OBCT is among the founders of ECPMF, a media freedom centre based in Leipzig – just where the demonstrations that would lead to the collapse of the Wall started in October 1989. Thirty years later, one of the slogans of that revolutionary autumn has become an angry claim on the electoral posters of the far-right AfD party
Srebrenica genocide did not happen by accident and began well before its full horror became visible. It took shape with public discourse that dehumanised the Other
In several cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from May 28th to June 2nd, an important history festival was held which brought together about 100 historians from the region. This year, however, the History Fest has become a case of ethno-political tension
Republika Srpska has appointed two new international commissions tasked with establishing the crimes committed in Srebrenica and those committed against the Serbian population in Sarajevo. A group of academics and various analysts highlight its revisionist intentions
Meaningful engagement with de facto states and consistent, patient support for constructive approaches as they emerge from the region are the way to go for the EU and other international actors in the coming months
Arzu Abdullayeva has faced threats, insults and even violent demonstrations because of his peace activism between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But she never gave up
An unusual wave of protest has rocked Ingushetia. Changes in the administrative borders between Chechnya and Ingushetia sparked the mobilisation. Lack of dialogue and Ingush fears of having their republic merged with Chechnya kept them going
In recent months there has been an increasing talk of a swap of territories between Serbia and Kosovo: a solution that raises concerns and question marks. The debate among the Kosovo Albanians
Kenan and Haris Hasanagić searched for years for traces of Amer and Alen Ljuša, their two cousins who left Sarajevo in 1992, together with other children from the Bjelave orphanage, to be sheltered in Italy. Instead of being returned to Bosnia at the end of the war, they were given up for adoption. They finally met last summer, with the help of OBCT. An interview with Kenan Hasanagić
Less than a year after his untimely death, Albania celebrates Alessandro Leogrande. The Municipality of Tirana dedicates him a street and his Albanian publisher celebrates his work. Here, we remember him through a conversation he had with his friend Nicola Lagioa
During the siege, 46 children from the Sarajevo orphanage were sheltered in Italy. Although not all of them were orphans, they were not repatriated, but given up for adoption. Some of the biological parents have been looking for them for years. An interview with human rights activist Jagoda Savić, who has been dealing with the case since 2000
To give to survivors and victims’ families of Srebrenica justice, recognition and respect we should start from education, in Bosnia Herzegovina and in the whole region. Education systems in the region must educate about the past, educate to debunk myths, educate about justice and equality for all
What the agreement really offered, apart from turning the page for two Balkan countries, is a chance to observe political tendencies in Greece, by highlighting parties’ true colors and capacities
Over the past five years, since Croatia joined the EU and the centre-right rose to power, relations with neighbouring countries have undergone a progressive deterioration
He is one of the most famous actors of former Yugoslavia. Faruk Begolli loved both Pristina, where he was born, and Belgrade, where he spent most of his life
The Albanian civil war of 1997 was ended by an Italian-led international contingent. Twenty years after Operation Alba, the Prime Minister who promoted it has returned to the Land of the Eagles. An interview
As the electoral campaign unfolds in Bosnia Herzegovina, so does nationalist rhetoric, reviving the idea of conflict. But what is war? In a post on Facebook, Eldin Kurbašić explains it
A few days ago, the writer Akram Aylisli was due to participate in the Incontri di Civiltà literary festival in Venice. Azerbaijani authorities prevented him from attending. This is the speech he could not read
The Kosovo Constitutional Court has suspended the Pristina-Belgrade agreement on Serb-majority municipalities. It is a political move, breaching the very Constitution the Court should protect
The first Women's Tribunal in Europe took place in Sarajevo between May 7th and 10th. The participants came from all the countries of the former Yugoslavia
For his first European journey, Pope Francis chose Albania, a land that has become a symbol of interfaith dialogue. The visit was experienced with great expectation by the majority of Albanians
A century ago, the Great War swept Europe taking 10 million men and leaving 25 million wounded. Historian Jay M. Winter looks back on our century of violence
Tens of Bosniak families have withdrawn their children from the schools they were attending in Republika Srpska. They demand their children be taught their own national subjects. Our report
