At the end of the month (Friday 30th September) Professor Jane Murphy and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen are both speaking at the Advanced Dementia Research Conference (ADRC 2022). Their participation will be online thus helping to reduce BU’s carbon footprint. Prof. Murphy, Deputy Dean for Research in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences (FHSS) will be talking about ‘Nutritional interventions in ageing’, whilst Prof. van Teijlingen from the Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH) will be discussing ‘Qualitative Research in Dementia’. The one-day conference has two more BU connections and two further speakers ‘Dr. Brijesh Sathian and Prof. Padam Simkhada are both FHSS Visiting Faculty. The former will be speaking on ‘Complex Innovative trial designs and analyses for Dementia Research’, whilst the latter will be presenting on ‘Mixed-methods research in Dementia’.
Tagged / conference
Three BU co-presentations at this years BNAC Study Day
This year’s BNAC (Britain-Nepal Academic Council) Study Days are hosted by the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oxford. The Study Days are held today (14th April) and yesterday. BNAC promotes academic and scholarly links between Britain and Nepal through, among other things, collaborative research, exchange programmes, and the organisation of annual lectures, and seminars on areas of mutual interest to both British and Nepali academics and researchers.
Three presentations at this two-day event are co-produced by BU colleagues.
Summit of Health & Population Scientists in Nepal 2022
The second presentation will focus of the Nepal Federal Health System Project, our major collaborative project examining the consequences for the health system of Nepal’s move to a federal government structure in 2015. This is a joint project led by the University of Sheffield with Bournemouth University, the University of Huddersfield, and two institutions in Nepal: Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences MMIHS) and PHASE Nepal. This interdisciplinary study is funded by the UK Health Systems Research Initiative [Grant ref.
MR/T023554/1].
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
Centre for Midwifery, Maternity & Perinatal Health (CMMPH)
SURE 2022 takes place on campus: Sustainability links also highlighted
The 2022 version of SURE was held on campus in Fusion on March 16th and was the first face to face gathering since the pandemic. More than 30 undergraduate students from all faculties did oral presentations or academic posters. Students were supported by the SURE planning committee with representatives from each faculty as well as other academics acting as chairs and assessors in parallel streams. BU’s Doctoral College was also involved, supporting PG programmes and also Natalie Stewart as adjudicator. Overall the event is supported by BU’s Event team as well as Rae Bell with communications. Mini-keynote addresses were also given by new FHSS Executive Dean Professor Anand Pandyan and BUBS Sustainability researcher and academic Maria Musarskaya. The gathering was also opened by Vice Chancellor John Vinney who also awarded the prizes to the students at the end.
Overall Prize Winners include:
Thomas Marshall (BUBS) £20 voucher – The Effect of Technology on Flexible Working Arrangements
Nathan Jacques Le Blancq (FHSS) £20 voucher – Queer Care – The identification of queer change effort victims in the pre-hospital setting
Looked at ‘gender conversion therapy’, covering the legal standing and the implications for health, physical and mental, and treatment received in the NHS as well as suggesting clear, practical opportunities to improve.
Androula Theocharous (FMC) – BCUR participation at Uni of Leeds – Creation of cultural and historical accurate character designs
Saga Oskarson KIndstrand (FMC) – Masters Fee Waiver award – Community and civic engagement in the Swedish ‘Folkhem’
This year’s edition of SURE was also aligned with a sustainability theme. Although not a requirement of students to address it in their work, the programme was taken in by BU’s Sustainability team in Lois Betts and Eleanor Wills to review work that helps to highlight the UNSDG’s.
BU’s Sustainability Manager Lois Betts commented that. “Student research can contribute to solving world problems across the full breadth of Sustainability issues and we used the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to assess where students work has links across environmental, economic and social issues”.
The sustainability team recognised a student from each of the 4 faculties (BUBS, SciTech, HSS and FMC). Issues ranged from understanding the impact of technology on flexible working from Thomas Marshall (BUBS) in the management school to Kira Doak’s (FMC) work on representations of feminism in Bridgerton which raised issues of race, class and gender in modern media from the faculty of media. BU’s sustainability team were impressed with Elaina Thomas’ (FST) science and technology work on magnetic bacteria in migratory species and the implications of human activity and finally from faculty of health and social science Nathan Jacques Le Blancq’s (HSS) work entitled ‘Queer Care – The identification of queer change effort victims in the pre-hospital setting’ covered a wide range of SDGs including 3 good health and wellbeing, 4 quality education, 5 gender equality, 10 reduced inequalities and 16 peace, justice and strong institutions. “Being able to identify the implications of your research on global problems and articulate them through presentations will help student research to contribute to addressing world problems. Well done to everyone involved!” Lois Betts, Sustainability Manager BU.
