PCRC Newsletter

Commemorating 30 Years: Srebrenica, Kigali, and New York United in Remembrance 

The fifth annual Srebrenica Youth School, held from July 7th to 12th, united young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Western Balkans, and around the world to delve into transitional justice and honor the victims of the Srebrenica genocide. This commitment to remembrance extended globally as our team attended the first-ever commemoration of the Srebrenica genocide at the United Nations headquarters, where a special exhibition created by the Srebrenica Memorial Center, PCRC and Mothers of Srebrenica were unveiled, featuring projects like Memento, Mother's Scarf, and Srebrenica Heroines. The journey of remembrance continued in Kigali, Rwanda, where we participated in the Aegis Trust conference on peace and transitional justice, and visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial. These three cities—Srebrenica, New York, and Kigali—are now united in a shared mission of honoring the past, educating the present, and shaping a more just future.

Group of Eastern Bosnian Women Who Have Shaped Transitional Justice

This summer, we contributed to the 5th edition of Preventing Genocide Newsletter by the UN Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide. With a focus on Srebrenica Genocide and the pursuit of peace, justice and reconciliation, PCRC's President Velma Šarić wrote an editorial piece on the work and legacy of Mothers of Srebrenica for the newsletter available here.

Youth Academy State of Peace 

The European Union in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the PCRC, organized the second State of Peace Academy from August 7 – 9 in Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina. 52 young people from BiH, Serbia, Croatia and Montenegro took part in a program focusing on field visits, mutual dialogue, workshops and more. 

Transitional Justice in the Former Yugoslavia

We attended the ‘XVI Forum for Transitional Justice in Post-Yugoslav Countries,’ launched by the Humanitarian Law Center and Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo, as part of the REKOM Reconciliation Network. The event featured a series of panels and the official promotion of the second edition of the Kosovo Memory Book, ‘Dignity for the Missing’ (1998-2000). The Forum wrapped up with a visit to an exhibition in central Prishtina entitled, “Media Coverage of the War”, focusing on the role played by international and local reporting during the conflict in informing the wider public and shaping perceptions.

The PCRC in the Media The latest Amnesty International Austria magazine has featured a piece about our work, focusing on our annual Peace Festival. As we enter our 14th year of work, we continue to support civil society in building peace, integrating peace education into school curricula, advancing inclusive memorialization, and advocating for environmental action. 

The president and founder of the Post-Conflict Research Center, Velma Šarić, spoke about the fifth Srebrenica Youth School on the Southeastern European 24h news network, N1. During the "Novi Dan" show, Šarić discussed several questions, including: How do young people build peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina? How important is it for young people in youth school activities to learn about crimes committed during war, the importance of transparent media reporting, to listen to survivors' personal experiences, and to visit sites of mass suffering? Watch the full interview with the PCRC president and founder here.

Internship Visits

During their three-month internship, our interns participated in a series of informative visits to various key institutions. They explored the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) office, Sarajevo City Hall, and the Sarajevo Information Centre on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). They also visited the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sarajevo Memorial Center, and the Srebrenica Memorial Center. Additionally, they met with representatives from the Center for Investigative Reporting, the Office of the High Representative, the OSCE Mission to BiH, the International Organization for Migration, and the European Union office in Sarajevo.

The PCRC at the Sarajevo Film Festival

The documentary film Where Have You Been had its world premiere within the BH Film program of the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. The film is directed and edited by Mirko Pincelli, with production by Pinch Media and ŠTO TE NEMA Inc., and co-produced by the Post-Conflict Research Center.

After fifteen years of traveling the world, the monument finally arrived at its final destination, where survivors gathered at the site of the tragedy to pour coffee into thousands of cups in memory of the victims. As they collectively mourn, painful questions continue to resonate: What does "never again" mean in a world where crimes are still denied?

The PCRC also assisted filmmaker Inès Khannoussi and her team in the development of their latest documentary A Normal Life - an intriguing story of Bosnian women who moved to Austria in search of a better life which premiered this year at the Sarajevo Film Festival.

Chris Leslie, the renowned Scottish filmmaker, presented his latest documentary, with PCRC as a production partner, at this year's Sarajevo Film Festival. His film, The Partisan Necropolis, portrays a story about the Partisan cemetery in Mostar.