In memory of Novica Kostić, war veteran and long-time peace activist who died in December 2020, on Wednesday, 8 December 2021, representatives of the Centre for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo/Belgrade, together with an informal group of war veterans from the region, former members of the Croatian Army (HV), the Croatian Defence Council (HVO), the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH), the Army of Republika Srpska (VRS), the Army of Yugoslavia (VJ) and the Yugoslav National Army (JNA) visited Novica Kostić’s grave to lay flowers and attend the commemoration in Vlasotince.
On that occasion, a petition to name 1. oktobra Street in Vlasotince where Novica lived after him was launched.
Novica Kostić was born in the village of Dobroviš, Municipality of Vlasotince, He participated in the 1991 armed conflict in Croatia as part of the reserve forces of the former JNA. He was seriously wounded on 4 November 1991 in Karlovac, Croatia. The injuries he sustained left him permanently disabled, he lost his leg and his multiple injuries permanently diminished his health and required many subsequent surgeries. The last procedure he had to undergo was in the summer of 2019. He was the president of the Disabled War Veterans Association in Vlasotince until his untimely death on 12 December 2020.
The petition to name a street after Novica Kostić states that as a peace activist working throughout the former Yugoslavia, Novica met with war veterans and sent the message that war was the greatest of evils and that reconciliation was needed to ensure young people would never have to face war again.
“After he was wounded, he devoted his life to his family and to peacebuilding. He never missed an opportunity to speak out about the horrors of war and to advocate for peace, reconciliation, cooperation and solidarity among the people of the former Yugoslavia,” says the text of the petition. Together with a mixed group of veterans from the region, Novica Kostić visited sites of atrocities and paid his respects to all victims, calling for the prosecution of perpetrators and for building trust among people. On this mission, Novica attended more than 20 commemorations and visited sites of atrocities in BiH, Croatia and Serbia.
The petition was signed by more than 150 of Novica Kostić’s neighbours and fellow residents of Vlasotince, representatives of the Vlasotince Municipality, including its president Bratislav Petrović, veterans’ organisations from Vlasotince, the Centre for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo/Belgrade and its associates from across the region, the Serbian National Council from Croatia, etc.
At the start of the commemoration in the Vlasotince Cultural Centre, following a moment of silence, those gathered were addressed by Srboljub Takić, a representative of the Vlasotince Municipality and the local SUBNOR (Federation of Veterans’ Associations of the People’s Liberation War of Yugoslavia) organisation. Novica’s son Danijel Kostić, as well as Aneta Vladimirov from the Serbian National Council of Croatia, Ibrahim Topćić, a war veteran of the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zvonko Lucić, a veteran of the Croatian Army, Đoko Pupčević, a veteran of the Army of Republika Srpska, and Nenad Vukosavljević from the Centre for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo/Belgrade also spoke at the commemoration. Katarina Milićević from the CNA team acted as moderator.
Aneta Vladimirov from the Serbian National Council of Croatia, one of the organisations supporting the street name petition, pointed out that from the perspective of all minorities in the post-Yugoslav area, it is important to emphasise people like Novica Kostić as rare and courageous individuals who devote their lives to peacebuilding.
“For his suffering, he did not seek pity or any special reaction, but he did demand accountability and freedom. He lived humbly, but freely. By coming to sites of suffering, and you also visited such sites in Croatia together with Novica, all these places are difficult, burdened with shame and discomfort, which is why most people avoid them. But shame and discomfort is often what makes us human, and by visiting these sites, you bring back hope, where once people were wolves to each other, you show that we can be human again,” Vladimirov said.
Zvonko Lucić said that in 1991, he was on the opposite side of the front from Novica, but they did not meet then.
“We did not meet then. Life is strange, we met as partners and proved that former enemies can take on the role of healing themselves and their communities by dealing with the past. Novica was outstanding in this, realistic, unimposing and with one truth for all. If a community needs role models, and all societies should have something to aspire to, then this community has chosen the right role model because his life exemplifies the right values. That is my testimony about Novica,” said Zvonko Lucić.
Ibrahim Topčić Pajo, a war veteran from Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, said he wholeheartedly accepted the invitation to join the petition.
“I knew Novica for years, we were true friends, he came to Gornji Vakuf twice, and many times we visited difficult sites of suffering together. Novica will live on in my memories as a friend who lived far away, but was always close,” he said.
Đoko Pupčević recounted how he met Novica through peace work, visiting sites of suffering and honouring all victims.
“At such places we would shed tears and we would talk, we would remember how we got wounded, we would discuss problems, but Novica never complained, he was always steadfast and firm, always looking forward, and for many of us, he was like an older brother,” said Đoko Pupčević.
Novica Kostić cooperated with the Centre for Nonviolent Action for a whole of 20 years. Speaking on behalf of the Centre for Nonviolent Action Sarajevo/Belgrade, Nenad Vukosavljević, a long-time friend and associate of Novica Kostić, said:
“When seeking responsibility for his misfortune, Novica started from himself, because he believed this to be fair – if you expect others to re-examine their actions, it’s only fair that you begin with yourself. Because of this, he was misunderstood and received threats and insults. That is what happens when you step out of the line where a different opinion is not tolerated. But there can be no freedom where everyone thinks the same. And we need freedom. Novica fought for that freedom, not just for himself, but for all of us. That is why he was my hero, not just a Serbian hero, though he was that too, but a hero of humanity. He also enjoyed great support, he won people over with his honesty, he reaped their respect. Today, we stand in testament to this, we have come from far and wide and it is important to name all the places that people have come from: Zagreb, Sarajevo, Gornji Vakuf, Bihać, Bosanski Novi/Novi Grad, Brčko, Rogatica, Goražde, Zavidovići, Kruševac, Belgrade, Šamac, Rudo, Vlasotince and others. Thank you for being here,” said Vukosavljević.
A short film about Novica Kostić was shown at the end of the commemoration.
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