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Vanja Šunjić’s Commentary: Historical Revisionism in the Education System | Balkan Diskurs
Vanja Šunjić
November 28th, 2022
Professors of Serbian Language and Literature do not see anything controversial in these competitions, but they emphasize epithets of pain, metaphors of suffering, hyperboles of loyalty, so that we become aware and never repeat the past. I often think about how historical revisionism comes about – how someone can possibly disregard the facts and create …
Professors of Serbian Language and Literature do not see anything controversial in these competitions, but they emphasize epithets of pain, metaphors of suffering, hyperboles of loyalty, so that we become aware and never repeat the past.
I often think about how historical revisionism comes about – how someone can possibly disregard the facts and create a narrative or narratives that suit one group, ignoring the causes, consequences, and the suffering of others to impose their own truth.
When I started working on issues of dealing with the past, I learned one very important thing, and that is that there is no such thing as truth. There are only facts, and the (re)interpretations of facts are truths. There are those that lead to collective catharsis and reconciliation, as well as those that foster rage and vengence.
Historical revisionism arises because dominant policies correspond to a culture of division, hatred, violence, spun headlines, and fabricated truths. These are the things which we are supposed to be protected from. Historical revisionism ignores the fact that dominant policies are the creators of this culture, with the help of the education system, the media, religious communities and domestic oral history. Because if we don’t defend ourselves against them, they will attack us (!).
Last month I went on a study trip that partially answered my questions about the origin and sustainability of historical revisionism in our societies – I use the plural, because we generally have three narratives for each topic, however, I would really like to say ‘society.’
On the study trip, we learned that there is no institutional cooperation between the memorials in Jasenovac and Donja Gradina. The connections between these two memorial centers are only maintained through the will of individuals, as if they were not parts of a shared history whose memorialization should be a joint effort. Afterall, divided histories pass more easily through the filters of revisionism. We also learned that the curator in Donja Gradina doesn’t have a problem with historical revisionism. He claims that it’s a positive process, despite the fact that the practice known as the revision of history is used for the re- and additional determination of facts. This is what he and they do. It is done without any moral dilemma, even though, as historians, they shouldn’t stand behind the figure of 700 thousand killed, as we have known for years that this figure is exaggerated.
At the Kozara Memorial Complex, we heard that the Chetniks weren’t really such bad guys and that there were locals among them who were just defending their hearths. This goes hand in hand with the narrative equating partisans and Chetniks – that is, the narrative which minimizes the importance of the People’s Liberation Movement which has been trying to take hold for years within society, the education system, and the official truth, including the narrative that Dr. Mladen Stojanović became a partisan by chance, since his primary identity is colored by the fact that he is the child of a priest.
While staying in Donja Gradina and listening to a lecture, I was reminded of the film “Dara iz Jasenovca” [Dara from Jasenovac] by Predrag Antonijević. This film deprives the camp’s victims of all possible identity and integrity, to the point that they are only Serbs. It also patronizes little Biljana Čekić to an extent it is disgusting to watch – a child in the role of the victim – especially after the media, wanting to portray her as a hero, emphasized the socio-economic status and circumstances of her family.
At the end of the seven-day study trip – on which there were people from Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina – we were all in agreement with one another, which gave me some hope for a better future.
However, upon my return to Doboj, this enthusiasm waned. In the hall of the Doboj School of Economics, I saw a display board dedicated to Jasenovac. On it were essays written by high school students, some of them in the first-person, about the suffering and Golgotha in the death camp. The suffering of non-Serb victims was not mentioned in any of those compositions.
It’s impossible to hold anything against the young writers, as these competitions are frequently held by schools, ministries, and sometimes even the Donja Gradina Memorial, where the works are exhibited. Professors of Serbian Language and Literature don’t see anything controversial about these contests, but rather continue emphasizing the epithets of pain, metaphors of suffering, and hyperboles of loyalty in the works, so that we become aware and don’t repeat the past.
The high school composition entitled “In Me Their Blood Flows” contains sentences such as: “The enemy formed its puppet state with the aim of exterminating a people from it,” and “[T]he Ustaša, in accordance with their barbaric and savage nature, killed just like that […] Fifty years later, the sons and grandsons of those Ustaša, following the example of their fathers and grandfathers, continued their bloody work of aggression against the Serbian Krajina and the Republika Srpska.” Along with being untrue, these claims are very malicious and dangerous. The high school girl who wrote them, however, was only transcribing into her work what she heard in her history and native language classes or saw on TV.
In the second text, we encounter the sentences: “Only God is on our side, although our spilled blood testifies otherwise. Our ancestors up above are witnesses of the suffering of our people. I am proud of the roots of my ancestors who give me the strength to fight for justice.” This is typical self-victimization, no matter how much they know that the cult of the victim makes us evil. These sentences can also be interpreted as a certain call for us to take justice into our own hands when it comes to the past suffering of our people, which is also very dangerous.
In the third text, the author asks the questions: “Why is our life like this? Lord God, how have we sinned against you? Why, are you not conscious enough to think about it because of fear and pain?” This puts the suffering of the Jasenovac victims on your own shoulders, because belonging to a collective and bearing responsibility means being protected and self-actualized, even if only on a symbolic level, no matter how much it costs us in real life.
The fourth composition on the board was for me the scariest. The author was a high school sophomore, who wrote a fictionalized story in first-person from the perspective of a ten-year-old girl about her experience in Jasenovac, mentioning that a girl two years younger than her had been raped by Ustaša the night before.
As I type these sentences, I feel a pain in my stomach, sadness and defeat in the face of the fact that the education system is teaching and raising the young generation, without the slightest sense of responsibility, to be the kind of nationalists who hate and take justice into their own hands.
It is important that all peoples know the facts about the suffering of their ancestors, and it is important to enable them to be commemorated with dignity. However, the distinction needs to be made between historical sources and fictional works based on interpretations, which are considered relevant in our country. Young people should learn about their own history and traditions, but in such a way that they dispose of the facts that have been stripped of the call to revenge and hatred of the ‘other’ and different.
In the minority who deals with the past properly and creates an inclusive space for dialogue between all groups – such as the Center for Nonviolent Action (Sarajevo | Belgrade), who organized the study trip “The Present of Our Past” did in this case – does not soon override the majority, I fear that we will become societies from which there is no escape.

