An investigation in Bosnia of the local population's perceptions of the international court of justice has earned senior Tamy Guberek global recognition. Guberek's study, entitled "Justice Unknown, Justice Unsatisfied? Bosnian NGOs Speak about the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia," was the subject of an article in The Boston Globe, and there is now the possibility that her proposal will be disseminated to the United Nations, the US Congress, and various members of the academic world.
Guberek and Tufts graduate Kristen Cibelli spent a year in Bosnia, where they conducted research at the local level, and they compiled the report this year. The two surveyed a sample group of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in order to gauge the conceptions of the Bosnian people about the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The study found that the local population has divided opinions about the court itself, and many believe that it is a political court and therefore incapable of objectively ruling on matters. The Muslim-Croats believe that the court is inefficient for not trying the head officials responsible for the human rights violations during the war, and Serbians doubt the credibility of the tribunal altogether.
ICTY was established by the United Nations Security Council in 1993 to file suit against violators of international humanitarian law in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991. The prosecutor of the court is currently working to hold Slobodan Milosevic accountable for war crimes in the region and recently asked the new leader of Yugoslavia to turn him over to stand trial.
Guberek found that most people recognize the goal and purpose of the court but do not fully understand its work and procedures.
"Over 60 percent of the local NGO representatives we interviewed did not know what laws govern war crimes," she said.
Alarmed by the mysterious image most Bosnians had of the court, Guberek and Cibelli made a series of recommendations in their report to spread factual information about the court to the Bosnian population. This included expanding and existing outreach programming and making stronger efforts to present extensive information to the public that addresses their questions and clears up misconceptions.
"The people need to know," emphasized Guberek, as she explained that the state-controlled media in Yugoslavia has distorted the truth for years.
In addition to being distributed among top world leaders, Guberek and Cibelli's report will be translated into the local language in Bosnia to educate the population about the procedures and policies of the ICTY.
Guberek said she felt comfortable during her year stay in Bosnia, but she explained that the situation was tense throughout, and there was even one incident when their car tires were slashed.
"Two young women asking about war crimes is not common," she said.
However, Guberek said she felt that their gender was an advantage when conducting the study as they were not intimidating to their interviewees, and therefore were able to get a wider response.
The research abroad was partially funded by Tufts, but the majority of the money was donated by the Samuel Rubin Foundation. All together, Guberek and Cibelli were able to raise $25,000 for their trip. Guberek noted, however, that gathering funds was perhaps the most difficult aspect of the project.
The idea of investigating the Bosnian people's impression of the international court of justice came to Guberek during an internship for the United Nations two summers ago. Guberek, an international relations major, has always maintained an interest in international tribunals and participated in Education for Public Inquiry and International Citizenship two years ago when its theme was "Global Crime, Corruption, and Accountability."
Guberek has not yet decided what she will do after graduation. Cibelli is currently working for an NGO in London that focuses on moral rearmament of former Soviet states. Regardless of whether Guberek will ultimately focus her work on international law, human rights, or media studies, she is certain that her goal is to "bridge people at the local level with the international community."
