Wright State marks Dayton Peace Accords anniversary with public panel, symphonic concert

Colonel Robinson was the 88th Air Base Wing Commander at that time of the 1995 talks that yielded the Dayton Peace Accords. His leadership, advocacy and interaction with the State Department official responsible for the site selection where the negotiations would be held was instrumental in Wright-Patterson Air Force Base being selected.

McCance was a Major at the time Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was selected to host the talks in 1995. In particular, he was the public affairs officer assigned to be the liaison to State Department Spokesman Nick Burns during the negotiations. He also serves as the chairman of the Department of Defense Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) committee in Ohio, which advocates for employer and community leader support of the nearly 25,000 Reserve Component military members serving across the state. He also leads the McCance Consulting Group, LLC, in providing support of business operations, strategic planning, engineering and scientific research needs, with insight into the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Executive Branch, U.S. Congress, and state and local governments. He is also the co-chair of the Dayton Peace Accords Anniversary Committee, which will recognize the 30th anniversary with numerous events including the awarding of the Dayton Peace Prize.

Kaurin was a reporter in Croatia at the time of the Dayton negotiations in 1995. She reported for one of the largest Croatian newspapers in Sarajevo. Amid the ongoing war, in 1992, Kaurin and her two children escaped from the Sarajevo war zone to Zagreb, Croatia. They were refugees for four years. They moved to the USA and Dayton in 1996. Using family recipes, she managed to transfer a part of the Bosnian tradition here to Southwest Ohio, particularly as owner of Azra’s Mediterranean Cuisine at 2nd Street Market. Her award-winning dishes remain popular in Dayton even though she’s been retired since 2023. She is still active, teaching cooking and baking, while she stays in touch with her Bosnian friends.

Credit: Natalie Jones

Credit: Natalie Jones

Larma has been a professional photojournalist since he was 20 years old, beginning his career in Sarajevo in 1974. His website states he worked on staff at a daily sports newspaper in Oslobodjenje and then for several prominent magazines in Bosnia and Herzegovina. When war came to his hometown of Sarajevo in 1992, he evolved from a general news and feature photographer to war photojournalist. He also worked as staff photographer for the Associated Press, covering the Siege of Sarajevo and the war’s aftermath from 1992 to 1997.

“This event is the epilogue to NATO weekend and the prologue to the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords,” said Dr. Vaughn Shannon, professor of international and comparative politics at Wright State University. “(Having) NATO in Dayton shows to the Midwest of our country why NATO still matters and it shows NATO the American vibe of the Midwest to maybe forge connections. The parliamentary assembly is supposed to forge connections among the societies of the alliance’s participants.”

Shannon is excited for the panelists to bring wisdom and heart to the topics of war and peace.

“The panel represents a variety of perspectives either within the Wright-Patterson orbit or in the Balkans at the time of war and peace,” he said. “We love that we have (panelists) who will remind people of the horrors of war but also the possibilities of peace. And we are proud that Dayton has become Dayton a symbol for a place of hope and peace. It’s a very cynical time we’re living in right now with lots of wars but peace can come with effort, will and logistics. Dayton is the symbol of what is possible. And with the International Peace Museum and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, peace has become a part of Dayton’s identity.”

Credit: MICHAEL HEINZ

Credit: MICHAEL HEINZ

Allowing students a chance to hear first-hand accounts is also paramount.

“We have students who are taking summer classes who were not born when the Peace Accords were negotiated in 1995 so to have them be able to hear first-hand from some of the people who were present is an extraordinary opportunity,” said Dr. Laura M. Luehrmann, professor of political science and chair of the School of Social Sciences and International Studies at Wright State University. “Each panelist (provides) a look back to discuss the Peace Accords that were signed in 1995 and the degree to which those have paved the way for the current situation in the region.”

In addition the Sarajevo Philharmonic Orchestra will perform a concert titled “Notes of Unity” at 6:30 p.m. in Schuster Hall. A reception will take place immediately following at 7:15 p.m.

Sue Edwards, president of Wright State University, previously shared with this news outlet how much she anticipated the orchestra’s arrival.

“We will make them feel more than welcome,” Edwards said. “We’re also going to enjoy them using our facilities to practice (including) our fantastic Concert Hall. Our students are incredibly excited for them to join us. We have a very talented music program so they are very excited for them to come and watch them practice their craft in our facilities.”

Credit: Bryant Billing

Credit: Bryant Billing

The panel is open to the public but seating is first-come, first-served since the space is limited to roughly 50 people. To reserve a spot, email Shannon at vaughn.shannon@wright.edu.

The concert is free and open to the public as well but pre-registering is requested.

COMING THIS FALL

Looking ahead, Wright State will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords this fall. From Nov. 14-16, the university will host multiple events around town related to the anniversary, including the awarding of the 2025 Dayton Peace Prize to Ambassador R. Nicholas Burns, who most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to China and was a part of the negotiations at the Hope Hotel in November 1995. The Dayton Peace Prize has been awarded every five years since 2000.