By Manrico Moro
I went to Sarajevo last December with a peace demonstration organised by the Italian pacifist group Beati i Costruttori di Pace (Blessed are the peacemakers — BCP).
The peace caravan, consisting of about 500 people, mainly from Italian peace organisations, arrived in Sarajevo late on December 11 and held the peace demonstration on December 12. There were no casualties among the participants in the project. My diary of the events was published in Green Left Weekly, of January 20, 1993.
At later meetings and discussions, BCP proposed a new project aimed at establishing a long-term presence in Sarajevo. This project is extremely dangerous, and it must be understood that some participants may be wounded or killed.
Therefore all participants must accept full personal responsibility for any possible incidents. If incidents occur, in no case will the participants or the organisers request or justify retaliation or rescue.
The plan is to set up a peace camp in three areas: in the Sarajevo city centre (currently controlled by the Bosnian army), in the suburb of Ilidza (controlled by Serbian irregular armies) and in the township of Kiseljak (Croatian irregular armies).
The forces controlling each area must agree to the presence of the peace camp, and the organisers will negotiate for the entry and exit of 60-80 people per week, and for the use of venues and equipment.
The peace camp participants will work towards mediation and people's diplomacy and solidarity. This includes preparing the political and logistical framework for a big August initiative.
The mediation should involve contact with local peace centres and with religious, political and military representatives, planning a peace conference in
Sarajevo and being an observation post on the war and the human rights situation.
The solidarity objectives may involve distribution of food and medicines, caring for children, assisting aged, ill or injured people, support for women victims of violence, repairing water pipes and generally being useful to the civilian population.
The period of the peace camp is to September 15, with the maximum presence planned for August 7 to 15.
People are registering to participate from many countries. People will stay in the peace camp as long term (one month or more), short term (13-15 days) or just for the large actions August 7-15.
Departures will occur from Italy according to a rotating two week schedule aimed at keeping a continuous presence in the camp areas.
The program for the August 7-15 period will depend on the situation at the time, but the objective is to produce a series of initiatives that will break the momentum of the conflict and build the opportunity for peace.
Given the local people's enthusiasm towards the peace demonstration of December 1992, it is envisaged that they will be actively participating.
All participants must register at the BCP office in Padova, Italy. Non-violent training will be organised in different countries, according to the timetable of departures.
The people participating in the August peace actions will have to accept some discomfort, as well as the obvious risks. There is no possibility of private calls from Sarajevo. Each person and affinity group must bring enough food for their entire stay, plus some food to be shared with hosting families or groups. There may be no drinking water in Sarajevo. Each participant must bring a personal water container and purifying tablets. Doctors and nurses will be travelling with each group of participants.
In effect each participant must be fully self-sufficient for the duration of the visit. The
organisers will provide accommodation and other requirements, but these may be very substandard.
The August visit is 15 days including travel. Costs to the Italian departure point are to be covered by each participant, but the organisers may subsidise participants who need financial assistance and request it. About A$300 should be sufficient for spending money.
Although the peace camp project is receiving both financial support and the endorsement of activists who want to participate, others are critical. Some see this project as too ineffective. But the peace movement has to deal with the reality of war, and people's action has a proven track record of influencing politics, sometimes with greater power than governments and armies.
Others say the activists should demonstrate in Rome, Zagreb, Geneva or New York, not in Sarajevo. It is perhaps true that there should be demonstrations in all these cities, but it also true that the activists are not taking any greater risks than the various army contingents currently being sent as "peacekeepers".
In Australia Campaign Against Militarism has agreed to coordinate solidarity messages and support to the Sarajevo peace camp project. Messages of solidarity may be sent to: CAM, PO Box 1351, Collingwood Vic 3066, or fax: (03) 416 2746. Donations should be made to Campaign Against Militarism, and marked "Sarajevo peace camp". Regular updates on the development of project will be sent to peace groups that request them.