Students’ research. The role of the Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) diaspora from the Serb part of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Republika Srpska) in transitional justice after the Bosnian war

Project idea

The qualitative field research will involve the participatory observation and interview collection in the Republika Srpska (Serb part of Bosnia and Herzegovina) to understand the impact and potential of the diaspora on the healing processes in post-conflict societies. Interviews will be conducted with Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) who left the territory of present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Bosnian war (1992-1995) or within five years of its end and who maintain links with their home country, for example, by returning to commemorative events. The work will contribute to the academic literature on transitional justice, conflict and peace studies, and transnational social movements, where the involvement of the diaspora in memory formation processes is still poorly addressed, especially in territories that remained homogenous after the conflicts and still deny the crimes committed. The work will draw parallels between the Bosniak diaspora and the Ukrainian diaspora that will emerge due to Russia's hostilities in Ukraine. It will also provide insights into how the Ukrainian diaspora can be empowered in future post-conflict processes, following the example of the Bosniak diaspora.