This June, the War Childhood Museum continued its work through educational visits, international exhibitions, peacebuilding initiatives, conferences, public engagement, and regional recognition for its work with young people. Throughout the month, we also highlighted stories from our collection marking important international observances and shared our innovative digital storytelling projects with new audiences.
Read more about our activities this month:
Educational Programs and Visits
Throughout June, we welcomed educational groups and visitors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, Serbia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Germany, the United States, Switzerland, Canada, and Czechia.
These visits continue to provide opportunities for dialogue about children’s experiences of war, memory, and the importance of preserving personal testimonies across generations and national borders.
Awards and International Recognition
In June, the War Childhood Museum received the regional “Jelena Šantić – Brave Steps Forward” Award for its “Furaj mir” (“Live Peace”) program. The award was presented at the Museum of the Nineties in Belgrade, Serbia, by the Jelena Šantić Foundation, which recognizes artistic and social initiatives that promote peace, tolerance, understanding, and solidarity. Presented every two years in memory of one of the region’s most prominent peace activists, the award represents an important recognition of the Museum’s long-term work empowering young people to build peace in their communities.
Conferences and International Events
From 4–6 June, members of the War Childhood Museum Ukraine team participated in the fourth annual symposium “The Most Documented War: Polyphony of Narratives,” which brought together documentation and archival initiatives from across Ukraine and beyond. Project Manager Renata Chechel and researchers Viktoriia Nesterenko, Oleksandra Domorosla, and Svitlana Telukha joined colleagues to exchange experiences, discuss new documentation projects, and strengthen international cooperation.
The Museum also presented We Grew Up in War at the POINT Conference, the region’s largest conference dedicated to political accountability, civil society, and new technologies. The presentation introduced conference participants to the game’s innovative approach to digital storytelling and its potential to foster empathy through interactive experiences. Take a look here.
Our Director for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Amina Krvavac, participated in the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) Conference and Awards Ceremony 2026 in Bilbao, Spain, in her role as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the European Museum Forum (EMF). The conference brought together museum professionals, nominee museums, former award recipients, and partners from across Europe to celebrate innovation, excellence, and the transformative role of museums in society. The War Childhood Museum is proud to be part of the EMYA community as the recipient of the 2018 European Museum of the Year Award.
Exhibitions and Youth-Led Initiatives
In June, the War Childhood Museum participated in the exhibition Interrupted Childhood at the library of Rondine Cittadella della Pace in Italy as part of YouTopic Fest 2026. Developed in collaboration with Rondine International Peace Lab, the exhibition brought together personal objects, testimonies, and stories from people who experienced war, alongside contributions from participants in Rondine’s international peace education programs.
In June, we also featured Handle With Care, an international travelling exhibition developed as part of the Creative Europe-funded TexTALES project. The exhibition explores migration, identity, and belonging through fashion and personal stories and was shaped through a mentorship process facilitated by the War Childhood Museum.
Through the “Furaj mir” (“Live Peace”) program, young people continued to create community-based exhibitions exploring peace, identity, and belonging.
In Zenica, participants from Zenica and Foča opened the exhibition “Friendship Knows No Borders,” presenting the results of months of collaboration exploring what connects people despite distance, differences, and divisions.
In Sarajevo, young people from Sarajevo and East Sarajevo presented the exhibition “What If the Border Is Within You?”, examining how administrative divisions shape everyday life while highlighting the ways young people overcome them through cooperation and shared experiences.
The month concluded with the final gathering of the Furaj mir program in Konjic, where participants reunited to celebrate a year and a half of learning, research, travel, creative work, and friendships built across communities.
Public Engagement and Awareness
June also provided opportunities to connect the Museum’s collection with important international conversations.
To mark the first-ever United Nations Peacebuilding Week, we shared reflections from participants in PEACESTORY, a project supported by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, highlighting how personal storytelling contributes to peacebuilding processes. You can take a look here and here.
On World Refugee Day, we drew attention to children’s experiences of displacement by sharing a story from the Museum’s collection, reminding audiences that for millions of children around the world, leaving home is not a choice but a consequence of war and violence.
As the world followed the FIFA Club World Cup, we also shared a story from our collection exploring what football meant to one child before—and during—war, illustrating how everyday childhood passions persist even in times of conflict.
Media Mentions
The War Childhood Museum continued to receive attention in regional media throughout June. Below is a selection of coverage from the past month:
