About the Event

More than twenty years after a devastating war, memories of unspeakable crimes and unaddressed grievances continue to sunder Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fragile society. With few institutional mechanisms to address these challenges, civil society groups such as the Sarajevo-based Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) are using storytelling to promote reconciliation, tolerance, and dialogue among the country’s younger generations. With NED support, the PCRC produced a four-episode documentary series Ordinary Heroes, which spotlights ordinary people who helped others at great personal risk during the 1992-95 war. The stories serve as the inspiration for PCRC’s nationwide competition that invites young people to identify stories of moral courage in their local communities.

This event screened one 30-minute episode of the Ordinary Heroes series, followed by a discussion with practitioners and scholars on innovative civil society approaches to promoting reconciliation in post-conflict societies.

About the SPEAKERS

Velma Saric is the director of the Post-Conflict Research Center. Ms. Saric has an extensive background in investigative journalism, peacebuilding, and defending human rights, and is a Peace Ambassador for the Center for Peace Studies in Sri Lanka.

Mirko Pincelli is a feature and documentary director who directed the Ordinary Heroes series. In 2015, the series won first place of the Intercultural Innovation Award by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the BMW Group. Also a photojournalist, Mr. Pincelli co-runs Pinch Media.

Emir Suljagic is assistant professor of international relations and the acting dean of the Faculty of Business and Administration at the International University of Sarajevo. A survivor of the Srebrenica genocide, Mr. Suljagic authored Postcards from the Grave, a firsthand account of ethnic cleansing.

Tanya Domi is assistant adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Ms. Domi has more than a decade of experience in policy work in Bosnia and Herzegovina, democratic transitional development, and human rights.

Ivana Cvetković Bajrović is Associate Director for Europe at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), where she works on grantmaking programs to civil society organizations, think tanks, and independent media across Europe, with a focus on Southeast Europe.

Faith Bailey Vuciterna is Assistant Program Officer for Europe at the National Endowment for Democracy.