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FPC Students Document Peace Process in Bosnia

by Alma Bjelic
Exchange Correspondent

Rindge, NH-- Franklin Pierce students are going to Brcko, Bosnia this February to film a documentary on the peace agreement between the Serbs and Muslims, who are trying to enter the European Union and improve the conditions of their country.

Justin Friedland, a sophomore, will be the executive producer, director, and lead interviewer. “I’m thinking of calling the documentary ‘The First Step of the Bosnian Progress,” said Friedland. The students will leave in February for Vienna. They’ll sightsee for four months in Austria, Germany, France and Italy, where they will stay for the winter Olympics. Belgrade, Serbia will be the last stop, where Friedland will meet up with Mirsad Djapo the mayor of DC Brcko, and education supervisors to interview them on the peace progress in Bosnia.

The other student working on the project will be Suzann Kowalski, who is the producer, cameraperson and editor. Kristen Nevious, director of the Fitzwater Center, will guide the students through the process of making a documentary.

Before the trip, Friedland had to get the approval of his advisor, Jason Little, for the independent study. With some help from his friends, Friedland read up on the country’s history. “We also don’t have a sponsor yet,” said Friedland. “We started looking into private sponsors.”

Dr. Raymond Van der Riet, the dean of professional studies, introduced Friedland to the idea of the documentary after a visit by Susan Johnson, UN supervisor, in April 2005. Johnson visited Franklin Pierce and discussed the idea of making a documentary of the Bosnian peace progress with Dr. George Hagerty and Van der Riet. 

Hagerty and Riet were invited to Brcko in May 2005. They met with Djapo, a few other diplomats and the Bosnian media. “The Bosnian female volleyball team, who is known to be good, played in our honor that day,” said Riet. “After that, we discussed how the peace progress in Bosnia would help in political stability, which would lead to a better economy and education system.” Since then, Van der Riet and Hagerty became interested with the peace progress. 

Amra Kosovec, counselor in the US Embassy, hopes for the best with the peace process. If the peace agreement works, segregation in schools will end and energy can be put into improving the education system. “November 21^st marked the 10^th anniversary of the Peace Agreement,” said Kosovec. “Seventy-three delegations from Brcko came to Washington, D.C. and met with Condeleeza Rice and three other representatives of the president. Bosnia finds the US to be its number one ally and feels that they will help them become stronger and more modern.” If everything were stable in Bosnia, the European Union would let them in, which would greatly improve the destitute Bosnian economy.

The first documentary will be on the peace progress, but Friedland is already planning on the sequel. After the first documentary is finished, he plans to revisit Bosnia and interview small businesses there. Friedland is even thinking of attending school in Belgrade, Serbia.