Pro Peace announced today that it is particularly significant that this year’s “Jelena Šantić – For Courageous Steps” Award has been granted to the book Losing Humanity: Srebrenica as a Historical Fact by Dragan Popović.
“The Jelena Šantić Award is not merely a recognition of the quality of a work. It is presented to achievements that demonstrate civic courage, ethical responsibility, and a contribution to a culture of peace. This is precisely why it is especially meaningful to us that this year it has been awarded to Losing Humanity: Srebrenica as a Historical Fact by Dragan Popović,” Pro Peace stated.
The book, written by activist and historian Dragan Popović, was jointly published by Pro Peace in Belgrade and the Sarajevo based Association for Modern History (UMHIS). As a unique academic study in Serbia that starts from the historical and judicially established fact that genocide was committed in Srebrenica, it represents an invaluable contribution to the culture of remembrance and responsible public dialogue.
Alongside Dragan Popović, the Jelena Šantić Foundation and the Sarajevo-based organization CURE also recognized this year the contributions of the Balkan Talks initiative, the Sarajevo War Childhood Museum, and the Tuzla-based Karton Revolucija, all of which create space for discussing the legacies of war, discrimination, and the building of more just post-Yugoslav states. The jury also highlighted the important role of the Student Plenum in Blockade from Novi Pazar Satate University (DUNP) in advancing the democratization of society.
In his video message, Dragan Popović thanked the jury and emphasized that the award is not only an honour and encouragement, but also a responsibility.
Nataša Govedarica, Director of Pro Peace in Belgrade, accepted the award and recalled that books may not change the world directly, but they change the worldview of those who will.
“What firmly connects us with Jelena Šantić is the conviction that we must continue even when hope is scarce, because commitment and action are the only way to make society worth living in—for us and for generations such as the students of Novi Pazar, and especially the young women among them. It is an honour to be among this year’s laureates,” concluded Nataša Govedarica.
The Jelena Šantić Award is a prestigious recognition established in 2006 in memory of the renowned ballerina and prominent peace activist Jelena Šantić. It aims to promote and support artistic and activist achievements that foster peace, tolerance, solidarity, and human rights.
The award is presented by the Jelena Šantić Foundation and is intended for civil society organizations, informal groups, and individuals whose creative practices bring positive change to local communities across Serbia and the Western Balkans. The award consists of artworks—a triptych by photographer Goranka Matić and the sculpture Wing by sculptor Igor Grubić.
The book Losing Humanity: Srebrenica as a Historical Fact is available in Serbian and English and can be downloaded free of charge:
