Bosnia, Croatia and Serbia
Peacebreaking, Peacemaking in the Balkans
August 27 to September 16, 2006
Program Directors: Tamara Leonard ~ Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and Norman Wacker ~ English

During stays in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia, we will examine the issues of national conflict and conflict resolution in three successor states of the former Yugoslavia where the legacies of the conflict have remained current. We will move across these newly drawn borders to gain a comparative overview of the region. Often we will be negotiating both the disintegration created by the conflict and the emerging connections that link these areas together. It’s an ambitious project, one in which we will often endure significant disorientation as we ask questions about the threads broken, frayed, and newly made within the new states and across them.

While abroad, we will visit Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, Belgrade and Zagreb -- the major cities of the successor states.  We will observe first-hand programs conducted by local NGOs in Tuzla, BiH, (near Srebrenica) and in Vukovar, Croatia, which provide social services and promote reconciliation and recovery in communities where some of the most violent episodes of the wars of succession took place.  We will study efforts to restore and document heritage sites targeted during the conflict and explore issues involving the destruction of cultural patrimony.   Students and faculty will also tour the ancient walled city of Dubrovnik and the historic Ottoman quarter of Sarajevo.  Throughout the program, we will meet with government officials, university professors, human rights activists and non-governmental organization representatives who will act as our guest lecturers, focusing on the political, social, civil, and economic recovery of the region and its people.  Participants in the seminar will prepare by reading texts, war reportage, government documents, and literature to gain an understanding of the issues.  We will also view documentary film and monitor international media and independent media in the region to identify current events and trends.

Exploration Seminar students will make regular oral presentations on background readings, lead discussions of guest lectures and site visits, write short, daily journal entries, and complete an analytical paper as a culminating project.  Participants will receive 5 credits in: Comparative History of Ideas (CHID) 471, Europe Study Abroad or International Studies (SIS) 399, Study Abroad: International Studies (I&S). Because of the extensive writing component, this class can count as a “W” class. Participants should also check with their academic advisors prior to enrolling to determine how these credits may apply to major requirements.

Student Costs:
$ 2,200 Program fee
$ 200 IPE fee

Additional costs include round trip travel to Croatia, health insurance and vaccines, meals, course materials and personal expenses.  (The program fee covers all required travel and lodging among Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia-Montenegro.)

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