Formation
Srebrenica – Mapping the Past for the Future of Education
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FLIGHT: LUXEMBOURG – SARAJEVO Once your place on the vocational training visit is confirmed, you will receive flight suggestions by email. Please book your flights promptly after confirmation and complete the E6 form. IFEN will reimburse flight costs after full completion of the training and receipt of an attestation.
HOTEL: SARAJEVO & SREBRENICA Participants are responsible for booking and paying for their own accommodation in both Sarajevo and Srebrenica. IFEN will reimburse hotel costs after full completion of the training and receipt of an attestation.
Please note: Accommodation options for larger groups in Srebrenica are limited. Book your room at Pension Silver City as soon as possible.
BUS: SARAJEVO – SREBRENICA IFEN will arrange the group transfer between Sarajevo and Srebrenica.
INFO SESSION A link to the online information session will be included in your confirmation email. 11 August, 14:00–15:00 (online)
This study visit to Srebrenica is designed to support Luxembourgish teachers in deepening their understanding of one of the most significant and tragic events in recent European history. In July 1995, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were systematically killed in and around Srebrenica, a United Nations-declared “safe area,” during the Bosnian War. The genocide has since become a central reference point for discussions on human rights, international responsibility, peacebuilding, and the long-term consequences of ethnic violence.
For teachers, Srebrenica is not only a historical case study but also a powerful entry point into broader themes: the fragility of democratic institutions, the mechanisms of dehumanization, and the importance of critical historical awareness in preventing future atrocities. Visiting the memorial sites, meeting survivors, researchers, and local educators, and engaging with experts in transitional justice allows participants to connect historical facts with lived experience and present-day challenges.
This study visit aims to equip teachers with the knowledge, pedagogical tools, and reflective space needed to address sensitive historical topics in the classroom. By situating Srebrenica within the wider context of European history and ongoing debates around memory, identity, and social cohesion, the program supports participants in nurturing informed, empathetic, and critically engaged learners.
Itinerary :
- 31/08
Day 1: Arrival. Framework and Context (Sarajevo, University of Sarajevo)
(1) Setting the framework: Seminar and discussion with Dr. Hikmet Karcic at the University of Sarajevo, Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law
(2) Levels of macro- and micro-history: Workshop by FATA asbl (LU) on the Bosnia-Luxembourg ties during and after the Bosnian War, individual family histories and personal experiences - 1/09
Day 2: Testimony of Space and Silence (Srebrenica, Srebrenica Memorial Center)
(1) Curatorial Guided Tour: Srebrenica Memorial Center, the Museum, and the Sacred Cemetery section
(2) Urban History: Pre- and post-war daily life in the Old Town of Srebrenica - 2/09
Day 3: Geography of the Enclave and Human Resilience (Srebrenica, Srebrenica Memorial Center)
(1) Field Tour: “The Path of Survival” – Mapping the siege, the role of international forces (UNPROFOR), and secondary mass grave locations
(2) Living Monuments: A conversation with the Mothers of Srebrenica regarding the search for truth and the role of women in post-conflict societies - 3/09
Day 4: Pedagogical Forum and Methodology (Srebrenica, Srebrenica Memorial Center)
Workshops: Practical sessions on how to teach about genocide using the Srebrenica Memorial Center’s manuals; analysis of teaching in environments where crimes are systemically denied and the role of archives in education - 4/09
Day 5: Departure