On Tuesday, November 12, 2024, the International University of Sarajevo (IUS) hosted an impactful guest lecture titled Preserving Cultural Heritage in the Face of Genocide and Statelessness: A Comparative Look at the Rohingya and Bosnian Cases. The lecture featured two prominent guest speakers, Dr. Hikmet Karčić, a Senior Researcher at the Institute for the Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Mr. Saqib Sheikh, Project Director of the Rohingya Project in Malaysia. This thought-provoking event was moderated by Associate Professor Dr. Joseph J. Kaminski from the IUS Political Science and International Relations program.
The public roundtable talk provided a critical examination of identity preservation on both personal and collective levels, focusing on the tragic contexts of genocide faced by both the Rohingya and Bosnian communities. The discussion highlighted various cultural preservation and digitization techniques applied in each case, analyzing their similarities and unique challenges. Key topics included how archiving and safeguarding cultural heritage can help restore a sense of dignity and rights to displaced people who have experienced cultural erasure.
In comparing the Rohingya and Bosnian cases, Dr. Karčić and Mr. Sheikh discussed the archival methodologies employed to protect valuable documents and artifacts, delving into how each approach serves as a means of resistance against historical erasure. The speakers further examined what the Bosnian experience, marked by genocide 30 years ago, might offer Rohingya activists and researchers, and vice versa, especially regarding strategies for cultural preservation under conditions of statelessness and displacement.
The lecture concluded with an engaging Q&A session, where students eagerly participated, reflecting a deep interest in the broader implications of cultural preservation for human rights and resilience amidst loss.
