Messages of Peace and Friendship in Bosnia
The following article came to us from World Vision Bosnia who recently implemented one of our Peace Camps in Bosnia:
Children from Bosnia villages performed at the main square in the Capital of Sarajevo
“Where are you from? What is your name?” – these were the opening questions of the children’s street theatre performance, which was a grand finale of World Vision’s Peacebuilding Summer Camp 2010, funded by The Eagle Down Foundation and World Vision Switzerland.
“Jelena, Mirza, Benjamin, Hanka… Olovo, Kalesija, Zvornik, Visoko…”, echoed at the main square of the Capital on 8th of July 2010.
53 girls and boys (Serbs, Bosniaks, Croats, Roma) from 7 municipalities were working hard for 5 days at Jahorina Mountain to shape their messages of peace and friendship into a street theatre performance. This was a result of various workshops during the Summer Camp: peer education in peacebuilding, evening debates on inter-religious tolerance and gender equality, art and music workshops and a theatre laboratory under the supervision of Maja Mitic and Jugoslav Hadzic, experienced actors from DAH Theatre from Belgrade.
Some topics were freely and openly discussed and other, of more sensitive nature, were processed in the theatre laboratory through movement, play, music and drawing. For the first three days children worked in three groups in order to produce scenario, scene and music for the street performance and the last two days they were rehearsing all together for the final event. Excitement was at its peak in the bus to Sarajevo and during the walk from the Cathedral to the Children of Sarajevo Square.
Of course, it was not all work: a lot of fun and free activities (walking, swimming, sports) helped in strengthening the new friendships that emerged during the camp.
“I was happy to meet many new friends of different ethnic and religious backgrounds and there were no divisions among us”, said one of the many messages the children shared in their Camp Journals.
Another one: “It is important that your opinion is respected.”
And: “I was proud because everybody applauded when I sang. It meant that I was accepted.”
At the end: “It is so sad that we have to part. Greetings to those who made this possible!”
And yes, many tears were shed after the long-lasting applause of the audience in Sarajevo, because of mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow. The children have promised that friendship would not end but would last longer than the Camp itself. To start fulfilling the promise a new Facebook group was formed immediately upon their return for sharing friendship, joy, love, jokes, photos and serious matters…
“I think our objective was met,” says Adis Jamakovic, one of the teachers who accompanied children from Krivaja, “and that is the strong friendship between children of different backgrounds. You might not believe it, but they are still in daily contact two weeks after the Camp! Someone would say this is not much, but I think that nobody has done such a wonderful thing after the war in Bosnia… Kids from all parts of Bosnia have showed us there is hope for friendship and respect beyond the religious differences…”
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