created: November 28th, 2022

author: Vanja Šunjić


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How loud ‘till it becomes too loud? Environmental noise pollution in Western Balkans | Balkan Diskurs
Alem Bajramović | Filip Mirilović | Ilda Kurti
December 2nd, 2022
Noise data from Western Balkans are much higher than the health recommended guidelines. However, noise pollution is perceived as a “first world problem”, with no concrete measures being taken against it, while citizens worry about the deterioration of their quality of life.  “Due to excessive noise, I can say that I have damaged my hearing …
Noise data from Western Balkans are much higher than the health recommended guidelines. However, noise pollution is perceived as a “first world problem”, with no concrete measures being taken against it, while citizens worry about the deterioration of their quality of life.
“Due to excessive noise, I can say that I have damaged my hearing to some extent,” said Adem Čizmo, a 28 years old male from Sarajevo, who has lived his whole life next to the main city road, which is also crossed by a tram line: “From the early hours of the morning, we would be woken up by the noise of these vehicles, as well as the violent banging and vibration of the existing tracks”. Although not an expert, he assures us that “our railways are, to put it mildly, outdated and in very bad condition”.
The same experience was shared by Jovana K., who was born and raised in Belgrade’s Kralja Aleksandra Boulevard. Albeit annoyed, she never worried much about the noise of trams running along the boulevard because it had become a part of her quotidian life. It was only after the birth of her first child a few months ago, when Jovana started “googling” more about noise. She was quite shocked to find out about its harmful impact on the health of her little one.
Citizens blame the old infrastructure of the transportation system in their cities, as well as the fast urbanization and industrialization close to the living areas, as common denominators for the noise levels.
Sara S., who left her small town to move to the capital for her studies, says that noise in Belgrade is unbearable. “If a person is hypersensitive, or even just a little sensitive, sleep problems become more and more frequent due to the noise”, explaining that the constant loud noises coming from outside disturb her while she is working from home, adding stress to her routine.
According to the European Parliament’s Directive 2002/49/EC, the definition of  “shall mean unwanted or harmful outdoor sound created by human activities, including noise emitted by means of transport, road traffic, rail track, air traffic, and from sites of industrial activity”.
For the World Health Organisation, noise pollution is “an underestimated threat that can cause a number of short- and long-term health problems, such as for example sleep disturbance, cardiovascular effects, poorer work and school performance, hearing impairment, etc.”
In the light of the EU accession progress, candidate states need to comply with several requirements, where at the very bottom of the baseline for adequate monitoring stand the development of noise maps, strategies and action plans against noise pollution.
Although Western Balkan governments have attempted to tackle noise pollution within their legal frameworks, noise pollution generally remains a neglected problem.
Anes Podić, from the Bosnian environmental NGO ‘Eko Akcija’, believes that the biggest problem is that existing laws and strategies are not implemented in practice and that their implementation could solve environmental problems. “The problem, as usual, is in the inspections. Our inspections are poorly equipped in staff and materials. We don’t have an environmental protection agency, and when you report a noise problem, the inspections hire private companies that then do the measuring. We have had unpleasant experiences with the results of such measurements. Unfortunately, I guess, private companies in order to survive on the market, will issue the results that are required and then noise is never a problem” – Podić explains.
Heavy traffic is the biggest and the most underreported polluter. It hardly ever occurs for citizens to call the authorities and report about the noise of the traffic being too loud. The reason is quite simple: there is no one to blame for it.
According to the official answer we received from the Municipality of Tirana, “it results that the equipment and machineries that generate most noises in the environment include: electric generators; bar’s aspirators; air compressors [in] tire repair [auto] shops; water pumps for industrial capacity in buildings near inhabited urban centers; pneumatic hammers/pneumatic rock drills, excavators, cranes, pumps [in] construction sites; pneumatic hammers, drills and manual construction tools in the reconstruction of houses; pumps in car wash; concrete saws and wood cutting saws”.
Sarajevo Cantonal Inspectorate reported that citizens mostly complained about the noise from catering establishments.
The same thing was reported from the Secretariat for Environmental Protection of the City of Belgrade, which had received the largest number of complaints about the noise coming from night clubs.
An infamous case was recorded in Belgrade when inhabitants of Cetinjska street took the case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, after the local authorities did not do enough to address their continuous complaints about the unbearable noises coming from the nightlife in their district.
During our field investigation, we tried to measure the level of intermittent noise during daylight in Belgrade, Sarajevo, Tirana, Podgorica, Skopje and Prishtina, only to discover that the numbers are almost twice higher from the normal levels that WHO recommends, which vary around “30 decibels in bedroom during the night for a sleep of good quality, and less than 35 decibels in classrooms to allow good teaching and learning conditions”.
It is important to emphasize that we performed the measuring as ordinary citizens, by using a handheld sound meter device DSL-333 Tecpel.
The official methodology for measuring noise levels follows very strict protocols from trained professionals. In Serbia, for example, a special permit and special equipment is required.
However, measuring noise should not be carried out by professionals only. Every reader can be a fact checker by measuring the noise in their living areas with certain decibel meters apps you could find for free on the app store of your phone.
Table showing the data gathered by the journalists during their terrain work in the respective cities.
Based on our findings, Tirana seems to be the loudest capital of the region, marking 75.2 decibels. Belgrade comes as the second loudest capital, followed by Prishtina at 70.4 decibels. Sarajevo and Podgorica resulted to be the least noisiest capitals.
Gorjan Jovanovski, eco activist and Independent Councilor at the City Council of Skopje, explained to us that “laws and regulations on environmental protection exist in North Macedonia, but only on paper, in reality, environmental protection is not that important to the authorities”.
We did not receive information from the institutions of the city administrations of Sarajevo and Skopje on whether and how often they measure and monitor noise levels in their cities.
In an interview for Vreme magazine, Ivana Jovčić, the executive director of the Center for Environmental Improvement in Belgrade, explained that some studies show that for a third of the residents in big cities, noise “accelerates aging and shortens life“. Constant noise “exceeding 55 decibels“, leads to “insomnia, nervousness, irritability and cardiovascular problems“. According to official data obtained from the city of Belgrade, constant noise in most places exceeds the stated threshold of 55 decibels.
Investing in sound-proffing building facades and windows that muffle the noises coming from outside could be a quick fix, but it does not address the root of the problem. Different countries are solving the problem by installing low noise asphalt on the roads, as well as through the usage of quiet tires and quieter engines for the vehicles of the public transportation. Expanding their transportation infrastructure with electric vehicles, promoting cycling and the expansion of pedestrian areas, as well as the expansion of green areas in the city center are seen as longer term solutions.
The problem is present but the political will is still lacking. The real solution should come from the authorities by implementing the laws and by putting their environmental protection strategies into practice.
This article was developed with the support of Journalismfund.eu.

source: news-balkandiskurs

created: December 2nd, 2022

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


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Sister Vesna Zovkić: “Instead of a wife and mother, I chose to be a sister to every man” | Balkan Diskurs
Matija Krivošić
December 5th, 2022
“I fear the man who has read only one book,” said the famous Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. A book could be written about the inspiring yet simple life of Little Sister of Jesus Vesna Zovkić, and this would be a book which everyone should read. Sister Vesna interwove her life with human stories, …
“I fear the man who has read only one book,” said the famous Italian philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. A book could be written about the inspiring yet simple life of Little Sister of Jesus Vesna Zovkić, and this would be a book which everyone should read. Sister Vesna interwove her life with human stories, solidarity, and friendship with God as well as people.
Sister Vesna’s rich personal experience includes living in Kosovo in the 1980s, in France with nomadic Roma, with refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Gašinca during the war in the 1990s, in North Africa, and finally, volunteering in the migrant center in Opatovac during the first wave of migrants in 2015.
Sister Vesna dedicated her life to God in the Little Sisters of Jesus, an international order focused on ecumenical and interreligious dialogue. She offers her love and sincere smile to everyone, but especially to those who are different and those in need of a kind word in the uncertain and unstable times in which we live.
Sister Vesna translated the book Charles de Foucauld: In the Footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth, written by Little Sister of Jesus Annie, into Croatian. This book is also an introduction to her own biography, which she so jealously and modestly keeps.
“[Charles de Foucauld] lost his faith at an early age and found it again thanks to the Muslims of Morocco. Thus, it was not Christians who encouraged him to seek God, but Muslims – an unusual solidarity whose reasons only God knows. At the beginning of the last century, Brother Charles lived his last years in the Algerian Sahara, seeing every man as a brother, whether a Muslim, Christian, or Jew. He was glad that his house was called a brotherhood,” said Sister Vesna.
She also translated the book Voices Need to be Raised: Welcoming Migrants, an Appeal to Courage, by Benoist de Sinety, French priest and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Paris, which caused controversy. Certainly, as Sister Vesna herself notes, even the title will not appeal to everyone. Bishop Božo Radoš commented that this book “cures chronic diseases of prejudice, fear, superficiality, and cynicism that easily dominate our subconscious.”
“The author is clear that accepting migrants requires a certain courage. Not everything will be ‘nice and cool.’ He also says that fear blinds us and makes us cruel, and politicians take advantage of this fear by spreading this dangerous idea of the foreigner who would inevitably be our enemy. But we have no choice but to open our hearts and learn to live together, or we will all perish together,” explained Sister Vesna.
At the age of 22, she joined the order of the Little Sisters of Jesus, which, as she pointed out, was a surprise even for her. “While I was looking with the passion of youth for something worth living and giving everything for, I didn’t even know that I was actually looking for God. And when one day I saw God, who is Love itself, I had to choose between married life and pious life. In the end, I chose to be a Sister to every man instead of a wife and mother. All of the human loves are still there, they didn’t disappear. They just became part of one infinitely greater Love,” sister Vesna explained.
She was attracted to the community of the Little Sisters of Jesus, among other things, by the words of Sister Magdeleine Hutin, the founder of the order: “Before becoming a nun, become a human being.”
Sister Vesna was in Kosovo in the 1980s, where she said she learned her first and most valuable lessons about diversity, for which she is deeply grateful. It was there, she said, that she realized for the first time that she should give up culture comparisons and that her culture should not be used to judge others, as it is not necessarily the best.
“Kosovo revealed to me the beauty of diversity, complementarity. No one has everything. We all have something that we can give to others and there is always something that can be learned. In Kosovo, I discovered the beauty of community and solidarity, the beauty of the Albanian language. I also discovered the other side, of course. I can’t come to terms with the position of women, but I also can’t reduce my experience to just that,” sister Vesna explained.
Between 1992 and 1996, sister Vesna lived with refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Gašinca Refugee Center near Đakovo, in Croatia, after she and her Sisters were expelled from Aljmaš in 1991. The following year, she asked her superiors for permission to go live in Gašinca with one of her Sisters.
“We bought a second-hand camper trailer so as not to take up space for others. From that period, I remember the horrors of war, a lot of suffering and tears, but I also remember incredible humanity and solidarity. The outbreak of the war between Bosniaks and Croats was particularly painful, but even that did not stop us from still socializing together, celebrating Christmas and Eid together. You have no idea how many wonderful people I met there, who today I can say have actually become my family. And all of them are Muslims,” Sister Vesna described.
After September 11th, 2001, when everyone began arguing that the clash of civilizations was inevitable and that people were so different that co-existence was impossible, Sister Vesna asked for permission to go to an Islamic country in search of a ‘common denominator.’
“And so, I found myself in Algeria in 2002, then in Libya and Tunisia until 2014. In the end, you see that everyone has a common need to love and be loved. Of course, there is no ideal country or ideal culture. However, I was deeply moved by their hospitality. I was deeply moved by the Sahara nomads who have almost nothing and share with you what little they have, even though they are seeing you for the first time,” said Sister Vesna.
She also went on a mission to France with traveling Roma. From this experience, she says she remembers first and foremost the wonderful people. However, she remembers the widespread contempt, which she personally felt. “If they see you leaving your caravan or entering a shop with one of your Roma friends, you are often addressed without any respect. We were lucky if we could find a parking space near the shopping center because that meant having water and a proper toilet nearby. Sometimes I used to quickly wash my hair over the sink, needless to say people looked at me,” Sister Vesna recalled.
She also remembers the most beautiful masses, Easter and Christmas celebrations under the open sky in the courtyard of a monastery with an altar made of a few planks between the caravans. There were unforgettable songs on violins played by truly talented musicians, and chairs scattered around the field.
It was hard and painful for her when her Roma friends had to stop their caravans in a parking lot in a residential area, near the hospital where their child was staying due to severe bronchitis. “One of the tenants called the police because nomads are not allowed to stay in regular parking lots. The policeman who came to investigate heard from the parents that they were there because of a sick child, and when he saw that it was a very polite and orderly family, he said to them, ‘Excuse me, they told us that there are Roma people parked here!’ These people answered that they were Roma, but the policeman didn’t believe them. That hurt them a lot,” said Sister Vesna.
She also volunteered at the transit center in Opatovac. As she pointed out, in 2015, when a wave of migrants passed through Croatia, there was more sympathy than now.
“It seems to me that we had a little more sympathy then, although it wasn’t talked about much in either society or the Church. Perhaps it was more acceptable for people to see men, women, and children coming, whereas today, it’s mostly men. Of course, there are still women and children today, but fewer,” said Sister Vesna.
She pointed out that the borders are closed and that every attempt to cross is an extremely tiring and traumatic experience for young and healthy men, let alone women. “These are difficult, too difficult destinies, which we make even more difficult. We don’t realize that the time of hoarding and of great luxury has passed. The time of solidarity and sharing is coming. Otherwise, we will all perish,” said sister Vesna.
When asked how she views young people today when it comes to cultural diversity, she said, “I have the impression that there used to be broader perspective, that my generation in its youth was more interested in what was ‘on the other side of the fence.’ Nationalism is everywhere and unfortunately, more and more so every day. But, before that nationalism reached the youth, it reached the previous generations, those of us who raise these young people in one way or another.”
“Crossing borders is something that should characterize youth, and now I have the impression, possibly mistakenly, that young people prefer to close themselves off within the borders of their national and religious identity,” added Sister Vesna.
She thinks that regardless of age, a lot comes down to cheap emotions and narrow-minded patriotism. “Of course we need emotions, but all of life isn’t built on them. No such thing as cheap luck! Whatever it’s worth, it costs money, you need to make some kind of effort, raise your voice, ‘be the change we want to see in the world,’ as Gandhi says. I’m sorry that we are leaving such a chaotic society poisoned by corruption to young people. Because of this, many will not only peek into, but also definitely leave ‘the other side of the fence,’” lamented Sister Vesna.
The community of the Little Sisters of Jesus does simple manual labor out of solidarity with those who could not choose their occupation.
“I believe that the value of human life is not in our diplomas and knowledge. I am very grateful that for almost 40 years I worked mainly as a cleaner and manual worker, so I had the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective. There aren’t any first or second-class people, as is subtly implanted in our minds from all sides. Brotherhood implies equality and freedom,” Sister Vesna concluded.
Being human is not an easy task today. Admittedly, not because of competition, which is almost non-existent, but because of the Sisyphean urge to treat everyone and everything fairly, the way it should be – humanly. Sister Vesna is one of those people who should be an inspiration to us all.

