"Facing the wartime past": Discussions with Serbia's youth

This study examines the sensitive process of "Facing the Violent Past" in post-war Serbia. More specifically, it examines the reactions of the country's educated, reform-minded youth to the idea of "facing the past" and to the local organizations spearheading the process. Through a case study analysis of Serbia and qualitative interviews with the target population, the study finds that reactions to this difficult process are not necessarily due only to widespread nationalism, but also to a variety of other factors. These factors include the post-war context of Serbia and the phenomenon of civil society building; the degree of trust people have in the initiators of the process; the extent to which the process is perceived as indigenous and participatory; psychological factors; and the types of methods used to 'face the past'. The study concludes with a call for more attention to be given to these factors and to local contexts.