Zagreb, March 10, 1998 (IKA) During a visit to the Catholic Press Agency (IKA) Zagreb, Victor Scheffers, general secretary of the European Commissions of Justitia et Pax [Justice and Peace], and Jagoda Pauković, executive secretary, discussed the Solidarity Meeting of the European Commissions of Justitia et Pax, to be held in Banja Luka from March 13 to 16.
The impetus for this meeting was a conversation between the president of the German Justitia et Pax Commission, Msgr. Leo Schwartz and Bishop Franjo Komarica of Banja Luka, in which Msgr. Komarica proposed for a meeting to be organized in Banja Luka with representatives of the European Commissions of Justitia et Pax. The objective of this meeting was to demonstrate solidarity with the oppressed minorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to draw the attention of the public and politicians to this issue, and to support the Dayton peace process. The president of the Justitia et Pax Commission of the Bishops#! Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Auxiliary Bishop Msgr. Pero Sudar, has invited all the European Commissions to participate at this meeting and offered his full cooperation. In October 1997, Archbishop Cardinal Vinko Puljić of Sarajevo personally invited the European Commissions to hold this meeting during a speech he made in Bled. The General Assembly of the Commissions decided to hold the meeting in March 1998. According to the announcement for this meeting, clear goals have been established “to make the public aware of the people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to show practical solidarity with the people and the democratization processes by the demonstrative presence from foreign countries; the intention is to make the public aware of the problems and to support the efforts of the diocese of Banja Luka to reconcile the people.” The goals of this meeting are also “to make the attempt to review the peace and security policies of individual European countries in the context of the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, to think of the perspective forms of common peace policy as part of this review; to discuss with the representatives of different religious communities involved in the conflict about their role in the process of reconciliation.” Meeting participants from the Netherlands, Greece, Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Austria, Slovenia, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, France, Germany, Italy and the Vatican, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia will assemble in Zagreb on March 13, briefly visit the Zagreb Cathedral and the grave of Cardinal Stepinac, and in the afternoon hours depart for Banja Luka by bus, where they will have their first meeting during the evening. At the beginning of the working part of the meeting, March 14, the participants will be greeted by Fra Hans van Munster, president of the European Justitia et Pax Conference. Bishop Komarica of Banja Luka and Auxiliary Bishop Sudar of Sarajevo will offer words of welcome. An introductory lecture will be presented by Tadeusz Mazowiecki on the topic of “A Critical Review of European Policy and Peace Policy in the Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia,” to be followed by discussion. After a break, Cardinal Puljić will speak on “The Human Rights Situation in the Territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Possible Role of the European Justitia et Pax Commissions.” Jakob Finci, president of the Jewish Religious Community and president of the Organizing Committee for the Interfaith Council of Bosnia Herzegovina, will speak on “The Role of the Religious Communities in the Reconciliation Process in Bosnia-Herzegovina.” Serbian Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop Nikolaj Mrdja is scheduled to speak on “The Role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Reconciliation Process in Bosnia-Herzegovina.” Mufti Ibrahim Halilović of Banja Luka will speak on “The Role of the Islamic Religious Community in the Reconciliation Process.” After an afternoon break, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, head of the Pontifical Commission of Justitia et Pax, will speak on “The Role fo the Catholic Church in the Conflict in the Former Yugoslavia and the Future Role of the European Justitia et Pax Commissions in the Peace Process.” This will be followed by plenary discussion, led by Msgr. Anton Stres, vice president of the European Conference of Justitia et Pax. Carlos Westendorp; high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jacques Paul Klein, deputy high representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and Peggy Hicks, head of the Coordinating Center for Human Rights, are invited to attend these discussions. That afternoon, small delegations of participants will also visit Milorad Dodik, prime minister of the Government of the Republika Srpska; John Daniel Fernandez, head of the Office of the High Representative in Banja Luka; and several humanitarian associations including MHD MERHAMET, a Muslim humanitarian organization; the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, Danish Center; Dobrotvor, a nongovernment humanitarian organization; Vidra, a women#!s organization; Duga, a women#!s organization; and Miodrag Živanović, the vice president of the Bosnian-Herzegovian Alternative Council of Ministers.
For Sunday morning, March 15, visits are planned to parishes in several groups to attend Sunday Mass, after which the meeting participants will speak with the parishioners. That afternoon, there will be more visits to various religious groups and nongovernment organizations. At 4 p.m., a press conference will be held. At 5 p.m., there will be a summary of the work and discussion of the follow-up with Bishop Komarica and the Bosnian-Herzegovian Justitia et Pax Commission.
On Monday morning, March 16, the participants will return to Zagreb and depart for their home countries.