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Leadership and Developmental Youth Work

This ongoing initiative trains young activists from across Bosnia Herzegovina as certified Youth Workers who will have the skills to lead various peacebuilding initiatives across the country.

Description

This initiative started in 1998 to create peacebuilding in the regions which were deeply affected and divided (read destroyed) by the war. We realised that the best way of conflict resolution and peacebuilding is to create peace within the heart of the conflict.

The initiative’s long-term aim is to educate hundreds of youth activists from across Bosnia Herzegovina to become certified Youth Workers who would include themselves in various peacebuilding initiatives, in all cantons, entities and districts.

The youth workers are influencing peacebuilding in many ways through their work with the youth in their communities. and through a work methodology taught by professionals in youth work, e.g our organisation is organising these courses in Brčko with students from Bijeljina, Tuzla and Brčko.

The education was conducted by professional trainers and social workers from Great Britain and Sweden, through 2-year courses. The participants on the course were young people from conflict areas, from different cities and ethnicities.

Aims / Objectives

This initiative works on the origins of local conflicts in a positive way by providing true information to all sides, and creating communication bridges. There have been many examples of this since its inception, e.g. the numerous youth exchanges and student exchanges with youth clubs from Serbia and the Serbian entity in Bosnia. We have hosted mutual actions in central Bosnia with volunteers from our club and clubs from Vojvodina and Novi Sad.

As the old saying goes, "on the youth the world remains", so we are trying to improve the young future leaders, so they do not repeat the mistakes of their predecessors.

How it is Articulated

Through well-designed interactive workshops between the trainers and participants, meetings, and counselling between the mentor and students. The course has been designed by professional social workers and youth workers and is certificated by Jönköping University (Sweden) as a professional degree.

Achievements / Learning points

We are proud of the work which we have done here in this country and especially in the central Bosnia region.

The work with the youth is going really well especially in the municipalities where we still have very strong segregation systems in social life and in education – the youth are willing to work with their peers despite the political systems which are feeding and sustaining segregation and hate.

We have gained a lot of friends in all parts of Bosnia in both entities, as well as spiritual satisfaction, especially when I see that many of these students from our course are involved in various peacebuilding initiatives in Bosnia and other places as professional youth workers.

Advice we would give others: A peaceful and multi-ethnic environment is worth fighting for.

Geographical Area of Operation

Bosnia Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia.

Funding Resources

Organisations Involved

This initiative was implemented with the help and assistance of Jönköping University for Social Science, Sweden. (This university has been one of the founders of the former PRONI project for SEE.)