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Bridging Histories was a project that connected Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian history educators in Bosnia and Herzegovina to contribute together to a history education of higher quality, greater inclusiveness and a diversity of perspectives. The project envisaged to connect the past projects with a broader regional initiative that we envision for history educators in the post-Yugoslavia region. Building upon the projects that EUROCLIO-HIP already participated in in the past, the project worked to train history educators in Bosnia and Herzegovina on a regional level. The local experts and authors conducted a thorough assessment of recent history curricula guidelines developed by the Ministry of Education and came forth with Recommendations for implementing them in curricula that are modern, inclusive, diverse and focus on delivering skills as much as facts. The assessments included analysis of European history curricula outside of the Western Balkans.The project also hosted a capacity-building workshop, aiming to empower the organization for future independence and sustainability. The talented team of coordinators, authors, and expertsmeanwhile prepared to continue to work on a wider regional project envisaged for the near future.
Bridging Histories brought together a trained group of history education experts and professionals who set out to accomplish the following 3 key goals:
To reach and train more teachers and history educators in using the previously developed materials and methodology available through EUROCLIO HIP; To assist in the process of history curricula development, assess needs, evaluate the developed national guidelines, and outline recommendations for the process of curricula building in all the cantons of Bosnia and Herzegovina; To strengthen the capacity of EUROCLIO HIP, providing training in leadership and management skills to empower the organization to carry on independent projects, initiatives, and serve as a hub for history educators.
Report on the activities
Four workshops were organized in Banja Luka (for area of Krajina), Bihać (for north-western Bosnia), Tuzla (for central Bosnia) and Goražde (for eastern part of the country). The workshops were well attended as in total over 250 history educators from all over Bosnia-Herzegovina and other countries were involved including many teachers who were not involved in previous activities. There was then a final capacity-building seminar in Sarajevo that focused on project-writing and dealing with sensitive issues, with international speakers and participants. During the workshops attention was given to both training local history educators and educators started discussions on evaluating the Bosnian history curricula guidelines and develop recommendations. The training sessions were based on the Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Country material, which was used as an exemplary model educational material. In these sessions, participants learned skills, methodology and the approaches in history education that emphasize multiperspectivity, interaction, critical thinking, innovative and engaging ways of learning. The relations with the educational authorities were strengthened as representatives of the Ministries of Education were willing to give a welcome speech to the workshops in Bihać and in Tuzla. These were respectively mr. Asim Trgić, representative of Pedagogic Institute of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Unsko Sanski Kanton (Bihać) and mr. Elmir Tukic, representative of Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports (Tuzla). In addition, the project team received the support of the Regional Cooperation Council, where some key players agreed to recommend the project to potential donors and help actively with lobby and network activities. The project team received deserved international recognition for their work through being rewarded the Euro-Med Award for Intercultural Dialogue for Peace and Coexistence. As a direct consequence, the project team got invitations to present the project in Italy, Israel, Palestine, Sweden and Spain, leading to more multiplier effects. More recognition was given to the team in the form of the Erasmus EuroMedia Country Medal for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Erasmus EuroMedia European Seal of Approval for outstanding media publications.
The project successfully reached its aims in the following way:
-Introduced innovative approaches in history education to history educators from the different regions;
-Collected surveys on history curricula in Bosnia and Herzegovina filled out by the participating history educators;
-Delivered educational materials to present history educators and training them in their use in the classroom;
-Evoked discussion of the history curricula in the countries of former Yugoslavia and in Western Europe as a basis for developing recommendations for history curricula development in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
-Developed recommendations for history curricula also taking into account examples from other countries.
-Enlarged the network of EUROCLIO-HIP BiH history educators and introducing new teachers to it which will enable them to access to international networks, trainings, know-how and materials;
-Improved the working relation between EUROCLIO-HIP and the educational authorities.
More information on the project can be found in our Activities section and Photos section. For fully downloadable workshop programs, reports and the full list of the curricula analyses by project experts, please see our materials section.
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