313 research outputs found
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Lola's War ::Rape Without Punishment /
No full text"This book is an important contribution to transitional justice scholarship. In a sensitive manner, it reminds readers of the need to listen to the everyday stories of survivors of violence. The accounts of one woman's loss and personal heartache in a search for justice, are moving." - Professor Elisabeth Porter, University of South Australia, Australia "Beautifully written, deep, reflective and thoughtful, Olivera Simic's new book takes the reader on an intimate and up-close journey for justice of a wartime sexual violence survivor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The life story of Lola is a rich and detailed story of a woman showcasing lived experiences and consequences of searching for justice in the aftermath of atrocities, which are often inadvertent and unpredictable. It is filled with hopes, disappointments, traumas but also resilience and empowerment. It is an absolute must read for everyone engaged and interested in post-conflict transitional justice." - Associate Professor Barbora Hola, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Senior Researcher, Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement (NSCR) "Lola's War makes me think, makes me think hard thoughts. And because Lola herself is so wonderfully portrayed here, one cannot escape the hard thinking - about gendered war, about violence against women, about personal sovereignty, about justice. Olivera Simic has done us all a great service by challenging us, while never betraying Lola's integrity." - Professor Cynthia Enloe, author of Twelve Feminist Lessons of War This longitudinal study is based on the story of Lola, who was gang raped during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992. At the time, she was in a detention camp with her young children. Only one of Lola's several perpetrators was convicted but his sentence of six years of imprisonment has never been actioned by the Bosnian judiciary. Lola's rapist is still free and she lives in continual fear that he will retaliate against her and her children for her role in his trial. Olivera Simić is Associate Professor with the Griffith Law School, Australia
Localizing transitional justice: civil society practices and initiatives in the Balkans
No full textThis chapter engages with the key themes explored in this volume. It gives an overview of the civil society and the pursuit of transitional justice in the Balkans and connects these broader themes to the specific insights offered by the scholars in this volume. The history of war and violence in Balkan nations, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Romania, makes this an important area of analysis. While the analysis is situated in the particular context of the Balkan region, it has a potential to broaden our understanding of civil society engagements with transitional justice processes globally. The analysis provided in this chapter is multidirectional and offers explanations for the history of civil society in general, and its development in the Balkan region in particular. The chapter also provides an overview of the region and transitional justice field. The analysis is relevant to academic disciplines as diverse as legal studies, criminology, social psychology, media, politics, and sociology, while remaining embedded within a transitional justice framework
Ivana Milojevic, 'Breathing: Violence In, Peace Out', Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 2013, ISBN 9 7807 0224 9693, 296 pp., $39.95
No full textThis is a rare type of book that interweaves personal narrative with critical commentary on violent conflict and the possibilities of peace. The author, while reflective and mindful of her narrative, does not shy away from the bite of reality. As she says in the introduction:Full Tex
Portraits of the Dead and the Living: Bosnia and Rwanda 20 Years on
No full textBosnia and Rwanda 20 Years on Olivera Simić Sometimes justice does not give someone a satisfactory answer — cases are subject to corruption. But when it comes to forgiveness willingly granted, one is satisfied once and for all. When someone is full of anger, he can lose his mind. But when I granted forgiveness, I felt my mind at rest. (Karorero, survivor of Rwandan genocide) Justice did not come in the way we expected. We, mothers from Srebrenica, are living witnesses of Srebrenica genocide. We do not want to forget. Nobody has the right to demand from the victim to forgive or to reconcile with the offender. We will never forgive or sit down with those who killed our sons. We want neither forgiveness nor reconciliation. (Munira Subašić, President of Association of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves) I am not the owner of the lives of my husband, son and...No Full Tex
Peace psychology in the Balkans: in times past, present and future
