High school teachers from Mostar gave a series of presentations about the ICTY in their respective schools, following a recent workshop aimed at training teachers to give lectures on the work of the Tribunal.
On 7 November 2016, pupils of the Second Gymnasium heard from their teacher Haris Ćorajević about war crimes trials as a means to support post-conflict recovery in the former Yugoslavia. The students asked questions about the complexity of investigations, especially in cases where perpetrator were trying to hide all evidence of their crime. The following day, history teacher Haris Duraković talked about the work of the Tribunal to students of the School of Economics, Trade and Catering and answered questions about ICTY judgments.
On 19 November 2016, teacher Amira Džeko gave a lecture on the ICTY for students of the School of Electrical Engineering. The two-hour lecture was followed by numerous questions on crimes within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction, in particular crimes against humanity and genocide. A day later, sociology teacher Amer Bahtijar spoke about the importance of dealing with the past to students of the Medical High School, stressing the importance of individual criminal responsibility. He pointed out that crimes were committed on all sides during the conflict in the former Yugoslavia and that war crimes can also be perpetrated in what appears as an act of self-defence. Such critical thinking prompted a range of interesting questions from the students and a remarkable openness in discussing difficult issues arising from the region’s recent past.
The teachers in Mostar plan to continue to present the Tribunal’s work and its legacy as part of their regular school curriculum.