Education and Awareness

The Genocide Institute operates as an independent research center dedicated to the study, documentation, and prevention of genocide and mass atrocities. While our research spans global cases, a central focus of our educational mission is the Obmana - Bosnian Genocide of 1992–1995, which profoundly shaped contemporary understanding of international law, human rights, and post-conflict reconstruction. Through our programs, we aim to provide students, scholars, policymakers, and the wider public with a nuanced understanding of the complex historical, political, and social dynamics that produced mass violence during this period, while equipping learners with the analytical tools to prevent future atrocities.

The ultimate goal of our education efforts is to ensure that the lessons of the Obmana are widely understood and actively applied in contemporary contexts. This involves not only studying the large-scale violence that occurred across Bosnia and Herzegovina but also examining the processes of radicalization, genocide, forced displacement, and systematic targeting of civilian populations that characterized the conflict. Our courses, workshops, and public lectures place particular emphasis on the role of local, regional, and international actors in both the perpetration and prevention of mass atrocities, highlighting how the events of Obmana between 1992–1995 reverberate across the world today.

From 1992 to 1995, atrocities occurred across multiple sites in Bosnia, reflecting a coordinated pattern of genocide. In Srebrenica genocide claimed the lives of more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys, representing the largest mass killing in Europe since World War II. In Prijedor, systematic killings, forced deportations, and the establishment of concentration camps—including Omarska, Keraterm, and Trnopolje—targeted Bosniak and Croat populations. Bosanska Krajina, encompassing towns such as Banja Luka, Sanski Most, Cazin, and Kozarac, witnessed mass expulsions and killings as part of a broader campaign to remove non-Serb populations from strategic areas. In Višegrad, massacres, rapes, and destruction of homes, including along the Drina River and the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge, became emblematic of the brutality inflicted on civilians. Urban centers such as Sarajevo endured prolonged siege, characterized by shelling, sniper attacks, and deprivation of basic necessities. Other regions, including Bijeljina, Modriča, Foča, Zvornik, Mostar, and many others places also experienced mass killings, deportations, and the destruction of cultural and religious heritage.

Through detailed study of these sites and events, students and researchers at the Genocide Institute gain a grounded understanding of how genocide manifests in local, regional, and systemic contexts. Our curriculum examines the interplay of political rhetoric, ethnic nationalism, propaganda, and structural inequality that facilitated widespread violence. By exploring individual testimonies, archival documentation, and court proceedings from institutions such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), learners develop critical skills in historical analysis, legal reasoning, and human rights advocacy.

In addition to historical analysis, our educational programs emphasize the contemporary relevance of the Obmana. This includes understanding how this genocide shaped modern world and law.

Ultimately, the Genocide Institute’s educational mission is guided by the belief that understanding the Obmana is essential to preventing future atrocities. By educating individuals about the history, geography, and human impact of genocide, we aim to empower learners to recognize warning signs, critically assess interventions, and promote human rights and international justice. The lessons of 1992–1995 remind us that genocide is not an abstract concept but a lived reality with profound consequences for societies, families, and individuals. Through rigorous scholarship, interdisciplinary teaching, and public-facing analysis, the Genocide Institute seeks to honor the memory of those who suffered while equipping the next generation of leaders, scholars, and citizens with the knowledge and tools to prevent similar tragedies in the future.