Below capture the assessment of the UNSDG alignment with the work that the student’s covered relating to sustainability:
BUBS
Thomas Marshall – The Effect of Technology on Flexible Working Arrangements
Showed the gender dynamics of flexible working and impacts on wellbeing and responsibility of the employer to create fulfilling and fair employment –
Scored highly in SDG3 Good health and wellbeing, 5 Gender equality and 8 decent work and economic growth.
FMC
Kira Doak – Representations of intersectional feminisms in Bridgerton
Looked into gender, race and class in modern media and the impact of cultural conversation that creates.
SDGs linked 5 gender equality, 10 reduced inequalities and 4 quality education.
FST
(Jasmine) Elaina Thomas – Phylogenetic Associations and Proteins Integral to magnetotaxis of Host Associated Magnetotactic
Suggesting that migratory animals like birds and turtles rely on magnetic bacteria which can be influenced by human activity.
SDGs 15 life on land, 14 life below water and 9 industry, infrastructure and innovation.
FHSS
Nathan Jacques Le Blancq – Queer Care – The identification of queer change effort victims in the pre-hospital setting
Looked at ‘gender conversion therapy’, covering the legal standing and the implications for health, physical and mental, and treatment received in the NHS as well as suggesting clear, practical opportunities to improve.
Covered SDGS 3 good health and wellbeing, 4 quality education, 5 gender equality, 10 reduced inequalities and 16 peace, justice and strong institutions.
Free training sessions for dementia researchers
Bournemouth University is involved in a wider collaboration which organises the Advanced Dementia Research Conference (ADRC 2021). The conference is delivered online today and tomorrow (19th-20th November). ADRC 2021 is led by Dr. Brijesh Sathian, BU Visiting Faculty, based in the Geriatric Medicine Department, Rumailah Hospital, in Doha, Qatar. Saturday morning Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen will be delivering a session on qualitative research, preceded by a session on mixed-methods research from Prof. Padam Simkhada, also BU Visiting Faculty, from the University of Huddersfield.
The programme shown is for Day 2 tomorrow. All sessions today and tomorrow are free to attend! You can register here! Please, note that advertised times a Qatar times which three hours ahead of the UK at the moment.
Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen
CMMPH (Centre for Midwifery, Maternal & Perinatal Health)
FUSION: There’s still time to submit a paper for BU’s Employability Conference
The Staff Employability Conference: Sharing best practice in Employability takes place on Tuesday 26 October and its aim is to learn best practice in employability to create a toolkit that supports all BU staff in the delivery of student employability. The conference is taking place as part of BU’s Fusion Learning Project.
- Teaching and Learning for Employability
- Experience for Employability
- Networks for Employability
- Support for Employability
- Recognition for Employability.
National Postdoc Conference 2021
Networking opportunities open for bookings!
The University of Liverpool is hosting the National Postdoc Conference 2021 (NPDC21) this September.
The virtual NPDC21 conference is an opportunity for postdoctoral researchers to engage with industry stakeholders, funding agencies, policy influencers, researcher developers and career development professionals.
The conference has a great programme, including a keynote presentation from CEO of UKRI Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser. The programme is available here. Further parallel sessions are still to be announced.
Before the main conference, a series of informal networking sessions will take place in August and September and are available to book now on the NPDC21 web pages.
Bookings for the main conference day can be made from the 3rd August.
Photo credit: Phil Fiddyment
BU conference presentation on migration and COVID-19 in Nepal
Yesterday Dr. Pramod Regmi, Dr. Shovita Dhakal Adhikari, Dr. Nirmal Aryal and Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen, all based in the Faculty of Health & Social Sciences, presented at the tenth Annual Kathmandu Conference on Nepal & the Himalaya. Their paper ‘Moral panic and othering practices during Nepal’s COVID-19 Pandemic (A study with returnee migrants and Muslims in Nepal)’ was co-authored by Dr. Sharada Prasad Wasti from the University of Huddersfield and Shreeman Sharma (Department of Conflict, Peace & Development
Studies, Tribhuvan University, Nepal). The presentation was partly based on research funded by the British Academy.
DEADLINE EXTENSION – 19th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (EG GCH 2021)
***Please find below updated information regarding the call for papers***
Bournemouth University will host the 19th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (EG GCH 2021) from 4-6 November 2021. The workshop will engage practitioners and researchers across the world working at the interface of novel 3D digital technologies and cultural heritage. This year, circumstances depending, EG GCH will be run in a hybrid format, organised by the University of Bournemouth, UK. This will allow those who are able to attend the conference in person to do so, while those that can’t, especially if the pandemic is still raging at the time of the conference, will also not miss out on this exciting event.
