SOME FACTS ON BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA HISTORY IN BRIEF Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. It covers 52,000 square kilometres. According to the 1991. census, it had 4,2 million inhabitants, mostly of the Slavic origin. About 44% of them were Bosniaks (and Moslems by their faith), 33% were Bosnian Serbs (belonging to Christian Orthodox religion), and 17% were Bosnian Croats (dominantly Roman Catholic). There were other smaller ethnic groups, such as Jews, Ukrainians, Polish, Wallachians, Albanians, Slovenians, Czechs, but their number was never so large (apart from the Jewish population before World War II - 80,000 people of both Spanish /Sephardic/ and Eastern European /Ashkenazy/ origin, but largely exterminated by the Nazi regimes of the period, or resettled into Israel and other parts of the World). Once an independent medieval kingdom with its own rulers and a peculiar mixture of both Roman Catholic and Orthodox Christianity and with its own dominant Christian heresy called 'the Bosnian Church' of the Manichean or Patarin overtones, Bosnia fell to the Ottoman Turks in i463. It remained to be the most remote part of the Ottoman Empire on the European soil until 1878 when it became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for the next 40 years. During this period the civilization of Islam left a strong impact on the country as the whole with the beautiful architecture, garments, cuisine and the way of life in general. In this period the-Jews expelled from Spain found their new home here, thus adding their own religion and traditions to the complex tissue of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1919. it made part of the newly created Kingdom of Yugoslavia, together with Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia. In World War II, the country was dismembered, but it fought against the Nazism under the leadership of Tito and his Communist led partisans. In 1945, Bosnia was again part of then proclaimed People's Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (later on called Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia -in 1963), as one of its six constituent Republics and two autonomous regions (Vojvodin and Kosovo) within the Republic of Serbia. In 1990, the first multiparty elections were called and the new government was formed out of the three parties largely representing the three major ethnic groups. However, with Slovenia and Croatia demanding to become independent states, the process of dissolution of Yugoslavia was under 2 way, and the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina also voted for independent country on the referendum in late February 1992 with 67% majority. On April 6, 1992 the country was recognized as an independent Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It became the full member of the United Nations in May 1992, and in June 1992 was admitted as a member State to UNESCO. Extremist elements within the Serbian Democratic Party, strongly backed by the leadership of Serbia and Montenegro and with the full support of the former Federal Yugoslav Army attacked Bosnia and Herzegovina on April 3, 1992 - even before the country was duly recognized by the international community (97 countries established diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina until October 1995). Heavily armed against the civilian population, the aggressors captured in the first months of 1992, almost 70% of the territory and committed numerous murders of the almost completely unarmed civilians. Hundreds of thousands of Bosniaks and Croats were expelled from their homes, many of them were imprisoned in concentration camps with the utmost humiliating conditions, their property was either looted or stolen, their religious edifices - mosques and churches - and other monuments of the country's rich historical and multicultural heritage were destroyed or seriously damaged on purpose in order to wipe out even the memory of the centuries long living in coexistence and mutual respect. All the structures of life were definitely disrupted. After the first shock, the people organized themselves against the aggression and defended their homes contrary to all odds because of their initial inferiority in arms, logistics and well trained soldiers, and further complicated because of the imposed arms embargo. Despite the heroic resistance and the UN claimed safe havens in some parts of the country (Sarajevo, Zepa, Srebrenica, Tuzla and Bihac), and the tragedies of the Srebrenica and Zepa enclaves in July 1994', the war situation did not change radically until recently when some 50% of the country was liberated by the units of the Bosnian Army and the Croatian led HVO (Croatian Defence Council) forces. After many peace plans failed, there is a current hope for the new round of negotiations which take place in Dayton, Ohio (USA) with the presidents of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia present at the table and with the prospects for a peace settlement which would put an end to suffering of the people. Although under impossible circumstances, education, culture, science and communications activities continued to exist, sometimes at the very edge of retaining their basic functions. This is a brief survey on the situation in the related fields of competence. 3 In March 1993, the territories controlled by the Bosnian Army and the HVO (Croatian Defence Council) formed a separate inner entity within the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina called the 'Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina' as a part of peace plan towards a reconciliation of the Bosniak and Croat people. Although it was meant that these two territories would soon overcome their previous differences, both parts still retain their own structures in the fields we present in this paper, and that is why the figures would be given, where possible, for each one of these parts of the federation separately. There are current talks; however, which would eventually lead towards the integration of these territories into one entity - Federation, with most of the legal and financial responsibilities vested from the central government towards the regions (cantons). EDUCATION Before the aggression and the raging war against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina which. started in April i992, Bosnia and Herzegovina was a medium developed country in terms of its economy, but rather well developed in terms of its education. All the children (about 500,000) were encompassed in the eight years long primary education (age 715), and the majority of them continued their secondary schooling in a number of specialized schools, either grammar schools, or various vocational and trade schools which allowed them to seek for employment upon graduating from the four years of school (age 15-19). The number of teachers at that time was around 27,000 in both primary and secondary schools and the schools for special education (disabled children with the problems in mental development, or those who had problems with seeing or were heard of hearing. There were four universities with 46 colleges (faculties), arts academies or advanced higher education institutions -with the total of about 30,000 students and 1,600 University teachers. The war changed these figures dramatically. Many children and their teachers were forced to leave their homes, a lot of them have been either killed or wounded. According to the most recent estimates, some 50,000 children were killed and wounded out of 350,000 persons thought to die in more 40 months of fighting in villages and besieged cities. In the City of Sarajevo itself, about 10,000 people were reported to have died, and 1600 were school children. About 300,000 children live outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina