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Late reconciliation after war and terror in Bosnia and Spain

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September 8, 2025

Reconciliation after war and conflict can seem impossible. Yet time and again, people have set out on the path to overcoming suffering and hatred following horrific confrontations - as has happened in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and also in Spain.

The Bosnian War ended almost 30 years ago. But in Bosnia and Herzegovina, resentment among different ethnic groups - Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats - runs deep, and the atrocities committed have not been forgotten. The country is divided. But young peace activists are seeking to build bridges. They erect signs in front of former torture camps to raise awareness of these sites and invite veterans and prisoners from the former warring parties to visit these places together. There, people who were once arch enemies can share their stories with one another and help bring about a process of reconciliation. Spain, too, is seeing the first tentative steps toward reconciliation. For decades, the country suffered under brutal attacks by the Basque terrorist organization ETA. The state often responded with its own ruthless violence. Now that ETA no longer exists, the first attempts at rapprochement between victims and perpetrators are here, too, taking place. Behind closed doors, what are known as 'restorative conversations' are being held. Key figures in the reconciliation process include a survivor of ETA’s deadliest attack, and the sister of a suspected ETA sympathizer who was killed by a Spanish secret police unit.

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Close up — The Current Affairs Documentary

Our weekly half-hour program delivers in-depth reporting on topical political issues and newsworthy events. Revealing the story behind the stories, Close Up is informative, gripping and visually powerful.

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