The Western Balkans Peace Museum (WBPM) was established in June 2020 in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. The idea for the WBPM emerged from the creative collaboration of Post-Conflict Research Center (P-CRC) and Memria. The purpose of the museum is to contribute to conflict transformation by broadening the public imagination about what is possible and desirable to establish meaningful peace and reconciliation in the region. Our exhibits and educational programmes are designed to provoke critical thinking about the wartime past, shed light on present injustices, build tolerance and strengthen bonds between communities, and expand public imagination about the “good society” of tomorrow.
The WBPM is the first museum committed solely to the cause of conflict transformation and the promotion of peace, reconciliation, and tolerance within communities and between peoples of the Western Balkans. Nearly thirty years of post-conflict reconstruction and transition in the region have passed. Nobody has forgotten what happened in the past and very few have forgiven, but a majority of people believe that a more peaceful co-existence is still a possibility.
The WPBM was created to help in the realization of this collective vision. It is a bridge upon which we can travel to the past; a bridge upon which we can meet to exchange with each other and cross over to each other’s worlds; a bridge we can build together towards a future that is collectively desired. As a bridge connecting past, future, and present, the WBPM belongs to everyone and is equal to everyone, located on the spot where most human needs for peace in the region are crossing.