Edvin Kanka Ćudić

Edvin Kanka Ćudić (Cyrillic: Едвин Канка Ћудић; born December 31, 1988), is a Bosnian human rights activist, martial artist, journalist and political analyst who is best known as the leader of the UDIK, a non-governmental organisation campaigning for human rights and reconciliation in the former Yugoslavia.[1]

Edvin Kanka Ćudić
Edvin Kanka Ćudić in 2017
Member of the Regional Council of the
RECOM Reconciliation Network for
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Assumed office
December 16, 2019
LeaderNataša Kandić
Preceded byDženana Karup Druško
1st Coordinator of the UDIK
Assumed office
October 30, 2013
Preceded byPosition created
Personal details
Born
Edvin Ćudić

(1988-12-31) 31 December 1988
Brčko, Yugoslavia
Height1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
EducationUniversity of Sarajevo
Ankara University
Writing career
GenreJournalism
Years active2008 - present
Martial arts career
Rank  2nd Dan in Jujutsu
  1st Dan in Judo
  1st Dan in Aikido
Years active2003 - present

Biography

Born as Edvin Ćudić on 31 December 1988 in Brčko, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the time part of Yugoslavia). He grew up in Gračanica and Brčko. He studied at the University of Sarajevo and Ankara University. He got bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Sarajevo in 2012. In 2018 earned his master's degree in political science.[2]

At the age of 14, Ćudić joined the Academy of Martial Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina[3] (a member of the International Martial Arts Federation - IMAF Europe), led by Boško Vidović in Brčko. He trained for eight years and earned a 1st Dan in jujutsu. In 2017 he earned a 1st Dan in judo.[4] He began practicing aikido in 2017 under Alen Hadžiabdić in Sarajevo. In 2022 in the Vrnjačka Banja he graded 1st Dan by Saša Obradović Shidoin.[5] He is member of the Aikikai Serbia.[6]

From 2006 to 2008, Ćudić was a jujutsu instructor at the martial arts schools belonging to the Academy of Martial Arts of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, in Donji Žabar and in Gornji Zovik near Brčko.[7]

Edvin Kanka Ćudić with French journalist Florence Hartmann, 2012
Edvin Kanka Ćudić with Argentinian human rights activist Nora Morales de Cortiñas, 2015

As a journalist, he collaborated with many regional media outlets, including Danas, Monitor and Oslobođenje.[8][9][10] In order to advance peace and reconciliation processes in the former Yugoslavia, Ćudić collaborated with local and foreign experts, artists, politicians, journalists, as well as professors around the world. Some of them are: Roy Gutman, Ron Haviv, Stjepan Mesić, Florence Hartmann, Robert King, Rémy Ourdan etc.[11] In 2017, he signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.[12]

In 2013, Edvin Kanka Ćudić founded and become coordinator of the UDIK.[13][14] In 2019, he was elected in Regional Council of the RECOM Reconciliation Network.

In UDIK he started activism with public commemorations dedicated to the victims of past war in the former Yugoslavia (1991-2001). At that time, some war crimes were commemorated for the first time in Sarajevo, as well as in other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. These commemorations traced Ćudić to one of the most famous human rights activists in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[15][16] Through his actions and efforts, he helped to memorize the crimes at Kazani. He is one of the initiators of the memorial at that site.[17][18][19][20]

Controversies

He often received threats related to his work.

In February 2014, he came into focus of the public during the unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a coordinator of the protests in the Brčko District, he received over a hundred death threats. In July, he was threatened by Dino Šimunjak, a volunteer in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict who publicly told him: "You will not get out of this, Ćudić".[21][22][23]

In February 2015, in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo, while UDIK commemorated the anniversary of the Štrpci massacre, a group of hooligans verbally attacked Edvin Kanka Ćudić. On that occasion, they said that activists must go to commemorate crimes in Banja Luka, alluding to the UDIK's marking of crimes in Kravica in January 2015.[24] In May, near the UDIK's office in Sarajevo, Ćudić was verbally attacked along with another UDIK activist. Just a few days later, a similar verbal attack took place at the same site. United States Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Maureen Cormack, reacted and said that it was unacceptable to attack a human rights activist in Bosnia and Herzegovina.[25] In October, in front of the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Sarajevo in Sarajevo, while UDIK commemorated the anniversary of the crimes in Kazani, one hooligan tried to physically attack Edvin Kanka Ćudić. Police briefly detained the assailant, but immediately released him and did not prosecute.[26]

In February 2017 Ćudić, was verbally attacked again in Sarajevo, along with two other UDIK activists. The attack took place near the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina building. On that occasion, young men attacked him with stones and called him Chetnik.[27] In March, unknown persons vandalized his car parked near the UDIK's office in Sarajevo.

In April 2019, Ćudić supported Bosnia and Herzegovina's first LGBT Pride Parade in an interview for internet portal Source.ba. Due to the misinterpretation of the interview, especially in the part relating to the women rights in the Arab world, he received a large number of threats (including death treats) from the Islamic fundamentalists from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sandžak. Fundamentalists also claimed that he is one of the organizers of the Parade. A few days later, UDIK denied that it organized the parade, but UDIK supported it and showed solidarity to all whose human rights are threatened or deprived.[28] In July, Ćudić and other UDIK activist were verbally attacked near the UDIK office in Sarajevo. On this occasion, the attackers called him The Fags' leader. Ćudić made photos of the attackers and the case was reported to Novo Sarajevo Police Department. Police did not take the photos into consideration during the investigation.[29]

The Federal Ministry of Interior of the Bosnia and Herzegovina has never prosecuted the attackers.