created: December 5th, 2022

author: Matija Krivošić


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An Association Fighting for the Rights of Children with Disabilities | Balkan Diskurs
Muamer Zukanović
December 9th, 2022
A group of citizens dissatisfied with the rights that their children receive in the area of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton (HNK) founded the association Roditelji djece sa invaliditetom (“Parenting Children with Disabilities”) with the hope of increasing awareness among competent institutions of the issues children with disabilities face.
“The reason we came together under the auspices of the association is dissatisfaction with the position of our children in HNK, because the current government discriminates against us parents and our children with its decisions,” said Alisa Bajgorić, spokesperson for mothers of children with disabilities from the area of HNK.
She recalled that they had sent open letters to the Government of the Croatian National Academy of Sciences and to the Minister of Health, Labor and Social Protection, Dr. Goran Opsenica, asking for amendments to the law on child subsidies. “Our children should be able to receive child subsidies without means-tests,” she asserted. They also demand that the Law on Parental Care which applies in the Federation of BiH be implemented in the HNK, and that the competent institutions adopt a better approach in general towards children with disabilities and their parents.
Bajgorić hopes that their demands to the HNK government will not continue to fall on deaf ears. If that happens, they will be forced to demand their rights through public protests. This step, they are sure, would be an embarrassment to a country that is on the way to Euro-Atlantic integration and that they really love.
Selma Zukanović, the mother of a person with a disability, emphasized that children with disabilities in HNK are left to their own devices and the support of their parents and kindhearted people. “If we don’t resort to some form of nepotism, our children will be denied the progress and future they deserve,” said Zukanović. She pointed out that the attitude of the government towards children with disabilities makes her sad, but she hopes that the new cantonal government, which has yet to be constituted, might change something.
The group of parents of children with disabilities asked the current minister, Dr. Opsenica, whether the status of parent-caregiver is adequately regulated and whether they can expect an easier way to acquire medical equipment and orthopedic aids, which are often vital for people with disabilities. They also wanted to know whether they would be able to use rehabilitation facilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, because the HNK lacks proper conditions to care for people with disabilities and educated staff, as well as whether children with disabilities will have the right to child subsidies without a means-test.
They received no answer.
“We are trying to be independent and accepted in society, so the establishment of an association of children with disabilities and their parents in the area of the entire HNK implies greater mutual support and cooperation for us,” said Azemina Mehremić, member of the Ružičnjak association and president of the Youth Council. She is also the author of the books Zbirke pjesama, Behar, and Budućnost.
Mehremić emphasized that the cantonal, federal, and state authorities are obliged to provide them with better living conditions such as adequate education and public transport, but also everyday life because “people with disabilities are special in every sense.”

