text:
Super Women of Zvornik: Turning Caterpillars into Beautiful Butterflies | Balkan Diskurs
Andrea Aleksić
December 17th, 2018
“Super Women” is a Zvornik-based, socially-responsible business that provides professional cleaning services while also working to employ women over the age of 40, who have lower levels of education and little to no formal work experience.
“Super Women” is a Zvornik-based, socially-responsible business that provides professional cleaning services while also working to employ women over the age of 40, who have lower levels of education and little to no formal work experience. According to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Labor and Unemployment Agency, the number of unemployed persons is around 466,000 of which approximately 253,000, or 54.41%, are women.
Motivated by the needs of their mothers and the many other women who have had difficulties finding jobs due to their age or lack of experience, legal expert Tamara Jović, political scientist Bojana Tanacković, teacher Zorica Mitrović, and English language student Ana Glišić decided to start a business.
“The idea to launch this kind of business was realized during the Incubator for Business Ideas, supported and organized by the Mozaik Foundation, and a share of our profits are allocated for the education and social inclusion of the women our business targets for employment,” explained Tamara.
This ambitious young woman’s venture was inspired by her mother – a woman over 40, with only an elementary school education and just 15 days of formal working experience. Those who find themselves in similar situations belong to a category of women who are harder to employ and who are unable to satisfy the conditions for retirement. These women often decide to work ‘illegally’ for small daily allowances and under poor conditions. Research conducted by Super Women revealed that, according to the Zvornik Employment Bureau, there are 1,499 unemployed women over the age of 40 in their municipality, of whom 707 have only an elementary school education and 128 have never had a single day of work experience.
“We decided to try and help turn caterpillars into beautiful butterflies. To give these women the opportunity to feel what it’s like to earn their own paycheck, to ensure they have healthcare and retirement, and to invest in their education through vocational training courses and workshops. We also try to engage them in as many different types of social activities as possible where they can showcase their knowledge and strength and, therefore, encourage other women to become more active,” added Tamara.
The Zvornik Employment Bureau also supports Super Women in their efforts to provide additional education, training, and/or workshops to women in their community. The company also provides regular training and additional educational opportunities to its employees. For example, they are currently teaching their workers how to operate a machine for deep cleaning.
The women employed by the company show a lot of gratitude and enthusiasm and express that earning their own money means a lot to them because they can contribute to their family budgets and become more socially active.
“The job means a lot to me and my family. I’m able to work after many years of sitting at home. My children are adults and they need money now more than ever. The women we work for are good to us and they try to help us understand when we don’t know something. Every day we learn something new,” said Super Women employee Koviljka Krajšnik.
The business is now focusing on expanding its operations and number of employees. The goal is to have at least four new women employed by the end of the year and to expand their cleaning services to cover the entire Birač region as their research has shown that there is a need for such services. They are also thinking to expand their repertoire to employ women to provide daily care for the elderly and day care for children, home maintenance, catering, and other services per their clients’ requests.
“We ourselves decide whether or not we can do something. Young people must be brave and ignore the older people who are trying to convince them they should work in some government institution because, honestly, not everyone can work there. What we can do, however, is work on ourselves, perfect ourselves, and believe in our own ‘gut’ ideas. If we are working to achieve our dreams, and if we create the conditions to make this happen, we’ve already succeeded,” concluded Tamara.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: December 17th, 2018

author: Andrea Aleksić


text:
We Didn’t Have Much, but We Were Surrounded by Good People | Balkan Diskurs
Elena Crnalić
January 9th, 2019
We walk through life meeting people at every turn. We know that most are not there to stay, but each has a potential lesson to teach us about the world and about ourselves. There are those, however, who change the course of our lives forever. Those rare individuals who better your life, or even save it. Ordinary heroes. This is the story of a family of ordinary heroes who embraced my family and me in a time of need, and who love us for who we are despite the differences that may exist between us.
In 2004, when I was 10 years old, my family and I made a big move from a small Croatian town to the faraway land of Australia. My father was the first to leave, traveling to a region situated north of Sydney. He traveled alone, and with just one bag in hand. My mother, brother, and I waited in anticipation while he went on a mission to find a place for a small Croatian family to call home. With the fewest number of immigrants in all of Australia, the Central Coast proved a difficult place to relocate to. With no previous rental history in the country, finding an apartment was, indeed, a hard mountain to climb. It is only now that I am able to understand the sacrifices my parents made and the hardships they endured to create a life for us on the opposite side of the world. However, I am here to tell a story of one ordinary family whose extraordinary kindness impacted our lives forever. A family who, like us, is no stranger to leaving their home behind to journey into the unknown.
Our path with the Budimlić family crossed the day my father entered a little real estate agency in a small Australian town. Alma, a Bosniak who spent most of her life in Australia, recalls that day: “As soon as I saw his last name, I knew he was from the Balkans. He told me his story and I invited him over to my parent’s place. We all went through difficult times and I felt for him. He asked me about life in Australia and I was curious about his decision to come here. I never asked if he was Muslim, Catholic, or Orthodox. That didn’t matter to me. My parents taught me to have respect for everyone and never to hate, despite losing our home and our homeland in the name of ethnic cleansing.”
Alma took my father to meet her parents, and soon thereafter our families united to form a friendship that was based on love and trust. Alma and her parents introduced us to the wonders of Australia, but, unfortunately, our time “down under” didn’t last long. The sudden shift from Europe to Australia was hard on my parents and, after only nine months, they decided to move us back to Croatia. As is the case with many people, the culture shock was difficult to adjust to and the thought of having left all of our family behind was a painful one.
But this was not our last trip to Australia and it was also not the last time the Budimlić family would lend us their helping hand. Upon our return in 2008, they opened their home to us, providing us with a place to stay and helping me and my brother to enroll in school. When asked why they were so eager to help us, Alma’s mother Mina replies, “I knew what it was like to leave your homeland and come to a foreign place. I felt the need to help and even invited your father to come and stay with us the very first time Alma met him. I am happy that we were able to help and to make the resettlement process easier.”
As the war in Bosnia began to unfold, the Budimlić family were forced to flee Bosanska Dubica, located in the northwestern region of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in December of 1992. With only a few belongings, the family made their way across the Croatian border and to Opatija where they spent some time before being granted Australian visas.
“I will never forget that day – the day we left everything behind. Even before our departure, we didn’t sleep at our house because the army would always come knocking at our door. I remember the moment I left all my belongings to our Serbian neighbor. We were both crying, and I told her not to cry and not to save these things for me. I told her that maybe one day I would return, but at that time, it was impossible for me to know that. We used to share everything, my neighbor and I, up until that very last day. Now when we meet, we both cry when we remember that dreadful day, and after all that time, she kept my things for me,” Mina recalls.
As she retells the story of her journey, Mina acknowledges how much help they received along the way. A family they knew from their hometown put them in contact with a local lady from Opatija who cleaned out her basement and took their family in. “We lived there for five months. The family next door was from our village and the locals were very helpful. I remember my kids helping out the local grandma and grandpa, Zora and Vlado, who were selling their fruit at the local markets. The pair was always happy to have them around. We didn’t have much, but we were surrounded by good people,” she says.
After a long wait and with the help of family, friends, and strangers, Mina and her family made their way to Australia. “Australian people are wonderful and are willing to help you out if they see that you are willing to help yourself. Both my husband and I managed to get a job and, after two years, we were able to move into our own house. Now, we are still here 25 years later and it seems like it all happened only yesterday.”
Regardless of what ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality you may be, we all will need a helping hand at some point in our lives. I will always remember all the incredible things Budimlić family did for me just as they will forever remember the help they received 25 years ago. And I hope that, someday, I will be able to repay their kindness by being someone else’s “Budimlić family”.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

source: news-balkandiskurs

created: January 9th, 2019

license: Creative Commons - Attribution - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

