University of Sarajevo Lecture by Mr. Bogić Bogićević on the Occasion of the Independence Day of BiH

On the occasion of the 1st of March - the Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the University of Sarajevo on 22 February 2019 an open lecture was held by Mr. Bogić Bogićević on the topic “Bosnia and Herzegovina on the European path from Independence to Date.” 
The lecture was opened by a welcome address delivered by Prof. Dr. Rifat Škrijelj, University of Sarajevo Rector, stressing that 1 March 1992 was the day of pride and determination when Bosnians and Herzegovinians of all nationalities decided in a referendum to live in a sovereign, independent, independent and integrated Bosnia and Herzegovina, a state of equal peoples and citizens.

At the beginning of the lecture , Mr. Bogić Bogićević pointed out that 1 March - Independence Day of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most important dates in modern BiH because on February 29 and March 1, 1992 more than two-thirds of BH citizens voted for a democratic and independent Bosnia and Herzegovina. “And after many years, this date is marked only in one part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, in the Federation of BiH” said Mr. Bogićević.
For Mr. Bogićević, Bosnia and Herzegovina, an undisputed, sovereign state, a United Nations member, is an internationally recognized state. “Unfortunately, to date, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet been recognized by all its citizens and by the representatives of the authorities.”

Recalling that the Dayton Peace Agreement was reached on 21 November 1995, and within the Agreement, the Constitution (Annex 4) abolishing the republic and dividing Bosnia and Herzegovina without any democratic parliamentary procedure was accepted, Mr. Bogićević pointed out that immediately after Dayton, the power was taken in Bosnia and Herzegovina by political parties that won the first multi-party elections. “Dayton has made more than 50 percent of BH residents national minorities, depending on where they live. A man, a citizen, an individual was removed from the political stage, and an ethnically determined man was installed. Instead of political pluralism, we have national pluralism. The nation is the primary political category. National programs dictate political processes. The entire sphere of political freedom has been reduced to national freedom. BiH entities relate to each other as competitors. Social needs and interests are primarily presented as national needs, and then only as human needs”said Mr. Bogićević, adding that all this narrows the perspective to real optimism, as well as the ability to develop BiH as a democratic state.

"We have to understand finally that no one from outside will make order in Bosnia and Hecregovina. The road to Europe is mostly dependent on us. I think that Europe missed the chance for the Balkan countries to join the membership, because 20 million people would simply drown in the number of 500 million people. However, it was a time when French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt decided on their own that Greece would become a member of the European Community. Now it's a much longer process” Mr. Bogićević emphasized, adding that membership in the European Union is necessary for us.

The European Union is the most important trading partner, the largest investor and favorite destination for emigration from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Mr. Bogićević and expressed the opinion that the attention of the European Union in 2019 will be directed at Brexit and the European Parliament elections, so that Expansion will not be just a word.

After the lecture, Mr. Bogićević expressed his support for the University of Sarajevo Campaign: “Be what you are, study what you want” emphasizing that being what I am and allowing others to be what is important is important for the freedom of the person
ka, he added: "There is no diversity in identity that encourages creativity. It has long been said: Diversity means life, uniformity means death.”

Mr. Bogićević also expressed his desire to “preserve the autonomy of the University, without the possibility of its political control, that teachers and associates of the University oppose all those who devalue education, which lead educated workers into a devastating position, which does not sanction plagiarism and acquired diplomas, and endanger autonomy of the university, which tolerates two schools under one roof, because only knowledge can lead us forward.”