Srebrenica Ctiy oh Hope: Bosnian Cultural heritage
Creators: name: Nencioni, Chiara
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023

description: Cultural heritage preservation in ethnically cleansed Bosnia-Herzegovina during the 1992–95 war has relevance in discussions of the right to culture in human rights discourse and as a vital element of post-conflict and development aid.
Culture has the potential to generate economic development and presenting a risk to collective memory. Bosnia is a country rich in cultural heritage, natural beauty, tourist facilities, and it is a crossroads of many cultures and civilizations. Culture and tourism have always been closely linked.
According to Youth and heritage programme "Sustainable cultural and natural heritage – tradition future and youth", Irvin Mujčić, young returnee, a victim's son, in collaboration with Naturefriends International (NFI) Movement, created the project Srebrenica – City of Hope.
Today, the project is run by the NGO "Prijatelji Prirode – Oaza Mira", the Bosnian member of International Nature Friends. It has the aim to foster remembrance into the future despite many difficulties connected with poverty, lack of infrastructure, hate speeches against Bosniack, political hostility. Prijatelj Prirode Oaza Mira strives for the protection of Bosnian natural and cultural heritage, in which we recognize the fundamental values which we need to overcome the boundaries between peoples, ethnic groups and cultures, in order to create true peace, both social and natural.
The organization is committed to the development of sustainable tourism in Srebrenica in order to strengthen the region economically. Activities' focus is on community development, as well as, natural and cultural heritage protection.
Srebrenica city of Hope wants its city to be appreciated again for its natural beauties and its traditional and rural lifestyle, and not only for the genocide. The entire region has still not recovered economically, so the project's activities can make an important contribution to giving young people in particular a new perspective. Tourists have the opportunity to stay overnight with host families, take part in guided hikes and excursions in small groups, enter in touch with the traditional rural soul of real Bosnia, and come into contact with the local population – all of this while a new source of income opens up for the locals. Among the many half-destroyed houses during war time, Srebrenica City of Hop rebuilt 12 wooden houses according to traditional architecture in order to host visitors: it is Ekometa village, 13 km from the city center, where all destroyed Kaspic village was, sitting at the foothills of the mountain Kak, enclosed between the river Jadar and the stream Kasapic. It's important to build following the typical building style of Srebrenica area. It'd been passed on through generations, but now all traces are lost. It is a simple style that makes use of the raw materials that ancestors could find in their vicinity: boulders and stones, firs, beeches, wool. In Ekometa sadrvan e simije have been rebuilt too. The sadrvans are small wooden structures, typical of Bosnia, generally employed as summer parlours where to dine and have some coffee. Simija is a low round table, from which you eat. Usually there are neither benches or chairs, but mattresses on the ground on which you eat semi lying down or crouched, basically like the Romans did. "During a convivial and laughter-filled evening, we learn much about what life was like during the siege". Ekometa village has an agora - built in wood, following the typical style of Osat-, a central area dedicated to hosting artistic performances, conferences, seminars and workshops. Until 50 years ago, it would have been impossible to think of life without a small dam on the river and a water mill. In the Kasapic area, there were 5 active mills before the war. During the siege, the mills, which until then were used only to produce flour, were converted into small power plants to cope with the lack of electricity in the city. Prijatelji Prirode – Oaza Mira cleaned up the dam and rebuild the mill, which has a dual function: on one hand the conventional function of grinding and producing flour, on the other hand that of producing electricity for the houses. The mill does two jobs: on the one hand it is projected towards an ecological future of respect for nature and its resources, on the other hand it is projected into the past and aimed at the preservation of ancient traditions and flavours. "They think Bosnia beginnings and ends with the war, but it has so much more to offer: it shows us how to make burek (a flaky pastry pie)".
The village will be used to develop the following activities: biodynamic agriculture and farming; school of nature for children, artistic and cultural workshops and events, sustainable tourism. Some examples: three different excursions along the Drina canyon in Drina National Park (Black Creek, passing through the village of Kutuzero where you can visit Bosnian Necropolis of medieval time), White Waters (visiting the oldest mosque of Srebrenica), boat tour from Peručac Lake in addition to the Drina, it is also possible to reach, in 5 hours, the canyon on the Jadar River, following a goat trace. It is a unique experience deeply into the wild of East Bosnia, visiting also old water mills, ottoman tombs, old medieval fortress, caves used as shelters during the Bosnian war.
"In the age of technological capitalism and mass industrialization, these villages remain an example of sustainable development. They are small oases of peace for mankind and nature, where visitors have the opportunity to get in touch with the soul of the most authentic Bosnia, work the land with their own hands, water the soil with the sweat of their labour, watch vegetables grow and savour the scent of life, food and people," Irvin says.
The project moves forward by creating a network of people working together in different villages in the area of Srebrenica to cope with an oppression of distressing memory.
It's to be hoped that tourism will not only make a huge difference to it economically, but also change its story from one of war to one of natural beauty and cultural heritage.