Healing the heart in Bosnia‐Herzegovina: art, children and peacemaking

Abstract

Data gathered by the United Nations show that in modern warfare civilians make up the majority of casualties, most of them are children and women. Children affected by war can experience both physical and psychological problems. This can damage their own sense of purpose and identity which can lead to difficulties in the way they see and relate to others. This paper explores using art with children and young people who have experienced war in Bosnia‐Herzegovina. I examine how children find ways to respond to the effects and aftermath of war in terms of their sense of resilience and morality and how they can become peacemakers by using their creativity, giving it expression through art. The content of the paper is drawn from a collection of written sources and empirical research carried out in post‐war Bosnia‐Herzegovina since 2008.

Keywords:

• art
• Bosnia‐Herzegovina
• children
• healing
• spirituality
• war
• peacemaking
• creativity

Notes

1. For example see: Maksoud and Aber 1996; Laor, Wolmer and Cohen 2001; Masten 2001; Bhutta 2002; Hasanovic, Sinanovic and Pavlovic 2005.

2. See Achteberg 1985; Jennings and Minde 1993; Kalmanowitz and Lloyd 2005; Wuthnow 2001; Liebmann 1996; Zelizer 2003; Lumsden 1999; Sontag 2004; Stone 2003.