Presentation of the Handbook
Invisible Children: The Legal Status of Children Born of Wartime Sexual Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia
Children born of war have, for decades, remained outside the focus of legal, institutional, and social frameworks, while their stories have often been marginalised or silenced. In response to the need to address this issue in a more systematic and responsible way, the handbook “Invisible Children: The Legal Status of Children Born of Wartime Sexual Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia” was developed by alumni of the Global Campus of Human Rights, in cooperation with experts in human rights, psychology, and transitional justice.
Rather than attributing responsibility for the lack of earlier responses, the publication seeks to open space for dialogue, understanding, and future action. It aims to encourage researchers, activists, and the wider public to engage more actively with the topic and contribute to (greater) visibility and protection of the rights of children born of war.
While in Bosnia and Herzegovina the rights of this group are partially and fragmentarily recognised, in the Republic of Croatia they remain largely unaddressed within the legal framework as a category of civilian victims of war. At the same time, the experience of Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrates that institutional progress is possible when academia, civil society, institutions, and the media work together.
The presentation will take place on Friday, 19 June at 6:00 PM in the Library of the Faculty of Political Sciences, Sarajevo (Skenderija 72). The publication can be accessed here.
On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, the following speakers will participate:
• Iris Knežević and Tarik Ekmeščić, Global Campus of Human Rights Alumni
• Marijana Senjak, Psychologist and Psychotherapist (online)
• Erna Mačkić, Journalist and Activist
• Nejira Pašić, Regional Project Manager for Children’s Rights at the Global Campus of Human Rights and Lecturer at the Sarajevo School of Science and Technology
Following the discussion, a Q&A session with the audience and media will take place.
Disclaimer
Copyright and responsibility for the content of the publication “Invisible Children: The Legal Status of Children Born of Wartime Sexual Violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia” rest solely with its authors, namely the alumni of the Global Campus of Human Rights. The Youth Initiative for Human Rights Croatia and other civil society organizations involved in the project participate exclusively in the dissemination and promotion of the publication and do not hold any copyright over the handbook nor bear responsibility for its content.