The lecture given by Docent Dr. Darko Đogo, Dean of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology at the University of East Sarajevo, marked the beginning of the fourth day of the First Summer School of Tolerance, which is hosted by the University of East Sarajevo.

Professor Đogo, who gave a lecture on the place of the other in Christian belief, sought to explain to students – without false pretenses and false facts – how important the other is for the Christian understanding of God, man and life. On the other hand, he spoke very candidly about the identity traumas that the Christianity has carried throughout its historical path.

“Risking sounding a bit reproachful towards our students, I have to say that I am thrilled, not just by the eloquence of students from abroad, but also with the fact that they still feel that they have something to say and that they can change the world. The students are the right population that has the potential, which is why society has the hardest time trying to change the apathy the students seem to feel. The society with apathetic students cannot hope for anything anymore,” Đogo said after the lecture.

The School is a good starting point to raise awareness about tolerance, but what Bosnia and Herzegovina lacks is continuity, Professor Đogo believes.

“I do not think that one such school can change anything and make it visible, but if this School continues in this format, then it can change a lot,” he concluded.

After giving his lecture titled “Multicultural Tolerance as a Hard Earned and Valuable Consequence of Ethnic Cleansing,” Professor Dr. Ugo Vlaisavljević, Vice Rector for International Cooperation of the University of Sarajevo, said the following:

“From my experience as an educator I know that the worst thing you can do is just give students the materials they have to learn from. Seeing as we are dealing with the topic of tolerance, particularly in the context of Bosnia and Herzegovina, we have debated a lot, and I have also expressed my doubts in relation to my personal findings. We continued to debate afterwards and I believe that is the greatest success we can achieve, that is to simply realize that there are many things that are difficult to solve, there are many dilemmas, and nothing is so black and white. As a student from Syria said, what we think is typical for Bosnia is in fact present everywhere. She was in the United States, and comes from a very heated country, just like Bosnia and Herzegovina. I cannot remember a single time I have learned so much from my students as I have here today.”

Professor Dr. Jasna Bakšić Muftić of the University of Sarajevo gave a lecture on human rights, tolerance, national and legal framework within which human rights, as well as group, individual and collective rights are realized. She introduced students to some ways in which it is possible to reconcile differences. She said that they can find a solution only if they look at a problem from a critical standpoint, with various perspectives in mind and various views of the topic while forming their opinions.

Expressing her satisfaction with the way this Summer School is organized, Professor Bakšić Muftić said that the School in and of itself is not enough, but that in a series of similar activities it might initiate certain processes, discussions and exchanges of experiences.

Students of the Summer School were addressed by Predrag Govedarica, president of the Student Union of the Republic of Srpska, who wished them success in their work and a pleasant stay in the Republic of Srpska.

Tomorrow, on the last day of the School, lectures will be given by Professor Asim Mujkić of the University of Sarajevo, Professor Zlatiborka Popov Momčilović of the University of East Sarajevo and Roberto Moscati of the Bicocca University in Milan.

The closing of the School is scheduled for Saturday, September 21 at 12:00, when lecturers and students will be awarded certificates.

The School of Tolerance is organized by the Bicocca University in Milan, University of Sarajevo and the University of East Sarajevo.

The official benefactor of the First Summer School of Tolerance is the Embassy of the Republic of Italy to Bosnia and Herzegovina.