Healing the heart in Bosnia-Herzegovina: art, children and peacemaking

Data gathered by the United Nations show that in modern warfare civilians make up the majority of casualties, most of them are children and women. Children affected by war can experience both physical and psychological problems. This can damage their own sense of purpose and identity which can lead to difficulties in the way they see and relate to others. This paper explores using art with children and young people who have experienced war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I examine how children find ways to respond to the effects and aftermath of war in terms of their sense of resilience and morality and how they can become peacemakers by using their creativity, giving it expression through art. The content of the paper is drawn from a collection of written sources and empirical research carried out in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina since 2008.