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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
"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
Traumatized War Criminal? Documenting the Case of Esad Landžo
No full textPerpetrators' voices have been traditionally ignored in the transitional justice field and beyond. Esad Landžo was only 19 when he committed the crimes of willful killing, torturing, and causing serious injury to the detainees of notorious Čelebići camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2001, Landžo was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia for the crimes he committed in 1992. After serving two thirds of his sentence in 2006 and settling in Finland, Landžo and the Danish filmmaker, Lars Feldballe Petersen, embarked on the project of making a documentary movie about Landžo's traumatic memories, remorse, and regret. Landžo had a strong urge to extend his apology to each victim individually and in 2015 went to Čelebići to meet his former detainees. This article will build on a scarce conversation in scholarly, and legal discourse, as to why psychological trauma is considered to be an experience that belongs to victims. It will analyze difficult and untold perpetrators' experiences of criminal acts and explore whether in these experiences there is potential for inner and group understanding. This article draws on the author's interviews with Landžo, the main protagonist in the movie The Unforgiven: A War's Criminal Remorse, a film that documents the extraordinary story of Landžo: from his denial to redemption.Simic, Traumatized War Criminal? Documenting the Case of Esad Landžo, 'International Criminal Justice Review' (, ) pp. 105756772094078. Copyright © 2020. DOI: 10.1177/1057567720940786. Users who receive access to an article through a repository are reminded that the article is protected by copyright and reuse is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses. Users may also download and save a local copy of an article accessed in an institutional repository for the user's personal reference. For permission to reuse an article, please follow our Process for Requesting Permission. Deposited by shareyourpaper.org and openaccessbutton.org. We've taken reasonable steps to ensure this content doesn't violate copyright. However, if you think it does you can request a takedown by emailing [email protected]
Punishing wartime sexual violence
No full textWartime sexual violence is a crime that not only leaves a deep physical and psychological trauma on the victim, but also threatens the fabric of society, especially when the ratio of the gravity of the crime and the sanction imposed is distorted. Ultimately, we should underline that real people and real lives lie behind the statistics and legal discussions in this analysis, belonging to a deeply vulnerable category and demonstrating exceptional courage by participating in criminal proceedings; however, the punishment imposed on the perpetrator often failed to contribute to their sense of satisfaction for the suffering suffered. To this end, the analysis and its guidelines, presenting clear criteria by which courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be guided when sentencing perpetrators of criminal offence of wartime sexual violence, can serve as an additional tool in the hands of the judiciary in Bosnia and Herzegovina.Full Tex
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