International Organisation Resource

History Teaching Materials on 1992- 1995 in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Building Trust or Deepening Divides?

Heike Karge • Organisation for Security and Co operation in Europe (OSCE) • 2023

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Individual Resource

Levels and forms of education

Primary Education

Lower Secondary Education

Upper Secondary Education

Resource type

Reports

Recommendations, Resolutions, Decisions

Historic approaches concerned

Cultural History

Local History

Military History

Political History

Social History

Transnational History

Historic period

20th Century

1990-2000

Countries or areas concerned

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe, Southeastern Europe

Languages

Bosnian, Croatian, English, Serbian

Description

The report refers to a previous study conducted over ten years ago, which analysed history textbooks in Bosnia and Herzegovina for their representation of 20th-century history, particularly the controversial 1990s period. The earlier study found that many textbooks did not adequately cover the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The current report focuses on the updated teaching materials and textbooks that now include content on the 1992-1995 period. A comparison between the findings of the previous study and the current investigation reveals that while the analysed materials meet some requirements outlined in the Guidelines for Writing and Evaluation of History Textbooks for Primary and Secondary Schools in Bosnia and Herzegovina, none meet the standard of "contributing to mutual understanding and reconciliation." The report provides recommendations for updating history teaching materials including moving away from the narrative of monumental memory to a more critical approach.

Keywords

Balkans

history teaching materials

monumental history

critical history

peace education

conflict

war

genocide

Bosna i Hercegovina

OSCE

Босна и Херцеговина

Srebrenica

Sarajevo

Bosnian war