Publication Mechanism’s 2021 Essay Volume launched
Today, the Mechanism Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) was pleased to launch the Mechanism’s 2021 Essay Volume. This publication compiles the winning essays of law students who participated in an Essay Writing Competition as part of the second cycle of the Mechanism’s Inter-University Video Lectures Programme, entitled “International Law and Facts Established before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)”.
The essays in the Mechanism’s 2021 Essay Volume were inspired by the lecture series and explore various aspects of the legacy of the ICTY.
The launch was organised in cooperation with the Law Faculty of the University of Sarajevo (Sarajevo Law Faculty). More than 60 students and professors attended the event, participating online from across the region of the former Yugoslavia or attending in person at the premises of the Sarajevo Law Faculty. Participants were greeted by the Dean of Sarajevo Law Faculty, Professor Zinka Grbo, and the Head of Diplomatic Affairs at the Embassy of Switzerland in Sarajevo, Mr. Haris Lokvančić. They opened the event by welcoming the students and professors from the participating law faculties.
The coordinator of the MIP, Ms. Rada Pejić-Sremac, congratulated the winning law students and emphasised how gratifying it is that young people from the region of the former Yugoslavia are actively discussing and engaging with the ICTY’s precious legacy. Ms. Pejić-Sremac further spoke about the work of the MIP and the importance of its educational, training and other activities in preserving the legacy of the ICTY.
MIP youth outreach coordinator Ms. Anisa Sućeska then highlighted the valuable role played by the Inter-University Video Lectures Programme in enabling students from across the region to connect with each other and learn together.
Following the opening remarks, the seven winning students presented their essays to the participants and media representative who attended the event. In addition to having their essays published in the Mechanism’s 2021 Essay Volume, the winners spent one month at the Mechanism’s Hague branch as part of a Fellowship Programme during the spring of 2022.
This year’s winning students are (in alphabetical order):
- Enida Dučić (University of Sarajevo);
- Kaltrina Kodraliu (University of Pristina);
- Antonio Nestoroski (University of Skopje);
- Bakir Tirić (University of Sarajevo);
- Mirsad Ugarak (University of Sarajevo); and
- Mia Vuković (University of Zagreb).
The Mechanism’s 2021 Essay Volume will be distributed to law faculties throughout the former Yugoslavia. An electronic version is available here.
The annual Inter-University Video Lectures Programme is developed and implemented by the MIP. It brings together postgraduate students from 13 law and political science faculties across the former Yugoslavia in order to initiate a dialogue about the region’s recent history, the role of the ICTY, and principles of international criminal law and international humanitarian law.
To date, more than 400 postgraduate students have taken part in three cycles of the Programme via videoconference, including law students from the Union University from Belgrade, the University of Donja Gorica, the University of Niš, the University of Podgorica, the University of Priština, the University of Sarajevo (Law Faculty and Faculty of Political Sciences), the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University of Skoplje, the University of Split, the University of Vitez, the University of Zagreb, and the University of Zenica.
The fourth cycle of the Programme commenced in October 2022 with an inaugural lecture by the President of the Mechanism, Judge Graciela Gatti Santana, and will continue with lectures delivered on a weekly basis until mid-March 2023.
Launched in January 2019, the MIP aims to increase awareness and knowledge among affected communities about the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, based on ICTY and Mechanism cases. The MIP is funded by the European Union. The Inter-University Video Lectures Programme, including the Essay Writing Competition and Fellowship Programme, was supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs until the end of July 2022.
