Ismail Zulfic was born without arms and with a deformed foot into a society that often neglects and marginalizes people with disabilities. In the general disruption of the system of values in society, new heroes are born and teach us better and different from what society today offers as parameters of value. Today he is great at swimming, skiing, driving a hoverboard and many other things. He is an inspiration for all people around the world, adults and children who know him or have heard of him. This eight-year-old boy is helping others to raise awareness and overcome the exclusion faced by many people with disabilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He is a fighter for an inclusive society, still young to know how his success is important in this fight. I was fascinated by his persistence, energy, love for everything he does. I met Ismail in 2016, and for the next two years, I worked on this story.

This project considers multiple aspects of post-conflict society and challenges and successes at varying stages of transitional justice, from across the centuries to recently established zones of fragile peace. It will foster a discussion of varied definitions of otherness and the difficulties these multi-faceted communities face. By sharing diverse post-conflict experiences, Transitions will foster the development of new ideas and solidarity among fellow global citizens. The project was developed in cooperation with Art Works Projects Chicago, Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) and WARM Foundation

In the wake of the conflict, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia declared the use of ‘systematic rape’ and ‘sexual enslavement’ as a crime against humanity. The decision has come to represent a significant step for women’s human rights and in defining the field of international humanitarian law. In response, the UN’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict praised the women that testified within the landmark case for ‘breaking what is called history’s greatest silence’.