author: Elena Crnalić


text:
Jajce’s Treasure Trove of Memories | Balkan Diskurs
Sara Velaga
January 13th, 2019
“If only it could be like the good ol’ times, a time of power and of Tito and his pioneers. Everything would be easier.” This is a sentiment you will often hear from people living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but you will experience the greatest sense of nostalgia in the royal city of Jajce if you visit the Museum of the Second AVNOJ Session in late November.
The Museum of the Second AVNOJ (Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia) Session was founded in 1953, and the building in which it is located dates back to the time when it served as the home of the Falcon Society[1].
Emsada Leko, director of the Museum, explains that the museum stopped working during the 1990s war, at which time it was also robbed and devastated. It was refurbished in 2008 primarily thanks to the former director Enes Milak, who has since died.
Leko explains that only about ten percent of the museum’s materials have been returned. The library now contains around 3,000 books, but at its peak, it had approximately 10,000. The Commission for the Preservation of National Monuments declared the AVNOJ building a national monument and the priceless works of Serbian painter, Đorđe Andrejević-Kun, national treasures.
In 2015, curators from the countries of the former Yugoslavia met for the first time since the 1990s. The museum was officially curated by Nataša Mataušić from the Croatian Museum of History, while Mojca Turk from the Museum of Recent History in Ljubljana was responsible for designing educational panels that tell the story of Yugoslavia’s national government evolution. Today, the museum is visited by 20,000 people annually, almost half of whom are Slovenians.
“This museum is so different from other museums because all the countries of the former Yugoslavia took part in its reconstruction. It was, thus, set up to display six specialized showcases for each country that present a variety of historic memorabilia. Educational panels provide information about the development of the Yugoslav national government from the time when the first national liberation committees were formed up until the time of the Second Session of AVNOJ and shelves are filled with three-dimensional objects such as newspapers and important documentation. The first materials for the various showcases were provided by the Montenegrins, while the Croatian and Serbian displays remain only partially filled, still waiting for additional materials to arrive,” said the director.
Part of the permanent exhibit includes a locomotive, which is located in front of the building. According to the available information, this locomotive transported AVNOJ councilors from Slovenia and Croatia to Second AVNOJ Session in Jajce in November 1943.
The Historical Museum of Sarajevo, the Archives of Yugoslavia from Belgrade, and other museums took part in the creation of the exhibition itself. According to some stories, at the beginning of the 1990s war, items from the museum items were transferred to the Church of St. Ivo in Podmilačje[2]. The Franciscans thus saved from destruction the invaluable portraits of Kun, a few other artworks, and some books from the museum’s library. After the war, many people found books with the museum’s seals and took them to the Jajce Culture Center from which they were later returned to the renovated museum.
The story of the collection of Božidar Jakac drawings (owned by the Museum of the Second AVNOJ Session) is an interesting one. In 2012, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Republika Srpska returned part of the collection to the Museum of the Second AVNOJ Session. Of particular significance was the anonymous return of 44 drawings to Belgrade two years prior. These drawings were finally exhibited in Jajce in 2018 during the marking of the AVNOJ Day.
The cold rooms of the museum are warmed by the open hearts of its hosts who proudly stand their ground to preserve this historical monument. The museum is still struggling for funding and the only sustainable income comes from the Municipality of Jajce, but this place still emanates hope and shows that strong wills and unity among people can supersede all troubles and difficulties.
Although she was previously skeptical regarding the future preservation of the Museum once the “older ones are no longer here”, Leko is now enthusiastic because she has recognized that more and more young people are becoming interested in the period spoken about by their parents and grandparents and that it is often families that are coming to visit the museum. A testament to this is a comment that was left in the impression book by a six-year-old: “When I grow up, I will be the president of Yugoslavia.”
For those who are unable to visit the museum in person can now do so virtually.
[1] The Falcon Society was an organization designed to promote physical exercise and to spread national consciousness among Slavic peoples.
[2] A village in the municipality of Jajce.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 13th, 2019

author: Sara Velaga


text:
My Disability is a Condition, Not a Problem | Balkan Diskurs
Medina Rizvanović-Razić
January 16th, 2019
Merima Dervović from Visoko is a student of the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Italian Language and Literature and is a person living with a disability. Merima’s primary goal is to initiate an open dialogue about the prejudices against disabled people and the challenges they face in society.
“As a person in a wheelchair, I think that these difficulties can be divided into the physical barriers disabled people face and the perception that society generally has towards the disabled. The physical barriers, such as the inability to enter a store, institution, theater, museum, or library, are generally more obvious and disrupt our everyday lives. As far as the perception that others have towards me goes, this is a much more subtle difficulty. People in wheelchairs are seen as “weaker” and “less competent” than people who do not have any physical handicaps,” Merima explains in an interview with Balkan Diskurs.
Awareness of Others’ Differences
The notion of disability is fairly broad and includes persons with intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing impairments, mobility problems, and other issues that affect a person’s ability to perform the daily activities of life. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities speaks of what state parties should do to ensure that persons with disabilities have equal rights and freedoms that belong to all people.
“Not everyone has a developed an awareness towards those that are different from themselves. I learned to ignore comments and weird looks but that doesn’t mean I don’t notice or get irritated by them,” Merima says.
She points out that she has never been in a situation where she was mocked or pushed aside, but when it comes to “bad” behavior towards her she says that it’s primarily people’s unnecessary comments or attitudes.
“It’s understandable and I think we all struggle with certain difficulties in our own ways. I know individuals who have started organizations that greatly help people with disabilities and raise awareness about the disabled in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is very important. Often, the most difficult kind of “struggle” is simply to live an active life – to be part of society, to get out of the house, and to be present. It is a more subtle kind of struggle to show that it is possible to be a quality member of a society that has a lot to offer. This struggle is an everyday occurrence and requires patience and a solidly built character and attitude,” Merima says.
Opportunities in BiH
In every segment of life, it is important to have the support of certain institutions. Certainly, family and friends are an especially important factor regarding the quality of life itself.
“Support is very important, especially when it comes to educational institutions. There is a very high percentage of children and young people who don’t have access to education because there are physical barriers that sometimes seem too formidable. I was fortunate that the individuals in the high school I attended had the desire to solve problems related to physical barriers. Thanks to them, I didn’t have a problem with these barriers, but in most situations, that’s often not the case. Family and friends are the pillars of a quality life and I have the kind of family and friends who see my disability as a condition, not a problem,” Merima says.
There are many associations in BiH that are trying to make a real change towards improving the standard of living for people with disabilities. These organizations can make certain changes individually, but support from the state and other institutions is needed. Merima considers one of the most important aspects of these associations the fact that they are initiating a dialogue on topics associated with disabled people and the challenges they face.
However, there are other problems that must be addressed such as architectural barriers, barriers to employment, and the barriers that exist in people’s minds. The rights of people with disabilities are regulated by the Law on the Basis of Social Protection, Protection of Civilian Victims of War and Protection of Families with Children. Among those basic rights regulated by the aforementioned law is the priority of employment.[1]
Young people, in general, have a problem finding employment nowadays, but, whether they are disabled or not, there are opportunities out there.
“I’ve had good experiences regarding work and I never noticed if my employers or my colleagues looked at me in a “different” way. I do still believe that prejudices exist when it comes to finding a job, and my previous positive experiences do not guarantee that I will not encounter these prejudices in the future. It would be ideal to find a job or start my own business immediately after graduating from college. I want to have a quality life and be independent like everyone else. So far that has been possible with a lot of effort, so I am hoping for the best in the future,” Merima expresses.
Removing the Barriers
A person does not choose how they will be born, where they will be born, or who their parents will be, but every person deserves the respect of basic human rights and we must strive to eliminate barriers in all segments of life so that every public institution, organization, and public space can be accessed by all people, including the disabled.
“I think that all change comes within ourselves. We need to invest time and effort to build ourselves, our characters, and our attitudes. The world will not change, but we can change our attitude towards it. I think that a lot can be accomplished just by talking, so I always try to openly talk about my disability. Conversation is always the best way to dismantle prejudices and educate others around us. As far as people who do not know how to behave in the presence of people with disabilities, I recommend that they simply have an open-minded approach and to freely ask if there is something that interests them,” Merima says.
December 3rd is official the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, but this should not be the only day when we think about them, and Merima advises that we should continue to promote dialogue and educate the people around us about the importance of this issue.
[1] The law on basic social protection, protection of civilian victims of war and family protection with children, “Official Gazette FBiH” No 36/99, 54/04, 39/06, 14/09, 45/16; Training for life and work, Article 29.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 16th, 2019

