WHEN: November 2013 to July 2014
WHERE: Bosnia and Herzegovina
WHO’S ELIGIBLE: First- and second-year BiH university students
“Encouraging Democratic Values and Active Citizenship Among Youth” is a seven month long program with the goal of training young activists, introducing them to democracy and human rights issues, encouraging them to employ critical thinking on sensitive topics, and building their communications, presentation, and research skills. The program includes a nine day training, individual research projects on democracy-related issues, a group project resulting in three civic campaigns, and a final debate tournament for the participants.
With this program, Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina is targeting students who have little to no experience in non-formal education, volunteer work or NGO engagement.
EDVACAY is being implemented by Humanity in Action Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second year in a row, with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy.
Participants
Fifteen participants from 12 BiH cities and of different academic backgrounds were selected to participate in the project.
Aldin Vrskic, second year student, Faculty of Economics, University of Zenica, from Zenica
Ammar Lidjan, first year student, Faculty of Economics, University of Bihac, from Bihac
Arnela Zecevic, second year student, Faculty of Law, University of Bihac, from Bosanski Petrovac
Arnes Zabic, second year student, Faculty of Economics, University of Tuzla, from Lukavac
Berina Verlasevic, first year student, American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina, from Sarajevo
Djordje Ostic, second year student, Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Banja Luka, from Banja Luka
Eldin Begic, first year student, Islamic Faculty of Education, University of Bihac, from Bihac
Jasmina Karahasanovic, first year student, Faculty of Health Studies, European University Brcko District, from Brcko
Lana Beciragic, second year student, Faculty of Law, University of Sarajevo, from Sarajevo
Mahir Sijamija, third year student, Faculty of Political Science, University of Sarajevo, from Donji Vakuf
Matea Jevric, second year student, Faculty of Humanities, “Dzemal Bijedic” University of Mostar, from Mostar
Milos Macura, first year student, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Banja Luka, from Prijedor
Nina Dosenovic, second year student, School of Economics and Business, University of Sarajevo, from Sarajevo
Sanel Tufekcic, first year student, Faculty of Humanities, “Dzemal Bijedic” University of Mostar, from Livno
Srdjan Pavic, first year student, Faculty of Law, University of Banja Luka, from Novi Grad
Individual Research
As part of the second program phase that lasted from 15 December 2013 until 15 March 2014, program participants conducted individual pieces of research. They addressed issues directly related to the existing obstacles that hinder the effective participation of youth in their local communities and other problems and deficiencies in these communities that they would like to see resolved. The research they did therefore tackled the examples of discrimination and violation of human rights among young people, as well as other relevant inquiries.
Based on the provided guidelines, the participants chose research topics which delineate a wide spectrum of their interests. The research topics are as follows:
- “The Efforts of Local Authorities to Suppress Xenophobia and Chauvinism in Livno” (Sanel Tufekcic)
- “Knowledge about the Cultural and Social Life of Young People in Different BiH Entities” (Djordje Ostic)
- “Perception of and the Trust of the Citizens of Prijedor in the Police” (Milos Macura)
- “Living Standards of Students at the University of Bihac – Case Study: Law Faculty of the University of Bihac” (Arnela Zecevic)
- “The Role and Significance of Student Organizations at the University of Tuzla” (Arnes Zabic)
- “A Comparative Overview of the Perception of Optimism/Pessimism of Young People in Large and Small Towns” (Mahir Sijamija)
- “Attitudes of Citizens of Bihac on Youth Activism in Local Community” (Eldin Begic)
- “Attitudes of Students of State Universities towards the Students of Private Universities in Sarajevo” (Berina Verlasevic)
- “How Students Perceive the Presence of Stray Dogs in Sarajevo” (Nina Dosenovic)
- “Attitudes of Young People on the Culture of Volunteering in Bihac” (Ammar Lidjan)
- “The Level of Identification of Youth from Zenica with their City and with the Country” (Aldin Vrskic)
- “The Habits of Young People towards Reading Books at the University of Sarajevo” (Lana Beciragic)
- “Youth Activism in Mostar” (Matea Jevric)
- “The Factors behind the Non-Existence of the Law on Youth in the Brcko District” (Jasmina Karahasanovic)
After selecting their topics, the participants were each assigned mentors. Each of the three mentors supervised a group of five participants. Mentors communicated with the mentees on a regular basis and provided hands-on support during the research process, while in turn the participants showed a high degree of motivation and maturity while conducting the research.
The participants’ research papers are published on the web page specifically designed for this project in local languages: http://hiabih.wix.com/hiabih#!radovi-201314/c1ypb.
Group Projects
In the fourth phase of the program, which started on March 24, participants will have three months to finalize their action projects:
Group 1: “A Campaign for a more Cultured Krajina” aims at raising awareness about culture, primarily among young people, but also among other citizens of Krajina (North-Western region of BiH) by launching a website with cultural events in 2 cities, each belonging to a different entity in BiH and by making street art relevant to culture, in cooperation with the relevant cultural institutions, in order to raise awareness about culture in general and the involved institutions in particular. The pilot project will encompass Bihać (Federation of BiH) and Banja Luka (Republika Srpska).
Group 2: “I Want Things to be Different in BiH” aims to raise awareness that being different is not a bad thing and to shed light on the concept of being different in BiH by printing brochures with stories of individuals who overcame obstacles despite being labeled as ‘different’ and by organizing 3 photo exhibitions of pictures showing how being different is not a stigma. The project will take place in Zenica, Sarajevo and Tuzla.
In order to present stories and photos of individuals daring to be different in BiH, the project participants collected stories of five individuals and simultaneously issued a call for submitting photographs, both under the theme “We are all the same / I would like things to be diferent in BiH”. The stories were included in a publication that tells the stories of: a Roma girl; a transgender person; a mature student; a full-time student who is employed at the same time; and a student studying and working in a town where he’s a member of a constituent majority. All the five stories share a connective thread – people who have managed to overcome the difficulties and the discrimination they were faced with in the BiH society, thus offering a positive example and showing how perceived differences do not have to stop you from achieving great things. The publication was presented and the photos exhibited in Zenica (10 May 2014), Tuzla (24 May 2014) and Sarajevo (26-28 May 2014).
The project was implemented by the EDVACAY participants: Lana Beciragic, Berina Verlasevic, Aldin Vrskic, Arnes Zabic and Jasmina Karahasanovic.
Group 3: “Say NO to Prejudice!” aims to decrease prejudice and stereotypes of young people based on name, nationality, language and to connect young people from different environments by organizing 2 anti-prejudice workshops led by experts in the field and the group project participants. The project will engage 20 youth from Sarajevo and Mostar, respectively.
Within the group project, two anti-prejudice workshops were organized with the aim of tackling the pervasive effects of prejudice, which include, but are not limited to, hate speech, discrimination, xenophobia, racism, and chauvinism. The first workshop was held on 10 May at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Sarajevo, while the second one took place on 17 May 2014 at the International Primary School in Mostar. Both workshops consisted of both a theoretical and an interactive part, designed to make the participants more aware of the concepts of stereotype, prejudice and discrimination, as well as their development, influence (particularly on young people) and ways of changing and reducing the behavior that reinforces prejudice.
The project was organized by the EDVACAY participants: Matea Jevric, Nina Dosenovic, Mahir Sijamija and Sanel Tufekcic.
This phase allowed the program participants to apply the skills learned during the first three phases of the project. HIA BiH staff provided ongoing support and mentorship.
Promotion of the Implemented Campaigns (July – August)
