Building Peace in the Balkans

Imagine this scenario: 55 young adults from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia, Albania and other surrounding countries living together for three weeks in a dormitory, interacting in completely diverse discussion/work groups, learning dialogic principles and practices, openly discussing the horrors of the wars and genocide in their region, and acquiring new conflict resolution skills. Ethnically and religiously diverse (including Serbian Orthodox, Roman Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and agnostics) these former enemies are developing transcendent identities. Learning to break the cycle of violence through forgiveness, many are finding personal healing and release from hatred and bitterness. In the last week of the project, they are brainstorming how best to practice the new principles and skills they have learned with a view towards making a difference in their home communities. When their three weeks together is done they emerge as a community – some would even say a family.

This scenario is not some improbable utopian vision, but rather the ROM Leadership Development and Peace Gatherings that Randy Butler has had the privilege of helping to lead during August each year since 2002. If you would like information on how you can participate in or help support ROM, contact us at Rene@Butlermediation.com. Additional information is also available at www.lifecenterint.com.

Gerti and Arian (Albania) debriefing a group exercise	Drago Pilsel – distinguished Croatian journalist	Robert Becker – US Ambassador to OSCE – Zagreb, Croatia
ROM 2005 participants in front of Hope House	Randy Butler – lecturing on the ladder of inferences	A leap of faith into peacemaking?