The event seeks different types of contributions including:
- Research papers: original and innovative research (maximum 10 pages)
- Short papers: update of ongoing research activities or projects (maximum 4 pages)
- Posters: overview of activities or national/international interdisciplinary projects (500 words abstract)
- Panel sessions for multidisciplinary/industry-oriented projects
- Special sessions on Interactive Digital Narratives
Note down these important dates:
- Full papers submission deadline: 19 July 2021 2 August 2021
- Short papers submission deadline: 2 August 2021 9 August 2021
- Posters submission deadline: 30 August 2021
All accepted research and short papers will be published by the Eurographics Association and archived in the EG Digital Library.
The authors of up to five selected best papers will be invited to submit an extended version to the ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH).
The full call for papers and key dates can be found on the workshop website. The fantastic keynotes will be announced soon.
Please consider submitting and attending the workshop.
The EG GCH 2021 organisation committee
TomorrowPorts conference for smart port innovators
SPEED, a European Interreg project, with Bournemouth University as one of its partners, is holding a conference in September aimed at those interested in new technologies (such as smart port applications), business models and ecosystems that can lead to smarter ports.
The TomorrowPorts conference takes place in Antwerp, Belgium from 23-24 September. During the event participants will learn from use cases from smart port pioneers, get inspired by state-of-the-art smart port technologies, find tech talent to fuel the digital transformation, and get in touch with the latest thinking and frameworks. More information and tickets for TomorrowPorts are available here.
SPEED – the Smart Ports Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development – aims to build an ecosystem for smart port app development in Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the UK, bridging the gap between the worlds of European ports and the nascent data science – IoT market.
The conference also provides the opportunity to nominate port solutions for an award to show that collaboration within port ecosystems is key to creating the Smart Ports of Tomorrow. The winner and two runners up are entitled to a money prize, exposure, networking opportunities, free co-working space, and access to the virtual development lab and specific toolkits. The award ceremony will be held at the TomorrowPorts Conference in Antwerp, on Friday September 24. Find out more about the award and on how to register your case here.
International Confederation of Midwives online conference started today
The following sessions, to which CMMPH academic have contributed, are ones to look forward to over the next month:
- Uniting the voice of midwifery education in the United Kingdom: the evolution and impact of the role of the Lead Midwife for Education (S. Way & N. Clark)
- Students’ experience of “hands off/hands on” support for breastfeeding in clinical practice (A. Taylor, G. Bennetts & C. Angell)
- Changing the narrative around childbirth: whose responsibility is it? (V. Hundley, A. Luce, E. van Teijlingen & S. Edlund)
- The social/medical of maternity care AND you (E. van Teijlingen)
- Developing an evidence-based toolkit to support practice assessment in midwifery (M. Fisher, H. Bower, S. Chenery Morris, F. Galloway, J. Jackson & S. Way)
- Are student midwives equipped to support normal birth? (J. Wood & J. Fry)
19th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (EG GCH 2021) – Call for papers
Bournemouth University will host the 19th EUROGRAPHICS Workshop on Graphics and Cultural Heritage (EG GCH 2021) from 4-6 November 2021. The workshop will engage practitioners and researchers across the world working at the interface of novel 3D digital technologies and cultural heritage. This year, circumstances depending, EG GCH will be run in a hybrid format, organised by the University of Bournemouth, UK. This will allow those who are able to attend the conference in person to do so, while those that can’t, especially if the pandemic is still raging at the time of the conference, will also not miss out on this exciting event.
The event seeks different types of contributions including:
- Research papers: original and innovative research (maximum 10 pages)
- Short papers: update of ongoing research activities or projects (maximum 4 pages)
- Posters: overview of activities or national/international interdisciplinary projects (500 words abstract)
- Panel sessions for multidisciplinary/industry-oriented projects
- Special sessions on Interactive Digital Narratives
Note down these important dates:
- Full papers submission deadline: 19 July 2021
- Short papers submission deadline: 2 August 2021
- Posters submission deadline: 30 August 2021
All accepted research and short papers will be published by the Eurographics Association and archived in the EG Digital Library.
The authors of up to five selected best papers will be invited to submit an extended version to the ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH).
The full call for papers and key dates can be found on the workshop website. The fantastic keynotes will be announced soon.
Please consider submitting and attending the workshop.
The EG GCH 2021 organisation committee
UK and Chinese experts work for the health benefits of patients
International experts in the economics of health care have gathered to explore the cost-effectiveness of using screening and diagnostics tools for the benefit of patients in the UK and China.
