GATHERING OF DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE FORUM FROM THE

WHOLE OF B&H

DECLARATION FOR THE FUTURE

AIM, Perugia, September 28, 1995 "We demand that conflicts immediately stop and the war resolved by political means; the essential precondition for normalization of life and reestablishment of interethnic confidence, and intensified integration processes in Bosnia & Herzegovina is departure of protagonists of the tripartite coalition of national parties - from the period between 1990 and 1992 - from the political scene, as well as the existing nationalistic ruling structures!" This is the first of the total of seven items of the Declaration of Democratic Alternative Forum from the territory of the whole of B&H, which was agreed on and signed in the Italian city of Perugia, at a meetin held on September 25-28, by members of delegations from the territories controlled by the Federation authorities and those controlled by Bosnian Serbs.

Just a reminder, the first meeting of the opposition from these territories made public took place also in Perugia towards the end of May, when the opposition to the regime from Pale and the opposition to the Government in Sarajevo signed fundamental principles of their opposition activities, and agreed on further joint political activities.

Now, after four months, the oppositionists from the territories which are known as the "warring parties" in political terminology, presented themselves in Perugia under the joint name Democratic Alternative Forum (FDA), and with a joint stance referring to resolution of the crisis in Bosnia & Herzegovina. In fact, coordinated by the initiators of all contacts between the democratic alternative - Sejfudin Tokic, a member of parliament and Vice-President of the Union of B&H Social Democrats, and Milorad Dodik, President of the Club of independent deputies in the parliament of Bosnian Serbs - the FDA was formed of two delegations each consisting of representatives of opposition parties and members of B&H parliament and the parliament of Bosnian Serbs (Simo Simic, member of leadership of the Union of B&H Social Democrats from Tuzla; Momcilo Micic, Club of independent deputies from Bjeljina; Ivo Komsic, President of the Croat Peasants' Party from Sarajevo; Dzemal Hadziabdic and Mujo Kafedzic, members of the leadership of Muslim Boshniak Organization from Sarajevo; Vinko Zuro, President of the Main Committee of the Liberal Party, Sretko Radisic, President of the Social Democratic Party from Zenica), representatives of civic associations and alliances (Vehid Sehic, President of the Civic Forum from Tuzla; Rajko Zivkovic, Vice-President of the Serb Civic Council; Adil Kulenovic, Secretary General of the Association of Independent Intellectuals "Circle 99" from Sarajevo), and representatives of B&H independent media.

Due to the well known war conditions and rigid regulations of the ruling oligarchies within B&H, a considerable number of invited participants (oppositionists, university professors and independent journalists) did not manage to leave their environments (mostly those from territories controlled by Karadzic). Nevertheless, on the first day of work in Perugia, a declaration was agreed on and signed, which, besides the already mentioned item, also insisted on the following:

"All those responsible for war crimes and expulsion of citizens from their homes must be punished, and we insist on individual responsibility, but are against proclaiming that whole nations are criminal.

Social system of B&H as a decentralized state community with several constituent units (pursuant the Geneva initiative and future peace agreements) along with provision of constitutional guarantees for equality of constituent nations in B&H and respect of human rights pursuant the General Declaration on Human Rights.

We support the efforts and engagement of the international community in achieving cessation of hostilities and intensification of the peace process and the Geneva initiative in this context as a possible essential stage in the process of normalization of life in B&H.

Conditions must be created in which all refugees and banned persons would be given the right to honourably and safely return to their homes with international guarantees, and protection of private property should be also provided."

In the end of the Declaration of the Democratic Alternative Forum is an appeal to democratic institutions of the world to offer political and other support, to all political parties, civic initiatives, independent media and individuals who are in favour fo establishment of peace and interethnic tolerance, and special appreciation is expressed to Italian organizations ARCI, Association for Peace, authorities of the Commune of Perugia and Umbria Region for the assistance in establishing communication between representatives of the democratic alternative institutions.

