Bosnian ‘Returnee Voices’ Communicating Experiences of Successful Reintegration. The Social Capital and Sustainable Return Nexus in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Large scale war-displacement during the 1990s in Bosnia and Herzegovina greatly altered the demography of that country and caused severe damage to its social fabric. However, until now few studies have addressed the nexus of social capital and reintegration there in areas with high rates of return. This study is focused on relational practices relevant to the social environment and people in Prijedor, Zvornik, and Novo Goražde, three well-known returnee municipalities. This author’s findings suggest that reintegration is critically linked to mobilisation of various forms of social capital during all phases of the return process, and point to overlooked grass-roots activism which goes on despite the unfavourable political and socio-economic situation in the country. Positive development takes place when there is little political interference at local community level in a strong civil society. It requires strong leaders and social initiative takers among formal and informal returnee associations as well as resourceful individual returnees, all of which working together shape and lead reintegration activities.

Daring ‘life‐return projects’ to post‐Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina

“…Recorded as the largest assisted return project, and hailed as a success story of the international community led by UNHCR, in reality there are few qualitative insights into the actual sustainable post‐return realities. (Mesić and Bagić, ; Porobic, , ).…”

“…BiH remains an interesting case for analysis since the return process has been spread over many years and included varied internationally assisted programs intended to facilitate the return with rather different and contested outcomes across the country. The effectiveness of these implemented return programmes over a longer period of time has scarcely been scrutinized from the post‐return perspective and through qualitative and evidence‐based policy assessments (Porobic, , , ) . Furthermore, the current context of researching this topic is one of steady rise of emigration in the country, adding to the fact that BiH now has a largest European refugee diaspora, with over 40% of its pre‐war population living abroad…”

“…Furthermore, an important incentive for return and subsequent reconstruction of war‐shattered lives for the interviewed returnees was the establishment of networks and various kinds of contacts with war‐displaced relatives and neighbours that had resettled abroad. Through these initiatives, they secured funds for development, but also supported the construction of memorial centres for victims of war, and brought in economic investments to their municipalities (Porobić, ).…”

“… See e.g., Forced Migration Review Special Issue Dayton+20, 2015; Mesić and Bagić, ; Fagan, , , ; Porobić and Mameledžija, 2014; Porobic , . …”

“… See e.g., Phuong, ; Ito, ; de Andrade & Delaney, ; Philpott, ; Stefansson ; Jansen and Lofving, ; Jansen, ; Adelman and Barker, 2011; Fagan, ; Porobic and Mameledzija 2014; Porobić, , , …”