Europe House, in cooperation with Sarajevo Film Festival, welcomed another edition of the already traditional and highly regarded youth-oriented Dealing with the Past programme. The cooperation, growing into its third year, welcomed 25 young participants from across the region for a programme of discussions, seminars, workshops and exchange of ideas in cooperation with Young European Ambassadors, local and regional youth organisations as well as local experts and activists.
Ferdinand Koenig, Head of Communications of the EU Office in BiH welcomed the guests during the panel “Human Rights in Times of Uncertainty” which included professors Samir Lemeš, Dino Abazović and Damir Šagolj as panellists. Koenig remarked on the importance of reconciliation and youth reconnection for the European Union in BiH and the region adding that “We are delighted to welcome you all to Europe House during the Sarajevo Film Festival, a symbol of resilience and perseverance in its own right. The EU was founded as a peace project, and providing opportunities for open and honest discussions about the past are central to the work of the EU in BiH, as well as BiH’s EU path”.
The panel explored the necessity of human rights protection in times of global uncertainties and increasing challenges facing governments and societies across the world. From the role of education in enabling advocacy to access to information and the importance of forming individual opinions and critical thinking, the participants discussed prevailing issues facing young people who are working on building bridges and overcoming past divides.
The participants also touched upon the issue of environmental protection and human rights in this context considering that professor Lemeš’s activism for environmental protection in Zenica inspired the directors of the investigative documentary “Nebo iznad Zenice/The sky above Zenica” which had its premiere during the 16th Human Rights Day programme of the SFF.
In addition to screenings of selected 11 films dealing with topics of past and ongoing conflicts, Europe House, a new official central Festival location for networking, discussion and creativity, serves as the hub for the participants of the Dealing with the Past programme, enabling exploration and analyses of the role of youth in these processes and providing with a platform to share their experiences and ideas on cooperation, diversity and peacebuilding.
Sarajevo Film Festival’s Dealing with the Past programme aims to increase dialogue about unresolved issues and topics from the conflicts in the region and to encourage public involvement leading to better understanding and acknowledging and tolerating differences, especially among the younger generations.
