Everybody's Afraid Of War
Unfortunately, they (students) understand the concept of war because in Bosnia the situation is not very well. Everybody's afraid of war. Next war. So it's some kind of transgenerational trauma. And my students asked me, “Professor, is it going to be war again here?” It's so sad that after 30 years, we are at the same position. Maybe now there are no weapons as there were during the 90s because the Yugoslavian army was the third most powerful army in the world, but now I'm not so sure that everything will be okay.
I told them to go to other countries. What can I tell them? I don't want to lie to say there will be no war because I'm not so sure. Better to go where it’s safe.
-J
Every Mother's Day Or Women's Day
Every Mother's Day or Women's Day, we would always get flowers from the children (students). But I was retired and I was kind of cleaning in front of my house. I was with the broom, and I was watching all these women going down the street and each one of them had a flower, and I'm retired. Nope, there's nobody, you know, no children anymore. Not even one flower. All of a sudden, a big yellow Volkswagen stopped in front of the house. And this one former student brings out this huge basket filled with flowers. For me, that was a sign of my success that I have managed to establish this connection with my pupils and even today, they call me for Christmas or for New Years, over holidays to hear how I am. Or sometimes they even call me to invite me to have lunch with them, even as old as I am. And that makes me happy. That's a confirmation that I did a good job.
-M
M’s Future Artifact
I think that it is actually the youth that should grab this torch of truth, but I would also call it the torch of the future. Maybe the previous generation was not capable, but we can and we should really do something about it, not just talk about it. Here in Bosnia the youth is just talking about how something should be done but nobody does anything.
-H
Here In Bosnia
Who Knows What Their Past Looks Like…
I really wanted to bring something (an artifact) but I couldn't find it. I think that one of the reasons is that I don't know if there is an ideal future. So it was very hard for me to be honest to bring something like that. I think that we know I have a lot of joy in life and the things that I do. Working on things that I love as well and have a lot of passion for. But I think that it's also really important to understand how difficult it gets, and that, even if there is no ideal future, it's still worth it. Right? So even if it's not ideal, it's still worth it. It's worth it to be here. I usually get the question, why are you still in Bosnia? Just leave? You have so many options. So many people are inviting you to work there and there and so on. Why don't you just leave? It would be so much better for you. And then, you know, this is now idealistic, maybe, but I always say, so who is going to stay here? And fight? So who is going to sit? If I leave how are my students going to talk about these issues? Who's going to talk about those with them? You know, I don't think that I'm so important, I think that you understand what I mean. But you know, if we all leave, all of us who are, you know, struggling for this better world, who is there then for our future generations? So what happens to all of them? And I guess that we just have to accept, it's not ideal. That's why I do not have an artifact for it. I think that with everything that I've gone through, as you know, generally, I think that I just accepted the reality and a sense that maybe there's just no real, no ideal future. But as I said, the one that we have for now is still worth the fight and the passion and the joy and everything else that comes with it.
It can get really lonely. It gets lonely when, when you're trying and then as I just said, there is not a lot of understanding sometimes. But, you know, I don't I don't judge that, to be honest, at all. And I think that's also something that comes with time that you just try not to judge, you know, who knows what the other person is carrying with them? Who knows what their past looks like, when they tell me why are you working on these topics, I don't know where that is coming from. So I don't perceive that as criticism, right? I just think that we all perceive our past, our individual and collective pasts, and histories just differently. And I think that's also one of the things that we have to accept. So, most of the time it's not a weight. I think it's a driving force. But sometimes it is a weight. Because it's a very, very complex context to work in. And then obviously, they're all so personal, personal histories and pain that you deal with. Yeah.