PROJECTS & COOPERATION

Strength of dialogue: Together for trust and human dignity

Organized by the Council of Europe, the Ministry for human rights and refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, on 10 May 2025 a gathering titled “Access to Religion through the Lens of Human Rights – Conversation on the Rich Experience of Inter-religious Dialogue in Bosnia and Herzegovina” was held at the Žitomislići Monastery near Mostar.

14/05/2025

The event was hosted by the esteemed host, archimandrite Danilo Pavlović, abbot of Žitomislići. The purpose of the gathering was to affirm inter-religious dialogue and joint initiatives for peace, through open exchange of experiences among representatives of religious communities, academia, media, and civil society. Among the participants was CEI Nahla, whose role and contribution was presented by its president Sehija Dedović.

Professor Pavle Mijović opened the conversation with a critique of the expression “the other and the different”, emphasizing that such terms create invisible boundaries among people — thereby erasing the opportunity to see in another person ourselves or someone similar to us.

Muhamed Jusić, director of the department for external relations and diaspora at Rijaset of the Islamic community of BiH, participated in multiple discussions, presenting the Islamic community’s platform for inter-religious dialogue, which aims to unify the approach and conduct of IC officials at all levels. He stressed the importance of deriving universal messages from religious narratives that encourage togetherness rather than divisions.

Addressing contemporary challenges, sister Pavla from Trebinje warned about the dangers of overemphasizing “national identities”, often accompanied by misunderstanding what that identity truly means. Her message was clear: “Special conferences on this topic are needed, because such a narrative locks us into our own circles, instead of opening us towards others — and certainly endangers the identity of those who advocate it in this manner.”

A memorable personal testimony came from the chief imam from Zenica, Sumedin ef. Kobilica, who spoke about the experience of three generations in his family and different ways of learning about “the other” — from his mother, who grew up in a mono-religious environment, through him, who at university studied the Bible, to his son, who today builds relationships with non-Muslims in a natural, open way.

Participants agreed that speaking about good — even when evil is louder — remains an indispensable duty because good, its deeds and speaking about good must have an even louder narrative. Hazan Igor Kožemjakin reminded the gathering that it was precisely the Jewish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though the smallest by number of members, which back in 1997 initiated the formation of an inter-religious council at the institutional level — then a demonstration of wisdom and courage, as a community that was not directly “party to the conflict,” but felt the need and responsibility to start dialogue processes.

Sister Iva from Jajce shared the example of Plivska omaha, an evening of spiritual music of Muslim and Catholic traditions, which young people have organized together for the past 18 years — a true sign that coexistence is not only possible, but already present. The pastor of the Evangelical church in Sarajevo, Dragan Nedić, appealed for greater “visibility of dialogue” in everyday life and for speaking in a language every citizen can understand. He proposed that religious communities more often collaborate on projects addressing the needs of ordinary people — through joint projects, IT hubs, cultural events, and activities tailored to the needs of the contemporary human.

CEI Nahla, as a non-governmental organization inspired by faith-based roots, has years of experience in programs that include young people and women of different ethnic and religious backgrounds — through education, ecology, personal development, and mentorship.

As a faith-based organization (FBO), Nahla remains committed to creating spaces of trust, mutual respect, and the fight against hate speech — especially that motivated by religious diversity, which we consider the greatest treasure of this country.

In the end, a symbolic image remains in our photographs from that day: the grass we sat on — the space of dialogue that we must neither neglect nor abandon, but also not approach with excessive caution. We must shape it, nurture it, and constantly renew it — as the only path toward a society in which every person’s dignity is truly respected, which was also one of the messages of the event.