author: Medina Rizvanović-Razić


text:
The Keepers of Culture: Mostar’s Jews Fight to Preserve Heritage | Balkan Diskurs
Kristina Gadže
January 21st, 2019
The life of Jews in Mostar today is anything but easy. For years, this minority population living in the city on the Neretva River has been trying to improve their position in society and preserve the rich heritage of the Jewish culture in the region.
Jews have lived in Mostar since the 16th century when Daniel Rodriquez became the city’s first Jewish resident. Monuments erected in the Jewish cemetery show that the number of Jews has increased significantly since that time. It was during the Austro-Hungarian occupation that the first Jews arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The so-called Sephardi Jews entered the country first followed by the Ashkenazi Jews. Shortly thereafter, members of both groups settled in the Mostar region.
Today, there are around 30 Bosnian Jewish citizens residing in Mostar, and although they are seemingly few in number, they bring the city’s Jewish district to life when they come together for the holidays. In addition, all 30 of these citizens are members of the Jewish Municipality of Mostar, an organization dedicated to preserving Jewish culture and heritage by organizing meetings, celebrating the Jewish holidays, hosting Jewish-themed exhibitions, and participating in lectures and events together with other religious communities.
“The Jews of Mostar have left a significant mark on the city’s history. For example, the city’s first soccer ball was acquired by Mr. Lihner, its first fashion designer was Jewish, and the first woman to drive a car was Jewish. Our cemetery has also been designated as a national monument,” said Sarah Romano-Vujinović, the secretary of the Jewish Municipality of Mostar, adding that the organization is financially supported by donations from the Jewish World Organization, a small portion of funds from the City of Mostar, and voluntary contributions.
According to Romano-Vujinović, although the City of Mostar gives the Jewish Municipality 3,000 BAM per year, the yearly rent for the organization’s premises alone amounts to 3,600 BAM. She also points out that although they have had discussions with city administrators about providing support for some of their projects, none have been approved as of yet.
There was a synagogue in Mostar as early as 1889. A barn once used for hay stacking was refurbished to create the synagogue, which served as a common area where both the Sephardi and Ashkenazi Jews would gather representing the first blended Jewish community of its kind in all of Europe.
The need to construct a larger facility, however, soon emerged and, thus, a Construction Committee was established. From the funds collected, land was purchased in Mostar’s Brankovac neighborhood, the construction of the new synagogue was approved, and building was completed in 1904. However, during the Second World War the synagogue was demolished and, while still under the ownership of the Jewish Municipality of Mostar, was later rebuilt as a Puppet Theater. In 1952, the Jewish Municipality officially donated the former synagogue to the City of Mostar and that same year, the city again refurbished it and upgraded two of its wings. Then, in 1966, the City approved a new location and the project plans to build a new synagogue inside the Jewish Cultural Center, which is, in fact, still waiting for the necessary permits to continue construction after the initial stone foundation was laid in 2001.
“As a city, we have contributed a lot towards the building of the Jewish Cultural Center, including working to fulfill the necessary documentation requirements. Unfortunately, we have not yet obtained a construction permit from the Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning and Environment, so we have been unable to start construction. However, if the Jewish Community is able to acquire this approval, we will contribute funds from the City of Mostar’s budget,” a Mostar city administrator explained.
The Jewish Municipality of Mostar says that the reason for the delay in resolving this problem lies in politics and it’s anyone’s guess how long the process will take. Many young Jews have moved away, and their older-generation family members are now the only bearers of the Jewish culture that remain. All that can be done now is to wait and to hope that this important part of BiH culture and heritage will be recognized in time and that members of the Jewish Municipality of Mostar will have the strength to continue their struggle to survive.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 21st, 2019

author: Kristina Gadže


text:
SARA-Srebrenica: Don’t Wait for Change, Initiate It | Balkan Diskurs
Anja Zulić
January 23rd, 2019
When it all began 20 years ago upon founding the association, they didn’t know what their reach would be, what challenges they would face, or how much support or controversy they would encounter along the way. It took the courage of a few like-minded individuals who wished for positive change and shared a common vision to make life better in Srebrenica.
They were driven by an idea to actively bring about the changes wanted to see in society, rather than waiting passively for them to happen.
Across years of joint effort, it turned out that remaining free and independent proved the most difficult task. At a time when the return of Srebrenica’s pre-war population took hold, there were many misunderstandings, disparaging remarks, misconceptions, and insults as well as a lot of denial related to historical events.
“The three of us who began this initiative all lived in Srebrenica, but we actually met for the first time outside of Srebrenica at a caregivers training. Soon thereafter, we were working together to register and establish the “SARA” Association for women and youth with an aim to promote and advance the ideas and living conditions of these groups. As our organization grew and developed, our strategic commitments were shaped in accordance with the community’s priorities,” says Valentina Gagić-Lazić, one of the founders of the SARA-Srebrenica Association.
Valentina emphasizes that they were always open and willing to rebuild trust and promote reconciliation in their multi-ethnic community. To some, they were spies, to others, traitors, but they always found inspiration from the people they were helping.
“I remember one encounter in the streets of Srebrenica, during which Hatidža Mehmedović expressed her gratitude for organizing the activities in which she participated: activities that allowed those days in July to proceed with dignity and free of tensions. The project to which she was referring was called “Inter-religious Dialogue as a Means of Preventing Conflict”,” says Valentina.
Youth-based Work
The SARA-Srebrenica Association is part of the Youth United in Peace (YUP) network that brings together young people from Sombor, Vukovar, Gornji Vakuf-Uskoplje, Tuzla, and Srebrenica, and which has been promoting the values of coexistence for more than 25 years now. It is an initiative where a large number of young people participate in peace camps designed around content that is focused on confronting the past and the differing narratives of the past wars in the former Yugoslavia with information that is objective and based on facts.
“In addition, weekend visits are organized during which participants stay with their peers,” Valentina adds.
The network started as the “Break from War” project initiated by the Committee on Democracy and Human Rights in Cologne in cooperation with the humanitarian organization Prijateljice from Tuzla. Valentina says that, through the network, a really high level of cooperation and friendship has been built and activities are being conducted in different partner cities on a regular basis.
“The young people hadn’t had the opportunity to hear about the things we talk about together anywhere else. Big changes in the thinking of our young people are being noticed. Friendships and unbreakable bonds are being created, and the outcomes of our meetings can best be reflected by the words of one of the youth leaders, following the end of an interethnic YUP camp in Srebrenica: “As I look at these sidewalks, I think how many people have walked on them, people who want no harm to befall anyone.”,” says Valentina.
Raising Awareness of Hate-based Crimes
One of SARA-Srebrenica’s upcoming projects will be based on raising public awareness of incidents of prejudice and hate crimes, and the organization will utilize the media to transmit project content. The Coalition of Srebrenica will also join in on the project and the OSCE Mission to BiH will provide their support. The project is comprised of a set of activities that will be implemented in two directions: one aimed at citizens, and the other at local authorities.
“We want to point out that the situation in this country and the conflicts that arise from the deep divisions and legacies of the war is all of our responsibility, especially those in public office. Conflicts to which the political situation and the lack of desire for true progress greatly contribute. We are witnessing how present hate speech is in the rhetoric of our politicians, especially during election years, and, even now, we can hear, read, and record many such situations. All of that goes unpunished, even though it leaves behind a lot of consequences for our society,” Valentina Gagić-Lazić says.
A Culture of Violence Overrides a Culture of Peace
The tensions that politicians create with their rhetoric and behavior are reflected in the actions of citizens and can be felt throughout every aspect of BiH society. Despite the fact that the war ended 23 years ago, we still do not live in peace, according to our interviewee.
“A peaceful life implies dignity in all its forms. We wanted to join the global celebration of the International Day of Peace with a walk for peace. We were aware of the fact that we needed each other now more than ever before. More than 150 of our fellow citizens, friends, and associates took part in this walk for peace. We wanted to send a clear message from Srebrenica about our commitment to peace and that we will contribute to it together. We will start first with small steps and then with mutual support and human deeds of goodness. We organized this initiative in partnership with the peace organization PAX and with the support of the Dutch Ambassador to BiH,” Valentina states.
Change through Action
The SARA-Srebrenica Association has implemented a number of different projects within its repertoire of activities, including women’s activism in community development, activities aimed at the development of rural tourism, and cooperative efforts with young people. All the projects the Association implements are in line with their strategic goals, which includes overcoming the practice of waiting for change, rather than creating it.
“In essence, people are accustomed to waiting on someone else solve their problems for them. In doing so, they ignore the local resources that we have in our communities. It’s about projects that focus on people, on building social capital, and on building communities all while relying on local potentials. Directly or indirectly, our goal is to strengthen social cohesion, which also serves as society’s immune system,” Valentina Gagić-Lazić concludes.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 23rd, 2019

