Bosnia – the international community must shape the negotiating table
The persistence of spoilers in Bosnia and Herzegovina means that the international community has a key role to play in shaping the composition of the negotiating table for constitutional reform.
The future of Dayton’s Bosnia – justice must meet peace
Bosnia and Herzegovina must amend its constitution in order to comply with the ruling of European Court of Human Rights, which aims to ensure equal treatment for all.
Not my turn to die
This excerpt is taken from chapter four of ‘Not My Turn to Die: Memoirs of a Broken Childhood in Bosnia’, by Savo Heleta. The book... Read More
Bosnia must "cease being a protectorate"
An interview with Ian Bancroft, the co-founder of TransConflict, on the recent elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the role of the international community and the prospects for reform in the face of prevailing ethnic divisions.
Bosnia – the unfortunate case of Dragomir Andan
The case of Dragomir Andan - who was, until recently, on hunger strike outside the OHR's regional office in Banja Luka, in protest against his dismissal three years ago - demonstrates the extent to which the OHR has subverted the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Our peoples? My identities
This documentary, entitled ‘Naši Narodi? Moji Identiteti: Four Youth Perspectives on National Identity in Post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina’, explores the perspectives of four young people... Read More
Bosnia decides that very little changes
Elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina will once again be decided on the basis of divisive nationalist positioning, not future policy and prospects; ensuring that delay, deadlock and deflecting attention from the real issues will continue to characterise politics throughout the country.
Re-linking the Western Balkans – the energy dimension
This policy report analyzes the challenges that the Western Balkan countries face in their efforts to increase energy efficiency, reduce import dependency and expand renewable energy sources, whilst simultaneously aligning their legislation and policies with the EU's acquis communautaire.
Dayton Express
‘Dayton Express – Bosnian railroads and the paradox of integration’ is an interactive documentary that is designed to provide a space for exploring the nationalist... Read More
"The future of Bosnia now lies with Bosnians, not with outsiders"
An interview with Matthew Parish, the former Chief Legal Adviser to the International Supervisor of Brčko, on the politics of the Republika Srpska and the limits to international intervention in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia – the path to sustainable peace runs through Banja Luka
The Canadian experience suggests that sustainable peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina can only be achieved by treating the Republika Srpska as a political player with legitimate fears and concerns.
Is Belgium an Eastern European country?
In the face of renewed nationalism, Belgium - which has often been proposed as a model for other divided societies, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina - must contend with a constitutional crisis that has brought into question the very future of the state.
The disaster of Sarajevo?
The Sarajevo summit once again re-affirmed the impression that the EU is attempting to solve the region's problems on an ad hoc basis, without a clear commitment and without offering anything that hasn't already been on the agenda since 2000.
The economic crisis, Greece and the Balkans
The economic crisis – which has eroded the EU's solidarity and diluted its appetite for further enlargement – will serve to fuel populism and undermine the resolution of outstanding conflicts in the Balkans.
The way forward? Grassroots diplomacy in the southern balkans
Grassroots involvement in conflict transformation is key to overcoming the prejudice and mistrust that lies at the centre of many of the current problems facing the southern Balkans.
Bosnia is a wicked problem
The international community must recognize the key role of all relevant players, particularly Turkey and Russia, in finding solutions to Bosnia and Herzegovina's worst political crisis since the signing of Dayton.
Russia’s Balkan plan
Russia's re-emergence in the Balkans – thanks, in part, to financial loans, energy investments and the provision of emergency relief – could leave Serbia in the middle of a conundrum as the region itself increasingly becomes a point of contestation between the West and Russia.
Does Serbia really want Ganic?
Despite requesting the extradition of Ejup Ganic – which has already damaged relations between Bosnia and Serbia, and will negatively impact this autumn's elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina – it remains far from clear whether Serbia possesses the will to actually try Ganic in court.
The EU should offer more than just a box of chocolates
Speeding-up the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU will require the creation of new momentum through greater financial investment and the deployment of individuals with significant political and diplomatic clout.
Dayton Bosnia may be over – but what next?
Rather than advocating one solution to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s ongoing crisis, the EU should offer a range, or menu, of reform options – all leading to EU membership.
Bosnia and Herzegovina – time for constitutional reform
The European Court of Human Rights’ ruling on the discriminatory nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution should provide fresh impetuses to stalled reform talks.
Three good ways to end 2009 in the Western Balkans
Three key decisions at the end of 2009 – visa liberalization, Serbia’s application for EU membership and the European Court of Human Rights’ ruling on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution - provide significant momentum for the Western Balkans in 2010.
Reflexions on working in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Nine years of working in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the Soul of Europe has taught a number of important lessons about the need for a coherent and integrated framework for peace-building, including greater attentiveness towards religious and business issues.
Republika Srpska – after independence
Bosnia's war ended with a partition plan, which the international community subsequently used all its efforts to undermine and create a unified state. Now the west's power in the country has receded, the natural logic of the Dayton Peace Accords has reemerged, and the country is likely to break apart. This article suggests that now the international community's best response to the imminent Bosnian fracture may be to reluctantly accept it.
Barking up the wrong tree in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina has made progress along its road map, but the international community is focusing on the wrong issues.
