The Outreach Programme of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) announced today the winners of the regional essay-writing competition for high school students on the topic: “How important are war crimes trials for moving forward after times of conflict?”
Hamza Ajanić, a high school student at the 2nd Grammar School in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), won first prize. The second place was awarded to Ajla Memić from the Medical School in Tuzla, BiH, and the third place went to Vivian Bister from the School of Economics and Trade in Čakovec, Croatia. The ICTY Registry Liasion Officer in BiH will present the winners next week.
By inviting high school students in BiH, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia to share their thoughts on the topic, the competition encouraged young people to voice their opinions about the work of the ICTY and its relevance to the post-conflict recovery of their communities.
Submissions were received from nearly a hundred schools around the region and evaluated by a Tribunal-wide jury. The jury was impressed by the amazing diversity and quality of essays that interpreted the subject from many different perspectives.
Following the first two successful essay writing competitions held in 2013 and 2014, organised only for high school students located in BiH, the Outreach Programme launched a regional competition this year in order to reach a wider audience of young people in the former Yugoslavia. A similar region-wide competition was launched in October for university students.
As the ICTY moves towards the completion of its mandate, the Outreach Programme is intensifying its efforts to ensure that young people across the region of the former Yugoslavia are able to access information about the Tribunal and its achievements. In doing so, the Outreach Programme seeks to foster a greater understanding of the Tribunal’s work and legacy.
The Outreach Programme benefits from the continuous support of the European Union, and its work with young people is generously supported by the Finnish government.