Evaluating peace in post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Between 1992-1995 Bosnia and Herzegovina was torn by a civil war between its three constituent ethnicities: the Bosniaks, Bosnian Croats and the Bosnian Serbs. The Dayton Accords brought an end to the fighting and created the Bosnian state. Almost twenty years later this thesis will attempt to look at contemporary Bosnian society to try and evaluate whether there is a state of peace. It will do so by looking at two criteria: the presence of violence within Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the presence of harmonious relationships within Bosnia and Herzegovina. The presence of violence will assessed by looking into the phenomena of organized crime and domestic violence, while harmonious relationships are assessed by looking into the political system within Bosnia and Herzegovina and the educational system. Looking at these four criteria the thesis will try and establish whether there is peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and will subsequently try to analyse the role Dayton has played in the situation that can be found within modern day Bosnia and Herzegovina.