Works
  • Taj maj '92. (Brčko, 2012)
  • Ne u naše ime: s one strane srbijanskog režima (Sarajevo, 2019)

Honours

In 2012, the Bosnian poet Adem Deniz Garić dedicated him a poem I ne treba da šutiš (And you should not be silent).[30] In 2014 and 2018, in the biographical lexicon Ko je ko u BiH (Who is Who in B&H), Edvin Kanka Ćudić is listed among the most significant people in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, which through their works and actions contribute to a better Bosnia and Herzegovina and who make this country a happier place.[31][32][33]

In 2019, the Bosnian-born French sculptor Mirza Morić created a memorial dedicated to the killed civilians in Brčko (1992-1995). Morić engraved the whole story called Možda bi trebalo da ih mrzim (Maybe I should hate them), written by Edvin Kanka Ćudić in 2011. The monument was installed in Paris.[34] In 2022, the Bosnian poet Erbein Osmanović dedicated Edvin Kanka Ćudić a poem Geronimo.[35]

His awards include the following:

  • Emerging Europe Award, Category: Young Influencer of the Year (2019)[36]
  • Kemal Kurspahić International Journalist Award (2023)[37][38]

References
  1. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Biografija". biografija.org. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  2. "Drugi ciklus studija - Fakultet političkih nauka Sarajevo, No. 40, 2018" (PDF). fpn.unsa.ba. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  3. "Martial Arts Academy of Bosnia and Herzegovina - judoforall". judoforall.org. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Biografija". biografija.org. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  5. "Aikikai Serbia - Dan ispiti". aiki.rs. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  6. "Aikikai Serbia - Yudanshe po pojasu". aiki.rs. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
  7. "Founder". udik.org. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  8. "Articles by Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Oslobođenje". oslobodjenje.ba. 19 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  9. "Articles by Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Monitor". monitor.co.me. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  10. "Articles by Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Danas". danas.rs. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  11. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Infobiro". infobiro.ba. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  12. Signatories of the Declaration on the Common Language, official website, retrieved on 2018-08-16.
  13. "Founder – UDIK". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  14. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić o UDIK-u: Kako smo nastali, kome smetano i kako nam prijete". znamo.ba. Archived from the original on 17 January 2017. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
  15. "UDIK obilježio 23. godišnjicu stradanja civila u selu Trusina". klix.ba. 15 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  16. "U Sarajevu odata počast žrtvama Vukovara". klix.ba. 17 November 2013. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  17. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić: Sarajlije više ne poriču zločine na Kazanima". oslobodjenje.ba. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  18. "UDIK: Danas se navršava 28 godina od monstruoznih zločina na Kazanima". danas.rs. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  19. Edina Kamenica (2020). "Priča koja ne govori samo o zločinu: Moji roditelji nemaju grob, zaklali su ih na Kazanima". Oslobođenje. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  20. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić poručuje: Za spomenik ubijenim na Kazanima ne postoji politička podrška". source.ba. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  21. "Preko interneta pozivaju na linč mirovnog aktiviste iz Brčkog - Bljesak.info". bljesak.info. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  22. "Public reaction regarding the threats to activist of UDIK – Edvin Kanka Ćudić – Ženska mreža BiH". zenskamreza.ba. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  23. "Brčak iz Izraela prijet članovima UDIK-a: Nećeš se izvući iz ovoga Ćudiću – Klix". klix.ba. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  24. "Saopštenje Mreže za izgradnju mira povodom napada na aktiviste/kinje UDIK-a". mreza-mira.net. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  25. "Američka ambasada u duginim bojama". Vijesti.ba. 24 July 2014. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  26. "Sjećanje na žrtve stradanja na Kazanima". youtube.com. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  27. "U Sarajevu napadnuti aktivisti UDIK-a". faktor.ba. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 5 August 2017.
  28. "Iz UDIK-a poručili: Edvin Kanka Ćudić dobio veliki broj prijetnji i pozivanja na linč, nismo organizatori "povorke ponosa"". source.ba. 7 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2019.
  29. "U Sarajevu napali Edvina Kanku Ćudića i vikali 'vođo pedera': Zašto policija nije zatražila fotografiju napadača?!". depo.ba. 16 July 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  30. "I ne treba da šutiš - Adem Garić". Adem Garić. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  31. "Ko je ko u BiH - knjiga o najznačajnijim ličnostima u BiH - Novo Vrijeme". novovrijeme.ba. 5 August 2017. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  32. "Sadržaj biografskog leksikona Ko je ko u BiH – izdanje 2014–2018 – Ko je ko u BiH". kojekoubih.ba. 5 August 2017. Archived from the original on 17 March 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  33. "Sadržaj biografskog leksikona Ko je ko u BiH – izdanje 2018–2022 – Ko je ko u BiH" (PDF). kojekoubih.ba. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  34. "Kipar Mirza Morić napravio skulpturu u čast ubijenim Brčacima - Klix". klix.ba. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  35. "Geronimo - Edvin Kanka Ćudić". Edvin Kanka Ćudić. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  36. "Emerging Europe recognises its champions - Emerging Europe". emerging-europe.com. 30 March 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  37. "Edvin Kanka Ćudić - Grobnica nade". danas.rs. 5 August 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  38. "Oslobođenje: 80 godina". oslobodjenje.ba. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
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