“While art cannot stop a bullet, it can perhaps prevent one from being fired in the first place.” – William Kelley While art cannot stop a bullet, it can perhaps prevent one from being fired in the first place. – William Kelley Twenty years on, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is still suffering the effects of a war that shook the very soul of the country. A myriad of factors hinders the forgiveness process in Bosnia, of which the most commonly perceived are the lack of justice regarding war crimes prosecution, the paucity of reparations and the lack of governmental support for victims of rape and those afflicted by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Reconciliation and forgiveness can only be achieved through the implementation of approaches that tackle these issues from all sides, but the opportunities for interaction between conflicting groups are few. One of the key components for creating a sustainable peace for future generations is through the education of young people. The arts are an integral part of the reconstruction of the social infrastructure in post-conflict zones, offering emotional relief and facilitating the communication necessary for reconciliation. The arts create a neutral space for dialogue and exploration, addressing issues such as collective memory and victimization. Being able to see a story from a different perspective can be the catalyst that sets the process of forgiveness into motion; the feelings of loss and suffering bringing people together instead of setting them apart. The ability to exert control while using artistic mediums is important for victims lost in the chasm that warfare perpetuates. Something as simple as picking up a pencil and beginning to draw can bring relief from psychological suffering. The arts are a way to foster understanding, communication, and cross-community dialogue as well as the healing of trauma and PTSD. Art therapy is used to help rape victims, war veterans and other individuals with psychological and emotional traumas. It is a way to speak when the trauma is too terrible to be expressed through words. The use of the arts as a therapeutic practice originates from Shamanism. Art as a means of expression has existed since the Stone Age and variants of such mediums are still used today; for example, the Native American Navaho Medicine men who use sand painting as a healing tool. Due to Bosnia’s complex political constitution and subsequent geopolitical divisions, the reparations and care for victims with PTSD and emotional trauma is inadequate and unequal. In the Republika Srpska, a survivor must demonstrate 60% damage to his or her body in order to claim reparations; this does not cover or consider the damage to the psyche. Fortunately, there are individuals, grassroots and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) who are using art to create change, ensuring that this ripple effect of kindness and creativity has the power to transform. One such example is the Sarajevan clay workshop Stories in Clay, run by artist Tatjana Kovačević as part of a reconciliation program that aims to present different stories to participants, which open up a forum for discussion, understanding, and perspective-taking, thereby strengthening interpersonal relations as well as the connection between mind and body. One such workshop was carried out in June 2014 with female participants ranging from 22-60 years of age. “Clay is an extraordinary medium through which we can express hidden emotion and thoughts. It has a beautiful ability to transform human suffering into joy, bringing a sense of freedom, meaning of life and hope for the future,” says Kovačević. Clay is an extremely effective way of communication as the tactile sense is one of the first to be developed in a human being and is a child’s way of communicating with its surroundings. “By working with the clay and using various techniques such as hand-building, hollowing and adding, the participants really get to know the clay, redirecting their own feelings of sadness, anger, and frustration into the medium, all of which are hidden beyond our conscience,” notes Kovačević. The initiative is a way of bringing together women of different ethnic backgrounds, giving them the opportunity for communication in a neutral setting. The clay absorbs emotion and is a malleable medium, allowing the person to create impressions and forms however they choose. “Through different creative tasks, the participants will discover their identity and be able to express themselves as well as communicate and accept the differences in others,” Kovačević explains. Another example of the use of art as a means for healing is the Music Room project.