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Kopfstand09: “Bosnia and Herzegovina on Its Way to the EU”

Press Release
25. August 2008

The ZZI – Center for Contemporary Initiatives and Linz 2009 European Capital of Culture are jointly staging an address and discussion entitled “Bosnia and Herzegovina on Its Way to the EU.” The featured speaker will be Samir Rizvo, head of the Bosnian team for the liberalization of visa requirements, who will describe the current situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the progress that country is making on the path to EU membership. He will also describe the visa requirements now faced by Bosnian citizens.

Whereas many observers in Austria reacted with exasperated disbelief to the recent tightening of regulations for travelers wishing to enter the USA, most of us are unaware of the fact that rules instituted by Austria that affect, for example, the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, constitute a mode of action that can just as legitimately be characterized as harassment and humiliation. The bureaucratic impediments that have been put in place by the Republic of Austria now approach the standards formerly enforced by Iron Curtain countries. In doing so, the current Austrian government is contributing to the intellectual-cultural isolation of the affected countries, despite the fact that Austria was one of the first nations to recognize the independence of Yugoslavia’s successor states and has also historically maintained close relations with that region.

And precisely during this European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, one question that certainly arises is whether Austria, in pursuing these restrictive policies, isn’t actually stigmatizing and marginalizing itself, particularly since the fruitful process of exchange among foreign and domestic artists and intellectuals is made increasing difficult thereby or is even paralyzed by these rigid entry requirements.

This project is supported by the Bosnian Ministry of the Interior, the Bosnian Foreign Ministry and the Embassy of Bosnia-Herzegovina in Vienna.

The Kopfstand09 event series was launched in Spring 2006 as a format for speeches and round-table discussions held at irregular intervals and at changing locations that present topics and experiences from European contexts that are of significance to the City of Linz in light of the upcoming Capital of Culture year.




Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 7:30 PM
A buffet featuring Bosnian specialties will open at 7 PM

Wissensturm, 15th Floor, Seminar Room 1504
Kärntnerstraße 26, 4020 Linz

Free Admission