Ship to Bosnia

Most NGO convoys arrived in BiH and neighboring countries by road, but this was not the only way. The “Ship to Bosnia” project was launched by the Swedish Dock Workers Union in 1994, in cooperation with International Workers Aid. Organizations from other countries soon joined the project. In November 1995, M/S Haväng, a container ship, left Gothenburg with food, medical equipment and other materials on board, including a fire engine provided by the Swedish farm workers’ union. The ship then stopped in the harbours of Aberdeen, Antwerp and Barcelona to load additional goods mainly collected by trade union sections. It arrived in Split in December 1995, and in the ensuing weeks, more than 100 containers with aid material were brought with trucks to different locations in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project continued in 1996 under the name “Ship to Bosnia – Solidarity House”, with the construction and opening of a Solidarity House in Lipnica near Tuzla.

The “Ship to Bosnia” project was an inspiration for the “Ship to Gaza” initiative, which was launched 15 years later, also by Swedish activists.