Unfreezing Bosnia: An Anthropological Evaluation of the Role of Internationals

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Murphy, Farrell
- Affiliation: College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Anthropology

Abstract

The Dayton Accords of 1995 ended the Bosnian War and halted the violent conflict taking place in this former-Yugoslavian republic. While the peace agreement succeeded in ending the immediate fighting, it set up an ethnically and territorially divided state that has limited Bosnia Herzegovina’s progression. Political scientists have dissected the structural and political shortcomings of the Bosnian system in order to explain the current stalled state of the country. However, there is a substantial gap in the discussion regarding other factors, such as history, culture, and the presence of internationals, that is needed in order to fully understand the scope of the problems. Through briefings, meetings, and informal interactions with a variety of international organizations over a span of a few months in Bosnia Herzegovina, I use my first hand experience to analyze the situation from an anthropological perspective. In addition to the muddled and inconclusive end to the Bosnian War, as well as Bosnia’s unique ethnic make-up, the international organizations themselves have played a role in the outcome of the country through inconsistent messaging and useless actions. I take an anthropological stance in examining the nature of the international organizations themselves in Bosnia in order to provide a deeper perspective on the situation that will be useful in the formation of more targeted and successful strategies in post- conflict Bosnia Herzegovina.

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