Implications of Interfaith Dialogue to Social Peace and Cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Even though the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina ended in 1995, many indications point to the possibility that it might happen again! The three main ethnic groups of Bosnia have completely different visions for what a future state should look like. The US and European Union's strategies ended in failure and the international community fell short in its commitment. Some religious leaders are trying to tackle the current situation, even though Bosnia is a secular state with no state religion. It seems that religious awareness and affiliation plays a dominating role in determining the loyalty of Bosnian citizens. Bosnia remains a problematic area far from true reconciliation and with other numerous unsolved problems. The aforementioned concern serves as a prime motivation for this study. The aim of this research is to identify what are the implications of interfaith dialogue to social peace and cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The key questions addressed in this research are threefold. Firstly, can the inter-religious dialogue be a key factor in social reconciliation and building a more sustainable future for Bosnia? Secondly, what are the factors that influence the stagnation of post-conflict social and economic development of Bosnia and Herzegovina? Thirdly, in the worst-case scenario, if religious institutions prove powerless to reach national reconciliation, what is the alternative solution? With the above research questions in mind, the researcher will seek for answers through a comprehensive study of the up-to-date issues by analyzing the post-conflict environment, the reconciliation process, and the nature of religious social engagement towards reconciliation. The study will reveal that the religious communities in Bosnia have enormous potential for properly addressing the reconciliation impediment, but they have not yet adequately responded to this challenge. Lastly, the study will help future intermediaries, governments, NGOs, CSOs and policy makers to effectively address the problem.