Azra Adžajlić-Dedović, PhD[1]
Please, with your presence, help the realization of the 4th Conference of Victimology in Bosnia and Herzegovina through your address to our guests and participants, as well as the media, to share your experiences on the development of democracy and the rule of law in Malaysia.
The rebuilding of positive memory should enable the deconstruction of the existing ruling paradigms of the Balkans as a place destined for the "repetition of history" and the eternal antagonism between different ethnos. This would create the basis for the establishment of a new paradigm in understanding the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and beyond, strengthening the processes of reconciliation and developing the feeling of one's own responsibility, individual and collective for "good" instead of "bad" "fate". "Positive History" is a necessary element in the self-understanding and process of the formation of individual, collective and regional identity, as well as a necessary element for understanding the CONTINUITY OF THE GOOD, the indestructibility of the need for exchange and cooperation, and thus for reconciliation and reconciliation. The truth is not only the acceptance of facts, it also includes the emotional component of the yearning for confirmation and acknowledgment of errors and the validation of painful losses and experiences. The case of former Yugoslavia and successor states is specific and somewhat different from other experiences of post-conflict societies. The first, retributive model of justice is being realized, or should be achieved, through the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague. The question arises as to how to initiate the process of seeking truth and ways of reconciliation within and between societies, groups and individuals of newly born states. None of the currently existing models in the world, such as those in South Africa or some Latin American countries, is not possible here, as five countries are at least three affected by war and war violence, and the nature of these conflicts covers a range of international conflicts to internal aggression and civil war. The South African Commission for Truth and Reconciliation and the Gacaca Tribunal, which has almost existed in Rwanda, has been built on the principles of truth and reconciliation. But what does the truth really mean? What does reconciliation mean? It can be argued that the search for the truth has a very precise meaning - that is, determining what really happened.
The purpose of the conference will be fulfilled if through the conclusions of the 4th Conference of Victimology sessions using the best practices and knowledge (European and world) we come up with the best and cheapest solutions for building a stable peace and the rule of law in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In this sense, most people also mean searching for The Learning Outcomes for students who will attended the conference included: understanding the concept of victimization; identifying the forms of victimization and victims; understanding the scope of victimization in the Bosnia and Herzegovina; identifying economic, political, social, and cultural factors that contribute to victimization; understanding the social environment that contributes to victimization; understanding the experiences of victims; and identifying resources available to victims.
Welcome to Bosnia and Herzegovina!
[1] Azra Adžajlić-Dedović, PhD (aadzajlic@fkn.unsa.ba) is Professor of Victimology and Restorative Justice at the Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security, University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.