Democratic spaces for post-conflict reconciliation : lessons from citizens' assemblies in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

What comes first – reconciliation or democracy? Societies that are recovering from conflicts and transitioning to democracy are juggling the two important elements. Deliberative democracy can be a solution. In this paper, I research the impact of citizens’ assemblies to post-conflict societies by examining the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I draw lessons from the two citizens’ assemblies that have taken place in the country, Citizens’ Assembly of Mostar and Citizens’ Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and create a recommendation for the future implementation of assemblies in B&H. The analysis has shown that this model of deliberative democracy creates a space for reconciliation and encourages the citizens to take part in decision-making processes.