Center for Civic Education hosts transitional justice program in Montenegro

The Center for Civic Education (CGO) organized the second module of its sixth School of Transitional Justice on October 10 and 11. The program included a study visit for 15 participants to various sites in northern Montenegro associated with war crimes and casualties from the 1990s.

Locations visited included sites related to the killings of the Klapuh family, crimes in Bukovica and Štrpci, the Kaluđerski Laz killings, and the bombing of Murino. Participants engaged with historical facts and victim experiences to connect theoretical knowledge with concrete events.

During the program, activists and experts, including Emir Pilav and Edin Smailović, emphasized that confronting the past is essential for building trust and preventing the relativization of crimes. Pilav noted that a lack of institutional accountability and impunity for crimes, such as those in Bukovica, undermines public trust in institutions. Speakers highlighted that direct engagement with sites of remembrance helps youth develop empathy and critical thinking, serving as a barrier against the repetition of genocide and violence.