Fourteen war-veterans participated in this year’s training for war-veterans held in Brčko, BiH from 11 to 14 April. Participants came from both BiH entities, Republika Srpska (Novi Grad, Prijedor) and the Federation of BiH (Gornji Vakuf/Uskoplje, Bihać, Zavidovići), and the Brčko District, as well as from Serbia (Kruševac) and Croatia (Pakrac). The CNA Training Team comprised Nenad Vukosavljević, Nedžad Horozović, Adnan Hasanbegović and Amer Delić.
It is encouraging that after a few years of hiatus, cooperation has been established with a veterans association from Croatia. Although individuals had always regularly attended our trainings and joint actions, we have not been able to find a continuous model of cooperation with veterans associations. We were also pleased that the training was attended by representatives of BORS[1] Municipal Boards that we had not previously had an opportunity to work with.
The objectives of the training included raising awareness about the potential of war-veterans as peacebuilders and their empowerment as individuals in order to take on this role in their communities. Apart from that, it was important for us to establish trust among the participants in the hope that, with time, that trust would help the organisations they represent establish cross-border cooperation and enable them to implement joint peace actions in the wider region.
Through two-day workshops, we tried to find what a just attitude towards the past would be and how to jointly seek it. Despite the short time available, we believe we have managed to make room for open discussion and diverse interpretations of both events from the war and the socio-political contexts we live in today.
There were disagreements and even open confrontations, which we see as a sign that the participants were motivated and open. For us from CNA, this was a signal that we have their trust, because there was no holding back in front of the Training Team.
The dialogue led to a clear condemnation of the war and the crimes committed in this region irrespective of the victims. The persistence of injustice and violence was also pointed out, especially towards minorities whose rights are threatened since they are often exposed to discrimination from the majority population.
Discussions also delved into the increasingly present nationalist rhetoric and hate speech that the ex-combatants recognised as a potential generator of future violence, especially among the post-war generations. We, therefore, focused on joint peace actions as a way to deal with these phenomena. These actions can serve as an example for young people that animosities can be overcome and that we need to work on establishing mutual trust and good neighbourly relations.
The general impression is that through the training, the war veterans expressed readiness to participate in peacebuilding processes. These processes may be long and arduous, but in time they effect changes and are ennobling. The transformation from a combatant into a peacebuilder entails a dilemma that is difficult to face. Namely, is the call for reconciliation hypocritical if it comes from those who participated in the war, believing they were doing the right thing? Those that had also called on others from their communities?
From my experience, I would say it was not hypocritical to change your mind after having lived through the war, on the contrary, this is the way to the future.
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