Round Table on Truth – Reconciliation – Perspectives of Cooperation

The round table “Truth – Reconciliation – Perspectives of Cooperation” was held in Pribroj on 24 May 2003. The aim of the program was to exchange ideas and establish dialogue on the basic principles of civil society in overcoming the consequences of war and improving the culture of human rights. The methodology of the round table program of was designed to affect all perspectives on the topic and to promote active participation in the discussions.There were 30 participants from Sandžak and other areas of Western Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. Participants were NGO activists, civil servants, judges and journalists. Key speakers were experts, intellectuals and public figures from Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Speakers highlighted different perspectives on major developments on the causes of the conflict, its consequences, and the way in which problems could be prevented in the future. Major topics of discussions included the specificity of the area because of its multiethnic structure, the influence of the last war on the region, and ethnic tension in the Sandžak region. Fruitful discussion was followed by important conclusions.

Through discussion and lectures, the round table participants emphasized in their conclusions that the process of facing the past is necessary for the reinforcement of trust among citizens. They further concluded that war crimes trials should gain more support as they represent an effort by democratic forces to bring stability and cooperation back to the region, and that all segments of society in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other former Yugoslav republics should take part in the struggle to resolve the problems of the past in order to create and secure a more prosperous future.

This roundtable was essential for Pribroj, which has not hosted many programs of this kind, and is a positive contribution to the foundation of civil society activism and human rights culture in the region as a whole. The conference discussion is published on Serbian.