Objectives of the conference held in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s capital from the 11th to 13th March are discussions and panel presentations on why education should be prioritized in peace agreements and processes and in post-conflict situations, and how quality education can be secured for all children. Focus was also made on the fact that education can be used to promote peace, or misused in feeding conflict and segregating people from one sense of belonging.
Precondition of a modern country
Chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Presidency, Nebojša Radmanović, stressed in his introduction speech that education is an important part of a society and culture and the key factor of the social world.
- Education is a precondition for a modern and developing country, said Radmanović.
Deputy Minister of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Elisabeth Walaas, reminded the conference members that peace begins in the mind of children and that schools should serve as a model for reconciliation, paving the way for reintegration, and for wider conflict transformation. Schools should serve as a model for reconciliation, paving the way for reintegration.
Walaas also described the difficult post-conflict situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina concerning education.
- Since this conference is taking place in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is natural to look at how this country is dealing with the issue in a post-conflict period. The Dayton Peace Agreement makes few references to education. However, the complex governing structures set out in the Agreement make the provision of quality education difficult. There is a limited national mandate and the system is highly decentralised: 13 Ministries of Education, two at Entity level, one in each of the 10 Cantons of the Federation and one in the District of Brcko.
In addition the national Ministry of Civil Affairs has a division with an education mandate, said Walaas.
Read the entire speech of Elisabeth Walaas here
Strengthening bonds of acceptance
In his welcoming speech for the conference members, Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jan Braathu, underlined education as an instrument of building democratic spirit and establishing unity of interests among citizens.
- Bosnian and Herzegovinean experiences over the last 14 years since the end of the fighting underscore the need to address education also from a peace-building and societal development perspective, said Braathu.
Read the entire speech of Jan Braathu here