Organized by the Municipality of Mrkopalj and the Initiative On the Pathways of Gorski Kotar Peacebuilders – of which the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies of the University of Rijeka is member – the second edition of the memory walk dedicated to the peacebuilders of Gorski Kotar was held on September 21, 2025, in Mrkopalj and Tuk.
During the walk, held on the International Day of Peace, participants remembered key moments of resistance to war and violence in Gorski Kotar during the 1990s and paid tribute to individuals from the local community who worked to preserve peace in the region.
This year, the walk began in Mrkopalj, in front of the house where the renowned local peacebuilder Franjo Starčević once lived. Attendees were addressed by the mayor of Mrkopalj, Mr. Josip Brozović, followed by Mrs. Nada Glad, a close associate of Starčević and author of a book about his life.
Around forty participants took part in the walk – including members of Franjo Starčević’s family and his collaborators, three living participants of the historic 1992 meeting in Tuk, family members of the deceased participants of the same meeting, scholars and peace activists from Croatia and Italy, and other citizens inspired by the Gorski Kotar spirit of peace. The group proceeded to the local cemetery in Mrkopalj, where they honored Franjo Starčević at his grave, where he rests alongside his wife Ljubica, by singing John Lennon’s Imagine and writing messages left in a commemorative bottle.
The walk continued on foot from Mrkopalj to the mountain lodge “Bijele Stijene” in Tuk. It was at this very location, on September 16, 1992, that a pivotal meeting of local leaders from the Gorski Kotar area was held. Attendees included leaders from the local communities of Drežnica, Gomirje, Jasenak, Ravna Gora, Mrkopalj, and Tuk, along with representatives of the municipalities of Vrbovsko and Delnice, and commanders of local police stations and branches. During this meeting, it was agreed that local leadership would cooperate to actively maintain peace in the region.
Memories and reflections on that historic meeting—as well as on the key figures and moments of peace preservation in Gorski Kotar during the 1990s—were shared by Mr. Milan Mamula, then-president of the local community of Jasenak; Mr. Ivica Briški, former deputy commander of the Delnice police station; and Mr. Jovan Dragić, former commander of the Jasenak police branch. Their speeches brought to life for newer generations the magnitude of the challenges faced during the wartime 1990s, and the courageous and persistent strategies used to build peace in spite of those circumstances.
Once again this year, participants returned from the September edition of On the Patways of Gorski Kotar Peacebuilders memory walk inspired by the realization that peace can be preserve even in the most difficult of times. It is a message of encouragement that is deeply needed and welcome in today’s uncertain world.
