Classroom Reconciliation
OSCE-supported school reform in Brčko is healing the scars of the Bosnian War.
When Swedish diplomat Carl Bildt visited Brčko for the first time after the Bosnian War ended in 1995, he described it as a place where it appeared the world had come to an end. My visit came almost 20 years later, but as I peered out into the darkness on a night bus from Vienna, the impressions that the former High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina mentioned in his 1998 book, Peace Journey, were fresh in my mind.
I knew that much had changed since the war, but I didn’t know quite what to expect. This part of the country experienced especially bitter fighting, and its status was hotly contested after the war. While the 1995 Dayton Agreement split the rest of Bosnia into the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska and the predominantly Bosniac and Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brčko’s multi-ethnic population and strategic location on the banks of the River Sava made it impossible to place in either entity. Its final status – as an autonomous district formally held by both entities – was only decided some four years later by a special international arbitral tribunal.
Once its status was decided, Brčko became the focus of international efforts to establish a peaceful, multi-ethnic community. Education reform was one of the most profound and important changes in the district, and was done under the watchful eye of an international supervisor mandated with executive powers to impose legislation and remove elected officials. More than ten years have now passed since Brčko’s revised education law came into effect. The result? A generation of ethnically tolerant youths.
“We don’t have problems about who we are hanging out with. It’s not important to us if someone is Serb, Bosniac or Croat,” said Stefan Gavrilović, a fourth-year student at Vaso Pelagić Gymnasium.
Mirjana Knežević, the school’s director, told me that nowadays, students identify more with their school than with their ethnic identity. This was not always the case.
“In 2002, we had mono-ethnic classes and different groups were ignoring each other during breaks. Two years later the kids started talking to each other. Five years later they had parties together and now things are completely normal,” she said.
Teachers have played an important role in promoting multiculturalism in classrooms. Part of the turn-around was achieved by changing the way students were taught. All teachers wishing to continue working in the district were asked to sign a new code of conduct, which requires teachers to teach classes in the Serb, Croat and Bosniac languages, using both the Cyrillic and Latin scripts. Realizing the importance of this initiative for encouraging reconciliation – and perhaps further encouraged by higher salaries – almost all teachers agreed to the new conditions. Actually, most of them were used to working in a similar environment before the war. “It was nothing new for most teachers to teach multi-ethnically,” Knežević said.
The OSCE Office in Brčko has been instrumental in bringing about the reforms. During my visit, education officer Karmelita Simić explained how the field mission helps local authorities develop sustainable solutions that are in line with the new education law. Since 2003, Simić has been trying to ensure equal access and treatment of students by advising education administrators and monitoring legislative developments in areas like school curricula and school board composition.
In 2002, we had mono-ethnic classes and different groups were ignoring each other during breaks. Two years later the kids started talking to each other. Five years later they had parties together and now things are completely normal.
The OSCE also helped local authorities develop the curriculum for a class on life skills and attitudes, which is now being offered as an alternative to religion classes at primary and secondary schools. While the proportion of students choosing this course over religious education is currently quite low, it is becoming more and more popular – indeed, some parents want the content taught to all students.
Despite these achievements, some important challenges remain. One current example is the tension surrounding proposed curriculum changes. Bosniac teachers would like joint history classes in all schools while Croat teachers call for more national content in mother tongue classes. Both subjects are currently taught in ethnically-specific classes. According to Simić, politicization of the issue during the 2012 election year prevented a decision from being made.
Longer running challenges – not only related to school integration – also linger. Kojo Simić, (no relation to Karmelita), director of one of Brčko’s primary schools, has been unable to convince district authorities to replace the school’s asbestos-laden roof for years. Although the OSCE is not in a position to resolve these kinds of issues, it is encouraging people to be more proactive.
“Teachers and school administrators were left in the dark about what to do and what not to do after the war, but OSCE pedagogical training workshops opened our eyes about how to teach in a post-war environment,” he said. These voluntary workshops became so popular that on several occasions, there weren’t enough seats for everyone who attended.
Civil society groups are also changing mentalities and perspectives in Brčko. The Proni Centre for Youth Development, a local NGO and recipient of OSCE technical support, helps youth avoid conflict through a wide range of workshops and community service projects. Recalling a recent workshop in which young people were asked to state the first thing they identify themselves with, Katarina Vučković, youth work manager at Proni, said that it was the first time the majority of the 18 to 24-year-old participants had ever been asked who they are.
"It’s usually parents or teachers who tell young people who they are, but this was the first time someone asked them whether it’s more important to be a musician than a Croat," she said.
The presence of local individuals committed to sustainable progress and reconciliation has helped to diminish the international community’s role in Brčko over the past few years. Indeed, last year saw the historic suspension of international supervision. Nevertheless, Brčko isn’t quite ready to stand on its own completely.
“Whilst the nature of international community involvement in Brčko has substantially changed, there remains a need for continued monitoring and assistance to prevent any rolling back of reforms achieved to date,” said Ian Bancroft, head of the OSCE Office in Brčko. “We hope Brčko can serve as a model for education reform throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said.
Leaving Brčko on the morning bus to Vienna, I saw this scene every few kilometres: an abandoned building riddled with bullet holes standing next to a brand new house with a neatly trimmed lawn. As I thought about my conversations with people in Brčko, it struck me how much had been achieved in spite of the omnipresent reminders of inter-ethnic conflict.
The bus passed a graveyard. Iron grey skies and drizzle painted a gloomy picture. Inside, lively Balkan music mingled with the sound of upbeat chatter. Carl Bildt would have been pleased.