author: Anja Zulić


text:
War’s Forgotten Children | Balkan Diskurs
Amra Džonlić
January 25th, 2019
The weight of war lies in the fact that, even after the armed conflict ends, it leaves a burden on the hearts of all people. Thus, in many ways, that war continues on. How much heart and soul must one possess to resist hatred towards those who have committed injustice?
Perhaps this is best illustrated by the example of Ajna Jusić, who is working towards a system that finally recognizes and acknowledges the “Children Born of War”
The president of the Forgotten Children of War Association, Ajna Jusić, describes herself as a woman, a daughter, a friend, an activist, a feminist, a fighter, and an optimist. This young woman is a true example of strength, perseverance, and persistence.
Ajna was born in 1993 as the first baby of the Medica Zenica Association. Her place of birth was determined by the fate of her mother who was raped during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). By chance, Ajna learned the truth about her birth as a high school student. She was able to overcome the trauma caused by the news because of the selfless love of her mother and her stepfather who raised her. Ajna’s experiences have shaped her into the person she is today – brave and willing to speak publicly about the most sensitive of topics. Through her association, she continues the fight for her rights and the rights of children born of war.
Ajna Jusić emphasizes that her family has played a key role in her life, and all that she has achieved would not have been possible without their support.
“Because of the very fact that I was born as a consequence of the worst crime – rape – I was quite dependent on the protection of my family my entire life. My mother and stepfather poured all their energy into protecting me from a society that is not yet aware of how, and in what way, it will discriminate against and impede the normal course of a life,” she says.
Ajna remembers what her dad (stepdad) always said to her: “Be strong. The fact that you are a little girl doesn’t make you less worthwhile or mean that you can do less than others. Show everyone how much you can do, my daughter.” “And here I am today, I like being a girl, and even if folks say girls are not strong, I am strong. My family was definitely my guiding star,” Ajna says.
The Forgotten Children of War Association was founded by several enthusiasts – human rights activists and children of war from BiH. These people remained in the shadow of the war, invisible and unrecognized as a vulnerable category of children in their biological mothers’ and fathers’ country of origin.
It is estimated that between 20,000 to 50,000 thousand girls and women were raped during the war in BiH. For more than twenty years after the war, no one is asking what happened to the children born of war rape or children born from the relationships of local women and UN soldiers and other foreign officials who returned to their countries after the war without accepting their children. Ajna and her friends at the Forgotten Children of War Association are searching for the answers to these questions.
Their goal is to empower and educate children born of war to take a proactive role in improving their status. That also means providing access to education, adequate social protection, psychological support, access to the labor market, and access to justice through understanding and protecting the rights of this marginalized category of children.
The Association also launched an initiative for the legal analysis of BiH law. Their goal is to adopt a single law on civilian victims of war in BiH: a law that will not segregate the surviving victims from members of the general population. Ajna witnesses the violation of these children’s rights every day. One example is the fact that they have to give the name of their father on any official paper they sign; the name of their father whose identity they do not know, and, most often, do not want to know.
Ajna is an example of courage and resistance to a system that, even to this day, does not recognize her and her colleagues from the association as a special category in BiH society, which, she says, have suffered numerous children’s rights violations.
When asked what motivates her most in life and in work, Ajna responds, “My main drive is people. Who they are and what they can do and feel. For me, human dignity is the most important thing and I think it’s very important to respect everyone’s dignity. I don’t like when someone’s dignity is attacked. That’s my drive. It drives me to fight for equality so that everyone can live with dignity. On the other hand, activism is another one of my passions. I am guided by activism, I live and breathe it. I achieve my goals and motivations through activism and that makes me happy. I often say, small hands can create big smiles, and I stand behind that.”
Her motives are quite clear. She wants to stay in BiH, face these problems, and try to solve them. She wants to be the voice of young people who deserve to be heard.
“If you have a group of young people, who firmly believe in a set objective, they will be the drivers of change. Young people need support. It is up to us to push those young people forward because everyone is lost if they don’t know where to turn to for help. On the other hand, there are always citizens that are more lethargic, but, at the end of the day, it is their choice whether they will be part of the change. The freedom to choose is everyone’s right,” Ajna says.
Ajna believes that young people need to understand how important it is that human diversity, starting with culture, religion, and history, should not be perceived as reasons for division, but as wealth from which we can learn about unity.
“We need to strengthen the idea of an equal society that does not live in the past. We need to strengthen solidarity, empathy, freedom, and choice before all else. This is my advice to the young people: work towards an equal society because only then will we have the opportunity to rise above all else,” declares Ajna.
She sees her future with the Forgotten Children of War Association and believes a number of goals have already been successful. The greatest success, of course, is the fact that people are finally talking about these children.
“For me, the greatest success is the fact that society is starting to get acquainted with this topic. The most important thing is that people know what we are speaking of when we mention “children born of war” and that they are offering their support. These are small steps, but I believe we will achieve great success. Strategic planning, organizational development, psychosocial support, and networking are some of the things that the association is still working on, but we are going to go further. The association has great plans that will be patiently implemented,” concludes Ajna Jusić.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 25th, 2019

author: Amra Džonlić


text:
He Tried to Strangle Me… I Bought a One-way Ticket Out | Balkan Diskurs
Monija Markić
January 28th, 2019
Violence against women in BiH is a problem that is still not being sufficiently discussed and victims of violence most often choose to remain silent due to a variety of societal, religious or material factors.
According to NGO data[1], one in five women in BiH are experiencing psychological or physical violence. 49-year-old Marija[2] from Mostar was a victim of such violence but is no longer a part of this statistic.
“A classic teenage story. I went to a high school that I didn’t really want to attend, so everything was more interesting than studying. He used to come to pick his brother up from school and that’s how we met. We were seeing each other in secret, and it was an idyllic relationship. Or so I thought. I was 18 years old and thought I knew everything I needed to know,” Marija begins her confession.
After several months of seeing each other, they decided to get married. She says she didn’t notice any signs of problematic behavior and that her ex-husband came from a nice family. But after they were married, he lost two sisters in a car accident and soon began consuming alcohol.
“We lived in a place near Banja Luka; a small place where everyone knew each other. Just three months after we were married, he began raising his voice and insulting me when something was bothering him. His parents were on his side,” says Marija, who at that time lived with her in-laws.
As the relationship progressed, so did the physical and psychological violence. The couple also had a child, a  little girl.
“Every passing day, things got worse and worse. The relationship wasn’t improving. He was throwing things around the house, smashing everything, insulting and hitting me. Once, he even tried to strangle me. Sometimes, I would just submit to his outrages, other times I would fight back, but there was never a good outcome.”
She asked her mother for help, but the attempt was unsuccessful. Society still condemned the abandonment of one’s spouse and returning to one’s parents.
“I was aware of the circumstances I was in. The institution of marriage had to be respected at all costs. I endured 15 months of uninterrupted fear, hoping for a better tomorrow. Then one day, I simply gathered my courage and headed to the bus station.”
Although she was worried and distraught over leaving her child behind, she did not give up.
“I asked for a one-way ticket to the furthest city from my hometown. When I sat on the bus, I felt relief. As if the shackles were released. With one bag in my hand and a little money in my wallet, I arrived in Mostar, a city I have never been to before and where I didn’t know anyone,” recalls Marija.
She first went to a coffee shop at the bus station where she immediately began inquiring about whether there were any job openings. The owner of another café overheard her and immediately offered her a job and accommodation.
“Later, there was a guy who would show up every day during my shift. And that’s how we met each other. We fell in love and got married. He didn’t care about the details of my past, or about my nationality. We are happy and now have two daughters.”
She saw her former husband only once in court after she moved away, and she sees her daughter from her previous marriage when she visits her birthplace.
“Maybe I was just lucky, but I know I would not have survived that hell. I think it’s important to take an interest in yourself and to throw away the constraints that society imposes upon you. Violence should never be socially acceptable,” concludes Marija, who built a new life for herself in Mostar.
[1] Č.T.: “Violence towards women in BiH: They mostly suffer and stay silent”, https://www.klix.ba/vijesti/bih/nasilje-nad-zenama-u-bih-uglavnom-sute-i-trpe/150909134, (17.2.2018.)
[2] The name Marija has been used in place of the interlocutor’s real name upon her request to remain anonymous.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 28th, 2019