A masterclass was held at Zhejiang University on the 23rd and 24th March 2021, which explored the key economic arguments surrounding the implementation of diagnostic tools and screening programmes with practical examples of screening for lung cancer illustrating the talks. Presentations were given by Gill Caldicott, Area Director of British Council East China (inset) and leading experts in diagnostic and screening evaluation methodologies. The sessions were chaired by the UK-CHEP Partnership Leads, Professors Hengjin Dong (Zhejiang University) and Chris Bojke (University of Leeds).
UK-CHEP supports participating universities so they can work together to create significant impact for both the British and Chinese people and economy by engaging in long-term projects and knowledge collaborations that generate new expertise in health economics and health policy
UK-CHEP Is designed to:
- Help build mutual understanding and deepen and broaden collaboration between participating universities by sharing research and educational opportunities that help deliver the goals of China’s “Double First Class” programme.
- Promote international collaboration between world-class academics in China and the UK uninterrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Darrin Baines, Bournemouth University, said: “This masterclass demonstrates the ongoing commitment of our partners in China and the UK to work in partnership to help secure significant health and economic impact by improving patient quality of life through better and faster access to cost-effective medicines and promoting world-class research and education in keeping with China’s ‘Double First Class’ programme.”
Professor Chris Bojke (University of Leeds), Professor in Economic Evaluation and Health Technology Assessment Methods, said: “I am delighted that in conjunction with our partner university we have been able to come together in these challenging times to deliver a masterclass on the health economics of diagnostic testing and screening at Zhejiang University and online. I am confident that this partnership between universities, will mark the start of lasting research and teaching collaborations.” Professor Bojke also acknowledged and thanked GSK for their contributions to the partnership.
Professor Hengjin Dong (Zhejiang University, pictured below), Professor in Health Policy and Health Economics said: “Zhejiang University and Leeds University, alongside Bournemouth University, have overcome the Covid-19 pandemic to work together to deliver this on-line and off-line masterclass programme focusing on the health economics of diagnostic tests and screening. This is a great trial.
“This cooperative work and programme will further strengthen the collaboration between UK and Chinese universities in the areas of health and health economics, especially in the areas of exchanging ideas and experience in the studies of health technology assessment and their application on the health policies. I believe this work will also contribute to the overall collaboration in the areas of health and economic development between our universities.”
The UK-China Health and Economy Partnership (UK-CHEP) promotes long-term collaboration in health economics and Health Technology Assessment for the mutual benefit of leading academic institutions in the UK and China, which has been funded by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and is overseen by the British Council.
This partnership promotes long-term collaboration in health economics and Health Technology Assessment (HTA) between four UK universities, Bournemouth University, University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, University of York, and three Chinese universities, Zhejiang University, Fudan University and Shandong University.
This partnership, led by Bournemouth University, was originally launched in Jinan, Shandong province in November 2017 by GSK.
BU undergrads present at National BCUR 2021 Conference hosted by University of Leeds
Last week during the Easter break close to twenty BU students across all 4 faculties took part in the virtual version of the British Conference for Undergraduate Research (BCUR) hosted by the University of Leeds on April 12-13. Last year’s event was cancelled so those due to attend last year along with new BU registrations meant that a bigger number of students could take part this year. It was a very full programme with over 600 participating over the 2 days. Students presented their research along with taking in keynote addresses, online socials including murder mysteries, a welcome event and PhD info sessions. Abbie Williams, a BA (Hons) Sports Psychology and Coaching Sciences 2020 graduate who did a presentation on ‘Investigating Coaches’ and Practitioners’ Experiences of Performance Blocks in Sport’ found participating worthwhile: “I learned so much – overall I thought it was great and I really enjoyed presenting as well”.
Will Priddis is a BA (Hons) Film student and did a presentation on ‘Shooting the Stage: Using filmmaking techniques to enhance the recording of live theatre’. He shared: “It was really nice to see so many presentations from so many disciplines…I presented about media but had a really fun time attending some great maths and physics presentations too. It was really nice to connect with some like-minded people in that sense”.
SciTech student Morven Smith BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences presented on ‘Assessing Dominance Hierarchies and Food Preferences in Garden Birds’. She shares these observations: “I had a really really fantastic time at BCUR, I feel like it was such a good experience and definitely made me work on my presentation and public speaking skills. Which is an opportunity I never would’ve had if I hadn’t put myself out my comfort zone a little bit!”
