Bosnia-Herzegovina And The Balkans: 20 Years Later Memory, Reconciliation, Politics. The Challenges For Old And New Generations

The conference started with the opening remarks of Kenneth Keller,Director of Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Center, Italy, who welcomedspeakers and participants, and immediately stated the importance of the senseof the academic history of cooperation in the city of Bologna, both in the 58years of life of John Hopkins University and in the 10-centuries academicframework of the University of Bologna. Vice-Rector of University of Bolognafor International Relations, Carla Salvaterra described the long history ofcooperation between the two institutions, not just in institutional terms, butalso in the direct involvement of students.
She also stressed the importance ofmemories in constructing collective identities and the duty and right toreconstruct history for the purpose of reconciliation. Matteo Lepore,Councillor for International Relations of the City of Bologna put an emphasis on the dialogue as achallenge and as a matter of politics by remembering the World War II events ofMontesole and Marzabotto.
The session continuedwith the speech of the Ambassador of the Republicof Croatia in Italy, Mr. Damir Grubisa. Hestarted emphasising the Croatian ambiguity towards Bosnia and Herzegovina in thenineties, which was considered a war inside the war. He described very well allthe historical events bringing to the Karadjordevo talks between Serbia and Croatia,the Croatian official and unofficial policies toward Herzegovinaand the past manipulation of communities in Bosnia. However, ambassadorGrubisa, stressed the fundamental importance of the European integrationprocess in helping to solve ethnic tensions.