author: Monija Markić


text:
Through Artistic Remembrance a Warning Unfolds | Balkan Diskurs
Nataša Kondić
January 30th, 2019
Although the war is behind us, its consequences are still visible today. Through individual exhibitions and artistic displays, museums across Bosnia and Herzegovina are making an effort to paint a picture of the difficult situations the population of this country has faced.
There are many problems that still exist—from the differing opinions of the country’s three constituent peoples, to war crimes for which no one has answered for, to the victims of the war who have fallen into oblivion because they have been reported as missing. Through individual exhibitions and artistic displays, museums across Bosnia and Herzegovina are making an effort to paint a picture of the difficult situations the population of this country has faced.
In the Republika Srpska (RS), independent authors, artists, and galleries are making an effort to address topics war and post-conflict. Some museums are also making attempts to address such issues, including the Museum of the Republika Srpska and the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republika Srpska. The Museum of the RS is regarded as the central institution for the protection of cultural goods and has more than 40 employed curators, conservators, pedagogues, and restorers. In this regard, it represents the most important museum in the RS.
In addition to its exhibitions, catalogs, promotions, educational workshops, and museum classes, the Museum of the RS also tried to address topics of war and post-conflict by organizing two important exhibitions. One exhibition titled “Fifteen Years Since the Signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement” was organized in 2010 and presented real and objective events that took place between 1990 and 1995. The second exhibition was organized in 2012 under the name “Features of the Army of Republika Srpska in the Defensive Homeland War 1992-1995”. This was an exhibition that, for the first time ever, featured 150 original insignia worn by the RS Army units in the past war. Weapons, uniforms, photographs, and two authentic films were presented alongside these insignia.
Director of the Museum of the RS, Nada Puvačić, explains that exhibitions with war themes are often politically influenced and stresses that the Museum has respected its obligation to uphold historical distance, which allowed them to create exhibitions unburdened with emotions, unverified data, and controversial facts.
“There were other exhibitions we chose not to take part in because of our commitment to historical distance, which ensures proper access to historical events and interpretations of what is and is not true, free of political influence. Exhibitions on this topic that are displayed in other museums in our area have revealed that curators do not always live up to the expectations of their profession and that some exhibitions just serve as political propaganda,” the director explains.
The war is a delicate topic, thus, when transmitting a credible message that represents a crisis period, special attention must be paid to every detail. Times of crisis, unrest, death, strife, poverty, and fear must serve as a reminder and warning so that similar events will not be repeated in the future.
The exhibitions organized by the Museum of the RS have generated broad public interest, as evidenced by the fact that openings of its exhibitions were attended by the High Representative of BiH, Valentin Inzko.
The museum’s director points out that they are planning to organize additional exhibitions of this nature in the future and that they will be launched only after thorough, expert, and time-intensive research of archival documents.
“When an exhibition is done professionally, its messages are scientifically and culturally neutral. An exhibition designed in this way leaves no space for political influence or manipulation,” explains Puvačić.
Several independent authors from the Museum of Contemporary Art RS have also dealt with the issue of war. Among them was Dr. Mladen Miljanović, who translated his military experience into photographs that depict the consequences of the war. Miljanović graduated from a specialized school for reserve officers where he received the rank of sergeant, and, thus, his work presents a balance between the army and artistic realms.
The “I Serve Art” project and the “Sitno” dossier series, have identified and formalized the transition of space and society, which, in this case, coincided with Miljanović’s personal experience. He believes that there are drastic differences between the doctrines of art and those of the army. He also believes there are similarities in terms of the use and/or abuse of both systems. He explains that, through the “Sitno” series, he has tried to examine the possibilities of applying a “drill-style” approach that is characteristic of army operations, but in the context of art, which was reflected in this work through the enforcement of his own everyday creativity.
His exhibition “Sitno” offers a series of two-dimensional and three-dimensional paintings that are permeated by soldiers and their tasks. For the “I Serve Art” exhibition, which combines several works produced during Miljanović’s voluntary isolation inside the former military base “Vrbas” in Banja Luka, the artist covered gallery walls with a silhouette of soldiers as a way to “occupy” the space with his art. His works linking art and war also included making a flower out of bomb parts, thus showing the absurdity and, at the same time, the connection between these two themes.
The spokeswoman for the Museum of Contemporary Art RS, Branka Šestić says that the Museum works on the principle of democracy in order to overcome problems in society and to work on reconciliation. She also points out that works related to the topic of war were primarily created through the lens of the curators’ and artists’ personal experiences, which were transferred into artistic expressions. She also states that the post-war problems of today – identity crisis, nationalism, negation and manipulation of war crimes, and political manipulation – are something that the curators and artists are trying to portray in their works. Curators like Mladen Miljanović generally deal with the post-war problems that are still present in our society today.
In addition to Miljanović, Radenko Milak also worked on the war-related topics with a primary focus on civilians. His exhibition titled “And what else did you see? I could not see everything” depicts different events that took place during the war in BiH. The exhibition included a series of photos of a soldier kicking civilians on the street.
Curator Žana Vukičević points out that such topics are more interesting to foreign curators because they represent populations from crisis areas but believes that the local society has outgrown such topics and that forcing them won’t solve its post-war problems.
The dichotomy between countries in transition and other more advanced countries was best illustrated by Mila Panić in her video work showing one family who lives in BiH and whose life is not easy as a result of their everyday struggle to survive and feed their family, whereas their relatives, who live in Australia, live in abundance buying new unnecessary things every day. This video shows the harshness of post-war society and poverty in comparison to life in countries where “the milk and honey flow”.
Another artist who uses the medium of film is Adela Jusić. She produced a documentary film titled “The Sniper”, which narrates excerpts from a notebook her father kept on his actions as a soldier during the war in 1992.
In the UDAS Gallery in Banja Luka, the exhibition “In the Silence of Oblivion” by painter Aleksandra Grbović was organized. Grbović’s graphic art aims to depict her feelings and emotions about the unpleasant events such as World War II, the Novi Sad raid, and the NATO bombing, that hit Serbia and innocent civilians.
“I want to awaken people’s empathy so that certain things will never be forgotten. I embed many symbols of war and suffering within my work, but also important dates. I created my graphics in a way that people could interpret through their own eyes,” the young artist said.
The “War of Memories” exhibition, organized by the Center for Nonviolent Action, was presented to Banja Luka audience in 2016 in the Staklenac Music Pavilion. The aim of this exhibition is to research, document and analyze the politics of memorization and the culture of remembrance in BiH for all three peoples that fought each other.
Topics related to war and its legacies have been addressed with an aim to show the suffering experienced by the citizens of BiH. This was done to serve as a warning, to both the general population and the political powers, to not disturb the safety of the common man and to work on establishing peace and reconciliation. Some things cannot be changed, and some memories can never be erased. It is desirable that through these exhibitions we draw attention to how important it is to ensure that past events of war and conflict are never forgotten and never repeated.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: January 30th, 2019

