FALL 2015
of 1992 to 1995. It was only recently
that the Bosnian government publicly
acknowledged and apologized for the
past. Institutionalized structure that
sanctions violence is conditioned by
the societal norms that precede it. The
violent environment legitimizes feelings of fear, hatred, and iniquitous subjugation. Though the combat concluded with the Dayton Peace Accords, the
casualties of the Bosnian War extend
far past the death count. The war conceded to the rape and abuse of 50,000
women. These widowed women, sonless mothers, and orphaned children are
the survivors of the Bosnian Genocide.
Twenty years ago, the world held
its breath as Bosnia began its path of
reconstruction. The chosen direction
would be what characterized negotiation efforts and the effectiveness of
enforcement. With the nation’s past
colored by the troubles surrounding Yugoslavia and the decision on
whether or not to stay in the Yugoslav
Federation to then the inefficiency
of the multilateral administration of
Bosnia-Herzegovina,
collaborative
recovery seemed near impossible let
alone peaceful reconciliation. With
so many either displaced or dead, violence persisted within refugee camps
and the harrowing effects of living in
constant fear during wartime. Bosnia
is notorious for its despondency, stemming from decentralization and the
redistribution of loyalty along ethnic
lines, only heightening the prejudice
between Muslims, Croats, and Serbs.
There was such doubt that the International Crisis Group even stated,
“Bosnia remains unready for unguided ownership of its own future-ethnic nationalism remains too strong.”
To the astonishment of the international community, the legacy of
the 1995 human rights abomination
became one distinguished by restorative compassion. Though the women
of Srebrenica serve as living symbols of violence due to the gross experiences they suffered, they chose
DOMESTIC
to become transformative agents of
change with once enemies joining together in unbelievable solidarity as
recounted by Queen Noor of Jordan:
They have refused to abandon
the pursuit of justice, and they
have refused to descend to the
level of the men who murdered
their fathers and husbands and
sons: they have refused to hate.
Instead, as I have witnessed, they
have met with Serb and Croat
women as they struggled together
to come to terms with the deaths
of their husbands, sons and fathers - killed, in some cases, perhaps by the husbands or sons of
women sitting across the table.
Bosnia lost a critical generation
of influencers with no replaceable
equivalent. This rattled the nation’s
successive course significantly and
yielded instead to a particular social
climate characterized by the community of survivors able to actively
facilitate the future. The conflict response by these women set the precedent for the country’s post-conflict
culture.
Though intergenerational
trauma states that the psychological
impacts of trauma are passed down,
the survivor’s strength is also transferrable. Subsequent generations, who
did not directly experience the wake
of war, will undoubtedly build context
based on the limited testimonies of the
living. Despite a history of immense
suffering that warrants angry retribution, these individuals are products
conditioned ultimately by forgiveness.
As showcased by the incredible
strength of Bosnian Muslim women,
survivors have the power of shaping the
narrative and the extent of how much
destructive evil will carry over into
their response. The women of Srebrenica did not allow their abuse to predetermine the fate of Bosnia and Herzegovina. They did not let rape translate
into rape culture. And neither can we.
Two events, Bosnia and Vanderbilt
that fall eighteen years apart, both
attest to the disturbing truth behind
oppression. There are two distinct
identities in this story – that of the
persecutor and the victim. Despite the
heart-wrenching anguish and reactive
resolutions that swore never again, the
narrative of violence continues. However, there is something to learn. The
memorials for the dead and atrocities
endured by those who suffered are in
vain if the culture that permits injustice and contempt actively pervades.
The ongoing system that authorizes
dehumanization without consequence
is blatant disregard towards the warning issued by their lived experiences.
Our responses to conflict are immediate, not transformative. Though the
veneer argues that actionable measures
are being taken with the Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act or the
United Nation’s International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia despite the reality of delayed convictions,
the false satisfaction found in awareness-building and the security behind
cosmetic requital is the ultimate disappointment. A national amendment
to require university responsibility in
thoroughly recording incidents, protecting confidentiality, and providing
resources for trauma healing must not
be mistaken as the conclusive solution.
With one-dimensional programming
responses misdirected, the objectives
and subsequent impact assessments
are invalid and meaningless. Vanderbilt University cannot boast success
with Gr