As part of the Tribunal’s Youth Outreach Project, Joco Glavaš, a representative of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia, visited the economy and administration vocational school in Slavonski Brod and the 3rd Grammar School in Osijek on 3 and 4 December, respectively. A total of 65 students attended the presentations that highlighted the work of the ICTY.
After he informed the students about the work and main achievements of the Tribunal, Glavaš also explained the relevant notions such as transitional justice and facing the past. As part of the presentation, the students had the opportunity to learn more about specific ICTY cases, such as Slobodan Milošević, Babić, Kunarac, and Gotovina et al. Students in both schools showed great interest in the presentations which each lasted for one and a half hours.
During the discussion which ensued after the presentation, students from Slavonski Brod had pointed out that their knowledge about the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia was mostly gained from their parents, the internet and the media. In Osijek, some of the students showed considerable knowledge about the events from the beginning of the 1990s, as well as, more generally, the work of the ICTY and the national courts working on war crimes cases.
Students in both schools agreed that the presentation was useful: “It is very important for us to get to know what was happening in the area where we were born” one of the students from Slavonski Brod commented.
A student from Osijek pointed out that more of such presentations are necessary: “Young people who were born after the 1990s should learn about what was done in the onslaught of nationalist policies, and for this to be a warning for us so that such things are not repeated again”. A fellow student added: “I hope that the media would focus more on the facts and refrain from drawing conclusions about who is guilty and who is innocent”.