created: December 9th, 2022

author: Muamer Zukanović


text:
Bosnia and Herzegovina Makes Strides in Anti-Human Trafficking Efforts, Although Shortcomings Persist | Balkan Diskurs
Fiona Clunan
December 12th, 2022
Combatting human trafficking remains among the major human rights issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recent reforms, however, kindle hope that the country is making progress towards a more effective anti-trafficking framework. The elimination of trafficking will still require that Bosnia improve prevention efforts by fostering greater collaboration among political entities and with civil society, a particular challenge given mounting instability.
Over 20 years have passed since Bosnia and Herzegovina made international headlines for human trafficking after allegations emerged that the same UN peacekeepers sent to promote peace and human rights in the war-torn country had in fact facilitated sex trafficking. While no longer attracting the same international attention as the UN peacekeeper scandal, human trafficking remains a salient issue and a threat to human rights in Bosnia. According to the most recent estimates by the Global Slavery Index, around 12,000 people in Bosnia live in modern-day slavery, which amounts to over 3 out of every 1000 Bosnian residents experiencing forced labor or forced marriage (Global Slavery Index, 2018).
Despite such prevalence, from 2017 to 2021, Bosnian authorities only identified 306 potential victims of trafficking. Moreover, the victims of trafficking are not evenly distributed within society, as most victims belong to vulnerable groups. The majority of those trafficked in Bosnia are women and in particular children, who account for 62% of victims identified by the government. Ethnicity is also a factor in trafficking demographics, since members of the Roma community are more likely to be socioeconomically disadvantaged and vulnerable to trafficking. Roma children are particularly prone to being exploited as beggars. There are also increasing concerns that migrants, an estimated 70,000 of whom moved through Bosnia from 2018 to 2020, could be increasingly susceptible and underreported targets of trafficking as migration flows through the Balkans to Western Europe intensify (Council of Europe, 2022).
The prospects for progress nevertheless remain encouraging. Recent developments in Bosnia’s approach to combatting human trafficking reveal initiative to move the country forward in the protection of human rights. Last year, the United States State Department, which publishes annual “Trafficking in Persons Reports” (TIP) for most countries, upgraded Bosnia to Tier 2 (out of four tiers) meaning that it “does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so.” This rating places Bosnia ahead of neighboring Serbia and on par with other Western Balkan countries for its anti-trafficking efforts (US State Department, 2022).
A recent report by the Council of Europe’s Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) released in June 2022 further details the reforms that have improved Bosnia’s anti-trafficking framework.
As the report indicates, Bosnia’s federalized system places most of the legislative burden for combatting human trafficking on its two constitutive entities – the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) and Republika Srpska (RS) – as well as the Brčko District (BD). These administrative units are responsible for developing the criminal codes under which most trafficking offenses fall. The RS recently took several steps to amend its criminal code and fortify its anti-trafficking framework, including adding a legal provision shielding human trafficking victims from prosecution for crimes committed under compulsion from traffickers. It also expanded its definition of trafficking by adding explicit mention of “servitude,” “forced begging,” and “other forms of sexual exploitation.” Additionally, the RS criminal code expanded the minimum sentence for child trafficking from five to twenty years (U.S. State Department, 2021).
Important reforms have also materialized on the national level. Coordination among different governmental institutions in preventing, investigating, and prosecuting human trafficking has emerged as a chief priority in reform efforts. Bosnia’s Strike Force for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the country’s Regional Monitoring Teams (RMT) were both restructured to include members from a range of governmental institutions, including the police departments, social work centers, educational institutions, and ministries of justice (Council of Europe, 2022). Efforts were also made to recruit activists from the Roma community to participate in anti-trafficking initiatives. In addition to increasing cooperation in combatting human trafficking, the national government implemented measures to streamline its anti-trafficking approach. For example, it recently established a new database centralizing data on trafficking victims while also creating guidelines for a standardized process to assist victims (U.S. State Department, 2021).
Despite advancements in addressing human trafficking crimes, Bosnia has stopped short of taking full measures to combat the issue. The TIP report, while acknowledging the improvements in the country, named several shortcomings that prevent Bosnia from attaining the “minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking” and moving up to Tier 1 on its rating system. Reform efforts have yet to yield a substantial number of prosecutions for trafficking, which have in fact decreased in recent years. Last year, not a single human trafficker was convicted in the territory of the RS and BD, and FBiH saw a dip in the number of traffickers convicted compared to the past year. Several of those convicted, moreover, received sentences below the mandatory minimum (U.S. State Department, 2021).
Insufficient resources and training impede law enforcement from properly investigating and prosecuting human trafficking cases. Sometimes the failure to proactively identify trafficking victims results in the prosecution of victims themselves for petty crimes committed under compulsion (U.S. State Department, 2021). GRETA’s report also highlighted under-utilization of NGOs as resources for cooperation as a point of weakness in Bosnia’s anti-trafficking approach (Council of Europe, 2022).
Abida Pehlić, President of Novi Put, the foremost anti-trafficking NGO in Bosnia, echoed criticisms that the government has overlooked the importance of funding and cooperating with NGOs despite the central role they play in combatting human trafficking. “NGOs are the ones who are working on the ground, so we know what is going on, we talk to victims, and we provide direct assistance for victims,” she said.
She emphasized that anti-trafficking organizations are not included in the work on the anti-trafficking coordination teams, which is a big omission.
“We all, anti-trafficking stakeholders and actors, should really be part of one network or team, a coordinated effort, a streamlined effort to address the issue in a proper way, from all angles,” she added.
Pehlić remains concerned as well that strained political and economic conditions will hamper Bosnia’s anti-trafficking efforts. “Our main concern, to prevent human trafficking, is getting more and more difficult given the current political situation. This is not something new – the political tensions have been present since the war stopped – but now people are really desperate. They cannot get jobs, and even if they get jobs, they are underpaid, and they do not see any light at the end of the tunnel.”
In addition to increased vulnerability to trafficking caused by poor economic prospects, difficult political relations deter cooperation efforts between different state institutions needed to combat trafficking. GRETA’s report similarly emphasizes the issue of inadequate cooperation between RS and other government bodies and blames the “fragmented institutional framework of Bosnia and Herzegovina” for difficulties in achieving consistent and coordinated anti-trafficking efforts (Council of Europe, 2022).
The 2022 TIP report laid out several steps Bosnia should take to meet its standards for sufficiently combatting human trafficking. Among the recommendations are: to invest more seriously in identifying, prosecuting, and punishing trafficking cases; to expand assistance, legal protection, and restitution for victims; to increase funding and support for anti-trafficking NGOs; and to standardize procedures, including improving training throughout the judicial system, so that law enforcement, first responders, and judges properly handle cases (US State Department, 2022). GRETA’s report noted similar areas for improvement, with special emphasis on the need to provide victims with greater legal support as well as economic assistance and social inclusion even after they leave shelters (Council of Europe, 2022).
Such measures aimed at identifying trafficking cases and supporting victims, especially those which “offer potential victims proper protection, proper service provision, and a guarantee that their traffickers would be prosecuted and brought to justice,” are critical, Pehlić concurs. However, she stressed that “the most important thing is to be focused on prevention, to prevent people from becoming victims in the first place.” Until government institutions and civil society can build an adequate framework to address the conditions that allow human trafficking to occur – a substantial challenge given Bosnia’s political and economic turbulence – thousands will continue to suffer.

created: December 12th, 2022

author: Fiona Clunan


text:
A Retired Police Officer from Zenica Mends Broken Relationships | Balkan Diskurs
Selma Mašić
December 16th, 2022
Hanas Kovačević, a retired police officer from Zenica, has been using his law enforcement experience as well as the social connections he has made over the last 11 years to reconnect friends, acquaintances, and families who have fallen out of contact as a result of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) or other complications in peacetime.
He has connected thousands of people or, as he says, he has “solved cases.” This work has made him well-known even beyond the borders of BiH.
“People are calling from all over the world – from Germany, from Canada, from America. I was surprised when a girl from India called me, how does anyone from India know about some Hanas from Zenica?!” said Kovačević. He recalled that he and his colleague from Novi Sad managed to solve one case in seven days in which a girl from Turkey had been searching for her mother through German and Turkish television for more than 45 years, but was unable to find her.
It all started when he tried to find his own friend from the army, a man from Belgrade who he had been friends with during his military service in the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) in North Macedonia. This was the reason he made a Facebook profile in 2008. “I found him in Germany, and then started looking for other friends and I am in contact with them all the time,” said Kovačević. He explained that after renewing his own friendships, he decided to look for people’s lost contacts.
He joined different groups on Facebook devoted to helping people find lost contacts. To take his mind off his health condition, which forces him to stay at home, he joined the group called Broken Connections [Pokidane veze] and, as he says, “searches have already started there for children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and relatives who were separated during the war.”
The war in BiH resulted in many personal connections being lost; however, this is not the only cause.
“It was the war that separated families, for example brothers and sisters […] They each went to their own side. I don’t know why they didn’t manage to keep in touch, but some of them lost contact even before the war. There are also many cases of mothers who gave their children up for adoption. These are more difficult cases where the investigation is more demanding because the data of these children is protected,” Kovačević said.
Explaining how he finds others’ lost contacts, he explained that his JNA service in North Macedonia allowed him to meet many people from across the Balkans, many of whom became friends that he has stayed in touch with over the years. “Well, I contact them to help me, but also members of my FB group are helpful. Those who want to help come forward,” said Kovačević, adding that he has a lot of friends in Croatia and Slovenia as well.
He doesn’t charge for his work, and incidental expenses incurred during his searches are covered by the person he is helping. However, he says he’s had some cases where someone has said they would help locate a lost contact but then asked for compensation. When he explains to the person searching for the contact that money has been requested, they tell him that this is a “humanitarian group.”
“It is a humanitarian group, but sometimes a person is not a humanitarian. Someone doesn’t want to just do it, they want to be paid. Or when you ask for money, they say, ‘What are you looking for? Are you doing it for humanitarian purposes or what?’ Or else, ‘What do you need money for? Everything you need is on the Internet.’ If everything is on the Internet, sit down and look for it on the Internet. You don’t need me. Sit at the computer and find it on your own. It’s hard to explain that people won’t do something for free,” Kovačević remarked.
Sometimes the people he helps pay him, that is, as he says, for “the effort.” They send him 100-200 KM or buy him lunch. “I don’t ask for that, you know,” Kovačević added.
He is satisfied with what he does, and his greatest satisfaction is when he sees people happy. With a smile on his face, he recalls how he reunited students from one class in Vogošća after more than 30 years. As a sign of gratitude, they invited him to the graduation anniversary, which, as he says was “a special experience.”
“When you see these emotions…they don’t recognize each other. Some have changed a lot over the years, some are disabled now because of the war. Women are married…and when they met, it’s nice to see that. I just stand there and watch from the sidelines. They have stories to tell. They don’t know what to ask each other first. There are a lot of them at once and everyone wants to talk to everyone, and everyone wants to ask someone something. All that is nice to see,” said Kovačević.
However, not all stories have a happy ending. “The worst thing is when a child is looking for a parent who left them. And you find the parent. The child was already abandoned once, and when you find the parent, the parent doesn’t want them, so the child is abandoned a second time. These are very ugly situations. It’s a very unpleasant situation when you tell someone that their parents don’t want them,” Kovačević said.
As he says, reconnecting parents with children whom they have given up for adoption are some of the most difficult cases. Since the personal data on both the parents and the child are protected by law, it’s very hard for him to trace them.
The retired police officer understands that institutions are governed by laws, but he believes that it would be great if there could be some compromise. One sure way would be to sign a statement of criminal and material liability, ensuring that the data will not be misused or fall into the wrong hands, but that the team will submit all its work to the institutions, so that they have the necessary data.
The fact that he is a retired police officer and is trusted by many people makes his job much easier. For example, he says when you tell someone in Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and North Macedonia that you worked as a policeman, they approach you differently and are more open.
Early on, he accepted a lot more requests, but today he is more selective because it’s become overwhelming for him. He only takes on cases where he really sees a potential for him to have an impact, or as they say in the police, cases that are “open-and-shut.”

