The Bridge of Mostar — A controversial Symbol of Identity
The Bridge of Mostar — A controversial Symbol of Identity

Summary/Abstract: The article entitled “The Bridge of Mostar”, which addresses the problem of armed conflicts in the Balkans and the attempts to establish peace in the region. Creating a harmonious coexistence between the groups of different cultures and religions requires taking into consideration the ethnic and cultural behavioural conditioning. The unity, but also the conflicts based on ethnic differences, are symbolised by the bridge in the town of Mostar, which connects two areas with different traditions and cultural backgrounds. The rebuilding of the bridge, which was destroyed in 1993 during the Bosnian War, went beyond the physical restoring of the bridge, and entailed the recreation of the uneasy harmony between the peoples of different backgrounds and aspirations who live in the neighbouring areas. The bridge symbolises the difficulty in defining the identity and creating harmonious coexistence, but also the need for this harmony. The article emphasis the necessity of involvement by international organisations in order to reconcile the belligerent parties, while enhancing the identity of each ethnic group and creating harmonious relations between the different groups.

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