Langer's writings (Langer Foundation)
In the 1990s Alexander Langer, a South Tyrolean politician and MEP, devoted a great deal of effort to seeking peaceful solutions to the conflict in Bosnia. His writings have now been translated into Bosnian and will be the core of meetings for young people on human rights, ecology, and activism
In the summer of 2022, University Press Sarajevo will release the volume "Alexander Langer - The art of living together: from South Tyrol to Srebrenica", the first publication with texts by Langer translated into Bosnian. The book aims to facilitate access to the writings of the South Tyrolean politician to the public of the former Yugoslav space.
Langer dedicated to these area great part of his work as a member of the European parliament during the war of the 1990s. The texts selected for the book are organised into four sections: a biography, from South Tyrol to the world; environmentalism and the need for an ‘ecological conversion’; coexistence, with texts that summarise the lessons learnt from experiences in South Tyrol and the Balkans; the Western Balkans and the relation with the European Union, with texts on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Kosovo, the proposal of the civil peace corps and the experience of the Verona forum, an initiative to bring civil society together against the war in the former Yugoslavia. The sections are preceded by introductions by Fabio Levi, Edvige Ricci Marjana Granditz, and Edi Rabini.
The interest generated by the publication of this volume led the Heinrich Böll Foundation of Sarajevo to finance the project "Alexander Langer - Inspiring peace", presented by the association Adopt Srebrenica . The project is addressed to younger generations born after the war. According to Bekir Halilovic, one of the organisers of the project together with Valentina Gagic, "despite the fact that 30 years have passed from the end of the war, young people’s life is still deeply influenced by the past, especially due to a political class that constatnly evokes the war and divisions, favouring a climate of social and economic instability". The project includes workshops on human rights, ecology, and youth activism, starting from Langer's texts to inspire reflections on today's problems. The workshops will take place in the cities of Srebrenica, Prijedor, and Gornji Vakuf. The first two workshops were held in Srebrenica in June involving about fifteen participants and two speakers: Ajna Jusic of the Forgotten Children of War Association and Dzemila Agic of the Center for Ecology and Energy of Tuzla.
The book "Alexander Langer - The art of living together: from South Tyrol to Srebrenica" will be presented during the International Week of Memory, the annual event of Adopt Srebrenica at its 14th edition, which will be held from 24 to 28 August in Srebrenica. The book was edited by Sabina Langer with translations by Zoran Herceg, Matej Vrbac, and Ljiljana Zufic with the supervision of Silvio Ziliotto and the collaboration of the Alexander Langer Foundation of Bolzano and the Italian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina .
The publication of the book follows a series of events dedicated to Alexander Langer in Bosnia including the post mortem honorary citizenship awarded by the Municipality of Sarajevo in February 2021 and the inauguration of the 10 km Alexander Langer Trail in the mountains around Sarajevo by the association Arboretum. On July 3, on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of Langer's death, the second excursion in his memory took place, following the new signs that for over 10 km lead to the discovery of the beauties of the area.
* Alexander Langer Stiftung Foundation
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