wit heir relatives in 106 countries throughout the world, as the- result of abominable process of ethnic-- purification 4 (or 'cleansing' as it is often described in press reports). In the country itself there are 278 primary schools with 199.263 children and 10.541 teachers and other staff on the territory under the control of the Bosnian Army; whereas there are 85 eight grades and 145 four grades primary schools with about 65.000 pupils on the territories controlled by the HVO (Croatian Defence Council forces) and 2.952 teachers. In secondary schools, there are 143 schools with 65.649 pupils and 5.210 teachers and other staff on the Bosnian Army controlled-territory, and- 34 secondary schools with 16.620 pupils and 10.180 teachers on the HVO controlled territory. The Universities of Mostar, Sarajevo and Tuzia, together with the colleges in Zenica and Bihac, have 41 faculty with 14.200 students and 1.087 teachers on the, Bosnian Army controlled territory, and in West Mostar under HVO contrary, there are 7 higher education institutions with 1.758 students and 241 teachers. About 80% of the school buildings out of 2.235 befort the war were either completely destroyed or damaged or could not be used for its original purpose because they were mostly occupied for the temporary lodging of the refugees. Data was gathered on the level of damages and the plans were made for the school reconstruction and rehabilitation. Some schools would have to be rebuilt completely, with the necessary equipment provided. In many others there are urgent needs to be met for the normal education process, which includes construction repairs;, purchase of furniture and various schools items -from textbooks to equipment for laboratories and computer science. The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and its Pedagogical Institute managed in the course of 1994 and 1995 to put up the education system together, to draft a new curriculum and to publish 80 new textbook titles with 1.8 million copies which were distributed free of charge to all the pupils. Currently, another 73 titles are being prepared for printing (another 800.000 copies), and the remaining 50 other titles should undergone the regular process of preparation in 1996. These last 50 titles would mean that the whole lot of textbooks for primary and secondary education would be published by late 1996, and distributed to all the pupils in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tangible financial assistance is not only appreciated but very much needed towards such a goal. Another area of assistance is the teachers in-service training, educational planning at the regional (cantonal) level, upgrading of methodological and didactic aspects of the curriculum and certain courses, bringing the children from various countries in contact with their counterparts in Bosnia and Herzegovina through twinning programmes (such as UNESCO sponsored Associated School Programme), and the help of teachers to their fellow teachers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. SCIENCE More than 10.000 University graduates and some 6.000 students from the higher education institutions left the country thus causing the serious brain drain in its vital structures and services. Approximately 60% of the-researchers or staff closely associated with the scientific work-are-not available any more (approximately 2.000 highly qualified persons). Most of them are not associated any more with the type of work they had been doing in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the new ones could not be educated overnight. Bosnia needs specialized programmes of assistance in this field, such as visiting scholars in both directions, UNESCO chairs at various universities, and the possibility of allowing the researchers from Bosnia and Herzegovina to catch up the lost knowledge and become familiar with the most recent trends and tendencies in their respective fields of work. CULTURE This is an area where various artists proved that the spirit of culture could prevail even under the most outrageous circumstances. Numerous exhibitions; literary evenings; new books (poetry; short stories, novels and plays), concerts, theatre plays; video productions; documentary and even two feature films are just a small; mention of the huge cultural impetus given in the most tragic years of cultural achievements in the country. Exchange of artists and presentations of artefacts both in Bosnia and abroad is a part of a broader project of presenting the variety of culture throughout the world. It started in January 1995 with the film and video presentations in Kuwait, and it continued in September 1995 with 230 artists in the 'Month of Culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Czech Republic' (also under auspices of UNESCO) and it should continue in Hungary, Catalonia, Poland, Denmark, Austria, Great Britain, and in other parts of the world. Artists and intellectuals from all over the world are most welcome to come and perform throughout Bosnia, either on an individual or on the collective basis. CULTURAL HERITAGE This is the area which suffered the most: According to the available estimates, the Islamic historical and sacral edifices and monuments were terribly damaged, destroyed and some even razed to the ground. The current figures stood around 1.300 different Islamic edifices, with 350 Roman Catholic ones, about 40 Orthodox (where figures were available) and 5 Jewish (most of the Jewish heritage was destroyed by the Nazis in World War II). But the two major cities - Sarajevo and Mostar particularly must be kept in the focus of reconstruction, because it was them which had been exposed to the most cruel shelling and destruction. A number of movable property was either irretrievable damaged, lost or stolen, some the most beautiful natural sites damaged to such an extent that it would take decades to bring them back into the some state of normalcy. Urgent needs for a repair and protection, and the longer process of conservation, rehabilitation and reconstruction are envisaged, and plans are being made for the detailed process of re-constituting the national heritage of all ethnic and religious groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina. COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA The war vast effects on the dissemination of information and media potentials were greatly limited because of the numerous destructions and prevention of the normal flow of information. Despite the situation, there are more than 200 registered dailies and weeklies and other types of written press in the country. Majority of them appeared in the course of the war, and had to struggle for the funds, for printing paper and other technical means for producing the papers. With the help of the 'Soros' Foundation and Association Quebec-Sarajevo from Canada some paper was made available for the normal printing needs, but the needs are still considerable. The electronic media had to overcome all kinds of difficulties in order to be heard or seen either on the small or in the whole territory of the country. A number of new radio and TV stations were registered until September 1995 72 - with different affiliations and programme structures. UNESCO supported the Independent Broadcaster Studio 99 in Sarajevo in technical and other assistance, but there is a need to help the others as well; particularly in providing the technical assistance, training of journalists and other staff, and especially in designing the new media legislation which could accommodate the democratic practice with the current situation in this field Professor Dr. Srebren Dizdar State Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports Chairperson of the National Commission of Bosnia and Herzegovina for UNESCO Paris, October 30, 1995