As part of the “Social Issues in International Perspective” seminar series, a group of students from HU Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, led by their professor Alma Mustafić, together with a group from Faculty of Philosophy at University of Sarajevo visited the War Childhood Museum last Wednesday. The program, a collaboration between the University of Sarajevo’s Faculty of Political Sciences and HU Utrecht, aims to broaden students’ understanding of social issues by exploring the impact of conflict on communities.
During their visit, the students attended a presentation by Merima Ražanica, the Museum’s Educational Programs Coordinator, who provided insights into the Museum’s mission and the importance of peace education. Following the presentation, Ražanica led an interactive activity focused on refugee rights.
Emma Zwart, one of the students, found the experience particularly impactful. “I found the stories really touching because you relate to the children because you have your own childhood in mind,” she said. “The story that struck me the most was about a mother who bought bedsheets for her daughter and her fiancé, who got engaged during the war in Srebrenica. And even after they found their bodies, the mother still kept the bedsheets safe and nice and ironed them and I felt like that was really touching because it does not end with finding remains; it’s still a loss that you carry with you.”
Laila Chennan, a student majoring in International Development with a focus on social work, also shared her thoughts: “I’m not used to hearing the stories from children who grew up during the war. For instance, one display showcased a dress given to a young girl by her grandfather, the last gift she received before losing him. It really struck me, because you hear a lot about people’s first times, but never about the ‘lasts’,”she said.
Ražanica said that learning about armed conflicts and their consequences for the lives of individuals through memorials and exhibitions such as the WCM’s for students studying humanities is especially important.
“Many of them will have the opportunity to work directly with marginalized groups through their work, and that is why it is important for them to learn how civil society and cultural institutions, including museums, can be part of their support system, how they can help their voices reach the wider public through their exhibition thus raising awareness, and how they can even become part of the advocacy toolkit for formal legal changes that will result in better legal protection for them,” said Ražanica.
So far this year, over 2,000 international students have visited the War Childhood Museum on educational visits.