created: December 16th, 2022

author: Selma Mašić


text:
Fight for Employment: A Losing Battle in BiH? | Balkan Diskurs
Amina Sejfić | Balkan Diskurs | Eleni Karvountzi
December 19th, 2022
A simple Google search with the terms ‘looking for a job’ or ‘job opportunities’ in the Bosnian language gives you a good feel of the current situation in the country. What comes up most of the time are tabs for jobs in Germany, opportunities abroad, or statistics on unemployment, especially for youth and women. With this gloomy picture in mind, we will focus on laying out the biggest challenges to reaching full employment in the country and potential ways forward.
There are several factors contributing to rising percentages of unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the most notable being the lack of practical components in education, the overall disconnect between the educational system and the labor market, levels of corruption and nepotism, and the lack of incentives for certain business fields. World Bank statistics show that the unemployment rate in the country went down from 15.7 % in 2019 to 14.9 % in 2021, while the youth unemployment rate for 2021 was 32.9%, compared to the global average of 19.14%. Additionally, the highest rate of youth unemployment for the last 30 years (1991-2021) in Bosnia and Herzegovina was 63.11%, in 2012. The steady decline in unemployment is not a real sign of progress but mostly the result of outward migration. According to the Union for sustainable return and integrations in BiH, 170 thousand left the country in 2021, and some statistics show a whopping number of close to half a million people who have left the country since 2013.
Although the national economy has been steadily expanding since the 1990s, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), Bosnia and Herzegovina still has one of the ‘most challenging labor markets in the region.’ Any progress within Bosnia’s labor market is aggravated by the trends of outward migration, fragmented governmental structures, and complicated bureaucratic public administration which makes any development toward long-term reforms and socio-economic responses almost impossible. ILO also notes that the country’s economy was relatively able to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis, but that this recovery did not improve the labor market, as in 2020 alone, the country saw a 7.4% decline in working hours, which is equivalent to 85,000 full-time jobs.
Since the war and genocide of the 1990s, Bosnia’s education system has been undergoing a transition aimed at modernizing first the infrastructure destroyed in the war and then its outdated curriculums. However, this transition has been heavily stalled by the lack of a state-level Ministry for Education, as all reforms and governance of the education system are highly concentrated at the entity, cantonal, and local levels, and the level of Brčko District. In such an environment, the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) underscored serious concerns about the quality of education in general, as well over half of 15-year-olds were low achievers in reading, writing, and mathematics, compared to a fifth of their counterparts in the European Union. Interestingly enough, the same assessment found that the index of students’ cognitive adaptability in Bosnia and Herzegovina was one of the highest among participating countries and economies. While most schools where the assessments were done said that they lack the capacity to properly teach students, the European Commission report noted also that there is a constant mismatch of education curricula with labor market needs (European Commission, 2020).
In terms of capacities and funding, some 4.6% of the total Bosnia and Herzegovina budget goes to education. About 91% of these funds are consumed by teaching and administrative costs, leaving very little room for investment in infrastructure, quality improvements, or innovation. The training of teachers is also a challenge, as most rely on training provided by civil society or other institutions outside of their schools (European Training Foundation, 2020). With all this in mind, it comes as no surprise that young people in Bosnia and Herzegovinian leave the classroom unprepared for the difficult labor market and competition for stable employment which awaits them. In most cases, employers seek only experienced workers, excluding young people without previous work experience, which in turn makes it impossible for young people to obtain even entry-level positions. This phenomenon creates the so-called ‘experience trap,’ as young graduates do not have the opportunity to utilize their skills and knowledge after years of education as they are neither in the educational system nor employed or in training.
Overall, there are some differences when it comes to getting employed in the private versus public sector. Generally, the private sector seems to be the country’s ‘bright spot’, especially in fields concerning new technologies and IT, with more entry-level jobs and investment in workforce development. However, both the private and public sectors are plagued by the country’s longest companion, worst enemy, and biggest obstacle: systemic corruption and nepotism. The business sector tends to be the most vulnerable to corruption, as the stalled and complex registration process and lengthy administration provide fertile ground for bribes, in order to gain access to services or simply speed up the processes (CMI, 2018). The public sector, on the other hand, suffers from such high levels of corruption and political favoritism that the biggest ‘public secret’ in the country is that without money and/or political party membership, even an entry-level internship position within the public sector is a pipedream. In a survey conducted by the UNODC in 2011, 70% of people who applied for a job in the public sector admitted to paying money, giving a gift, or doing a favor in order to be hired.
Statistical data confirms that there are numerous obstacles to employment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, organizations and individuals in both the private and public sectors are undertaking a range of projects and initiatives which aim to overcome the challenges posed by the country’s political and social environment in order to create employment and development opportunities for themselves and others. From young entrepreneurs to student associations and civil society actors, Bosnia and Herzegovina still has plenty of individuals and groups who are ready to take on the flawed and corrupt system.
This article is part of a series of texts within the #EmployMe project of the Post-Conflict Research Center and Balkan Diskurs. The series aims to raise awareness about the problems that young people face in the field of education and employment in BiH and highlight some good practices in battling these obstacles. This series is part of the “Youth Retention Program in BiH – Opšta Mobilizacija,” implemented by the Nešto Više Association and PRONI Center for Youth Development, with support from the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.

created: December 19th, 2022


text:
Lack of Environmental Awareness in Bosnia and Herzegovina | Balkan Diskurs
Kenan Kečanović
December 23rd, 2022
Climate change is real, but the Bosnian government and society have not sufficiently developed mechanisms to cope with it, such as “green” reforms that improve environmental awareness. However, there are young people who are engaged in activism. One of them is Emir Delić, a 28-year-old from Bihać, who shared his ideas at the Youth for Climate Conference in New York.
“Some believe that climate change is a myth. Indications of its reality are the drought in the Southern parts of Spain and Portugal, as well as in Africa and Capetown, among other examples. This requires efficient work with less talk. That’s not to diminish the value of seminars and conferences, but concrete action needs to be taken,” said Delić.
He believes that one of the biggest global problems is the large number of cars and the low levels of awareness about using public transport. In addition, only a few people use electric scooters or bicycles, unlike in Amsterdam, for example, where there are more bicycles than people.
Delić is an environmental worker and activist with a degree in forestry from the Faculty of Biotechnology in Bihać. He’s currently enrolled in a double degree master’s program at colleges in Banja Luka and Sarajevo in the fields of forest ecology and ecological water monitoring.
Delić participated in the Youth for Climate Conference which was held on the occasion of the 77th session of the United Nations. It brought together more than 150 participants from more than 90 countries, and he represented young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina. He explains that there were many young climate leaders with vision and goals present. Some were there on behalf of non-governmental organizations, while other innovators represented their small businesses specializing in properly sorting waste.
“I had the opportunity to talk with leading experts from UN agencies, including the chief administrator of UNDP, with whom I exchanged opinions and ideas, as well as received advice on how to take action for one’s own company, system, and beliefs.” said Delić.
One of the most important segments of the conference was the presentation of the activities that are underway in our country, such as the relationship between society and government towards environmental protection and climate change, and whether our young people are active and participate in advocacy processes.
Delić believes that we undervalue the potential of our natural resources. The rich network of rivers and endless greenery of the forests are under attack due to the lack of collective awareness about environmental protection.
“Dubai uses water, and where do they get it from? They spend millions and millions on expensive machines with which they perform desalination. They spend a lot of money to turn seawater into drinkable water. We should ask ourselves what our relationship is with our rivers,” says Delić.
He added the impoverished and unemployed are unable to warm themselves during the winter for financial reasons and are forced to cut down forests.
“More than 62 percent of the country’s territory is covered by forests. In that respect, we are the first in the Balkans, but we also share the first place in numerous illegal activities, such as cutting down, burning, and destroying forests to turn them into agricultural and construction land,” Delić explained.
Apart from forests, the biggest threat to rivers is the construction of hydropower plants that change their course, thereby destroying plant and animal life. Delić points out that we are poorly guarding resources that we have, which some countries are already panicking about losing.
To change that, he believes that enforcement and compliance with legal regulations is key. “In Bosnia and Herzegovina, inspections do their job poorly. This is the corrupt system in which we live. It’s noticeable in what’s happening on the banks of the Una River. One of the most beautiful rivers in Europe is being filled with concrete. Everyone knows, if I’m not mistaken, that you aren’t allowed to build things within ten meters of the Una River. Also, numerous hotels and restaurants are connected to the Una River by a sewage system without the special water purification filters required by law. It’s a public secret, but nothing is being done about it,” said Delić.
Delić was involved in various projects at the Una National Park. Currently, he holds trainings on biodiversity at the Center for Sustainable Development, where he teaches hundreds of participants about proper waste sorting, urban greening, tree planting, and so on. Speaking about the protection of the one and only Una River, he also points out the Unski smaragdi association, through which, as he says, “generations of young people have been raised.”
“Our task even now is to work with the youngest, to teach them about ecology through the non-governmental sector. In our country, the problem is that education about climate change and environmental protection is not included in the curricula or not adequately included. Activists in this field are really active. We recently planted over 250 trees as well as cleaned suburban settlements, the banks of the Una, and medieval fortresses. We also promoted recycling and the like,” said Delić.
He adds that in non-governmental organizations, you can find sincere leaders who care about nature.
“In my opinion, local NGOs can still be the turning point to ensure that what we have continues to survive and stand on its own feet. Their activities bring about changes, and they are staffed by teams of people who are honest and heartfelt leaders and activists. They are advocates of change, protectors of nature who do this work because they love it, because they want things to change so that what we have is preserved,” said Delić.
However, young people do not yet see all the benefits and opportunities offered by the non-governmental sector. The young activist explains that people have survived from the beginning of mankind until today because they worked together. As individuals, there is only so much we can do to change things. In terms of the environment, he notes that individuals can throw cigarette butts in the bin, carry tote bags, and also teach children positive ecological approaches in order to change consciousness across generations.
“We have to make an effort and to want to do better, not be selfish and say, ‘I won’t be there when these things happen.’ We need to preserve what we inherited from previous generations,” explained Delić.
Delić believes that if we followed the 17 goals of sustainable development, we would be able to preserve nature and the environment while leading normal lives, without changing our lifestyle habits drastically. Our relationship to nature, he concluded, should be the same as our relationship to the house where we live, because we don’t throw trash next to the bed.

