Heritage Horizons

As generations of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian diaspora grow up far from their homeland, many face a gradual loss of cultural identity. Stories, traditions, and community memories risk fading, particularly among youth disconnected by distance, displacement, or time.

Heritage Horizons emerged in response to this erosion of heritage. Created by Zeke Rouse, David Bakum, Almina Bajic, and Aranxa Parra during the 2024 Sarajevo Fellowship, the project was inspired by firsthand experiences of post-conflict recovery and the urgent need to preserve memory. Moved by the resilience of Bosnian communities and conversations with diaspora members, the team envisioned a way to reconnect fragmented histories through shared storytelling, transforming loss into legacy.

Project Development

What began as a symbolic gesture evolved into a growing digital archive. The development of Heritage Horizons unfolded in six intentional stages:

1. Team Formation & Shared Vision
   During the Fellows’ time in Sarajevo, the team connected over shared passions for memory, identity, and post-conflict healing. Their interdisciplinary backgrounds spanning storytelling, research, technology, and community outreach laid a strong foundation.
2. The Trebević Time Capsule
   The project’s first act was a physical one: a time capsule buried on Mount Trebević, filled with handwritten letters, poems, photographs, and cultural tokens. It was a symbolic offering to the future, and an emotional turning point that made the idea feel real and urgent.
3. Digital Expansion
   Inspired by the capsule’s emotional resonance, the team decided to create a digital “memory map” that could scale globally. This platform would invite diaspora communities around the world to upload stories, recipes, heirlooms, and oral histories, each pinned by location to illustrate the global footprint of Bosnian and Herzegovinian culture.
   
   
4. Community-Centered Research
   The team reached out to diaspora members to understand which forms of expression carried the most meaning, ensuring that the project would reflect authentic voices rather than imposed narratives.
   
   
5. Platform & Outreach
   Utilizing accessible digital tools like Google Maps, WordPress, and Canva, the team built a platform designed for ease of use and broad participation. Content began to flow in: letters from family members, photos from before the war, traditional recipes passed down for generations.
6. Growing the Archive
   As stories accumulated, so did interest. Social media, personal networks, and the Humanity in Action community became vehicles for outreach. What started with a few contributions evolved into a living, breathing archive that continues to grow.
   

Learn more about the process:

Lessons Learned

Building Heritage Horizons brought with it moments of deep reflection and challenge. One of the most powerful experiences came when the team began receiving contributions from families with roots in Srebrenica. Having studied the genocide in depth during the Fellowship, these submissions, filled with old letters, photos, and painful memories, were both moving and fragile. They underscored the responsibility the team bore in handling each story with care and respect.

A major challenge was establishing trust. Asking people to share personal memories – some joyful, some traumatic – is no small task. Many were hesitant, worried about how their histories would be represented or reliving painful chapters of their past. But by listening deeply, creating a safe space, and allowing the project to evolve based on community needs, the team built a foundation of trust.

Next Steps

Heritage Horizons is not a finished product—it is a growing, evolving project that will continue to collect and connect stories across generations and geographies.

The Fellows’ next step is expanding the digital memory map with more contributions from diaspora communities worldwide. They’re inviting individuals to share their personal histories, recipes, artifacts, and photographs to enrich the collective archive.

• Submissions can be made through this Google form.

Zeke, David, Almina, and Aranxa also welcome partnerships with cultural institutions, educators, and diaspora networks who wish to use the platform for learning, preservation, or community building.

In a world where cultural identities are increasingly at risk of being diluted or forgotten, Heritage Horizons offers a powerful reminder: memory matters. And when shared, it has the power to connect us all.

Updated June 2025