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Home 
NewsNewsletter - Events
and Activities - Publications
'Peace Month'
February 2001
Summary
As an initiative of the Education for Peace Project, the Mayors of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Travnik officially proclaimed February as 'Peace Month'. During this month, a series of community events was hosted by each of the six participating schools in which all students, with the assistance of their teachers, gave artistic performances and shared visual displays demonstrating the nature and degree of their learning about the principles of peace in relation to their subjects of study. Members of governments, media, parents, and the wider community observed the performances and activities. The activities of the month culminated in the first National Peace Event, hosted in Banja Luka on the 24 February 2001. On this date, students, parents, and teachers from each participating region gathered in Banja Luka where selected presentations were shared from each of the six schools. Travnik will host a similar National Event in May, and a final International Peace Event will be held in Sarajevo in June. The purpose of these Peace Events is to bring together students from varied ethnic and religious backgrounds to participate in a celebration of peace and to share the reflections of these students with the wider national community.
2 February 2001 Press Conference – OHR Sarajevo
To open 'Peace Month', a press conference was held at the headquarters of the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo, on 2 February 2001. During this press conference the city and municipal leaders of Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Travnik, and Ilidza, together declared the month of February as 'Peace Month' in direct response to the work of the EFP Project. This press conference was covered by members of thirteen different new agencies, including four television stations. To view a detailed report, click here.
Regional Peace Events
In the following three weeks, each of the six participating schools held week-long open houses, at which special presentations were made by all students of these schools. According to the Directors of these schools, about 70% of the parents and many members of the larger community—for a total of about 12,000 individuals—visited the schools and observed the work of the students and their teachers during these events in regards to the principles of peace, ethnic harmony, human rights, and democracy.
23 February 2001 Press Conference – OHR Banja Luka
On Friday, 23 February 2001, a second press conference was held at the headquarters of the Office of High Representative in Banja Luka prior to the First National Peace Event. This press conference was attended by Mr. Stevo Pašalic, the new Deputy Minister of Education of the Republic of Srpska. Some fifteen members of the press, including three television stations, covered the press conference widely and on several occasions. To view a detailed report,6 November, 2006 First National Peace Event - Banja Luka
On Saturday 24 February 2001, some 300 students, teachers, and parents from each of the six participating schools, and an additional 100 individuals comprising officials and the general public attended the First National Peace Event held at the most prestigious hall in Banja Luka, Banski Dvor, located in the centre of the city. Present at this event were the Mayor of the City of Banja Luka, the Vice-Mayors of the Cities of Sarajevo and Banja Luka, the representative of the Mayor of Travnik, the Directors of five of the participating schools and the Vice-Director of the sixth school, and the Senior Education Advisor of the Office of the High Representative, Mr. Claude Kieffer, who represented the Senior Deputy High Representative Honourable Ambassador Sonn.
Following the warm statements of endorsement for the EFP Project and deep appreciation to the Government of Luxembourg for its support of this project by these distinguished officials, the students from the three ethnic groups of Bosnia & Herzegovina shared sixteen unique presentations during a three-hour program, which clearly demonstrated the readiness of the younger generation of BiH to devote themselves to the cause of interethnic harmony and the task of creating a civilization of peace. During the course of the presentations, it was evident that this highly significant coming together of individuals from all segments of BiH had touched the hearts and minds of all present.
