Activists in Bosnia are fighting against both ethnic politics and international intervention

What is it about?

This article is based on interviews with activists from the 2014 protests in Bosnia and since then. Much of the literature focuses on struggles against nationalist politicians and their exploitative politics. We found that the 2014 protests were also significant because of their challenge to NGOs and their professional approaches to fostering democracy supported by foreign donors. Given this dual struggle, we see potential in a strategy by activists which developed during and since 2014, which is to focus on local issues which have broader resonance.

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Why is it important?

This article is important because of the idea of dual hegemony, that is that the possibilities of democratic change in Bosnia are constrained both by the limitations of divided ethnic politics as well as international donor policies. The second important idea is that activists are pursuing 'local first' strategies which engage with immediate and tangible citizen concerns while also symbolizing broader struggles.