During May and June, the Forgotten Children of War Association held three activities entitled “Living Libraries” at the Ismet Mujezinović International Atelier in Tuzla.
“Living Libraries” represent an innovative concept in which the “books” are, in fact, people who share their personal experiences and life stories with participants. During these activities, survivors of wartime sexual violence, children born of war, and genocide survivors shared their “life books.”
The activities were carried out as part of three study visits involving around one hundred students from different cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the study visits, the students visited, among other places, the Srebrenica Memorial Center, Tuzla and Sarajevo, as well as memorial sites, places of suffering, and institutions dedicated to the culture of remembrance.
Through direct encounters with people who survived some of the most severe consequences of war, the students had an opportunity to hear authentic testimonies and “read” their life books — stories about wartime events, personal experiences, the consequences of war, and life in its aftermath.
Special attention during the implementation of the “Living Libraries” was given to a trauma-informed approach. This is a carefully facilitated and controlled process aimed at creating a safe space for dialogue and learning while protecting participants from traumatization and retraumatization.
Through this approach, personal testimonies become an important space for learning, developing empathy, and gaining a deeper understanding of the consequences of war, while also contributing to the preservation of a culture of remembrance and the building of lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The “Living Libraries” and study visits were organized as part of the project “Building Lasting Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Investing in the Future,” implemented by BIRN Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Srebrenica Memorial Center, and the Forgotten Children of War Association, with the support of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund (PBF).
