In a ceremony held at the Residence of the Italian Ambassador in Sarajevo in September 2024, Ambassador Marco Di Ruzza awarded Claudia Zini, founder and director of Kuma International, the honor of Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia. The distinction was conferred by the President of the Italian Republic upon proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in recognition of Claudia’s cultural and educational work between Italy and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Founded by Dr. Zini in Sarajevo in 2018, Kuma International has developed art and cultural education as a space for addressing the long-term consequences of war, genocide, displacement, and trauma. Through summer schools, workshops, seminars, research projects, study programs, exhibitions, and artistic collaborations, Kuma has brought together artists, students, architects, researchers, and cultural workers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and around the world.
Over the years, Kuma’s activities have expanded to include publications, documentary films, educational exchanges, residencies, and artistic projects exploring memory, migration, reconciliation, and post-conflict societies through visual culture and contemporary art.
Through its work, Kuma encourages critical reflection on histories of violence and the role art can play in preserving memory, fostering dialogue, and creating spaces for social connection and healing. At the same time, the organization has become an important bridge between Bosnian and Italian cultural institutions, universities, artists, and educational initiatives.
During the ceremony, Ambassador Di Ruzza emphasized the important role cultural exchange can play in supporting dialogue, reconciliation, and social cohesion, particularly among younger generations, recognizing Claudia Zini’s long-term commitment to these values through Kuma International.
For her part, Dr Zini commented: “Receiving this award is an immense honor. It represents not only my own work, but also the work of all the people who have contributed to making Kuma International what it is today. This recognition further motivates us to continue expanding Kuma’s programs and creating connections with new communities and contexts shaped by histories of trauma, displacement, and reconstruction. Through art, education, and cultural exchange, we will continue creating spaces for reflection, dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation between people.”