author: Nataša Kondić


text:
Banja Luka Speaks Out: Let Us Breathe with Clear Lungs | Balkan Diskurs
Andrea Aleksić
February 1st, 2019
Tobacco came to Europe in the 16th century. In the beginning, only members of the upper class, predominantly men, had access to it. Nowadays, however, it is available across the globe and is easily accessible to anyone and everyone.
Tobacco is one of the primary ingredients in a cigarette, which also contains tar and seven thousand other substances that are harmful to humans and the environment. The victims of tobacco smoke’s harmful effects are not just the smokers, but the people around them who inhale the smoke coming from the cigarette as well as the smoke that is exhaled out of the smokers’ mouth.
The negative impact that cigarettes have on human health was noticed since the early 20th century, however, there are still many countries around the world that have yet to take any measure to reduce people’s exposure to air that is contaminated with tobacco smoke. One of those countries is Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). Unlike developed European countries or the United States, smoking in public, indoor spaces is still permitted in BiH. Such conditions directly endanger both the smokers as well as the non-smokers who have no other option but to inhale contaminated air.
In an effort to change this country’s current situation and make our environment healthier, the initiative “Klima Bez Dima” was launched. As part of this initiative, a series of educational and informational events have been organized across the country, one of which was held on January 31st, or No Tobacco Day, in Banja Luka. The event, titled “A Life in Smoke: Save Me!” was attended by students from the University of Banja Luka’s Faculty of Medicine, young singers from the MaMa Vox Music School, and Banja Luka citizens who, alongside the event’s organizers, shared their opinions on this important topic.
“Unfortunately, I am constantly exposed to tobacco smoke. I am not a smoker. I do not smoke, and my husband stopped smoking four years ago at the behest of me and our daughter, so we’ve helped him. In the interest of our children, I would really love to see this initiative grow,” says Mirjana (43) from Banja Luka.
Zoran (51), another concerned parent, agrees: “Most of the parents support this initiative and I believe it will be successful.”
Nataša (37), an attendee of the event, explains: “The thing that bothers me the most is the smoke in public places, especially in the shopping malls where there are no smoke-free areas you can take your children to avoid exposure. Unfortunately, our children are constantly exposed to contaminated air and there is no way for us to protect them. I sincerely hope this initiative will catch on. I will be giving my support and I really hope others will also.”
The greatest concern regarding this issue was shown by parents who, even if they are not cigarette or tobacco product consumers, are unable to prevent their children’s exposure to second-hand smoke. Young people typically grow accustomed to the smoke and, thus, do not give the issue too much significance.
Srđan (24) says: “I’ve been to countries where smoking in public places is prohibited. Here, it doesn’t bother me because pretty much everyone around me smokes, but it’s undeniable that this has a bad influence on our health. This is why I support the initiative to reduce tobacco smoke in public places.”
We asked student of medicine, Tatjana Grabovac, for her professional opinion about the health impacts of smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke. She responded: “Tobacco smoke is extremely harmful and leads to an increase in cancer cases, especially lung cancer. In addition to cancer, smoking and exposure to tobacco smoke can negatively affect other organs and systems of the body, which can lead to a variety of health issues such as cardiovascular disease, impotence in men, pregnancy complications in women, and even blindness.”
Tatjana explains that, although nobody in her immediate company smokes, she is still constantly surrounded by tobacco smoke when she goes out to clubs or coffee places with her friends. “We need to draw attention to the fact that you unwillingly become a passive smoker as a result of continued and prolonged exposure to second-hand smoke, which increases your risk of illness. Klima Bez Dima and similar initiatives incorporate an educational component that aims to get people to start thinking more deeply about their life decisions as well as to motivate them to make the ultimate decision to quit smoking.”
Smoking is an addiction that has plagued our society for over five centuries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 5 million people die worldwide each year as a direct consequence of active smoking, while an additional 500 thousand deaths can be directly linked to the effects associated with exposure to second-hand smoke. Tobacco kills more people than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and malaria combined, and, according to estimates, more than 1 billion people will die of tobacco-related illnesses over the course of the 21st century if appropriate measures are not taken.
Tatjana says that smoking should be viewed as “one of the risk factors that we ourselves can prevent, thus reducing the likelihood of cancer and other related illnesses. We control the strings, and we all deserve a long and healthy life.”
Klima Bez Dima is part of the “Reducing Health Risk Factors in BiH” project supported by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the World Bank in BiH in partnership with entity Ministries of Health, entity Public Health Institutes, and other local stakeholders. To learn more about the Klima Bez Dima initiative and to sign the pledge to protect BiH citizens from exposure to second-hand smoke, visit www.klimabezdima.com.

created: February 1st, 2019


text:
Mostar’s Youth Take a Stand Against Tobacco Smoke | Balkan Diskurs
Marko Mlikota
February 1st, 2019
January 31st marks No Tobacco Day. Launched in 1982 as a way to alert the public to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke, this day is now celebrated across the region. This year, activists from the “Klima Bez Dima” (“Environment Without Smoke”) initiative decided to organize an action in Mostar to commemorate the occasion.
A creative and interactive video presentation titled “A Life in Smoke – Save Me!” was presented at Mostar’s Mepas Mall. As part of the presentation, the people of Mostar could press a button that stood in front of a smoke-filled screen to grant clean air to the person behind the smoke and symbolically save a life.
Organizers of the Klima Bez Dima event, together with young people from the Mostar Gymnasium and the Dance Club “Stars”, and with the support of the Public Health Institute of the Federation of BiH, celebrated life and pointed out the necessity of protecting citizens from exposure to second-hand smoke.
This event was part of a series of actions organized in Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Mostar that aimed to collect 10,000 signatures of support as well as to send a message to decision makers in the legislative bodies of both the Republika Srpska (RS) and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entities to work on adopting and implementing legal solutions that will better regulate issues related to tobacco control.
Dr. Davor Pehar, Director of the Public Health Institute of FBiH, states that smoking is the most widespread addiction in the Federation. He says that more than 11,000 deaths per year can be linked to diseases that are directly related to smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke.
“We hope to encourage the adoption of a tobacco control law that can support an environment where smoking in all public spaces is prohibited, which would reduce the harmful impact of second-hand smoke on our health,” Pehar adds.
Mostar high school teacher, Valentina Planinić, states that since a law has not been devised to forbid indoor smoking, there is a smokers’ room in her school where teachers can smoke.
“It is very hard to educate children about the dangers of smoking if their educators smoke and they see them doing it every day. The adoption of such a law would make educational activities easier. It would be easier to tell students that smoking isn’t healthy; that it is very harmful and that they don’t have the right to endanger others’ health. A smoker not only jeopardizes themselves but also those around them,” she explains.
Nela Azinović, a student from Mostar, says she is exposed to tobacco smoke on a daily basis as most of her friends and family members are smokers.
“I often advise people to stop smoking, but that rarely works. As a former student of medicine, I am more familiar with this problem and with the harmful effects of it, and I am very concerned for the people around me as well as for myself,” Nela adds, emphasizing that she will be supporting the Klima Bez Dima initiative because she believes it can bring about positive and significant changes for future generations.
Matea Perić, a high school teacher, is also exposed to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke on a daily basis.
“When I think about it, I realize that the problem is a major health threat for the population in general. Everyone is so accustomed to being exposed to smoke that it simply ceases to be a cause for concern. I, therefore, support this initiative and consider the prohibition of smoking in public places necessary. This would likely reduce the number of smokers because they would have limited opportunities to smoke and there would be far fewer places where cigarettes would be allowed,” she says.
Luka Miloš from Mostar is in a similar situation. Although he is a non-smoker, he is still constantly exposed to tobacco smoke.
“I’m terribly bothered by this because, first and foremost, it’s not a pleasant smell and, secondly, because I often have difficulties breathing due to my health problems.”
The Klima Bez Dima campaign is a continuation of efforts designed to raise citizens’ awareness of the harmful effects of smoking and the consequences of exposure to second-hand smoke. Everyone, including children, pregnant women, and elderly people, is constantly exposed to second-hand smoke in all public spaces across BiH.
The percentage of tobacco-related mortality in BiH is among the highest in the world. According to the World Bank in BiH, more than 9,000 people in BiH die each year from smoking-related illnesses. The campaign’s initiators point out that a complete ban on smoking in indoor public spaces is the only way to protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke.
Student Marija Sučić explains that, as a non-smoker, she is affected by her exposure to smokers everywhere she goes; from her own home to public areas such as parks and promenades to catering facilities.
“Tobacco smoke is harmful, especially for young people and children. I, thus, believe that smokers should respect other people’s right to breathe clean air and should not trap them in a room where the smoke is so thick it resembles fog,” she says.
Marija also thinks that institutions have a responsibility to educate youth about the negative aspects of a smoker’s life.
Student Stjepan Nižić sees smoking as a significant problem and says that he doesn’t feel relaxed when in the company of smokers.
“I think this situation presents a problem for the health of the environment and for the health of the smokers themselves. The number of young people who smoke is steadily increasing, despite the fact that we often see how harmful cigarettes are and how negatively they can affect our health, and this worries me,” he explains.
Student Ante Bagarić also views smoking as a threat to health and the environment. He fully supports any initiative to implement better laws in this area.
“I’ve been to countries where smoking in public places is prohibited and I would personally like such laws implemented in BiH because they would improve the quality of health here. I absolutely support the Klima Bez Dima initiative and I will definitely sign the pledge to support their actions. We really need these kinds of initiatives to bring about lasting changes that will benefit our society in the long-term,” he concludes.
Klima Bez Dima is part of the “Reducing Health Risk Factors in BiH” project supported by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the World Bank in BiH in partnership with entity Ministries of Health, entity Public Health Institutes, and other local stakeholders. To learn more about the Klima Bez Dima initiative and to sign the pledge to protect BiH citizens from exposure to second-hand smoke, visit www.klimabezdima.com.

