Initiative against the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Münster

Many grassroots initiatives to support Bosnia and Herzegovina developed in various European countries, one example from Germany is the “Initiative gegen den Krieg in Bosnien-Herzegowina” (Initiative against the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina) in the city of Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia).

Several pacifist groups were active in Münster in the 1980s, protesting NATO’s plan to station new missiles in West Germany. Protests were also held in 1991 against the US-led intervention in the Gulf War. After the beginning of the war in Croatia, several Croatian immigrants living in Münster called on the peace groups not to remain passive regarding the war in Croatia. Along with their Croatian colleagues, certain activists from the peace groups then launched the “initiative against the war in Croatia”, which was renamed “Initiative against the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina” in 1992.

The initiative’s aim was to inform Münster’s residents about the character of the war(s) in former Yugoslavia and to support refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Münster and in camps in Croatia. Over several years, group members organized a picket (called “Mahnwache”) at the City Hall on Saturdays between 10:00 and 12:00 to draw attention to the war in BiH and to gather support for the group’s activities.