Kerim Kudo and Theresa Hirte
Day 1
The seminar started on 6 September. After arrival and standing coffee, Dr. Jasmin Hasic gave the opening lecture in the afternoon on "The Role of External Geopolitical Actors in the Western Balkans - Challenges and Perspectives". Dr. Hasic gave a good general overview of the numerous actors trying to increase their geopolitical influence in the Western Balkans. In addition to Russia, Turkey, the Gulf States and the USA, China's presence in the region is becoming increasingly evident, not least - and this may sound paradoxical - in the context of EU-funded construction projects (e.g. the recently built Croatian bridge of Peljesac).
After the lecture, the participants from Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina had the opportunity to get to know each other at a get-together on the hotel terrace.
Day 2
The next day, we went to the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the morning. There we had the opportunity to learn something about the work of the embassy from Ms. Lea Thurm, attaché at the embassy. Ms Thurm talked in general about the political situation on the ground and in particular about the increase in visa applications. A few years ago, it was mostly students and workers who applied for visas, but now it is whole families who are leaving the country. It became clear that the migration of the population is one of the biggest problems for the region.
After the appointment at the embassy, we went back to the conference house, where Prof. Dr. Vahidin Preljevic gave us a lecture on "Nation as Narration: Collective Identity Narratives in the Former Yugoslav Region and their Constructions of Authenticity". The complexity of identity politics in the region became particularly clear in this unit. In the afternoon, we visited the foreign office of the KAS. There, the foreign staff member Sven Petke welcomed us and spoke about the work of the KAS on site. At 5.00 p.m. there was a guided tour through the old town of Sarajevo.
Day 3
On the third day of the seminar, the meeting with Mr. Christian Schmidt, the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, was supposed to have taken place at 11.00 a.m.. This was initially cancelled for security reasons. The following day we were informed about the possibility of holding a meeting with Mr. Schmidt on Saturday at the same time. We accepted and for the cancelled date an excursion by cable car to the Trebevic mountain was organised (tour and history lesson about the siege of Sarajevo, which lasted from 1992 to 1995).
In the afternoon, Mr. Ifet Feraget, a well-known lawyer in the region, gave a lecture on "The Situation of the Rule of Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina Based on Current Case Studies". His appraisal left no room for optimism for the near future. Using two examples, he was able to show very clearly that an independent judiciary has so far only been wishful thinking.
In the last lecture, Prof. Dr. Hamza Karcic, from the University of Sarajevo, shed light on the influence of external actors in the Western Balkans, focusing on the Gulf States and Turkey. At the end of the day, a quiz on regional studies was organised and conducted by Bosnian participants. The fun but also learning factor could not be overlooked.
Day 4
On 9 September, the fourth day of the seminar, we went to the Directorate for European Integration in the morning. There we were presented with the progress but also the challenges Bosnia-Herzegovina is facing on its way into the EU. Also present was Mr. Paul-Alexis Berthezène, a representative of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who has the task of accompanying or observing the integration process on site. After this meeting we went on to Srebrenica. There we spoke with Mr. Hasan Hasanovic, a book author and survivor of the genocide. He shared his own story in a 90-minute conversation with the participants. Afterwards we visited the gravesite and the memorial. At 5.30 pm we returned to Sarajevo.
Day 5
On Saturday, 10 September, the discussion with Mr. Christian Schmidt, which was actually scheduled for Thursday, took place at 11.00 am. In a very open discussion atmosphere, we were able to gain a deep insight into the current political developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The meeting, initially scheduled for one hour, lasted about two hours. Mr. Schmidt stressed that it was a pleasure for him to talk to KAS scholarship holders and clearly emphasised that he, too, is a former scholarship holder of the Foundation.
Afterwards, we went by bus to Herzegovina. There we visited a Turkish carpet factory, which was opened in the dominant Croatian region, which is surprising at first glance, because the common perception is that business relations in this region also follow cultural-religious patterns. On the way back, we stopped in the historical town of Pocitelj to visit the place. Then we went to Mostar, where we had dinner together after exploring the city. We did not arrive in Sarajevo until midnight.
Day 6
On the last day of the seminar, a detailed feedback session took place after breakfast. The feedback was positive throughout. The group dynamics - especially the interaction between the German and Bosnian participants - had left a lasting positive impact and thus the binational composition of the participants can be seen as a complete success. Not least, this became clear at the end of the seminar - during the farewell, which was very warm-emotional.
Provided by
Division Scholarship and Culture
About this series
The Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, its educational institutions, centres and foreign offices, offer several thousand events on various subjects each year. We provide up to date and exclusive reports on selected conferences, events and symposia at www.kas.de. In addition to a summary of the contents, you can also find additional material such as pictures, speeches, videos or audio clips.