Velma Šarić
2017 Fellow
“In my country, we remain divided over interpretations of the past and politics of the present. My experience of the war and its aftermath affected me so deeply that I decided to make it my mission to help my country recover from the legacies of war in any way I could.”
Velma ≈†ariƒá is an investigative journalist who uses multimedia projects to foster tolerance, moral courage and sustainable peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and throughout the Balkans. She founded The Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo to engage young people in her country’s ongoing recovery from genocide and an intensely divisive war.
Through her Center, Velma reaches out to youth in remote communities and creates opportunities for them to interact with diverse peer groups. She believes it’s only through shared experience and inter-ethnic dialogue that the youngest generation can overcome barriers to lasting peace. Her award-winning Ordinary Heroes project documents the stories of real life heroes who risked their lives to protects friends, neighbors and strangers during the Bosnian War.