This month our H.A.N.D. project volunteers traveled to Tuzla, meeting Marko, a Bravo project coordinator. He arranged meetings with local organizations, where they learned about volunteer actions, target groups, and local aims. They met 4 organizations covering different social and political aspects. The trip also included visits to memorials and graves of conflict victims, emphasizing the role of civil society in stability. Local groups play a crucial role in shaping recent history and promoting harmony and tolerance. Rebuilding and maintaining stability requires the engagement and participation of the civil society. Recent history and the events that subsequently unfolded are inseparably linked to the actions that are conducted by local groups and movements.
Prijateljice, an organization focused on peace-building, runs the longstanding “Holiday from War” project. This project, initiated post-war, takes teenagers on summer camps to briefly escape conflict.
Regardless of religion or ethnicity, teens participate annually, discussing war sensitively without blaming specific groups. “We met two camp participants who appreciated the opportunity to befriend peers from diverse backgrounds in a safe environment. Despite their youth and being post-war, they showed awareness and responsibility in breaking the silence and taboos surrounding war discussions.”
They also met Revolt, a political activism organization formed in 2006. It fights for student rights, combating injustice and corruption. Over 18 years, it has evolved into a structured entity fostering youth engagement in political processes amid Bosnia and Herzegovina’s governance challenges. Notably, Revolt hosts the “School of Political Activism,” a seven-day workshop enhancing political literacy among youth. They also conduct campaigns such as public discussions on topics like city budgets, allowing citizens to propose amendments reflecting their needs to the Municipality Budget Draft.
Warmly welcomed by the representatives of the Association of Citizens Agora, they have made it their mission to strengthen and empower the capacities of individuals, through informal education programs, with a special focus on adult education and lifelong learning. Courses offered by Agora encompass a large range of fields: languages, computer science, musical instruments courses and Web design. Agora promotes a participative democracy where everyone can be involved in the process of community development. Concretely, numerous actions are regularly undertaken in that sense: regular meetings of local activists and citizens; initiatives towards authorities in order to solve problems; surveys on the needs of the local community; and joint actions.
They also met with a member of EESTEC (Electrical Engineering Students’ European Association), discussing students’ situations in BiH, including accommodation and monthly expenses. They outlined their mission to build a global network supporting students and engineers professionally, academically, and personally. Recently, EESTEC’s Tuzla branch organized events like job fairs connecting students with employers and a Soft Skills Academy focusing on vital non-classroom skills.
It was a very interesting visit and they are planning on organizing more of such study visits in the future, in Tuzla and other cities.