Dare to reconcile: Building peace on the ruins of history
Nationalism, extremism, and dealing with the past are still hot topics in the Western Balkans. Relativization of the nationalist rhetoric and the sensationalist approach of the media make reconciliation in the region hard to achieve even 30 years after the conflicts. This Summer School will gather experts from social sciences, humanities, and arts, together with young people from six Western Balkans countries and Croatia, with the aim to provide different angles and perspectives on how to achieve reconciliation in the region. During the three days, participants will take an active role in discussions and workshops aimed at understanding intergroup conflict and finding mutual narratives on the conflicting past of the countries in the region. In artistic workshops, participants will use different art forms to shape their ideas and turn them into actions in their local communities.
The Summer School is integrated into a larger event - Reconciliation Festival, which includes public discussions and cultural events (book promotions, theater shows), all focused on promoting peace and reconciliation after protracted conflicts. The Summer School and the festival are envisaged to cover three thematic days dedicated to the gender perspective of reconciliation, the role of education in reconciliation, and using media and arts in promoting reconciliation.
Key Information
Location: Novi Sad, Serbia
Dates: 7-9 September 2023; arrival on 6 and departure on 10 September
Language: English
Event format: workshops (9:30-14:30), public events (18:00-21:00)
Pace: morning, early afternoon, and evening activities
Tuition fee: no fee
Application deadline: 19 July 2023.
Target group
The Summer School welcomes young people aged 18-30 from WB6: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania, and Croatia.. Three participants from each country will be selected to attend the Summer School.
Profile of participants:
- Able to work actively in English
- Curious, open-minded, appreciate diversity, willing to learn about each other’s realities
- Committed to taking part in the whole duration of the Festival
- Motivated to learn and apply the gained competencies
- Interested in peacebuilding, human rights, historical revisionism, strategies of reconciliation
- Young people who want to create positive changes in their communities
Previous participation in similar activities or active involvement in youth and community projects is not crucial. Participants are expected to take part in public activities during the Reconciliation Festival.
To express your interest in participating in the Summer School, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/
Objectives:
- To confront and help participants understand different perspectives on the recent conflicts in the Balkans and beyond;
- To identify and understand the impact and the wider societal consequences of recent conflicts in the region;
- To introduce novel ways to advocate for and promote reconciliation and peace through education and media;
- To explore the use of arts as a mean to act and transmit messages of peace in public space;
- To empower participants to act in support of and advocate for reconciliation in their local and broader regional contexts;
- To help participants reflect on their personal socio-psychological processes in promoting and working toward reconciliation in the region.
What we provide:
Travel costs:
We will reimburse your travel costs to and from Novi Sad. The maximum amounts differ by country, therefore we ask you to report the estimated costs of your travel in the application form. Please note that only bus and train tickets can be reimbursed. Plane and car travel may be reimbursed in exceptional cases - please explain these in the application form.
Accommodation:
Participants will be accommodated in a hostel in double or triple rooms.
Food:
Three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) will be provided, as well as refreshments during the Summer School activities.
What is not included: All other daily expenses and pocket money are not included.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
The Festival is supported by the Regional Youth Cooperation Office - RYCO. Public program is also supported by the Austrian Cultural Forum, Franco-German Youth Office, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, and ForumZFD.
