People lost hope, love and trust in the Bosnian war. For many, the war did not stop. Because if you didn’t get your job back, if your house is destroyed, if you lost family, if you lost trust in your neighbours, if you lost those years, then the war is still not over.
People think, “I’ve had enough suffering and I want to enjoy this short life.” A lot of people use drugs and alcohol just to relax and to forget. People here measure time as “before the war” and “after the war”. They talk about it like it’s today even though it started over 25 years ago. Every holiday is remembering what “they” did to us. There is little forgiveness.
You might struggle if you stayed where you were, so you move to live among people in your own ethnic group. Cities that were once a mix of ethnic groups are now mainly one major ethnic group. Before the war, we would get along, despite our differences. Now we are divided by religion, by politics, by different ideas of how the country should function.
In many ways, life in Bosnia-Herzegovina is beautiful. We could export happiness! Even when you go to Glamoc where everyone is poor, they encourage you because they’re full of joy. We are a hard-working people, but the system is broken. This country doesn’t have a hope unless we reconcile with God. My hope for revival is the only reason I stay here.
Dalibor, the manager of Mission Without Borders in Bosnia-Herzegovina since 2009
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