The article that we have chosen to present to you today concerns a very interesting topical subject: the difficulty of young Bosnian and Serbian students in building their future in a country marked by a tumultuous past.
Selma, a 24-year-old Bosnian, and Danilo, a 25-year-old Serbian, were both born after the war that ravaged Bosnia-Herzegovina. Yet, despite their young age, they still feel the ethnic and religious divisions that have fractured their country. Selma, who resides in Sarajevo, remembers her amazement when she arrived in the capital and was able to meet people of her own ethnicity and religion. For her, the link between identity and religion is inseparable in Bosnia.
On the other hand, Danilo, who lives in Banja Luka, in the Bosnian Serb Republic, defines himself as a Serb and believes that calling himself a “Bosnian Serb” is an attempt to separate from their “motherland.” and a division of their people. The civil war that broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina after the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 had a profound impact on people’s minds. In four years, more than 100,000 people have lost their lives, making this conflict the deadliest in Europe since the Second World War.
The war has left deep scars in the country, particularly because of the different versions of history that are taught in schools. The education system is fragmented, with different programs in the Bosnian Serb Republic and the Muslim-Croat Federation. Selma laments that the Civil War is not covered in history classes, leading young people to turn to films, the internet and political leaders to form opinions about their country’s past. Danilo, for his part, is unhappy with the way political elites use the past to divide the population.
Despite these differences, Selma and Danilo share one thing in common: they both intend to stay in Bosnia and Herzegovina and contribute to building a better future for their country. They do not want to follow in the footsteps of their parents, who had to leave the country and start again from scratch elsewhere. On the contrary, they want to do everything possible so that their country can finally heal its divisions and become the best version of itself.
This article highlights the resilience and determination of the young Bosnian and Serbian generation to build a common future despite the obstacles. It also highlights the need for awareness and collective effort to heal the wounds of the past and build a more inclusive and united society.