its aggregated state and intensity”

Prof. dr. PAVLE MIJOVIĆ - professor, columnist [Bosnia and Herzegovina]

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?

"With the end of the conflict, the war does not stop, but it changes the physical state and intensity: rigid and violent war dynamics are transposed into more liquid forms that remain present in various spheres of our life. These forms of memory are a combination of our direct experiences and biographical elements, often with great emotional charge and to some extent they affect the formation of our image of the world in the present moment. They are most often targeted and intensified through media, cultural, scientific and other forms of militant or subtle agitation."

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?

"Post-Dayton generations, although they did not directly experience war dramas, were indirectly marked by their tragedy in the 1990s. The wartime legacy that galvanized various identities and other determinants by establishing barriers between them, (un)consciously and (in)directly affected the lives of young generations. All war negativity – from ethnic cleansing to genocide, war crimes and human insecurity – has entered the individual and social code of the younger generations, thus reducing the possibility of social cohesion and connection, and even the future development of society. The wartime heritage was thus transferred to the present, making everyday human relations more difficult, especially institutional ones. However, numerous individual experiences show that generations born in history nevertheless dismantle their heritage, through popular culture, irony and other aspects of everyday life and various interactions."

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?

"Although the experiences are completely individual in nature, it seems that understanding the past of the (post)war generation shows certain similarities. In some, the view is predominantly victimistic, in others, banal heroism prevails, and in those of a more reflective nature, the humane view prevails that the past should never be repeated in the violent and inhumane forms that marked the 90s. As a result, certain generations ghettoized themselves by choosing fear as a fundamental option, while others chose courage, a disruptive element, and work on inclusive dynamics.

Fear, based on past experiences, is potentiated by political discourse on the one hand, but also by numerous subjective fears that characterize modern generations of people. Fear of the precariat, uncertain individual and social future, lack of trust in social institutions are factors that complicate all life interactions and relationships, and are also realities that political discourse instrumentalizes with unbearable ease."

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?

"Own identities exist only in the plural, and therefore the harmonization of own identities with the wider social context is a prerequisite for a normal, stable and even prosperous life in society. The ethno-national divide, which is predominant in many respects, needs to be pacified by developing institutional mechanisms that enable unity in diversity. As in other aspects of life, it is a measure, and the correct measures of ethno-national and civic identity are established by political actors. Often, though, the BiH context is dominated by agonistic pluralism, which does not speak so much about the identity determinants themselves, but about political actors who fail to harmonize different determinants and manage differences in a functional, peaceful and conciliar way. Fortunately, everyday life shows that identity and other wars are still mostly a political construct."

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?

"Historiographical tendencies bear witness to how the interpretation of history, depending on specific political needs, is constantly revised and changed. Nevertheless, the idea that every war is a defeat for humanity, and every human life lost is a tragedy, and the understanding that every human life is worth living and, as such, must have adequate institutional protection, must be present in every sound analysis. Zero tolerance for violence, whether individual or institutional, and affirming the value of human life and emphasizing the importance of peaceful dynamics in every society, are possible antidotes to any revision of history. In this way, memories are purified, thus developing a new culture of peace."



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.