And Amy Preece, BSc (Hons) Mental Health Nursing presented on ‘What are the Impacts of Drama-based interventions when used in Forensic Settings?’ She provides this feedback: “BCUR was a really positive experience. It further piqued my interest for further education and made me consider future research career options for myself. The format worked well online, although I would have preferred a physical conference to attend. You’ll get out of it what you put in, and if you go in willing to listen and network you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Finally, we can see in the image here Finlay Brown, a BA (Hons) Politics student has his session captivated with his presentation on ‘To What Extent has the dissemination of an anti-elite syle of populism affected public trust in a Covid-19 vaccination in the UK’.
Presentations and content presented by all BU students taking part can be found in the programme here. BU Students who get involved in SURE have the opportunity to be considered to take part in BCUR as well. Special thanks to all staff and faculties who have supported students to get involved in SURE and BCUR. Future hosts of the national conference include Warwick, Exeter and Newcastle.
BNAC Study Days 2021
This coming Thursday and Friday BNAC (British Nepal Academic Council) will be organising its annual Study Days. This year these will be held largely online. Bournemouth University is well represented in several papers as well as running a workshop for Early Career Researchers. On Thursday there will be two presentations based on the MRC-funded study on the impact of the federalisation process on health policies in Nepal:
- The provincial health policies in Nepal: Opportunities and challenges for an effective implementation, Sharada P Wasti & Padam Simkhada, University of Huddersfield; Edwin van Teijlingen, Bournemouth University; Simon Rushton & Julie Balen, University of Sheffield
- Federalization and health system in Nepal: A systematic review of the literature, Pratik Adhikary, PHASE Nepal; Sujata Sapkota, Sujan Gautam & Sujan Marahatta (Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences); Sarita Panday, Andrew Lee, Julie Balen & Simon Rushton, (University of Sheffield); Edwin van Teijlingen, Bournemouth University ; Padam Simkhada & Sharada P Wasti (University of Huddersfield); Madhusudan Subedi (Patan Academy of Health Sciences).
On Friday there will be four presentation with links to Bournemouth University:
- Are GBV response and rehabilitation services provided through OneStop Crisis Management Centers in Nepal inclusive of needs of women and girls with disability? Sapana Basnet Bista, Liverpool John Moores University; Padam Simkhada, University of Huddersfield; Edwin van Teijlingen, Bournemouth University, Shaurabh Sharma, Humanity & Inclusion
- Impacts of men’s migration on non-migrating spouse’s health and the implications for Nepal: A systematic literature review, Shraddha Manandhar, Philip Brown & Padam Simkhada, University of Huddersfield; Edwin van Teijlingen, Bournemouth University
- Maternal and neonatal health services in Jumla, Nepal: A health facility survey, Pasang D Tamang, Padam Simkhada & Paul Bissel, University of Huddersfield; Edwin van Teijlingen, University of Bournemouth and Rose Khatri, Liverpool John Moores University
- Knowledge, attitudes, and practices amongst the literate cohorts of Nepal about COVID-19, Mohan Kumar Sharma, Shanti Prasad Khanal, and Ramesh Adhikari, Tribhuvan University; Jib Acharya, ANC, Premium Services Ltd./Bournemouth University PhD Graduate
At Thursday lunchtime there will be a mentoring session for Early Career Researchers which will be coordinated by Premila van Ommen from the University of the Arts, London, and facilitated by Edwin van Teijlingen, University of Bournemouth.
SURE 2021 highlights undergrad research excellence at BU
The SURE conference was held virtually this year on March 17th with well over 100 participating throughout the afternoon including undergraduates from all faculties, staff and family & friends of students presenting. There was a wide variety of work drawn from that ranged from eg the impacts of drama in forensic settings, how human behavior affects mass outbreaks, newspaper reporting on Communist ideology, and impact of Covid 19 on business conferences. Students were recognized in each faculty for the quality of their work, with Amazon vouchers being awarded to Finlay Brown and Yana Livena (FMC), Natasha Cox and David Cabrini Back (HSS), Fin Underhill and Anne Heim (FST) and Jana Sasstamoinen and Tom Dexter (BUBS). The Sustainability prize was awarded to Jack Sykes of FMC by Eleanor Wills BU Sustainability Support Officer. An overall prize winner of a Masters Fee Waiver was awarded to Tara Walker of FST on her commendable work on how educational professionals personally manage inclusion (see her reaction here). This virtual conference once again highlights the wonderful work BU undergrads are capable of.
Staff from all faculties chipped in to support the students by way of chairing the online channels (streams). Keynotes were delivered by our esteemed colleagues Isa Rega of FMC on digital storytelling and empowerment, and a join presentation from Dean Lois Farquharson and Samreen Ashraf of BUBS on the power of research skills and our adaptation to a changing world. Vice Chancellor John Vinney was also on hand to welcome students and commend their work.
