Professor Amos N. Guiora Visits Zagreb for Human Rights and Legal Dialogue

Savez kršćana Hrvatske - Alliance of Christians of Croatia
Gjurkov put 32, 10000 Zagreb, Hrvatska

At the invitation of Bojan Jovanović, Secretary General of the Alliance of Christians of Croatia, together with the Governing Board and the Scientific-Theological Committee of the Alliance, one of the world's leading experts in law, human rights, ethics, and the study of complicity and responsibility, Professor Amos N. Guiora, paid a two-day official visit to Zagreb.

Professor Guiora teaches law at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah where he directs the Bystander Initiative, https://www.law.utah.edu/bystander-initiative/.

Professor Amos N. Guiora is a graduate of Kenyon College, holds a Juris Doctor from the Case Western Reserve University School of Law, and earned his doctorate from Leiden University. He is a Distinguished Fellow and Advisor at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for International Conflict Resolution, a Non-Resident Fellow with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, a Distinguished Fellow of the Chicago-Kent College of Law's Holocaust and the Law Consortium, a member of the SESAME Advisory Board, a member of the Board of Directors of the Lauren McCluskey Foundation, and a member of the Advisory Group of the Claims Conference.

Throughout his distinguished academic and professional career, Professor Guiora has held numerous positions of responsibility in the fields of law, security, ethics, and institutional accountability.

For more than a decade, Professor Guiora has conducted extensive research on the phenomenon of bystanders and enablers, examining the responsibility of individuals and institutions whose actions—or failure to act—enable various forms of violence, discrimination, and human rights violations.

He is the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including The Crime of Complicity: The Bystander in the Holocaust, Armies of Enablers: Survivor Stories of Complicity and Betrayal in Sexual Assaults, and Complicity of Silence: Confronting Ecosystems of Child Sexual Abuse in Schools.

His most recent research focuses on the legal and moral responsibility of society in confronting the phenomenon of enabling crime.

During his stay in Zagreb, Professor Guiora held a series of working meetings with members of the Alliance of Christians of Croatia and had the opportunity to meet with Academician Sreten Vujović of Montenegro, a member of the Alliance's Scientific-Theological Committee. Participants were also addressed through an expert presentation by Fr. Slaviša Lekić from Ukraine, likewise a member of the Committee. The discussions also included the distinguished professor of criminal psychology and investigative interviewing, Dr. Sandi Dizdarević of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Belgrade attorney Aleksandar Olenik.

Special attention during the meetings was devoted to an interdisciplinary analysis of the challenges facing the Western Balkans. From an academic perspective, participants examined the processes of democratization, social cohesion, and the development of a culture of responsibility. From a legal perspective, they discussed the protection of human rights, the rule of law, and religious freedom. From the viewpoints of security, policing, and criminology, they analyzed contemporary security challenges, violence prevention, institutional accountability, and the importance of international cooperation in building a stable, secure, and just society.

Representatives of the Alliance of Christians of Croatia presented Professor Guiora with the organization's achievements over the past period, including the organization of international conferences, scientific and professional gatherings, and the development of cooperation with distinguished individuals, academic institutions, religious communities, and civil society organizations.

Particular emphasis was placed on the successful cooperation with the Organization of Parents of Missing Babies from Vojvodina and the joint organization of a Congress dedicated to the protection of human rights, human dignity, and social responsibility.

Professor Guiora was also informed about the recent official visit of the Alliance's Secretary General, Bojan Jovanović, to Istanbul, during which he held a number of important meetings with prominent public figures, social leaders, and media representatives. On that occasion, official correspondence was also established with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, further strengthening the Alliance's international contacts and reaffirming its commitment to interreligious dialogue, international cooperation, and the promotion of the universal values of peace, mutual respect, and the protection of human rights.

The Alliance also presented its future projects, which are focused on strengthening the culture of dialogue, promoting human rights, protecting religious freedom, advancing scholarly research on contemporary social issues, expanding international cooperation, and continuously addressing current societal challenges through professional, academic, and public engagement.

Professor Guiora was also introduced to the Alliance's activities, publications, and projects available through its official website.

Professor Amos N. Guiora's visit represents a significant recognition of the work of the Alliance of Christians of Croatia and confirms that dedicated, professional, and responsible efforts are acknowledged at the international level. At a time of complex social challenges, the Alliance of Christians of Croatia remains firmly committed to promoting the universal values of human dignity, freedom, responsibility, mutual respect, scholarly dialogue, and the protection of fundamental human rights. We believe that bringing together leading international experts, the academic community, legal professionals, the security sector, and religious communities represents the most effective path toward building a society based on truth, justice, solidarity, and lasting peace.

Professor Guiora's visit provides further encouragement for the Alliance of Christians of Croatia to continue developing international partnerships and contributing, through its work, to the creation of a more just and humane society for present and future generations.

For Alliance of Christians of Croatia

General Secretary

Bojan Jovanović

Image Credit: Bojan Jovanović.