created: December 23rd, 2022

author: Kenan Kečanović


text:
The Role of Italian Diplomacy in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Peace-Building Process | Balkan Diskurs
Serena Lucia Bassi
December 26th, 2022
Italy was among the first countries in the international community to establish diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) following the war. The Italian Embassy in Sarajevo, officially established in November 1996, seeks to strengthen already good relations between Italy and BiH in trade, culture, medicine, education and other sectors, as well as to facilitate …
Italy was among the first countries in the international community to establish diplomatic relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) following the war. The Italian Embassy in Sarajevo, officially established in November 1996, seeks to strengthen already good relations between Italy and BiH in trade, culture, medicine, education and other sectors, as well as to facilitate the process of building peace.
The main goals of Italian diplomacy, as stated by the Italian embassy in BiH, are strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries, promoting peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and fostering the country’s integration into European and Atlantic international structures.
Italy is a member of the Steering Committee of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), which is tasked with providing political direction to the High Representative in BiH. Italy’s efforts to help stabilize the country can also be seen at the military level, through EUFOR and NATO.
Along with close political cooperation, the economic and trade relations of these two countries are of great importance. According to the embassy, Italy was the first supplier to Bosnia, the first exporter, and the second overall trading partner in 2021 and throughout the first five months of 2022.
As stated by the Italian Ambassador, Marco di Ruzza, “Italy benefits from a very extensive and articulated network of enterprises in this country. These have long been established in the productive fabric of BiH in a very effective, adaptive, dynamic way in a variety of sectors.”
This economic collaboration can largely be explained by the geographical proximity of the two countries and the advantages in terms of energy and transport costs for investors. It is thanks to these favorable conditions that the development of typically Italian industries in BiH, such as the footwear, textiles, clothing, and metallurgy, was possible, and met with a genuine appreciation for the “Made in Italy” label. Moreover, Italy has a noteworthy role in the BiH banking system with its two banks, Unicredit and Intesa Sanpaolo.
In addition to the political and economic ties between the two countries, Italy has made significant contributions to development in BiH since the beginning of the war. In fact, Italy first provided medical and logistical assistance to the country in 1992 to help cope with the considerable number of refugees and wounded.
After the signing of the Dayton Agreement in 1995, Italy concentrated its resources mainly in the reconstruction and economic development sectors, contributing to the efforts of both international organizations and other countries. In recent years, Italy’s development cooperation has focused mainly on sectors such as rural development and institution building. For instance, in 2021, the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) carried out 11 initiatives in Bosnia and Herzegovina, corresponding to 11,373,632 € in grants.
As the Ambassador states, “Through the AICS, a number of projects are financed with the aim of developing as much as possible the connections, bridges and links between the various communities.”
For example, one project that has received strong support is Via Dinarica, a platform designed to “develop dynamic, youth-friendly, sustainable forms of tourism to contribute to BiH’s economic balance, but also to enable BiH to utilize and enhance the extraordinary natural beauty that the country has to offer.”
The strong bilateral cooperation between the two countries is accompanied by a close cultural relationship. This is reflected in the various initiatives implemented since the Bilateral Cooperation Agreement in the Field of Culture, Education, and Sport, signed in 2004 and officially enacted in 2015.
In the field of education, for example, especially at the university level, the teaching of the Italian language is strongly encouraged, in particular thanks to an annual contribution provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). Other recent collaborations include the introduction of the “Radio Italia” program during the pandemic as well as the organization of three concerts by the Youth Orchestra created with the support of the Italian Embassy.
Italy and BiH are also connected through cinema. This could be seen during “Italian Cinema Days,” an event which was held between June 27th and July 3rd this year in major Bosnian cities like Sarajevo, Banja Luka, and Mostar.
Ambassador Di Ruzza acknowledges that the film selection seeks “to symbolically build a bridge to Sarajevo’s usual summer film season, an extraordinarily busy and dynamic period for the capital which sees directors and actors arriving from all over the region and numerous countries.”
There is also a great deal of artistic collaboration between Italy and BiH, which testifies to the close cultural relationship between the two countries which has existed since the end of the war. For instance, Italian artists and museums played a key role in the establishment of Ars Aevi, a project of the Sarajevo Museum of Contemporary Art. The project’s manifesto espouses the foundational beliefs that “Art can overcome evil and destruction,” “Culture is the mother of tolerance,” and that “Intercultural dialogue enriches.”
Over the years, artistic collaborations have been a frequent occurrence, and Claudio Malacarne’s recent exhibition at the National Gallery is the latest example.
According to the curator of the exhibition, Cesare Orler, the aim of Malacarne’s work is to represent “Mediterranean-ness.” He went on to explain that the exposition contains “figurative works ranging from southern Italian gardens to various aquatic scenes – swimming pools, lakes, water squares of various kinds – in which the subject is simply a pretext for painting. The real protagonists are the Mediterranean light and the bright, strongly contrasted colors.”
However, the hidden message behind Malacarne’s work is that there is a strong bond between human beings that can overcome hatred and war. This is the reason that the Italian Embassy strongly supported this exhibition, which simultaneously served to strengthen the cultural bridge between the two countries.
As Cesare Orler states, this was achieved not so much through the choice of the artist and his works, but rather through the exhibition itself. “A foreign embassy having the opportunity to exhibit in the National Gallery means that the Bosnian state has ceded its most prestigious space to give Italy the opportunity to engage in dialogue. I find this a strong and meaningful message, which is absolutely and urgently needed.”
Finally, through independent of political and economic partnerships, Italy seeks to contribute to the yet ongoing process of reconciliation in BiH. To this end, the Italian Embassy promotes inter-religious and inter-ethnic cooperation at the local level and creates opportunities for exchange and cultural development.
As Orler added, “the idea is that in times of despair, difficulty, and tragedy for one nation, another country can come to its rescue by offering a safe haven.”
Hopefully, such initiatives will continue and expand in the years to come, with far-reaching potential to positively impact a society still very much affected by the legacy of war.

created: December 26th, 2022

author: Serena Lucia Bassi


text:
A Young Boy’s Dream Come True | Balkan Diskurs
Dženisa Joldić
December 30th, 2022
Nedim Ramić, a 21-year-old from Sanski Most in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), did not sit back and wait for someone to help him make his childhood dream of becoming a hairdresser come true. During the pandemic, he started working in clients’ houses or yards, sometimes without pay, which helped him become successful in his business today.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nedim made a Facebook post saying that he wanted to cut and style hair at clients’ homes because as a minor, he couldn’t get a job at a hair salon. The price of a haircut was 5 Bosnian marks (2.5 euros), but for those who were unable to pay, it was free. His Facebook post received attention and as people started sharing it, the word spread.
Cutting hair during pandemic helped Nedim achieve his childhood dream. As he explains, when he went to the hairdresser as a boy, he watched how it was done and simply became interested in it. Later on, he started studying hairdressing at a multi-disciplinary secondary school.
“I started cutting my friends’ hair and I liked it. After a while, I consulted with them and decided to start cutting hair at people’s homes to gain experience,” recalls Nedim.
He also went to several trainings and seminars for barbers, where he gained additional experience and improved his skills. He earned money by giving haircuts at people’s homes, until, with the encouragement and help of his friends and family, he opened a hair salon in Sanski Most.
“I found a space in Sanski Most and started arranging it. It was difficult, but it paid off,” Nedim notes. He adds that he’s proud to have opened a hair salon at the age of 18 and to have made it to where he is now.
He’s aware that he can always do better, so he emphasizes that he “will never stop trying to be more successful.” At the same time, he also tries to help those who are in need. He has already participated in two humanitarian drives where the money earned during a certain period was donated to help the sick.
He says that he enjoys helping people and plans to take part in other humanitarian activities, adding that even so much as a smile can improve someone’s day. “Smiling is free, people,” adds Nedim.
On the problem of youth unemployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nedim describes the situation for the population between the ages of 15 and 24 as alarming.
“The biggest problem for young people in BiH is that, unfortunately, they don’t see their future here, starting from the fact that it is difficult to find a job to the fact that when they do find a job, the wages are very low. Naturally, this forces them to leave BiH. I don’t plan to leave Bosnia because I want to stay and fight. In the future, I see myself as one of the more successful male hairdressers,” says Nedim.
Being a hairdresser is great for Nedim because he always has the opportunity to meet new people, hang out with them, joke around, and make their hair beautiful. “Isn’t that nice? I find it nice,” he muses.
Nedim advises young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina to follow their dreams and work towards their goals. “Everything we imagine, we can achieve with work and effort,” Nedim says.
This article is part of a series of texts within the #EmployMe project of the Post-Conflict Research Center and Balkan Diskurs. The series aims to raise awareness about the problems that young people face in the field of education and employment in BiH and highlight some good practices in battling these obstacles. This series is part of the “Youth Retention Program in BiH – Opšta Mobilizacija,” implemented by the Nešto Više Association and PRONI Center for Youth Development, with support from the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.