No full textThis chapter provides an overview of the contributions that Peace Psychologists have made to the understanding of confl ict and peace in the Balkan region. The recent history of physical violence in Balkan nations, such as Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia and Romania, make this an important area of analysis given its potential to broaden our understanding of peace and confl ict processes world-wide. The analysis provided in this chapter is multi-directional in its consideration of past, present and future realities. Explanations for the history of confl ict in the region are identifi ed, the present realities of peace and confl ict explored and pathways to a more peaceful future proposed. The analysis is also multi-faceted considering both micro-level and macro-level factors relevant to the history and future of peace in the region. Micro-level factors, such as social norms, individual attitudes and relations to other ethnic groups, are shown to have complex interactions with macro-level factors, such as politics and economics, in predicting both peace and violence in the Balkan region. The analysis is relevant to academic disciplines as diverse as peace studies, politics and sociology, but remains fi rmly embedded within a peace psychological framework
Economic development and perspectives for reconciliation
No full textThis chapter outlines the effect of the economic crisis on the economies of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia and Serbia, and addresses its effects on post-war reconciliation. It also considers the role of economic elites in mobilising political support along ethnic lines, and the way in which they respond to the need for structural reform proposed by the European Union and by the need to create more competitive and open economies. The economic crisis has led to a reduction in international trade, foreign investment, remittance flows and a fall in credit for businesses and households. As a consequence, all three countries have experienced a ‘double dip’ recession, which has led to a sharp increase in unemployment with adverse consequences for living standards. Youth unemployment in BiH is even higher than in crisis-hit Greece. In addition, when Croatia joined the EU in July 2013, new barriers were created to trade with BiH and Serbia, as Croatia left the CEFTA free-trade area
Book review : Regulation of Sexual Conduct in UN Peacekeeping Operations, by Olivera Simic, Heidelbert, Springer, 2012
No full textRegulation of sexual conduct in UN peacekeeping operations will not please all feminists. However, Simic is very careful to locate her study within a specific cultural, political and historical context, and notes that other contexts and conflicts will differ. She thus problematises the zero tolerance approach to sexual relations between peacekeeping forces and local populations, and strongly recommends that local women be consulted about their preferences for protection and support during PKOs. There is no doubt gender has become more central to United Nations policy-making, and Simic argues that it is perhaps timely to reassess the SGB and listen to the voices of local women, rather than tell women what is best for them
Reading of selected poetry
No full text2007 U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic, the author of eighteen collections of poetry, is also an essayist, translator, editor, and professor emeritus of creative writing and literature at the University of New Hampshire. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his book of prose poems The World Doesn\u27t End, and his 1996 collection, Walking the Black Cat, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry. His most recent poetry volume is That Little Something (2008). Simic held a MacArthur Fellowship from 1984-1989, and has also held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the NEA. In 2007, the same day he was appointed Poet Laureate, Simic received the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets for outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry
Reading of selected poetry
No full text2007 U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Simic, the author of eighteen collections of poetry, is also an essayist, translator, editor, and professor emeritus of creative writing and literature at the University of New Hampshire. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for his book of prose poems The World Doesn\u27t End, and his 1996 collection, Walking the Black Cat, was a finalist for the National Book Award for Poetry. His most recent poetry volume is That Little Something (2008). Simic held a MacArthur Fellowship from 1984-1989, and has also held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the NEA. In 2007, the same day he was appointed Poet Laureate, Simic received the Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets for outstanding and proven mastery in the art of poetry
"Celebrating" Srebrenica Genocide: Impunity and Indoctrination as Contributing Factors to the Glorification of Mass Atrocities
No full textThis paper provides an analysis of the politics and culture of 20 years of genocide denial in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and neighbouring Serbia and Croatia. It shows how denial at the political level spilled over to a culture of genocide, which is pervasive, from public spaces to schools, art, sports and popular culture. I argue that without significant revision of the Criminal Code and a radical reform of education, we can expect to see continuation of the denial of the Srebrenica genocide for many years to come.Full Tex
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