Statement for Dodik Lecture

Statement for Dodik Lecture

 

The Harriman Institute takes seriously your concerns regarding the recent lecture by Milorad Dodik. The event was oversubscribed and, additionally, it appears there were technical glitches in the online reservation system that affected a broad, diverse spectrum of individuals who wished to participate in the event. The doors were also closed promptly for the event so that several latecomers were not admitted. These were unfortunate developments. Most importantly, I can assure you that the Harriman Institute would never discriminate against anyone who wanted entry to an event on the basis of their national origin, ethnicity and/or religious beliefs. In my introductory remarks at the event, I underscored that an invitation to speak at the university in no way implies an endorsement of views or policy of the speaker. Furthermore, it is notable that during the question and answer session that Mr. Dodik faced a number of difficult and hostile questions from the audience which suggests that the audience was diverse. This robust exchange comports with the spirit of academic rigor that characterizes such events involving outside speakers at Columbia.

Mr. Dodik has not contributed to the Njegos Endowment at the Harriman Institute, nor will the Institute accept any money from Mr. Dodik, or from the Republika Srpska of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Timothy Frye

Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Foreign Policy

Director, Harriman Institute

Columbia University

 

 

 

Opening Remarks

Thank you all for coming tonight. My name is Timothy Frye and I am the Director of the Harriman Institute.

 

Tonight’s speaker is Milorad Dodik, the President of Republika Srpska, one of the entities that make up Bosnia and Herzegovina. Born in 1959 in Banja Luka, Mr. Dodik is a graduate of the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade. During the 1992-1995 conflict in the former Yugoslavia, he opposed the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), which was then led by accused war criminal Radovan Karadzic, in the Republika Srpska National Assembly. For many years he served as prime minister of Republika Srpska, and in Bosnia & Herzegovina’s 2010 general elections he was elected president of Republika Srpska. He has chosen to speak on the topic “An American Foreign Policy Success Story: The Dayton Accords, Republika Srpska, and Bosnia’s European Integration.”

 

Sixteen years ago, the war in Bosnia & Herzegovina—the most tragic conflict in Europe since 1945—was brought to an end. The atrocities and crimes committed during the war—including Srebrenica and the sieges of Sarajevo and Mostar—are well known to us. As with all such conflicts, the causes and consequences of the war have been matters of extreme controversy and debate. But please allow me to make one thing absolutely clear here tonight—no one in this room either denies what happened in places like Srebrenica, or the horrendous numbers involved. Moreover, all of us in this room should understand our eternal obligation to never forget the innocent victims of these crimes, and to honor and respect the grief of their surviving loved ones.

 

Mr. Dodik has sparked controversy for his comments that the mass killing in Srebenica in 1995 does not qualify as genocide, a view which continues to be debated by scholars, but is also at odds with rulings by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. He has also been criticized for taking actions that many see as undermining the sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina, such as advancing proposals to hold a public referenda on the role of the Office of the High Representative and state court system in Bosnia and Herzegovina. President Dodik, in turn, has his own criticisms of the work of the OHR and the state courts, which I am sure he will share with us tonight.

Mr. Dodik has won election to the highest offices in Republika Srpska three times, and, given his position, is able to offer a unique perspective on politics in the Balkans and the potential for renewed conflict in this still volatile region.

It is important to note that the Harriman Institute invites hundreds of speakers each year who hold a range of viewpoints. Just as we have invited Mr. Dodik to speak today, we have also organized numerous

events dedicated to Srebrenica, the politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the prospects for peace and stability in the Balkans.

Inviting a speaker to campus does not mean that we endorse or condone their views. We believe it is important to allow our guests to have their word, but also that those words can be challenged in the course of free and open debate. And we hope that following Mr. Dodik’s remarks, we will have a frank and respectful discussion of the compelling, controversial, and complicated issues surrounding the Dayton Accords, Republika Srpska, and Bosnia’s European Integration

 

Please welcome, Milorad Dodik.