With your dedication, you become messengers and role models of understanding and reconciliation in your communities. Each of you now carries not only the knowledge you have gained, but also the responsibility to be promoters of dialogue and learning, contributing to the building of a society that remembers the past while creating a more just and better future, was the message conveyed to the young people who today received their diplomas after successfully completing the Transitional Justice School, organised by the Centre for Civic Education (CCE).
The final module of the fifth generation of the Transitional Justice School began with a visit to the institution of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms of Montenegro, with a discussion with Ombudsman Siniša Bjeković about the role of this institution in the protection of human rights. Bjeković explained that the Protector cannot influence court decisions, but can become involved in issues concerning prosecutorial investigations and monitor the length of court proceedings, including those related to war crimes.
“Confronting the past is one of the ways to strengthen social cohesion, and that is why it is important that we address this in a professional manner. Revisionism that aims to shed light on crimes is not undesirable, but revisionism that absolves crimes represents a serious threat. It should be emphasised that every perpetrator has a name and surname, and that there is no collective responsibility,” Bjeković stated.
The continuation of the programme was marked by a visit to the Parliament of Montenegro, during which the Vice President of Parliament Nikola Camaj stressed that “we must build the future and must not be slaves to the past, but it is equally important to value what happened in the past”, adding that he was pleased that the Parliament of Montenegro and he personally were recognised as relevant interlocutors on this topic.
“Our goal is to learn from the past so that similar events may never be repeated. The past must not hinder the future, but victims must not be forgotten, nor perpetrators of crimes remain unpunished,” Camaj stated. He also emphasised that Montenegro, as a multinational and multi-confessional society, had managed to remain honourable and an example of harmonious multicultural life even in challenging times.
The programme was rounded off with a ceremonial awarding of diplomas, which were presented to participants in the European House by Ekaterina Paniklova, the UNDP Resident Representative in Montenegro, and Daliborka Uljarević, the Executive Director of the CCE.
“Over the past two months you have shown your willingness to confront the difficult and sensitive legacy of the past and to learn about war crimes, human rights, the culture of remembrance and transitional justice processes, and not as abstract concepts but as real and current challenges of our time. I know that it was not easy to visit places of suffering, but these experiences were essential for you to broaden your understanding, rethink your perceptions and become acquainted with realities that were previously unknown to many of you,” Paniklova said on that occasion, congratulating all participants.
“Transitional justice is our obligation to the victims, but also to the generations to come. It requires political will, but also civic courage,” stated Daliborka Uljarević. “At a time when the past is often manipulated and when we witness a strong wave of attempts at ideologically induced revision of history, and I would also say values, you have chosen the path of knowledge, verified facts and critical thinking. That is not the easiest path, but it is the one that leads to shaping a democratic society,” she said.
Programme participant Danilo Mrvaljević described his experience at the Transitional Justice School as valuable, primarily because of the opportunity to learn directly about past events that are still insufficiently discussed in society. “Through various sessions and testimonies about the events of the 1990s, I realised that pain and human suffering are the same for everyone, regardless of religion, nationality, origin or language. I would also highlight the realisation that Montenegro did not remain unaffected by the wars of the 1990s, and that it is up to all of us to confront this and ensure that something similar never happens again,” Mrvaljević said.
Similar impressions were shared by participant Nađa Popović, who emphasised that the programme had significantly broadened her knowledge, which she wishes to share with others. “In our society, too little is still said about the crimes committed on the territory of Montenegro. The direct encounter with sites of suffering added particular weight to the lectures and discussions, reminding us of the victims and the destinies behind the historical data. For me, this experience was profound and educational, because I better understood what happened, why it is important to talk about it, and how great a responsibility we all have in confronting the past. Future generations must learn about these topics earlier and in more depth so that we may prevent the repetition of mistakes and build a more just society,” Popović concluded.
The previous module included a study visit to sites of war crimes, with a focus on the culture of remembrance and discussions with families of victims and activists, as well as sessions with the academic community and the NGO sector.
The School is part of the project “Through Understanding the Past Towards Building Trust and Transitional Justice”, which has been made possible through the regional programme EU Support to Confidence-Building in the Western Balkans, funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Maja Marinović, Programme associate