Breakdance Tournament

This initiative brought youth together in the deeply divided municipality of Vitez, central Bosnia, to meet and have fun with each other in a neutral space, and to show themselves in a peaceful, creative and positive light.

Description

This initiative is a part of our greater peace building project which aims to empower youth in an openly segregated region, where the results of the past war are still very much a hard and cruel reality. E.g. mono-ethnic schools, Christian children learning only through the Croatian education system and Muslim children learning only through the Bosnian education system etc. There is some social contact between Muslims and Christians in this region but only on a minimal level. Regular social conflicts appear around the time of the election campaigns because of disputes between Croatian and Bosnian politicians, but they affect citizens as well.

Our organisation is fighting this negative and conflict-producing system. In an effort to create more neutral places for the children and youth from all ethnicities, religious backgrounds and national backgrounds, we have created a series of activities which aim to attract youth: – dance and music festivals and other forms of initiatives where we educate and amuse the youth. This initiative brought together a large number of youth from the ethnically divided municipality of Vitez in central Bosnia to have fun together, introduce themselves, and show themselves in a peaceful, creative and positive environment.

Aims / Objectives

• Socialisation of the youth;
• Strengthening the relations between our municipalities and Forum SYD offices;
• Development of cosmopolitan thinking amongst the youth in our communities;
• Promotion of urban music like hip–hop as a part of a worldwide scene;
• Promotion of urban culture (because the majority of people in this region are from rural areas and villages);
• Promotion of youth activism; and
• Contribution to the cultural activities in our region.

These aims promote alternative ways of thinking for the youth in our region, and create an atmosphere where youth from divided ethnicities are working, sharing and learning together.

How it is Articulated

Through volunteer workshops where the youth organise music and dance events; and through meetings with local people, authorities and the private sector, to organise and prepare for events.

Achievements / Learning points

• We are the first organisation to hold this sort of public event with media coverage and a multi-ethnic organisation team, in a municipality well known for its hard and deep political and national segregation;
• We have slapped the face of radical nationalism in public and got youth support for it;
• The entire organisation including the breakdance competition enabled socialisation among the youth in a non-formal setting; and
• We have spread the belief that there is still some hope in the future generations to create a better community for themselves.

Geographical Area of Operation

The municipality of Vitez in central Bosnia, which is in Srednja Bosna canton and a part of the federation entity.

Funding Resources

• Mr. Žarko Bošnjak;
• Radio Station Vitez;
• Disco club "Label"; and
• Alter Art Travnik.

Organisations Involved

• FORUM SYD VITEZ;
• Municipality of Vitez;
• Radio station Vitez;
• Mr. Žarko Bošnjak;
• AlterArt Travnik; and
• Disco club "Label".