News

The Peace Academy organized a summer course, Resisting Nationalism and Populism: Lessons from the case of Bosnia & Herzegovina, from July 27 to August 28, 2020 in partnership with the University of Manchester in Great Britain and with the financial support of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR). The course was held via the Zoom online platform and examined the growing global phenomenon of nationalism and far-right populism, its enormous potential and power to polarize society, and the perception that it is a threat to a liberal social order and political tolerance. BiH and the region offered a dynamic case study, because despite the revival of nationalisms and populism in the 1990s and the divisions present during the wars in BiH and the region until today, there is still evident and continuous resistance to nationalist and populist programs. 

Listen to course participant Emina Frljak's reflections about the summer course.

Twenty-two students, activists, researchers and journalists from BiH, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia, the United States, Canada, India, Zambia, Kenya, Congo and Lesotho studied together during the summer course. The course was divided into 6 different modules: Understanding Populism and Resistance, Feminism and Networks of Resistance, Everyday Resistance in the Workplace, Local-First Activism as Resistance, Resistance Within International Projects, and a Mostar Virtual Excursion. Lecturers included Valida Repovac Nikšić (University of Sarajevo), Zlatiborka Popov Momčinović (University of East Sarajevo), Jasmin Ramović (University of Manchester), Randall Puljek-Shank (Burch University) and Nejra Nuna Čengić (University of Manchester).

Participants wrote the following reflection papers after the summer school course:

Essays

Videos

Ubleha for idiots

  • ACRONYMS (in general)

    One of the important criteria based on which the level of ublehahood is instantly determined. According to this criterion, there are the following levels: The first (highest) level: a person in his/her written communication does not write sentences containing more than 7 words, where at least 3 words are acronyms. For example: "See. Att. FYI. TBC. Send me your CV ASAP to prepare TOR." In normal language, these two sentences would go something like this: "Attached please find some fudge that is of no benefit to anybody but do keep it so you may show it in case we are happen to be asked if we considered it. You may doodle on it a little and write some comment if you can grab some time. Most likely, some jerks pulled it out of their asses as it has nothing to do with anything. By no means, if you do happen to read it, take it at face value. You are still on probation here although half a year has already passed . Write some good CV of yours and backdate it half a year ago and do try to make it compatible to what you have allegedly been doing for us over the past six months. As soon as I get it and find some time, I will rewrite it a bit and name it your job description –just to have it on hand, in case those spooks from above come by. Poselami amidžu (See) and tell him that “ that thing” is OK. " Obviously, the advantages of acronyms are unmistakeable. Time saving, confidentiality of data and transparent professionalism and perfection in technical language usage. Every layman simply has to be fascinated and has to give his/her moral approval for the high salary for the speakers in question.

from Ubleha for Idiots – An Absolutely non useful Guide for Civil Society Building and Project management for Locals and Internationals in BiH and Beyond by Nebojša Šavija-Valha and Ranko Milanovic-Blank, ALBUM No. 20, 2004, Sarajevo, translated by Marina Vasilj.