Article
Historically, young Bosnian voters have voted at significantly lower rates than older adults. While young voter turnout in Bosnia and Herzegovina has increased over the past couple of years (as reported by Institut za razvoj mladih KULT), the stigma around un-engaged young voters remains largely unchanged. The nation is also dealing with an unprecedented ‘’brain drain’’–a massive exodus of young, highly skilled workers and students. This complicates the issue of active political participation on the national level, especially as many young Bosnians aspire to leave the country. It is therefore of utmost importance to broaden and encourage youth voting in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to both strengthen the nation’s democracy and ensure that diverse voices are heard.
Through their Action Project, Fellows David Blagojević (2022 Sarajevo Fellowship) and Nejra Kravić (2022 Mapping Inequities Fellowship) want to encourage active participation in the BiH society through voting–a fundamental act of civic engagement. The specific emphasis of their one-day event (Graffiti Jam) would be on the upcoming general elections held on October 2, 2022.
The Fellows have set up a graffiti jam where young people came and met each other, learned how to draw graffiti, and learned more about voting in the upcoming elections. Each participant worked on their own graffiti while the fellows were available to help.
The project was recognized by and was a part of their BLART Art & Music Festival held in Banja Luka.