author: Marko Mlikota


text:
We Must Protect Those Most Vulnerable to Second-hand Smoke | Balkan Diskurs
Armin Halilović
February 1st, 2019
No Tobacco Day was celebrated in cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) with the interactive multimedia exhibition and artistic performance series called “A Life in Smoke – Save Me!” organized by members of the “Klima Bez Dima” (“Environment Without Smoke”) initiative.
The initiative, which is part of the “Reducing Health Risk Factors in BiH” project supported by the Government of Switzerland and implemented by the World Bank in BiH, aims to raise awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco smoke and activate support for the revision of current tobacco control laws.
As part of Klima Bez Dima’s No Tobacco Day activities in Sarajevo, the Athletic Club “Atleta” from Novi Grad Sarajevo held an event called “A Race for the Lives of Young Champions” while young martial artists from Karate Club “Perfekt” Sarajevo delivered an artistic performance during which they utilized their craft to symbolically disperse the dark clouds of tobacco smoke the envelop much of Sarajevo’s public spaces.
32-year-old Amel Kapo, the founder of the first and only swimming club in BiH for people with disabilities “Spid”, says that he supports the Klima Bez Dima campaign and initiative.
“First off, my entire family and I are non-smokers and it definitely bothers me when I go into an enclosed area that is filled with smoke. When we get home afterward, we literally have to take off all of our clothes because they stink of tobacco. If one of our goals is European Union integration, then we need to have and enforce non-smoking regulations. One of our club’s sayings is “We are all equal in water,” so why not be equal on dry land too?” says Kapo.
Tomislav Cvitanušić from the association “Maraton” in Sarajevo notes that health is an integral part of maintaining a stable society, and, although a societal shift towards embracing a healthier lifestyle is a long-term process, he believes that initiatives such as Klima Bez Dima play a crucial role in moving BiH forward down this path.
“We are falling behind when compared to other countries in our region and in Europe. This is why it’s even more important for us to implement such regulations at an accelerated pace,” Cvitanušić asserts.
The informal coalition “Partnership for a Smoke-free BiH” saw No Tobacco Day 2019 as an opportunity to appeal to all levels of BiH government to fulfill their obligations and ensure the respect and protection of the human rights to life and a healthy environment. The coalition, which is comprised of forty member organizations, is demanding the immediate adoption of a new legal framework that falls in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
An insistence on the adoption of tobacco control legislation that will improve the overall health of the population was emphasized throughout the day’s promotion of the Klima Bez Dima campaign and BiH is obliged to comply with the ratified Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
Director of Cooperation at the Swiss Embassy in BiH, Barbara Dätwyler Scheuer, says that everyone is aware that smoking is allowed in most public places in BiH, but that many citizens and decision makers are still unaware of the harmful effects of exposure to tobacco smoke and that children are often the first victims.
“We are joining a call for public action to save lives and ban smoking in public places. Let’s protect the children, the pregnant women, the elderly, the non-smokers and all others who choose to live a life free of tobacco smoke,” she said.
Professor Aida Ramić Čatak spoke about the negative health effects of tobacco smoke, stating that passive and involuntary smoking involves more people than just those who are active smokers. Active smokers exhale three-quarters of their tobacco smoke into the surrounding environment, thus endangering all those around them.
The professor reminds us that anyone who is staying in a room with other smokers has the same chance of getting sick from a smoking-related illness as if they were an active smoker themselves. Children, newborns, pregnant women, and patients suffering from chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable under these conditions.
In her opinion, the adoption of legislation is only one link in the chain, but it is a necessary link to enforce regulations under which no one can use their addition to justify the right to endanger the health of others.
Jamele Rigolini, Lead Economist and Program Leader for Human Development and Poverty for the World Bank, believes that smoking affects not only health but all aspects of life, including economics. He states that the financial costs of tobacco products in BiH amount to around 900 million BAM annually, which includes the direct and indirect costs of the healthcare sector.
He adds that about 9,000 people die each year from tobacco-related diseases in BiH and another 900 die as a result of exposure to tobacco smoke.
“The average family spends more than 2,000 BAM on cigarettes annually, which is a lot of money,” concludes Rigolini.
To learn more about the Klima Bez Dima initiative and to sign the pledge to protect BiH citizens from exposure to second-hand smoke, visit www.klimabezdima.com.

author: Armin Halilović


text:
With a Good Story and Some Perseverance, You Can Reach the Masses | Balkan Diskurs
Kristina Gadže
February 4th, 2019
“The greatest challenge that journalists face is the persistence of doing and publishing a story regardless of possible consequences,” says Amarildo Gutić – a journalist working for the online magazine Žurnal. He reminds that journalists in Bosnia and Herzegovina are faced with a number of problems and challenges as part of their work, such as political and financial pressures.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has quality laws regulating the field of media, however, the legal protection of the journalists is still inadequate. From 2012 to the end of 2018, 121 criminal cases against journalists were reported. These reports included one attempted murder, a significant number of physical attacks, death threats, and property damage. Only eight out of 121 cases were resolved in the journalists’ favor according to data from the Association of BH Journalists.
BiH journalists are faced with a number of problems and challenges as a result of their work; political and financial pressures are the most significant. However, regardless of the harsh working conditions, journalist Amarildo Gutić believes that change is possible and that the greatest reward for a journalist is when his or her work has an impact on the public.
Only with a good story and perseverance can a journalist’s research reach the masses. Gutić explains that the greatest challenges regarding his work are maintaining the perseverance to finish a story and, “Publishing it regardless of the possible consequences and pressures that you, and the editorial staff, will be exposed to as well as to continue working at the same pace.”
In the era of the Internet, digitization, and speed of information transfer, only a few media houses choose to deal with serious research stories that require time and persistence. An additional problem is the commercialization of media, which makes searching for truth rather peripheral.
Gutić emphasizes that the online magazine Žurnal and other portals who are part of the Anti-Corruption Network of Civil Society Organizations “ACCOUNT” are setting the example for media that advocate for truth as a prioritized value.
“There are, indeed, a large number of people who understand what we are writing about and have meaningful comments. Then you realize that this is the frustrated portion of the electorate who may not even be voting in the elections. There is also a part of the readership that approaches topics like fans would, meaning they don’t like anything that is written against their favorite ‘team’, but anything in support of that team is welcomed,” says the research journalist.
Today, media are also often subject to defamation lawsuits from the individuals or institutions they report on. Gutić explains that even the judiciary has become a service to these institutions and political elites.
“I could provide a number of different examples, such as the lawsuit filed by a “respectable” businessman who does not submit a single document or testimony that provides evidence that what you wrote about them was false. On the other hand, you prove that you wrote on the basis of relevant documentation and valid sources, but the judgment ends in his favor because, apparently, the truth is not important. What is important then? The fact that he, supposedly, experienced mental anguish as a result of what was written about him? In this case, the appellate verdict has been resolved in two months, although, on average, the actual process can take a year or more to complete. This is evidence enough to back up my argument on this topic,” Gutić explains.
All the research reports on the state of the BiH media cite that journalists are exposed to insults and attacks, especially online. The size of the security problem for journalists is visible among the negative online commentary and death threats. Gutić says that it is the editorial staff and journalists themselves who decide how much importance they will attach to these threats. He points out that Žurnal reported their cases to the relevant prosecutor’s offices.
He reminds us that, unfortunately, with the arrival of new technologies, journalism has adopted speed as the primary element for obtaining news. This has impoverished the demand for truth. Information has become the only important thing, not accuracy or truth.
“Copy-paste journalism, if such a thing can be called journalism, is rife. There is no journalism without fieldwork, under all weather conditions, and in different environments. There is no journalism without explicit and direct communication with people. It is necessary to restore the dignity of public broadcasters who have become the direct accomplices or servants of politics and who promote corruption, nepotism, and a false sense well-being,” said Gutić, who believes there are too many personal interests within the journalism realm today.
He also notes that local media have become too dependent on the companies and politicians that fund them, and, thus, cannot report on the problems that surround them.
Gutić also adds that fear of publication is the most difficult fear to avoid, citing an example from his many years working in the field: “I met a man in one village whose son was not enrolled in the birth registry even a year after his birth. The registrar refused to enroll the child solely because the child’s name was Fikret and they associated the name with a person they hated named Fikret Abdić. After I published this story, organizations advocating for the protection of children’s rights reacted. Shortly thereafter, the child was finally given a birth certificate.”
Gutić has encountered numerous other obstacles in his line of work such as restrictive editorial policies, management that manipulates journalists, and administrative boards who are working in accordance with politics and political bodies. He also experienced numerous attempts at censorship during his time at Radio Television Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), but he left this outlet when the program director demanded to remove an article that was not in favor of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) political party.
Gutić adds that many journalists are public supporters of political parties and they operate within the media in the ways that suit them. However, such work is not objective and is far from professionalism.
“A journalist who becomes a political activist is a journalist who has already left the profession. Expressing sympathy for the parties is ever-present in public broadcasts and we are witnessing a considerable number of journalists who have tried, or are still trying, to achieve a political career,” Gutić warns.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: February 4th, 2019