This Declaration signed by participants at the gathering of the FDA was presented at a separate meeting to representatives of governments of the countries members of the Contact Group, European Union (ambassadors and officials of Great Britain, Spain, USA and Russia), representatives of the Government and Parliament of Italy, members of the leading Social Democratic parties in Europe, President of the Committee of Socialist International for Central and Eastern Europe, non-governmental organizations such as the HCA and Verona Forum or institutions such as the Olof Palme Centre from Sweden.

On the second day of work, participants of the gathering devoted special attention to the role of the media in the process of reestablishment of interethnic confidence and reintegration of B&H. Stressing once again the exceptional responsibility of nationalistic and media controlled by ruling structures in creation intolerance among citizens of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and their advocating nationalistic and war-mongering options, it was stated that an even more responsible and probably harder job would be reestablihment of confidence among nations in B&H in which once again media would play one of the crucial roles. After an exchange of information from environments they came from, participants of the gathering of the Democratic Alternative Forum concluded that the most difficult situation concerning the right to free public speech and uncontrolled journalism was on the territories where regimes from Pale and Grude were in power, but that the latest developments on the territory controlled by the Government in Sarajevo implied an increasing pressure in stifling independent media in that part of the country too.

That is exactly the reason why the editor of the Alternative Information Network in B&H, Ms. Drazena Peranic, in the name of the present journalists from uncontrolled media (Radio Television Studio 99, Oslobodjenje, AIM, Izbor, Radio Kameleon and others) presented the Appeal for assistance to independent media and journalists in B&H, strongly supported by the participants of the gathering of the FDA and the present representatives of countries of the Contact Group, European Union and progfessional organizations in Italy. Among other, the Appeal of the journalists addressed to the international community, institutions for protection of human dignity and journalistic profession, and the democratic public in general, includes the following:

"After the violent destruction of Independent RTV Studio 99 in Sarajevo, murder of a journalist - the editor of the radio in Zavidovici, continuous obstacles to operation of independent media in the space controlled by Bosnian Serbs but Bosnian Croats too, as well as journalists who do not wish to serve the ruling regimes - we are deeply concerned about our destiny!

The process of creation of B&H as a democratic and humanistic community conditioned primarily by reestablishment of interethnic confidence and postulates of civic society, will be possible solely with the engagement of independent media which advocate such options.

We demand your strong support to our struggle for freedom of the public word, unhindered access to information and free operation of independent media and journalists, financial and other assistance in establishing communication and cooperation among independent media, journalists and their associations, especially on territories where they have not existed so far. We demand special engagement in foundation of independent media in the space controlled by Bosnian Serbs, technical and material support in foundation of such media, protection and assistance in establishing a network of such media and their cooperation with similar media in the space of entire former Yugoslavia".

The central press conference held on the last day in Rome, aroused great interest of the leading Italian journalists in independent information in the entire space of B&H, primarily due to the joint presentation of alternative political factors from parties which are by definition of the ruling policies allegedly irreconcilable. Announcement that the Democratic Alternative Forum will continue with its political engagement in opposition to the ruling oligarchies in Bosnia & Herzegovina on all its territories was received with a thunderous applause of the present distinguished guests and foreign journalists. It seems that the oppositionist and alternative attitude of the Democratic Alternative Forum towards local nationalisms has after all found its way to the consiousness of friends from European countries. It will be much more difficult to find understanding in the environments they originate in, as the authorities there will certainly try to prevent their activities and condemn them for "high treason". But, certain that what they are doing is right, members of the FDA claim that the time is on their side, and in the preamble of their Declaration they say that they have gathered because they are:

"Convinced that freedom of every individual is the highest moral and political principle, that respect of the rights of others is a measure of one's own self-esteem, that differences in ethnic, religious and cultural background is the wealth of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and intolerance in this respect is cause to war catastrophe of its people and nations..."

VEHID JAHIC