created: December 30th, 2022

author: Dženisa Joldić


text:
Celebrating the Ex-Yugoslav Music Scene, Hall of Fame Style | Balkan Diskurs
Ena Rizvić
January 9th, 2023
Drawing inspiration from the Musicians Hall of Fame, Will Richard, an American, started the creation of the EX-Yugo Rock Center (EYRC) in Sarajevo. The aim of EYRC is to honor and celebrate Yugoslav Rock and Roll as well as the contemporary music scene in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region.
Richard’s love of music began in his father’s vinyl record store and evolved into a passion for Yugoslav Rock after living and working in Bosnia for several years. His plans for the EYRC started to come to life in early 2021. Eventually, the center aims to include a museum and exhibition space, a gift shop, a concert space, and, of course, it would not be a proper Sarajevo establishment without a cafe.
While rock music is most often associated with the United States and Great Britain, many argue that Yugoslavia created acts that were on par with their Western counterparts. One of the most influential and successful bands in the region, Bijelo Dugme (“White Button”), originated in Sarajevo itself and have remastered their work with Abbey Road Studios. In many ways, their mix of classic rock and roll instruments and vocals with traditional melodies from the western Balkan region created an authentic style of music.
Many of the most well-known rock acts of Yugoslavia originated in Sarajevo, making it an ideal location for the EYRC to call home. However, the EYRC’s museum space wouldn’t only celebrate bands that came from the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For example, Majke (“Mothers”), one of Richard’s favorite bands from former Yugoslavia, comes from Croatia and will likely be featured in the center. While all of the bands featured have their own unique histories and styles, EYRC prioritizes music over nationality. Whether Serbian, Montenegrin, Bosnian, Croatian, Slovenian, Kosovar, or Macedonian, these bands are considered first as artists, and then, as Yugoslav.
Not only does the project provide a good opportunity for the public to explore this music, but it’s also an opportunity for the city of Sarajevo to expand its selection of museums. At the moment, most museums in this capital city focus on different wars and conflicts. While these museums are indispensable, they create the sense that war is the defining feature of the culture, which is far from the truth. Projects that aim to honor the cultural aspects of the city and its history are thus needed to paint a more accurate image for tourists who might not understand the nuances of Sarajevo history and all of its cultural eras.
One example of a similar project is the Sevdah Art House, which focuses on a specific kind Bosnian folk music called Sevdalinka. This cafe and museum honor the centuries-old musical tradition that started to become very popular around the early 1900s.
The EYRC aims to become an attraction in this respect. “Not only will it offer foreigners visiting Sarajevo a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Yugoslav music, but it will also enable people from the entire region to embrace the culture in a more neutral and positive environment,” said Richard, emphasizing that celebrating Yugoslav rock celebrates Sarajevo’s multicultural history.
EYRC also aims to attract new artists and encourage them to share their music with locals and foreigners. “This is where the concert space will play a pivotal role in the center because it will allow artists throughout the region who may have been inspired by the legendary acts displayed in the exhibitions to share their own work. By honoring the past, people are able to move forward and develop new authentic styles, just like courageous artists have done throughout history,” added Richard.
People who adore the rock and roll music of former Yugoslavia have been overwhelmingly enthusiastic about Will Richard’s idea. Dragan “Điđi” Jankelić, former drummer of Bijelo Dugme, said, “the idea of an Ex-Yu rock museum in Sarajevo is a real astonishing one and I support it with all of my heart and soul! I would like to see us all there at the opening ceremony. See you there!”
Dino Šaran, lead singer of the group Letu Štuke (“Flying Pike”), stated in a recent interview with Richard that he is also in full support of the project and willing to reach out to any other artists that would be of interest to the center. But in this interview, Šaran pointed out a major difficulty the center will have to face: separating the art from the artist. While he might adore the Yugoslav rock albums released by artists prior to the war, he recognizes that artists are still responsible for their nationalistic actions or rhetoric during and after the fall of Yugoslavia.
Walking this fine line between appreciating the art and acknowledging the controversies of individual artists is a tough but necessary part of the road ahead which EYRC understands must be approached carefully and again, with the aim of putting the music first.
These politically contentious issues pose obvious setbacks, as less funding is often provided to projects that do not directly promote reconciliation or commemoration the way a war museum might. However, this has not stopped the EYRC from gaining international support. Centar za promociju civilnog drustva (CPCD, “Center for the Promotion of Civil Societies”), AMUS, UNESCO, and other organizations have already sponsored and endorsed this project.
“This is just the beginning, but the EYRC has already demonstrated the value of its mission,” said Richard.
For any artists, producers, executives, promoters, photographers, journalists, and fans who would like to donate or loan any original/authentic photos, posters, recordings, instruments, clothing, documents, rare records, or other items that could be of value to the center, please reach out to the EYRC directly. You can contact [email protected] or call +387 62 332 770 or +381 63 386 451.

created: January 9th, 2023

author: Ena Rizvić


text:
Call for applications: PEACE Festival ’23 | Balkan Diskurs
Balkan Diskurs
January 11th, 2023
The Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) and Balkan Diskurs invite young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the second edition of Peace Festival in Vitez from February 23 to 26, 2023.
The Peace Festival is a unique PCRC initiative which aims to strengthen the active engagement of young people and local communities in the process of building peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina through collaboration on art projects, activities and workshops dedicated to conflict transformation and social reconciliation. The first Peace Festival was organized in March 2022 and you can find more about last year’s program here. The participants’ impressions are available here.
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This year’s Peace Festival includes a variety of activities for young people, including music concerts, theater performances, photo exhibitions, screenings of documentaries, and promotions of various peace activities of domestic and international organizations. The festival is held on the premises of Čardaci Ethno village in Vitez, on the banks of the Lašva River.
Selected participants are expected to be present during all days of the Festival. The costs of transportation, accommodation, and food will be paid by the organizers. If you are interested in participating, fill out the form that you can find here and send it to [email protected]. The deadline for applications to the Festival is February 10, 2023.

