Edvin Kanka Ćudić

Born as Edvin Ćudić on 31 December 1988 in Brčko, the great-great-grandson of the teacher Ibrahim Ustavdić. Grew up in Gračanica and Brčko. He studied at the University of Sarajevo and Ankara University. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from University of Sarajevo in 2012. Six years later, he earned master's degree in political science.^[3]

At the age of 14, Ćudić began practicing jujutsu in Brčko and was soon introduced to aikido.^[1] He started practicing aikido in 2017 under the guidance of Nihad Klinčević Shidoin and Pavel Pavelka Fukushidoin, later continuing his training with Alen Hadžiabdić. In 2024, in Vrnjačka Banja, he was awarded the rank of 2nd Dan by Saša Obradović Shihan.^[4] In 2026, Ćudić founded the Yutaka Dojo in Sarajevo.^[5] He is a member of the Aikikai Foundations from Belgrade and Tokyo.^[6]

In 2013, Ćudić founded UDIK.^[7][8] In 2019, he was elected as a member of the Regional Council of the RECOM Reconciliation Network (RMP), representing Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[9][10] Since 2021, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of CDTJ in Banja Luka. Since 2024, he has served as an International Consultant to the International Committee for Morita Therapy (ICMT), a section of the Japanese Society for Morita Therapy in Tokyo.^[11]

Ćudić has given interviews and provided commentaries on a range of issues from his area of expertise, including genocide denial, post-conflict recovery, and human rights to many national and international media outlets including AFP, Berria, Danas, DW, El País, Internazionale, Knack, NIN, Novosti, Oslobođenje, RFE, RTL Nederland, Sveriges Radio, TV E, etc. He helped to memorialize the crimes at crimes at Kazani and was one of the initiators of the memorial of the Kazani pit in the hills above Sarajevo.^{[9][12][13][14]}

Ćudić collaborated with many newspapers and magazines, such as Danas, Monitor and Oslobođenje.^[15][16][17] His stories have been translated into English, French, Italian, Macedonian and Ukrainian. In 2017, he signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.^[18] He often received threats related to his work.^[19][20][21]

In 2012, the Bosnian poet Adem Deniz Garić dedicated to Edvin Kanka Ćudić a poem "I ne treba da šutiš" (And you should not be silent).^[22] The poem was a response to the Ćudić's story "Neću da šutim" (I Won't Be Silent). Ten years later, other Bosnian poet Erbein Osmanović dedicated him the poem "Geronimo".^[23]

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 titled "Možda bi trebalo da ih mrzim" (Maybe I should hate them), written by Edvin Kanka Ćudić in 2011. The monument was installed in Paris.^[24]

His awards and recognition include the following:

• In 2014 and 2018, he was named to the Biographical Lexicon Who's Who in BiH, as one of the most significant people in BiH today.^[25][26][27]
• In 2019, he won Emerging Europe Award in the category: Young Influencer of the Year^[28]
• In 2023, Oslobođenje gave him the Kemal Kurspahić International Journalist Award for best published story in Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin and Serbian for his story "Grobnica nade" (The Grave of Hope).^[29][30]

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

Selected stories

• "Možda bi trebalo da ih mrzim." Sabah, 10 June 2011
• "Neću sa šutim." Preporod, 15 July 2012
• "Oni žive u mome gradu." Peščanik, 28 February 2013
• "Kazani kao sarajevska mrlja u opsadi." Dealing with the Past, 25 Oct. 2019
• "Grobnica nade." Danas, 25 October 2022
• "Zaboravljena ulica." Oslobođenje, 22 April 2026