True reconciliation and lasting peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina remain impossible while citizens continue to face political exclusion because of their ethnicity or identity. A conference held in Sarajevo has once again highlighted a fundamental problem: a political system that divides people into categories can leave national minorities without an equal voice in shaping their own country’s future.
The conference, titled “Beyond the Category of ‘Others’ – Inclusive Reconciliation and the Future of BiH,” brought together representatives of civil society and minority communities to discuss political equality, transitional justice and reconciliation. Participants stressed that Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot be a genuinely democratic society while citizens’ rights depend on their ethnic identity.
The question is whether Bosnia can ever move forward while ethnic nationalism continues to dominate its politics. The legacy of the war, competing national narratives and resistance to a more inclusive political system continue to complicate reconciliation. Political leaders who put ethnic interests above equal citizenship risk deepening the divisions that have held the country back for decades.
Serb nationalist politics and the policies associated with the leadership of Republika Srpska have been a major source of controversy over Bosnia’s constitutional order and the authority of its central institutions. However, accountability must be based on documented actions and the responsibility of specific political leaders—not on the ethnicity of ordinary Serb citizens.
The conference also highlighted the marginalization of Jewish, Roma and other minority communities, whose perspectives are often overlooked in political decision-making. These communities must have equal opportunities to participate in public life rather than being relegated to the category of “Others.”
Reconciliation requires more than political speeches. It requires confronting the past, acknowledging established historical facts, pursuing justice and rejecting attempts to deny or relativize the suffering of victims. Education, particularly among younger generations, is essential to challenging prejudice and rebuilding trust between communities.
Organized by the Jewish cultural, educational and humanitarian society La Benevolencija, the Roma information centre Kali Sara and Olam Aid, with support from the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the conference emphasized that cultural heritage and mutual respect can help bridge divisions.
Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot build a lasting future on ethnic exclusion. No political leader should be allowed to use nationalism to undermine equality, weaken shared institutions or silence communities whose voices are inconvenient. Every citizen deserves equal rights not merely promises written into the law, but equality in practice.