The SURE planning committee for 2021 was made up of Mary Beth Gouthro and Fiona Cownie as co-Chairs, Faculty Reps Miguel Moital, Roya Haratian and Andrew M’manga. A special shout out to Rae Bell, Student Communications officer who was integral to its function and hosting on the day. Some SURE participants have had abstracts accepted for the national BCUR conference hosted by the University of Leeds on April 12-13 where 20 BU students will be showcasing their work from across our faculties.
Dealing with the past in the post-Yugoslav space – Reflections on a conference
The EU-funded Reconciliation Network of civil society organisations of the Western Balkans, known as RECOM, in conjunction with the Belgrade-based Humanitarian Law Centre, on 21st and 22nd of December 2020, organised and ran the 13th Forum for Transitional Justice online. In three panels, the invited academic experts and practitioners discussed the state of the process of dealing with the past in the post-Yugoslav space. They assessed and explored the state of transitional justice, memorialization and missing persons in the wider region.
Giulia Levi is a doctoral candidate at Bournemouth University and member of the Centre for Seldom Heard Voices: Marginalisation and Societal Integration at BU. Based on her practice experience with civil society initiatives working towards peace building in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2005, she is currently completing a comparative, VC-funded PhD project called ‘Bridging societal divisions in post-Brexit referendum UK, learning from Bosnia’. This article was originally published on the website of the AHRC project Changing the Story that investigates how the arts, heritage and human rights education can support youth-centred approaches to civil society building in post-conflict settings across the world.
What about the survivors? The importance of a victim-centred approach to transitional justice in the Western Balkans – Reflections on a conference
Since the end of the Yugoslav succession wars of the 1990s, people living in the former Yugoslav countries have been dealing with the consequences of wartime violence and the societal divisions this caused. The path of transitional justice has proven difficult and discontinuous, yet it has had a real impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. Survivors’ families and associations, who invested the most emotional labour in the process, however, have often felt left out of the official transitional justice processes and, today, often find themselves disappointed, disillusioned, and exhausted. It is generally held that a lack of sufficiently addressing the needs and grievances of survivors of massive human rights violations inhibits chances for lasting peace and reconciliation between the previously warring parties. Open questions include whether there can be a universal approach to dealing with the past and with survivors’ needs or whether, rather, Transitional Justice can and should be tailored to every individual’s needs. However, would the latter even be realistic, given the challenging complexities at stake? Furthermore, would any kind of justice delivery sufficiently satisfy those who have suffered so much because of the war; or what justice needs, or even other needs, have to be addressed for peace building to have a genuine chance? One commentator at the conference suggested that, in order to build the future of the post-Yugoslav countries, it might be better to focus on the respective societies as a whole rather than on individual grievances. The discussions during the conference revolved around these types of complex questions. Most of the experts and practitioners present highlighted, through insights from their personal research or based on first-hand experience, the importance of taking individual survivors’ needs into account while understanding these as being interconnected with the situation in their wider, respective societies.
Contrary to other countries like South Africa or Rwanda, which established truth commissions to deal with the crimes of the past, the region of former Yugoslavia has relied mainly on retributive justice. This model consists of a top-down approach, punishing perpetrators through trials. Despite the important role played by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in establishing a record of what happened during the war, scholars and practitioners have long pointed to the limitations of formal tribunals as tools of delivering reconciliation. As noted during the conference, retributive justice has often been blamed for “overpromising and underdelivering”, while promoting normative discourses that can contrast with the lived realities of people. High sounding principles of ‘peace’, ‘justice’ and ‘reconciliation’, despite seemingly universal, might carry specific meanings for people on the ground. Policies that promote their implementation have often resulted in unintended consequences such as further dividing ethnic communities and being detrimental to, rather than supportive of, survivors’ causes[1].
The formation of the Regional Commission (RECOM) constituted an attempt to propose an alternative approach to dealing with the past. In 2005, three human rights organizations based in Belgrade, Sarajevo and Zagreb and opposed to the top-down approach of foreign organizations and domestic political institutions, promoted a platform with the aim of involving survivors’ organizations more actively in shaping efforts towards truth finding and dealing with the past. At the same time, due to the regional nature of the Yugoslav wars, the RECOM founders believed that the formal participation of all the national governments in the region was a prerequisite for establishing the facts of the war and for preventing a manipulation of the 1990s conflicts for political gains. Today, RECOM includes over 2,000 organizations and individuals of the wider Western Balkan region, representing an unprecedented effort towards inclusiveness and local ownership. From 2007 to 2011, RECOM carried out 127 consultations throughout the seven former Yugoslav countries, which involved civil society organizations to discuss the establishment of a Regional Commission aimed at ascertaining the facts about the war crimes committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Despite this, the reluctance of almost all involved national governments to participate, formally and continuously, in this initiative, and the unwillingness of EU member states to play a stronger role in the process, have proven obstacles that prevented RECOM to fully achieving its aims.