text:
Individuals Can Change Things for the Better | Balkan Diskurs
Nataša Lazukić
February 6th, 2019
Banja Luka’s Humana Srpska Foundation was established with the aim of helping the injured and sick people. This Foundation provides assistance regardless of religious and ethnic background.
The Humana Srpska Foundation in Banja Luka was established to help the most vulnerable members of society, regardless of skin color, gender, age, religious affiliation, place of origin, etc.
The Foundation’s president, Valentina Kecman, said they want to motivate people to help with the collection of necessary funds and they provide a number of opportunities for Bosnian citizens to volunteer and directly contribute to their efforts.
“If we are not able to materially or financially contribute to people in need, volunteering in humanitarian actions can contribute to fundraising and can, thus, show our human side,” Kecman says.
According to Kecman, the members of Humana Srpska collect and provide assistance to those affected by natural disasters, the sick and elderly, and those who have suffered a serious injury or are disabled.
“With economic distress often comes emotional pain and suffering, which can make life seem unbearable. Those of us who are in a more advantaged situation, or who have successfully overcome past suffering and hardship, should give back to those who are currently struggling. It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day. Sometimes, it takes only a word of comfort, and sometimes, a small donation of clothing, food, or school supplies, to uplift someone,” explains Jovana Marijanac, Humana Srpska’s vice president.
Marijanac adds that the foundation organizes a variety of different fundraising events and activities, including donor drives and educational and cultural events around various humanitarian initiatives. One year, over the New Year holiday, Humana Srpska launched a campaign called “Let’s Share the Festive Joy” during which they distributed gifts at the Children’s Psychiatry Clinic as well as at the Children’s Hematology and Oncology Department at the University Clinical Center of Republika Srpska. Children and families in need were given food parcels, household goods, clothing, and children’s footwear.
The organization currently cooperates with universities, schools, professional services, and other organizations to achieve its goals, and Kecman says, “We are open to cooperating with other foundations, institutions, and commercial business so we can do more, both for vulnerable individuals as well as for the broader community. In the future, and in addition to our humanitarian actions, we hope to organize actions of general interest to the community and free activities that will be accessible and beneficial to all citizens, no matter their social status,” Kecman says.
Kecman and Marijanac both believe that individuals can change things for the better if they just turn their words into actions. “It is in our nature, tradition, and culture to help one another. Let’s look inside, let’s find the humanity within ourselves to help others. Let’s take the steps needed to improve the lives of others,” Marijanac concludes.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: February 6th, 2019

author: Nataša Lazukić


text:
A Distorted System of Values Among BiH Youth: Who Are Their Role Models? | Balkan Diskurs
Ognjen Todorović
February 8th, 2019
When it comes to establishing role models, schools are losing the battle with the media. Young athlete Emir Bekrić became the main topic of conversation when he won gold at the European Youth Championship in Tampere for the 400-meter hurdle, breaking the national record with a time of 48.76 seconds. Because of his young age, he is a relevant role model for this country’s youth, so we asked him who his own role models were growing up, and if he believes today’s system of values are distorted.
The most important thing that has followed my success is that kids are turning to sports and physical activities as a means of accomplishment in their lives. Young people are logical; they look for winners and people who have achieved results. They later analyze how their role models attained such results. They begin to imitate them, aspiring to reach the same heights of success. This is not unusual, this has always been the case no matter the time nor the place. If communities and the media promote the concept of partying and debauchery as indicators of success, or if those with the biggest bank accounts headline the news, then it’s logical to assume that young people will follow these examples. Unfortunately, the consequences of their decision to follow such examples are also apparent.
Emir agrees that the time has come for youth to change their role models: “If people like me, Đoković, mathematicians who win medals in world championships, programmers, and other honest people who earn their money through honest work get into media’s spotlight, then things will start to change.”
In recent years, the cultural awareness of BiH’s youth and citizens has decreased. Despite the fact that many towns situated inside our little bubble offer rich cultural events, young people are neither informed nor interested in such activities, as if they don’t even exist. Proof of the deterioration of our citizens’ cultural awareness is in the low attendance at quality events organized by national and state cultural institutions. These are some of the reasons why the life and spare time of our country’s youth are wasted, and their surplus energy is channeled in the wrong direction.
One conclusion that can be drawn from this sad state of affairs is that young people identify themselves with and respect those who they deem successful. They are supposed to identify with quality and accomplished people, as once was the case, but all of the sudden, the Bosnian cultural scene was thrown into anarchy, with rules established by a small percentage of an oligarchy who are inspired by lust, kitsch, and scandal.
Identification with role models and idols is an important part of the social and emotional development of children and youth. Healthy social intelligence must accept the criteria under which certain persons with whom there is any type of contact or direct interaction are to be considered role models, while idols should be those who stimulate awareness and are engaged in socially and generally beneficial existence. Under such conditions, children and youth should identify themselves with role models and imitate idols.
The scene in which elementary school graduates go to high school dressed as if they are going to the night club became the standard iconography within our educational institutions. Teachers in elementary school often joke that little girls pay more attention to the selection of their graduation dresses than to the selection of their actual high schools, but are right to take a more serious tone when speaking of the influence of youth’s idols on not only their wardrobe but on their life philosophy.  It is a fact that young people often disregard what they are taught at home, and this shows once patriotism is measured in the number of beaten foreigners, burning torches, as well as when youth idols become people armed with ignorance.
It is a fact that, for generations, children’s idols have not changed. They are their parents, older siblings, cousins, family friends, or teachers. In the 1940s, a leading idol among youth was Ivo Lola Ribar, in the 50s it was Bobek and Šekularac, in the 60s it was Che Guevara, Đorđe Marijanović and the Beatles, in the 70s it was Zdravko Čolić and “Bijelo dugme”, in the 80s it was Lepa Brena, and in the 1990s their idols became Knele and Ceca.
Recent research done by the Department of Psychology on Faculty of Political Sciences in Banja Luka on the role models and idols of high school students in the Republika Srpska (RS) reveals some things that are not in accordance with Emir’s reasoning. The results show that the idols of almost half of the students are public figures, most of whom are from the entertainment, sports, culture, and political arenas. Around 2,500 students from 26 schools across the RS listed Svetlana Ražnatović, Jelena Karleuša, Isidora Bjelica, Ognjen Tadić, Zoran Đinđić, and Bill Gates as their idols.
Dragica Pavlović-Babić, psychologist and one of the authors of this study, says youth idols are those persons that are presented to them in media and those that their families hold in high regard and says, “Schools are losing the battle with these idols.” She adds that it should come as no surprise that girls ages 14-15 present themselves at their graduations as if they just wandered off of TV.
“If the schools view graduation as the cornerstone of the educational process that must be celebrated in a bar and where young people should stay until two in the morning, then there is no sense in complaining that girls wear clothes appropriate for bars and stages,” says our collocutor Dragica.
We then asked Dragica to comment on the results of the research. She responded: “If we take into account this broken system of values inside the family, school, and society as well as the social and economic class in which they grow up, how can we criticize the youth for their choice of idols? The first place will be reserved for idols from the entertainment industry (musicians, actors, TV personas). The second for athletes. These will be followed by politicians, then artists, then scientists, and last, the national heroes. When compared to similar research undertaken in Serbia in 1994 and 2000, significant changes in idol preferences have been observed. There are a lot more idols from the world of sports and entertainment and fewer politicians, which isn’t all bad. However, there are far fewer artists and scientists, which, you must admit, is troubling.”
What are the values that are hidden behind idols presented by our media? Is it success, luxury, fame, fortune, power? Once upon a time, the main reasons behind a high school student’s admiration were strong personalities (creativity, perseverance, resilience), humanity (goodness, fairness, love, tolerance) and intellectual ability (intelligence, knowledge, wisdom), whereas prestige (power, fame, riches) was much less important. Based on these changes to the idolatry hierarchy among youth, we can detect changes in their value system, and these changes are, in turn, a result of deeper social oscillations, turmoil, and idealizations.
This publication has been selected as part of the Srđan Aleksić Youth Competition, a regional storytelling competition that challenges youth to actively engage with their own communities to discover, document, and share stories of moral courage, interethnic cooperation, and positive social change. The competition is a primary component of the Post-Conflict Research Center’s award-winning Ordinary Heroes Peacebuilding Program, which utilizes international stories of rescuer behavior and moral courage to promote interethnic understanding and peace among the citizens of the Western Balkans.
The Balkan Diskurs Youth Correspondent Program is made possible by funding from the Robert Bosch Stiftung and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).

created: February 8th, 2019

author: Ognjen Todorović