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" HUMAN LOSSES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 91 - 95 "
DIRECT VICTIMS
Introduction
The main motive for initiating the project "Human losses in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1991-1995" is contained in the fact that an accurate account of the numbers of war victims, and primarily those killed or missing, over the entire territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina has not been determined even seven years after the establishment of peace. It also needs to be emphasised that there exsists no official statistical data - base in the Institute for Statistics about the number of persons killed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or about other important data concerning war suffering, and the extent and magnitude of war damages.
The second important reason lies in the need of every individual member of the Bosnian community to express piety towards the victims, even if this only involves recognition of their names, regardless of their ethnic, religious, social or other belonging.
Thirdly, we, above all, see the importance of realisation of this project in the fact that unscroupulous ideological, political, religious and other manipulations with numbers of victims are increasingly frequent. Different figures are brought up by different political or ethnic groups, and depending on the aims to be achieved.
We believe that such circumstances are very damaging to achieve full truth, to sentence perpatrators and to the attempts to heal war wounds and establish long - lasting peace in Bosnia . Keeping in mind that around 90.000 names of killed and missing persons have been collected so far, we believe that any help offered to the Center to finalise this Project would be of great significance for the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, for it would prevent all future deliberate, inaccurate, malicious and hence dangerous manipulations with the numbers of victims.
Fourthly, without a final account of the numbers of victims it is impossible to initiate a reconciliation process. Therefore, we believe that to produce such an account would contribute towards development of trust between the citizens and between different ethnic groups in Bosnia , and thus aid in accelerating the reconciliation process and establishment of lasting peace.
We are deeply convinced that, both the majority of ordinary citizens and the international community have interest in finalising this Project and preventing speculations with victims.
As an example of dangerous use of victims, we note the events that occurred before the very outbreak of war in the region of ex - Yugoslavia, when the Serbian regime, through their media, strongly brought back to life memories of crimes committed during the World War II in Jasenovac concentration camp, but using never clearly and reliably determined numbers and names of victims. Namely, their propaganda used the figure of 700 000 murdered Serbs in the concentration camp, a figure that has been denounced by a number of relevant investigators and scholars.
We believe that this is the moment when it is possible to definitively prevent such occurences within the Bosnian society. However, if this is left undone now, it is possible that sometime in the future someone will try and provoke further hatred and misery by manipulation with numbers of victims. On the other hand, this data can give strong support to a strengthening reconciliation process in Bosnia and Herzegovina . 
Aims
The main aims of this project are:
. A complete account of the numbers of war victims (killed and missing, solgers and civilians) and of other facts concerning their suffering (circumstances, sites, times, perpetrators, etc.);
. Establishment of a relevant data base required for the Hague Tribunal, different long term expert and scientific investigations;
. Help for the institutions, organisations and individuals taking part in the process of sanctioning ( ICTY ) or building of a longlasting peace and reconciliation;
. Prevention of manipulations and use of unreliable data;
Results
An overview of all victims by name including basic personal data - date of birth, place of birth, profession, ethnicity etc., time and place of death, way of death, belonging to a military or civilian group, perpetrators ( if known ) and other relvant data.
Project executives
Considering the fact that the Project had been brought to a well - developed stage by the Commission for Gathering Facts on War Crimes, before it had to be interrupted when financing was denied, its realisation should be continued within the Research and Documentation Center. This would reduce a series of costs, primarily those related to the establishment of a research methodology, development of an information system, personel training and many other material and technological costs.
The project would ( in the first phase ) engage 11 personel: 5 associates, 3 data base operators, 1 archivist, 1 driver, 1 project coordinator.
The project would ( in the second phase ) engage 6 persons: 1 project coordinator, 1 editor, 2 senior associates, 2 computer operators.
The entire project would be realised under direct patronage and supervision of the project sponsors
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Sources of information
. Municipal registers,
. Hospitals,
. Relevant ministries,
. Health insititutions,
. Non - governmental organisations,
. Caretakers' associations,
. Religious communities,
. Families of victims,
. Burial agencies,
. News agencies,
. Scientific institutions.
The time course
The Project would continue as soon as funding ( or the first instalment ) has been provided, and would continue over 24 months, including two phases of work - data collection, analysis and data information processing, documentation archiving, and report production ( about first phase ).
In the second phase shoud be managed process of data analizyng ( in depth ) with special attention to:
. Victims distribution according to municipality.
. Casualtises by ethnicity;
. Casualties by place of birth;
. Casualties by place of death;
. Time distribution of victims;
. War status of victims ( civilians v. soldiers )
. Sex structure of victims:
. Age strcture of victims:
. Educational structure:
Data would be analyse in third group:
The first - civilians
The second - member of military formation
The third - missing persons
Having been studied and verified, the analiyed results would beprinted in books and presented to the public and distributed to all relevant governmental and non - governmental organisations at home, ICTY and representatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegvina and abroad. Additionaly, resalts of project would be avilable on the Centre WEBSITE.
Budget
In order to realise this Project, funds amounting to app 150.000 Euros ( 300.000 KM ) the first phase - researches and fact finding, and app 150.000 Euros for second fase - analising, evaluating, report preparing and book publishing - would be required, an amount necessary to cover all the expenses of operating the Center over the period of 18 - 24 months.
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