All national governments in the wider region still display a lack of political will to engage in collaborative efforts of building a shared vision of the past. Instead, the narratives of the past, as these are constructed, expressed and performed across the region, especially during public commemorative events, continue to be of an exclusionary, ethno-nationalist character. The conference speakers reflected on the contemporary ‘memory industry’ in Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia and Kosovo. They found that political leaders still politicise survivors’ experiences, often attributing value to them only if they can support the respective political rhetoric. For example, Lejla Gačanica addressed the case of the town of Srebrenica, where the Bosnian Serb political leaders still refuse to acknowledge the extent of the crime committed in July 1995 against the Bosnian Muslim population. This case exemplified the ways in which manipulation and outright denial of established facts of war still heavily impact on the everyday life of ordinary citizens who suffered from these. Vjollca Krasniqi for Kosovo and Sabina Čehajić-Clancy for Bosnia emphasised the role of civil society organizations in fighting denial and breaking homogeneous narratives of the past by nurturing the public space for diverse experiences and storytelling. The collection and presentation of personal stories, with their uniqueness, for example through arts or media events, can help to change the ways in which the ‘Other’ is imagined.
If finding space for individual narratives to emerge can help defy solidified versions of the past, the search for missing persons is a fundamental step in giving dignity to individual survivors rather than treating them just as numbers in political struggles. Manfred Nowak, Expert Member of the UN Working Group on Involuntary or Enforced Disappearances during the war, reminded the audience that, still today, “the persistence of missing persons represents one of the main obstacles for people to come together and trust each other”. The uncertainty about somebody’s loved ones’ whereabouts and the circumstances of the death of each individual effectively undermines relations between communities and makes sustainable peace most difficult to achieve. Nataša Kandić, director of the Humanitarian Law Centre, advocated for the issue of missing persons to be treated not just as a humanitarian, but a political issue. This is because any progress in this work strongly depends on the political will of the involved nation-states to lead by example and share information on the location of mass graves and individual gravesites. At the same time, she insisted that “it is extremely important to look at each individual victim and find all the names, not numbers, but names. We have to publish the data on the disappearances and just by doing that we can cast light on what happened, and we can hope that citizens who have information will feel confident to come forward”. Listening to individual stories, whether of former victims, perpetrators or witnesses of war crimes is thus paramount to establishing the truth.
If compared with other contexts where mass disappearances took place like Iraq, Argentina or Sri Lanka, the massive work done in former Yugoslavia by the International Commission of Missing Persons (ICMP) in locating mass graves and identifying remains, represents a success story. Nevertheless, 10,170 persons are still missing across the region. The speakers underlined how state authorities have done too little in the last years to move the work required forward. With time passing and the soil gradually mutating, it is increasingly difficult to locate the remaining burial sites, leaving surviving families’ questions about the circumstances in which their loved ones died forever unanswered.
The issue of missing persons, in particular, shows how the fate of every single individual burdens not only the survivors’ families, but entire societies. Focusing attention on the nexus between survivors’ needs and societal problems could help counterbalance the appeal that nationalism exerts on people, who feel disappointed and abandoned, as Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers demonstrated for her ethnographic Kosovar case studies. She argued that disenfranchised people might look for a sense of security in solidified narratives, which can result in further ethnic segregation and, where discontent persists, be passed on across the generations. Far from being just a concern of the post-Yugoslav area, nationalist ideologies work as messianistic narratives for those who are on the losing end, a ‘shield’ that is thought to protect against perceived external threats. Therefore, as Slađana Lazić elaborated, transitional justice should take a more ‘transformative’ turn, widening its scope, beyond criminal justice, to socio-economic injustices. Such focus would allow “find[ing] a different policy entry point to link, [for example,] wartime rape and children born out of rape and the present-day problem of femicide and gender-based violence”. Empirical research insights such as these supported the conference’s main finding that sustainable change can only arise from taking the needs of individual survivors into account while, at the same time, addressing structural inequalities that are important for the whole society.
