12 Lessons Book about NATO and Bosnia and Herzegovina

High school education represents the formative period in thinking about democracy, citizenship, and security prospects, and encompasses the most comprehensive part of the country’s youth on a year-to-year basis. Currently, high school students in BiH take civic education courses, which primarily focus on the general features of democracy, the importance of voting, and citizenship.

Instilling knowledge about NATO and security matters as part of learning (or as a separate course) would lead to multiple generations of Bosnian citizens being educated about NATO, its institutions, and policies, and thus a better-informed future for the coming 10-15 years or more. Considering that BiH is at the crossroad and the path towards NATO-enhanced cooperation prospects or membership is still evolving, this represents an opportune time to integrate more fact-based learning about NATO into the younger generation. It is thus important to preempt an uninformed young generation. One of the most effective ways of implementing the use of the book once written is by young generation scholars, fresh out of college and grad schools, who will jointly author a book and thus transfer their knowledge onto high school students, but also indirectly lobby for the book to be included in high school curricula.

Project Activities

The book, aside from historical narratives about NATO, its development, institutions, and policies, will also discuss some of the most discussed topics related to its relations with WB countries, and BIH in particular. This will help all young generations to better understand the essence of the ongoing political discussions, from all sides and angles, and take away the most important points into their thinking framework.

There are two basic phases to this project which will result in creating a book for (high-school) students focusing on NATO and its role in the region and BiH.

The first phase of the project involves identifying a group of 10-12 young persons (ideally BA or MA graduates) from across BiH, who have already developed strong interests in researching security issues and the role of multilateral institutions in preserving global security, like NATO, and have already written a BA or MA on the topic or similar topics. The selected students will jointly work on compiling 10-12 chapters of the book, answering the most basic questions about NATO’s development, but also some complex questions related to BiH’s evolving relations with the Alliance.

The second stage is the development of a book about NATO, including its development, politics, institutions, enlargement, and relationship with WB and in particular BiH. This book, written by young scholars under the mentorship of more experienced tutors, will help to inform and educate high-school students about NATO and BiH’s evolving interests in cooperating with or integrating within it.

• Nina Kurt, Sarajevo, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Political Sciences
• Marko Ćuže, Mostar, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology
• Filip Novaković, Banja Luka, Faculty of Law, University of Banja Luka
• Ajla Kuluglić, Tuzla, Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo
• Haris Šehović, Sarajevo, International Burch University
• Emman Žiško, Sarajevo, Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo
• Nikola Lero, Banja Luka, European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations
• Nasiha Nuhanović, Tuzla, University of Bologna, University of Sarajevo
• Selma Ibrekić, Sarajevo, International University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Management and Public Administration
• Lamija Kovačević, Sarajevo, Center for Interdisciplinary Research “Prof. Zdravko Grebo”
• Davor Džakula, Novi Sad (Serbia), European Regional Master in Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Europe
• Ema-Džejna Smolo-Zukan, Visoko, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Political Sciences
• Margareta Rončević, European Regional Master in Democracy and Human Rights in Southeast Europe
• Mubina Šašić, Konjic, Karadeniz Technical University and International University of Sarajevo