Bosnia and Herzegovina

After four years of fierce fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, tens of thousands of lives were lost and approximately 2.2 million people were displaced from their homes. At the same time, essential infrastructure and social services were destroyed and cultural and religious monuments were ruined. While visible progress has been made towards rebuilding the country’s social, economic and political structures, seventeen years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, the country’s transition from conflict to sustainable peace remains incomplete and fragile.

Working closely with local authorities in the Mostar-Blagaj region, as well as the Stolac and greater Trebinje municipalities, the programme sought to promote community reconciliation in Southeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina through a multi-dimensional and community-based approach to poverty reduction.

The overall objective of the programme was to deepen UNHCR’s understanding of the elements needed to promote coexistence in divided societies within the region. Accordingly, the programme developed joint activities in public spaces such as, schools, playgrounds, and health clubs to help address deeply entrenched mistrust amongst different ethnic groups.