The panelists and moderators of the discussions at the Forum were UN experts Manfred Nowak, Thomas Osorio and Ivan Jovanović; EC expert David Hudson; academics Sabina Čehajić, Vjollca Krasniqi, Slađana Lazić, Lejla Gačanica, Sven Milekić, Jelena Đureinović, Stephanie Schwandner-Sievers and Lea David; as well as former Head of the Commission on Detainees and Missing Persons of the Republic of Croatia, Ivan Grujić; and RECOM Reconciliation Network members Žarko Puhovski, Tea Gorjanc Prelević and Nataša Kandić. The conference over two days was divided into three panel discussions: 1) Review of Transitional Justice – Opportunities; 2) Remembrance Policies and Victim Commemoration; and 3) The Issue of Missing Persons – The Priority of Regional Cooperation.
[1] Dragović-Soso, Gordy, 2010; Subotić, 2015; Baker, Obradović-Wochnik, 2016; Hughes, Kostovicova 2019.
Training for early-career STEM communicators from BIG
Training for STEM ECRs from BIG; the skills sharing network for individuals involved in the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects.
Cost £80 for non-members. Bursary deadline 5 Jan.
LITTLE EVENT 2021
Click here to book the Little Event
Session 1: Thursday 21st January, 3:00 – 6:30pm; &
Session 2: Saturday 23rd January, 9:00am – 1:00pm
Online via Zoom*
The Little Event is BIG’s training session for people who are new to STEM communication, whether you work in a science centre or museum, volunteer for a festival, are involved in university outreach, or do anything else to engage people with science, technology, engineering and maths. The Little Event is crammed with introductory sessions focusing on developing the different skills that are useful in STEM communication; they are delivered by experienced science communicators following BIG’s usual hands-on approach.
The 2021 Little Event will be online and hosted over two days. The days are designed to work together and are booked as a package (i.e. not sold separately). But of course, it isn’t just about the sessions, it’s the people you will meet, too. The Little Event also presents a great opportunity to meet people from across the UK working in similar roles and sharing similar experiences. The 2021 programme includes sessions on Evaluation, Managing Projects, Presenting, Audience Analysis and Careers and will include plenty of networking time as well as short comfort breaks.
BIG members: cost £50 login as a member first to be able to register for the Member rate. To login as a Member, use the email address you used to join BIG. If you can’t remember what this is, please email admin@big.uk.com.
Non-members: cost is £80 and includes BIG Membership for 1 year. Not sure if the Little Event is for you? See more information here: More about the Little Event
*Each Zoom session will have an automated live transcription as well as on screen Closed Captions.
2021 SCHEDULE
Day 1 – Thursday, 21 January
2:45pm-3pm: arrival and registration for a prompt 3pm start
3pm-6:30pm: 2 sessions, 3 networking opportunities and breaks
Day 2 – Saturday, 23 January
8:45am-9am: arrival and registration for a prompt 9am start
9am- 1pm: 3 sessions, 2 networking opportunities and breaks
2021 PROGRAMME
Setting the Scene– Helen Featherstone, BIG and Head of Public Engagement at Bath University
Introducing everybody to everybody, plan for the day and a whistle-stop tour of STEM engagement.
Managing Projects – Hana Ayoob, Freelance Science Communicator and Events Producer
From small events and projects like short videos and table top interactives to podcast series and festivals, managing a project is just as important as creating its content.
Presenting Science– Jemma Naumann, Science Communicator and Presenter
You know the science but how can you make it accessible to others? A chance to develop your presenting skills.
Evaluation – Jamie Gallagher, Engagement Consultant
This session will explore the science behind the survey giving you the skills you need to plan the perfect evaluation without a social science degree in qualitative analysis.
Who is the Audience? – Clio Heslop, US-UK Civic Science Fellow at UT Austin and British Science Association
What is an audience? How much can audiences differ? Why does your audience even matter?
Careers – Helen Featherstone, Hana Ayoob, Jamie Gallagher, Clio Heslop, Jemma Naumann and others.
Some career options, where to look for jobs, and what skills are desirable. Hear from the panel and ask your questions, too.
BURSARY
Little Event Bursary (applications open 15 December, APPLY HERE)
Applications open 15th December 2020 and close at 6pm, 5th January, 2021. Applicants will be notified the week commencing 11th January, 2021 on their application status.
There are 10 bursaries* up for grabs to attend The Little Event 2021.
Each bursary is worth approximately £90 and covers annual BIG membership, registration fees and reasonable expenses if required. Applying for one of the 10 free places is simple.
Click here to apply and tell BIG in no more than 200 words, why you would like the opportunity to attend the Little Event and how you think it will benefit your personal and professional development.
*Eligibility requirements
Applicants must
- be within the first 5 years of their professional career/studies in the STEM or STEM engagement sectors and be based in the UK; and
- not have attended the Little Event or any other of BIG’s events before.