“In order to achieve success and stability in the country [BiH, Bosnia and Herzegovina], a multicultural society needs to be established, but this cannot be done without truth and reconciliation, former US Democratic Presidential Candidate, Mr. Howard Dean said in Sarajevo on Wednesday at the ‘Pathways to Reconciliation and Global Human Rights’ conference.” (FENA)
Dr. Dean, Democratic Nat’l Committee chair, is one of 300 “practitioners and thinkers from around the world to reflect upon, evaluate and advance the global human-rights agenda.”
The global human rights agenda. … Pathways to Reconciliation and Global Human Rights … sponsored by Sources of Insecurity … what foreign concepts in Washington, D.C. I’d be fascinated to learn how Howard Dean was invited to, and attracted to, this conference. But no matter. I’m touched beyond words that he is there with representatives of human rights organizations and NGOs.
He is a keynote speaker with Charles Villa-Vicencio, Exec. Dir., So. Africa’s Institute for Justice & Reconciliation; Olara Otunnu, Undersecretary Gen’l and UN Special Rep. for Children and Armed Conflict; Brendan O’Leary, Dir., Solomon Asch Centre for the Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict, Univ. of Penn., and more human rights experts. The speakers page notes, “We sadly observe the passing of Susan Sontag, who was to participate at the conference …” I didn’t spot the names of any Bush administration officials. MORE from Dean below:
“There are no investors who will invest their funds if there is no stability”, Dean said and added that BiH needs to closely analyse what has happened and why it has happed, but that this should also include forgiveness.
The problem BiH is facing is not unique because similar things have happened elsewhere. Dean said that he would speak at the conference about racism and other problems the US had to overcome.
UNDP Acting Head of Mission to BiH Stefan Priesner presented results of a recent poll by UNDP.
According to the results two thirds of BiH citizens have experiences war as a threat to their lives, while half of them have still not overcome the pain caused by war. 20 percent were able to establish a normal course of life, but 70 percent have still not drawn a line and established normal life.
Priesner described as positive the high level of tolerance demonstrated by BiH citizens – 75 percent think that the level of tolerance in BiH is satisfactory, but 25-30 percent believe that war would again break out if international forces left the country.
This has led UNDP to a conclusion that reconciliation is extremely important in BiH and that it needs to be put on the agenda immediately, Priesner said and added that this problem has not been given enough attention during the past ten years.
Priesner said that UNDP would support court at lower levels dealing with an increasing number of cases of war crimes. (FENA)
Special thanks, as always, to Howie Martin for tracking the fascinating journey of Howard Dean’s life.