created: January 11th, 2023

author: Balkan Diskurs


text:
Defining and Responding to Femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina | Balkan Diskurs
Amina Sejfić
January 13th, 2023
Violence against women in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is widespread, but often goes unnoticed until the final iteration – murder.
Although there are legal measures in place to deter and punish violence against women, experts warn that these are not adequate, a fact to which recent murders attest. In addition, femicide still lacks a universally agreed upon definition, as well as recognition as a distinct criminal offense under BiH law.
Support services for victims of violence are largely gender-insensitive and thus fail to meet the specific needs of women who are physically and/or sexually abused. Furthermore, courtroom statistics show that male perpetrators of violence against women are often given conditional or inordinately low prison sentences, and that enforcing female victims’ right to compensation for damages and costs incurred as a result of violence is still the exception rather than the rule.
Experts and human rights activists agree that recognizing femicide as a legal category would facilitate the prosecution of perpetrators, however a number of additional steps are necessary to put an end to the murder of women in BiH. These measures include harmonizing the relevant legislation among the country’s sub-state administrative units, educating the general public, adequately assessing and risk factors and implementing a timely response, and mobilizing the political will of competent authorities.
According to OSCE research from 2018, every other woman over the age of 14 in BiH has experienced or been threatened by some form of violence, rather physical, sexual, or psychological.
As of November 13th, 2022, the Sarajevo-based CURE foundation recorded 11 cases of murder that year which qualify as femicide. Medina Mujić from the CURE Foundation emphasizes the importance of having accurate data on instances of violence, as patterns of violence against women often end in murder. Additionally, she highlights the need for the law to be applied consistently in all cases of femicide, which in BiH, are most commonly committed in the context of domestic violence.  These measures must be in place before perpetrators of femicide can reasonably be expected to be held to account according to the full measure of the law.
“The Analysis of the Practice of Courts in the Processing of Femicide and Attempted Femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” published by the AIRE [Advice on Individual Rights in Europe] Center, examines criminal proceedings in BiH from the beginning of 2017 to the end of June 2021. This research shows that in all murder cases involving a female victim, the perpetrator was male. For these crimes – which are variously classified as homicide, aggravated homicide, attempted homicide, attempted aggravated homicide, or domestic violence resulting in death – the minimum sentence is one year. Of the cases covered in the AIRE Center analysis, 31 perpetrators were sentenced to prison, including three life-time sentences.
Amila Ždralović, Associate Professor at the University of Sarajevo Law School, defines femicide as “the murder of a female which is motivated by a hatred of women.” She pointed out that femicide should be interpreted in the context of the socio-cultural context and patriarchally defined gender roles and norms.
Similarly, Nataša Jovanović, a psychologist and practitioner of transactional analysis, explained why femicide should be distinguished from other types of murder.
“It’s important to distinguish femicide from other types of crime because it’s a crime committed against women simply for being women. The difference between femicide and other types of crime is in the motive to commit femicide itself, which comes from the perpetrator’s feelings of anger, hatred, jealousy, and ownership towards women, as well as their search for pleasure and power,” Jovanović said.
According to Aleksandra Petrić from the Banja Luka United Women’s Foundation, existing legislation in the country’s three sub-state administrative units – the Republika Srpska, the Federation of BiH, and the Brčko District – needs to be harmonized, as well as brought into compliance with the Istanbul Convention, that is, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. Achieving this, Petrić says, will require the cooperation of various government institutions.
“Most laws and public policies are gender neutral. They don’t recognize the gender dimension of discrimination and violence faced by women and girls,” Petrić explained.
The available research suggests that the causes of femicide lie in the status of women and the gender roles governing patriarchal societies like BiH, where there is a widespread belief that women should be subordinate to men. In such contexts, violence against women by partners, acquaintances, and even strangers is commonplace.
“Society often blames the victims for their passivity or bad choices of partners, even going so far as to blame the abuse or murder of women on the victims’ behavior,” said Petrić. She added that these attitudes are heavily influenced by the media, which often represents murders of women as a family tragedy, or the perpetrator of the crime as a calm, caring, and exemplary man.
Mujić believes that “femicide is the result of culminating violence,” and violence, she says, “knows no bounds.”
According to the “The Analysis of the Practice of Courts in the Processing of Femicide and Attempts of Femicide in Bosnia and Herzegovina (2017-2021),” a perpetrator’s likelihood of committing femicide can also be assessed based on their previous behaviour. The analysis states:
“Perpetrators have usually been convicted of various crimes, most often property crimes (theft, aggravated theft, robbery) as well as violent offenses resulting in minor to severe physical injuries, violent behavior, endangerment, obstruction of official duties, and illegal production and distribution of narcotic drugs.”
Moreover, Petrić notes that when a perpetrator is not sufficiently punished for his offenses, his violent behavior often escalates because “he feels that no one can stop him.”
“There are very common reasons why cases of violence against women end in femicide, including the system’s inadequate response towards protecting victims of violence, the absence of strong measures against perpetrators of violence, and the absence of detailed assessment of the risk that violence could intensify and end in femicide,” explained Petrić.
She believes that above all, it is important to implement stricter punishments for crimes of violence against women and to ensure that judges and prosecutors are educated about femicide and adequately trained to deal with such cases. Petrić also stresses the need to improve security and support mechanisms within the judicial system for female survivors of violence who testify against their assailants in court, as well as for law enforcement to take preventative measures by implementing and responding to risk assessments.
“The police need to consistently carry out risk assessments in all reported cases of violence against women and to recognize situations or indicators that violence will be repeated or escalate,” said Petrić. She added that threats, aggressive behavior, and weapon ownership are some of the factors that suggest a perpetrator may intend to repeat acts of violence.
Jovanović identified educating children and young people about the first signs of violence as an important way to help them protect themselves. Additionally, she said they should be taught about harmful societal stereotypes and assumptions about gender. “Students should also be educated about gender equality and gender-based violence, so we have adequate professionals in the victim protection system,” Jovanović pointed out.
Professional education and training in accordance with international standards is likewise essential for those involved at every stage of processing these cases, from reporting and victim protection to prosecution.
“Carrying out mandatory training of all professionals who work with victims and perpetrators of violence and tightening the criminal policy for acts of gender-based violence must be a priority in institutions throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, which unfortunately is not the case now,” said Petrić.
Jovanović shares this opinion, emphasizing that additional training is needed for professionals who work with female victims of violence.
“As oppression grows, so does resistance. There are activists, feminists, and defenders of women’s rights working 24 hours a day, who refuse to accept gender injustice. In communities around the world, people are calling for change and pressuring governments to take immediate action. We can see that thousands of them, from Iran to the Western Balkans, are taking to the streets demanding justice for women,” Mujić pointed out, adding that “across the Balkans we still see oppressive governments functioning in such a way that women who experience violence are continuously victimized and have no adequate resources or support.”
According to Mujić, it is high time to adopt evidence-based policy measures to protect women and girls, as well as to implement educational reforms that strengthen gender equality.
“It is time to stop violence against women,” said Mujić.
Saša Magazinović, a member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina representing the Social Democratic Party, said that he will work on defining femicide as a criminal offense in the new mandate.
“Defining femicide as a special criminal offense with special punishments will be the first legal project that I will undertake in the new mandate, together with organizations for the protection of women’s rights,” said Magazinović, noting that to date, the government has ignored issues and initiatives related to femicide.
Recognizing femicide as a legal category would not only facilitate its prosecution but would also contribute to the reduction of female murder victims in the country. However, in order for femicide to be eliminated completely, a number of other measures need to be taken, including harmonizing relevant laws throughout BiH, training professionals who encounter domestic violence from the reporting stage to its prosecution, and educating young people and the general public.

created: January 13th, 2023

author: Amina Sejfić


text:
FBiH Youth Council: United against the Youth Exodus and Unemployment | Balkan Diskurs
Amina Sejfić
January 16th, 2023
Young people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) cite unemployment, corruption, weak support mechanisms, low living standards, and poor education as the biggest problems they face. This is according to the survey “What young people say” [Šta kažu mladi] conducted by the FBiH Youth Council in 2020. The Council, which acts as an …
Young people in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) cite unemployment, corruption, weak support mechanisms, low living standards, and poor education as the biggest problems they face. This is according to the survey “What young people say” [Šta kažu mladi] conducted by the FBiH Youth Council in 2020. The Council, which acts as an umbrella youth organization in the FBiH, says that one of the ways to increase youth employment is to implement the Youth Guarantee, which is applied in the countries of the European Union.
The Youth Council was established in FBiH eight years ago. Its work includes more than 500 young people from 71 communities who come from more than 100 youth associations. Its projects and activities vary, but they all have a common goal – bettering the position of young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Irma Rešidović, a project assistant at the FBiH Youth Council, said that the establishment of the Youth Council at the local, cantonal and Federation levels was a major step towards improving the position of young people and youth organizing because they are recognized by the Law. As such, councils act as youth umbrella organizations at these levels, and in addition, every day they listen to the needs of the young people who are part of their structures.
The Council faced difficulties from the beginning but has succeeded thanks to the enormous support they receive throughout the Western Balkans.
“The greatest support came from the regional umbrella bodies and youth organizations throughout the Western Balkans and the positive practices they created. After working with them for a long time, we were encouraged to act to establish a dialogue between young people and representatives of government institutions in the field of employment,” explained Rešidović.
The Law on Youth of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly defines youth councils as legal and legitimate youth representative bodies. Their task is primarily to involve young people in the social life of the community and to encourage policies that benefit young people.
“According to the latest Analysis of the implementation of the Law from 2020, carried out by the FBiH Youth Council, we must point out that the Law is not being implemented to the extent that is necessary for young people and would improve their daily life in this country,” explained Rešidović. She added, however, that it is not all so bleak, because there are communities that are implementing the Law properly.
The cities of Tuzla, Brčko, and Ilijaš, as well as the Centar Municipality in Sarajevo, are leading the way for positive change and successfully implementing the provisions of the Law on Youth.
Through various events and activities, Rešidović pointed out that young people identified a number of problems related to unemployment, and the conclusion was that the solution lies in working on the educational sector, particularly, adapting it to the labor market. It is also necessary to carry out reforms in the employment sector so that enough new job opportunities are being created.
Thus, the way to increase in youth employment is through educational reforms, strengthening partnerships between institutions, informal education, and the adoption of policies and legislation that will guarantee young people a job after completing their education. Rešidović explained that youth employment can be improved by implementing new mechanisms such as the Youth Guarantee, a program that guarantees a job, training, internship, or continuation of studies to young people within four months of completing a certain level of education. In addition, she emphasized the importance of cooperation between civil society, institutions, and the private sector.
The guarantee for young people in European countries was launched by the European Commission in 2013, and in 2020, it became a political obligation for all members of the European Union. The Youth Guarantee offers all people under the age of 30 quality employment, continued education, or internship work within four months after completing their education or losing their job.
Related to the trends in youth unemployment in BiH, there is also the problem of young people leaving the country on mass to seek economic opportunities abroad, which is becoming more and more pronounced every year. According to representatives of youth organizations, part of the solution lies in more intensive involvement of local communities and a strategic approach to the creation and implementation of youth policies.
Through various projects, the FBiH Council strives to educate young people from all over the country about their rights, but also to create a safe space where young people can freely and openly discuss current problems. Rešidović emphasizes that we must reject the notion that young people are passive and do not want change, because everyone wants positive change in their spheres of interest.
Civil society organizations and the media are thus crucial for uplifting hard-working, successful, independent young people who are examples of how success can be achieved in a society like BiH.
The BiH government is failing to offer young people systemic and long-term solutions that would solve the problems they face. It is high time that government institutions show that the youth of this country are important, and not just a political bargaining chip to get more votes in election years.
“The role of government institutions is something young people are vocal about. If they implement the laws, strategies, and policies that they first passed and adopted, the burden will be lifted from young people’s backs of having to do everything themselves, of carrying the whole world rests on their shoulders. Make at least one part of a quality world for us, and we’ll do the rest,” added Rešidović.
This article is part of a series of texts within the #EmployMe project of the Post-Conflict Research Center and Balkan Diskurs. The series aims to raise awareness about the problems that young people face in the field of education and employment in BiH and highlight some good practices in battling these obstacles. This series is part of the “Youth Retention Program in BiH – Opšta Mobilizacija,” implemented by the Nešto Više Association and PRONI Center for Youth Development, with support from the Delegation of the European Union to BiH.

created: January 16th, 2023