Amra Hadžimuhamedović – författare

The massive intentional destruction of cultural heritage during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War targeting a historically diverse identity provoked global condemnation and became a seminal marker in the discourse on cultural heritage. It prompted an urgent reassessment of how cultural property could be protected in times of conflict and led to a more definitive recognition in international humanitarian law that destruction of a people's cultural heritage is an aspect of genocide. Yet surprisingly little has been published on the subject. This wide-ranging book provides the first comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the destruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina's cultural heritage and its far-reaching impact. Scrutinizing the responses of the international community during the war (including bodies like UNESCO and the Council of Europe), the volume also analyses how, after the conflict ended, external agendas impinged on heritage reconstruction to the detriment of the broader peace process and refugee return. It assesses implementation of Annex 8 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a unique attempt to address the devastation to Bosnia's cultural heritage, and examines the treatment of war crimes involving cultural property at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). With numerous case studies and plentiful illustrations, this important volume considers questions which have moved to the foreground with the inclusion of cultural heritage preservation in discussions of the right to culture in human rights discourse and as a vital element of post-conflict and development aid.

The massive intentional destruction of cultural heritage during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War targeting a historically diverse identity provoked global condemnation and became a seminal marker in the discourse on cultural heritage. It prompted an urgent reassessment of how cultural property could be protected in times of conflict and led to a more definitive recognition in international humanitarian law that destruction of a people's cultural heritage is an aspect of genocide. Yet surprisingly little has been published on the subject. This wide-ranging book provides the first comprehensive overview and critical analysis of the destruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina's cultural heritage and its far-reaching impact. Scrutinizing the responses of the international community during the war (including bodies like UNESCO and the Council of Europe), the volume also analyses how, after the conflict ended, external agendas impinged on heritage reconstruction to the detriment of the broader peace process and refugee return. It assesses implementation of Annex 8 of the Dayton Peace Agreement, a unique attempt to address the devastation to Bosnia's cultural heritage, and examines the treatment of war crimes involving cultural property at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). With numerous case studies and plentiful illustrations, this important volume considers questions which have moved to the foreground with the inclusion of cultural heritage preservation in discussions of the right to culture in human rights discourse and as a vital element of post-conflict and development aid.

This book examines heritage reconstruction and its relationship to community recovery after cultural trauma. Its content and structure situate it within a new body of theory concerned to shift focus from physical buildings and ensembles to people, from the material to the social. The contributions integrate the social meaning of heritage with the subjective feelings and needs of individuals engaged in processing cultural trauma. The collection of studies touches upon sociological, psychological, healing, and anthropological dimensions of heritage recovery.The new question that this book brings to the heritage discourse is: Can cultural heritage serve as a medium for healing societal trauma? The volume is divided into five thematic sections: 1. Coming to terms with the past; 2. Inclusiveness; 3. Building Resilience; 4. People in Focus; 5. Crossing borders. The nexus between people and heritage is explored through case studies on diverse recovery contexts - Bosnia, Gazza, Syria, Iraq, Uganda, Albania, Nepal, Zanzibar, Lebanon – different practices of international organisations, and formative documents of contemporary international doctrine. Difficult issues of justice, ethics, human rights, sustainable development, and the lengthy process of coming to terms with life after trauma are brought into contact with technical challenges and cultural, historical, and economic contexts. The book establishes the theory of inclusive heritage discourse, which reconciles informal heritage practices and authorised heritage discourse, and will be relevant for academic researchers, students and professionals in the field of heritage studies but also in conflict, human rights, and humanitarian studies.