From 20 April to 27 April, 2011 the Reconciliation Programme travelled to Tuzla, Bosnia. Scott Boldt, Reconciliation Officer, along with Peter Martin and Jenna Liechty Martin (two Mennonite Volunteers on the Programme, see page 2) went to spend time with a local church and learn more about a local initiative, WAVE Projects.  The following is a description of WAVE and a summary of our week in Tuzla and visit to Belgrade, Serbia.



WAVE is a church based project that promotes building bridges across communities in the Balkans.  It was born out of the desire of a local church in Tuzla to connect and serve the surrounding community that is largely made up of Muslims and smaller numbers of Serbian Orthodox and Catholic Christians. Their desire to build bridges with other religious and ethnic groups in the community led them to offer English language courses as a free service to the community. Through the course, participants also attend lectures and engage in discussions about topics around reconciliation, discrimination, conflict transformation, communication and leadership skills.  The lectures and discussions provide additional opportunities for participants to work on their English skills, but more importantly create connections among people to reflect together on how they can build a better community and world.

While the courses are not explicitly Christian and are open to people of all backgrounds, the WAVE project is clear that it is a Christian organisation modelled on the leadership and principles of Jesus.  This clarity allows participants to be open about their own backgrounds and creates constructive conversations between people of different religious traditions.


The model is simple and the budget small.  Besides one full time worker, there is a range of volunteers from the local community that contribute to the language courses that are free to participants.  WAVE is clear that developing English language speakers is not their goal, but a vehicle and by-product of their mission to build bridges, serve people and connect communities. This flexibility and desire for reconciliation have led it to grow throughout the Balkans, with projects also running in Serbia and Croatia, and more recently expanding to Bulgaria and Hungary.

Our time in Tuzla was spent learning about WAVE and contributing to its work.  During the week we connected with the local church that sponsors WAVE and assisted in their church services on Holy Thursday and Easter Sunday.  Our contribution to WAVE involved leading English language classes for beginners to more advanced English speakers.  During this time we also facilitated discussions, the goal of which was for participants to learn to form arguments and debate using their English language skills.  It was moving to watch participants seriously wrestle with the challenging questions using examples and experiences from their life.  This model of teaching English invites participants to learn and discuss with others about what it means to live in community with people that are different while learning a practical language skill.


                                                            Discussion group 

In addition to the language classes, Scott led a public lecture about conflict transformation that challenged the listeners to think ‘outside the box’ and to look for constructive ways of engaging conflict within themselves, in their relationships, in the community and in the world.  All of us also participated in the weekly church services that are held on Thursday evening and Sunday morning.  Scott preached at the Sunday service and also led a theology discussion on Saturday morning. 
Operating in a society shaped by war and ethnic strife, WAVE has succeeded in bringing many people together who would not have otherwise met.  Our week in Tuzla was an excellent opportunity to observe how one committed church group has worked to serve its community across boundaries of religion and ethnicity that often divide.   It expanded our understanding not only of the Balkans, but also of the work of reconciliation.

It is our hope that the relationships formed with WAVE will lead to some Edgehill Ministerial students doing a cross-cultural training placement in Tuzla.  This would be an excellent opportunity for them to experience ministry in a very different culture while learning about and contributing to the work of WAVE.

The final two days of our trip were spent in Belgrade, Serbia where we met up with Samuil Petrovski, Director of the International Federation of Evangelical Students in Serbia.  Scott gave a lecture to Samuil’s students on peace building and forgiveness, which challenged the students to see beyond simple assumptions about the “other” which are often based on caricatures and stereotypes.  The opportunity to visit with students in Belgrade reminded us of the complexity of the conflict in the Balkans and the many different stories, experiences and histories of its people.