Post-Conflict Research Center
 | |
| Formation | 2010 |
|---|---|
| Type | Non-governmental organization |
| Purpose | peace building, post-conflict reconciliation |
| Headquarters | Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) |
Official language | English and Bosnian |
President and Co-Founder | Velma Šarić (2010-present) |
| Website | http://p-crc.org/ |
The Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) is a Sarajevo-based non-governmental organization, which aims to nurture an enabling environment for sustainable peace and facilitate the restoration of inter-ethnic relationships in Bosnia-Herzegovina. PCRC’s expertise consists of innovative multimedia projects and creative educational curricula that engage youth in fostering long-lasting tolerance, mutual understanding, and social activism in the Western Balkans region.[1] The Center’s overall mission is to build a robust network empowering youth with transferable skills and resources to spread an all-encompassing culture of peace among the many ethnic groups composing the country. PCRC’s main activities involve youth and reconciliation, media freedom, gender and peace-building through educational activities, storytelling and investigative journalism.
History
The PCRC was established in 2010 by Founder and Executive Director Velma Šarić and Co-founder and Project Director Leslie Woodward. They first met in Sarajevo when Woodward, a graduate student with substantial experience in strategic peace-building, post-conflict development, and research in developing country contexts, came to attend a study abroad program course designed by Šarić, an experienced journalist and researcher in the fields of sociology and international law. Once Woodward returned to the USA, they both developed projects and wrote grants over Skype with the goal of setting up an organization dedicated to building peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina.[2] PCRC today counts 7 staff members, several interns and 40 experts providing valuable insights and guidance to the organization. PCRC brings citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina together to discuss current cultural and political issues and speak their minds with the aim to strengthen local communities in the country.
Activities and Projects
PCRC’s work revolves around three main areas:[3] youth and reconciliation – molding positive narratives of inter-ethnic cooperation by applying examples from the past to current models of pro-social behavior; media freedom - challenging the Bosnia’s one-sided mainstream media coverage by providing a safe space where youth can discuss issues they hold dear to their hearts at the local level; gender and peace building – empowering women to influence gender rights discourses and foster positive social change, especially by aiding victims of wartime sexual violence to address radicalization and impunity in Bosnia-Herzegovina.[4]
Since 2011, a considerable number of student programs, workshops and conference on peace building, genocide prevention and reconciliation have been organized by PCRC.[5] The organization has also extensive experience in documentary production and photographic exhibitions, having worked with local and international photojournalists and filmmakers including Taryn Simon, Abigail Disney, and Angelina Jolie.[6]
Balkan Diskurs
One of the initiatives PCRC works on is Balkan Diskurs, an online platform run by a regional network of young journalists and activists, which aims to address the lack of objective and alternative media. The platform provides a space free from censorship to publish peoples’ opinions and analyses of current issues in the Western Balkans region.
Ordinary Heroes
Ordinary Heroes is a multimedia educational project that uses photos, films and youth workshops to tell the accounts of four post-conflict regions - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Cambodia, and post-Holocaust Europe, through stories of rescue and courage with the aim to bolstering tolerance, reconciliation and inter-ethnic cooperation. The project encompasses a documentary series that portrays real-life stories of Bosnian citizens who came to rescue others during the war, workshops engaging local youth and a traveling photographic exhibition. Ordinary Heroes was designed by PCRC to foster social healing and reconciliation among inter-groups in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 2014, Ordinary Heroes was awarded the Intercultural Innovation Award by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group. The award recognizes ground-breaking grassroots projects encouraging intercultural dialogue and contributing to global peace.