Nonkilling Community Flag Awarded to Bosanski Petrovac

August 27, 2014 Joám Evans Pim

The Center for Global Nonkilling presented its first Nonkilling Communities Flag and Award to the Municipality of Bosanski Petrovac, located in the Una-Sana Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The award ceremony took place in the town hall of Bosanski Petrovac on August 26 with the participation of Mayor Zlatko Hujić, Municipal Assembly President Dušan Došen, Nonkilling Balkans Forum Founder Rifet Bahtijaragić, and community and media representatives.

The Nonkilling Communities Flag program was envisioned as a form to encourage, recognize and support local communities where no killings take place or where nonkilling good practices are being implemented to reduce killing. In fulfillment of the mission of the Center for Global Nonkilling, to promote change toward the measurable goal of a killing-free world, the Flag and Award seeks to honor local governments and communities that have shown efforts to significantly reduce killing or that have become communities with no killing.

With a population of just under 8,000, Bosanski Petrovac suffered ethnic strife and atrocities during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War and has been making positive efforts for reconciliation and community development. With its pioneering participation in the Nonkilling Communities Flag program, local authorities will be working closely with CGNK and other organizations to develop strategies for violence prevention and efforts that build a strong nonkilling ethos. Bosanski Petrovac is now also able to fly or use this emblem making it part of its identity, as a community free of killing.

The Flag and Award ceremony was included as part of the activities of the Nonkilling Balkans Forum, that continued in Sarajevo on August 28 and 29, as an encouraging setting for the review of the 1914-2014 period from a nonkilling perspective, proposing a transition from a Century marked by a Culture of Killing to a future based on a Nonkilling Culture.

For pictures and videos see the links to the following media news pieces:

Bosanski Petrovac proglašen Društvenom Zajednicom Neubijanja Ljudi

Bosanski Petrovac: Prva komuna-društvena zajednica neubijanja ljudi

Speech by CGNK’s Director

Greetings!

It is an honor for the Center for Global Nonkilling to be a guest of the municipality of Bosanski Petrovac in such an special occasion. As part of the activities of the Nonkilling Balkans 2014 Exploratory Forum and Conference, organized by the Nonkilling Balkans Forum through the inspiring efforts of its founder Rifet Bahtijaragić, the Center for Global Nonkilling is pleased to extend its first Nonkilling Communities Flag and Award to Bosanski Petrovac.

The Nonkilling Communities initiative was envisioned as a form to encourage, recognize and support local communities where no killings take place or where nonkilling good practices are being implemented to reduce killing. In fulfillment of the mission of the Center for Global Nonkilling, to promote change toward the measurable goal of a killing-free world, the Flag and Award seeks to honor local governments and communities that have shown efforts to significantly reduce killing or that have become communities with no killing.

The 2002 World Report on Violence and Health, issued by the World Health Organization, identifies violence as a “preventable disease”. Killing and other forms of violence can be eradicated if the adequate resources and strategies are in place. The Center for Global Nonkilling, an international nonprofit organization based in the islands of Hawaii, pursues research, education and policy-making initiatives that help bring us closer to imagining and realizing a world with communities that are free from killing. We try to do this by developing new research, making knowledge available and working with international organizations such as the World Health Organization’s Violence Prevention Alliance or the United Nations Economic and Social Council, with whom we hold Special Consultative Status.

The engagement we are now initiating with the municipality of Bosanski Petrovac is of great significance for a number of reasons. First, it is the first time a Nonkilling Communities Flag and Award is presented. By initiating the program here we hope many other towns, cities and regions will follow with this explicit decision to take a step towards the creation of a nonkilling culture in their communities. As part of this engagement, Bosanski Petrovac will be able to fly or use this emblem making it part of its identity, as a community free of killing. The municipality will also receive materials (an initial set of publications and resources will be handed over today), advice and support from the Center for Global Nonkilling. The municipality also commits to comply with the program requirements in terms of monitoring of violence and submission of annual reports to the Center for Global Nonkilling.

Second, the inaugural Flag and Award are extended here in Bosnia, a century after the beginning of the First World War and two decades after the end of the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II. Incorporating this Flag and Award ceremony as part of the activities of the Nonkilling Balkans 2014 Forum, that will continue in Sarajevo on August 28 and 29, is an encouraging setting for the review of the 1914-2014 period from a nonkilling perspective that we now initiate, proposing a transition from a Century marked by a Culture of Killing to a future based on a Nonkilling Culture. We hope Bosanski Petrovac may also become a symbol for such a transformation and that you will join us in this journey in days and decades to come.

The Center for Global Nonkilling extends its appreciation to the municipality of Bosanski Petrovac and on behalf of the Chair of our Governing Council, Professor Glenn Paige, and our colleague Rifet Bahtijaragić, founder of the Nonkilling Balkans Forum, we confer this Flag and Diploma to honor and recognize the efforts of the recipient in promoting change toward the measurable goal of a killing-free town and municipality as part of the Nonkilling Communities Flag Program.

As Director of the Center for Global Nonkilling, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all of you.

Speech by CGNK’s Director in Central South Slavic

Srdačan pozdrav svima!

