All the news

It is not easy to be Sarajevo

08/05/2013 -  Azra Nuhefendić

Throughout the twentieth century, Sarajevo has been both a symbol of political violence and a model of peaceful coexistence. The years in which the city fell under the control of the Ustasha are crucial to understand its contradictions. A book by Emily Greble

Land of blue gold

07/05/2013 -  Andrea Oskari Rossini

Bosnia Herzegovina is one of the European countries with the richest water resources. Projects to build a series of hydroelectric power stations in Republika Srpska, however, are endangering a delicate environmental balance. Report

Kosovo: my son Tonibler

06/05/2013 -  Marjola Rukaj

For ten years Alban Muja of Kosovo has been doing research into the names of towns, places and people; at the moment he has an exhibition in the centre of Tirana in a small gallery called “the fly”

The battle for Yerevan

02/05/2013 -  Mikayel Zolyan Yerevan

Tensions remain high in Armenia following clashes during the presidential inauguration of April 9. The opposition hopes are for a turning point at the May 5 municipal elections in Yerevan, home to one third of the country's population

Serbia: solving the three-body problem

02/05/2013 -  Federico Sicurella Belgrade

An extraordinary discovery by two physicists from Belgrade sweeps the world. The Serbian scientific community, though, is in trouble because of mismanagement and lacking of funds. An analysis

The EU and the Kosovo-Serbia deal

30/04/2013 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

A stable Serbia, firmly anchored to the EU, is Brussels' strategic objective. Even if the deal on Northern Kosovo should unravel

Life in Gali

29/04/2013 -  Francisco Martinez

In his contribution for the dossier “Abkhazia, twenty years after the war”, Francisco Martínez shares with Osservatorio's readers the materials he gathered in late 2010 while visiting the region, including video interviews in Gali, Sukhumi and Tbilisi

Kosovo: the deal is good

22/04/2013 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

The Kosovo-Serbia deal is a victory for the civic notion of statehood and citizenship, avoiding further risks of ethnic partitions. Also, it is a remarkable success for the EU, and a reason to be optimistic about its future

Turkey, a Newroz of peace

18/04/2013 -  Alberto Tetta Diyarbakır

This year, the Newroz celebrates the hope for a lasting peace that will put an end to the armed conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state. Abdullah Öcalan called to lay down the arms and begin a new era of political fight

ICG's report on Abkhazia, some notes on the footnotes

18/04/2013 -  Giorgio Comai

ICG's latest report on Abkhazia is timely and its recommendations show the way forward. As usual, it provides a wealth of information and details. Yet, it is not without imprecisions

Resistance in Moldova to health law on mandatory vaccination

17/04/2013 -  Natalia Ghilaşcu Chişinău

Law in Moldova mandates that children be vaccinated in order to be accepted into kindergarten. Many parents disagree. A law change is being proposed in parliament to make vaccination optional

Social Media in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

17/04/2013 -  Onnik Krikorian

Social media have become one of the few places where young people from Armenia and Azerbaijan can meet. Yet, not without risks

The Fenice theatre goes to Andrićgrad

16/04/2013 -  Rodolfo Toè Sarajevo

The prestigious Venetian theatre has begun working with Emir Kusturica on the production of a theatrical version of Ivo Andrić's novel The Bridge on the Drina. The project is strongly contested by the associations of the victims in Višegrad, where the opera is due to go on stage June 28 2014

LGBT in Turkey: they are our children

11/04/2013 -  Alberto Tetta

A documentary movie gives voice to the families of lesbians, bisexuals and transexuals in Turkey. “My child” is an intense work, gaining increasing attention. We met its director, Can Candan

Belgrade and its street children

10/04/2013 -  Federico Sicurella Belgrade

There are more and more children living and working on the streets of Belgrade. The institutions are having a hard time dealing with the phenomenon. A temporary daycare center that has become a model for the whole region, the Svratište, recently risked shutting down

Pope Francis I: a view from Armenia

09/04/2013 -  Mikayel Zolyan Yerevan

Armenians have followed closely the election of the new Pope, debating its possible consequences in the process of international recognition of the Genocide. In social networks, however, the event became an opportunity to discuss the role of the Church in modern society

More complications for NGOs in Azerbaijan

08/04/2013 -  Arzu Geybullayeva

A new law in Azerbaijan that introduces new fines on NGOs has entered into force. Top government representatives accuse local NGOs, western donors and the social media of radicalizing youth

Bosnia: religion, nationalism and pedophilia

04/04/2013 -  Rodolfo Toè Sarajevo

Revelations on the sexual abuses by the Tuzla bishop - Karadžić and Mladić’s spiritual guide - have dragged the Serbian Orthodox church through one of the major scandals of the latest years. The victims’ declarations, the reconstruction by the Bosnian reporter who was able to get a hold of the records of the witnesses’ depositions

Ajvar, son of the sun

03/04/2013 -  Francesco Martino Brestovac

In the region of Leskovac, in Southern Serbia, growing peppers is an art refined over the centuries. The “ajvar” is a fragrant pepper paste that comes with soft cheeses and pork meat. Our report

Kosovo’s money: the central bank, a party, and some dangers

02/04/2013 -  Andrea Lorenzo Capussela

Kosovo just appointed the new governor of its central bank. But Bedri Hamza is too close to the current government to guarantee the necessary independence. An analysis