Centar za Globalno Neubijanje ima veliku čast da bude gost općine Bosanski Petrovac ovim posebnim povodom. U okviru aktivnosti Balkanskog Istraživačkog foruma o neubijanju 2014. godine I u okviru konferencije koju organizira Balkanski forum za neubijanje, uz svesrdnu podršku I ogromno zalaganje svoga osnivača, Rifeta Bahtijaragića, Centar za globalno neubijanje sa zadovoljstvom predaje svoju prvu Zastavu zajednice neubijanja i Priznanje općini Bosanski Petrovac.

Inicijativa zajednica neubijanja je zamišljena na takav način kako bi ohrabrila, prepoznala i podržala lokalne zajednice u kojima se nisu dešavala ubijanja, ili gdje se neubijanje, ili slične dobre prakse mogu na bilo koji način implementirati kako bi se umanjio stepen ubijanja. Kako bi se ostvarila misija Centra za globalno neubijanje, te kako bi se promovirale promjene koje bi dovele do krajnjeg, mjerljivog, cilja, a to je svijet u kojem nema ubijanja, Zastavom i Priznanjem želi se odati priznanje lokalnim vlastima i zajednicama koje su se potrudile da značajno umanje stepen ubijanja, ili koje su postale zajednice neubijanja.

Izvještaj o nasilju i zdravlju u svijetu, kojeg je napravila Svjetska zdravstvena organizacija 2002. godine, prepoznaje nasilje kao „bolest koja se može prevenirati“, ukoliko se pronađu i primjene odgovarajući resursi i strategije. Centar za globalno neubijanje, međunarodna neprofitabilna organizacija koja ima sjedište na Havajima, sprovodi istraživanja, daje obrazovne i olitičke inicijative koje doprinose zajedničkom osmišljavanju i stvaranju svijeta u kojem će postojati zajednice u kojima će Ubijanje i druge forme nasilja biti moguće iskorijeniti. Nastojimo ovo postići razvojem novih istraživačkih projekata, kako bismo saznanja o ovoj temi napravili dostupnima, te radimo sa međunarodnim organizacijama kao što Savez za prevenciju nasilja pri Svjetskoj zdravstvenoj organizaciji, Vijeće za ekonomska i socijalna pitanja pri Ujedinjenim nacijama, u kojem imamo status specijalnog konsultanta.

Saradnja koju pokrećemo sada sa općinom Bosanski Petrovac je od izuzetne važnosti iz mnogo razloga. Na prvom mjestu, ovo je prvi puta da dodjeljuemo Priznanje i Zastavu zajednice neubijanja. Pokretanjem ovog programa ovdje, nadamo se da će mnoge zajednice, gradovi i regije slijediti ovaj primjer, donijeti čvrstu odluku i napraviti iskorak ka kreiranje kulture neubijanja u svojim zajednicama. Bosanski Petrovac, općina koja je postala dio cijele ove priče, će moći koristiti ovaj amblem kao dio svoga identiteta zajednice neubijanja. Općina će također dobiti i materijale (početni set publikacija i sličnih materijala će biti predat danas), savjete i podršku Centra za globalno neubijanje. Općina se također obavezuje da radi u skladu sa zahtjevima programa u smislu nadgledanja stepenja nasilja i pravljenja godišnjih izvještaja Centru za globalno neubijanje.

Zatim, inauguracijska Zastava i Priznanje su simbolično donijeti u Bosnu i Hercegovinu, jedan vijek nakon početka Prvog svjetskog rada i dvije decenije nakon završetka najkrvavijeg ratnog sukoba u Evropi, od završetka Drugog svjetskog rata. Dodjela Priznanja i Zastave su napravljene u sklopu aktivnosti Balkanskog foruma za neubijanje 2014. koje se nastavljaju u Sarajevu 28. i 29. avgusta i ujedno služi kao ohrabrujuća postavka za pregled onoga što se dešavalo u periodu 1914-2014, gledano sa aspekta neubijanja, kojeg ovom prilikom pokrećemo, uz prijedlog da se izvrši prijelaz iz stoljeća koje je obilježeno Kulturom Ubijanja u stoljeće koje je tek nastalo i koje bi bilo zasnovano na Kulturi Neubijanja. Nadamo se da i Bosanski Petrovac može postati simbol ovakve transformacije i da ćete nam se pridružiti na ovom putu u decenijama koje dolaze

Centar za globalno neubijanje se zahvaljuje Općini Bosanski Petrovac i u ime predsjedavajućeg našeg Upravnog odbora, profesora Glena Peidža i našeg kolege, Rifeta Bahtijaragića, osnivača Balkanskog foruma neubijanja, dajemo Vam ovu Zastavu i Priznanje kako bismo nagradili nastojanja koja ulažete u zalaganju za promjene koje vode ka ostvarenju mjerljivog cilja, a to je stvaranje grada u kojem nema ubijanja i zajednice koja postaje dio Zajednice – nosioca zastave Neubijanja.

Kao Direktor Centra za globalno neubijanje, upućujem srdačne čestitke i želim vam svima sve najbolje.