Vareš is not a ghost town, according to this town’s youth who are active in the association “Initiative”. They want to restore their town’s youthful spirit and use different activities to engage their fellow citizens and the general public.

Vareš has important cultural and historical sights and youth decided to promote them. They started by giving the streets of their town a new dimension. Now every street tells its own story. The names of the streets and their stories written on boards are another interesting sight for tourists who visit this town more and more every day.

Young activists believe that this activity will raise citizens’ awareness about the importance of their town in the past. The history of Vareš should not be forgotten, and these young people what to remind everyone how important this small town was for BiH. Of course, the main goal of this project was to provide information and directions to citizens and visitors.

The Institute for Youth Development KULT gave its contribution to improving Vareš’s tourism by supporting this initiative as a part of the program for implementing local civil initiatives across BiH. The Institute supported youth in their efforts to put up information boards, so that Vareš can have this type of information like many other towns already do.

A local civil initiative (LCI) is an action or citizen-led activity aimed at improving the situation in their local community and the society. Civil activities can involve individuals or groups, and are intended to address concrete problems in their communities.

Visoko was recently a hotspot of activism and youth socializing. The first youth activist festival “Kriv(a) sam” (eng. Guilty as Charged) was held from June 20 to June 24, 2018 and consisted of various activities designed to encourage youth activism.

The festival included street activities, concerts, social events and educational workshops, and the focus was on youth.

During the festival, youth learned about the importance of participating in decision-making processes, talked to municipal, cantonal, and federal council members and representatives about the position of youth in Visoko and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also had a chance to express their ideas creatively in literary and art workshops.

Participating in creative workshops was an opportunity for youth to send a message to politicians through an exhibit of artwork in one of the busiest streets in town.

The youth activist festival “Kriv(a) sam” was organized by the NGO Young Volunteers from Visoko, with the financial support of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports in the Zenica-Doboj Canton.

Youth from Bistrica, in the municipality of Gornji Vakuf – Uskoplje, finally have their own space. A group of young enthusiasts from the Citizens’ Association Bistrica, with the help of their local community provided youth with their own space in the local elementary school, offering them a place to socialize, hold workshops, lectures and seminars.

The Institute for Youth Development KULT took part in this initiative, as another effort to improve the position of youth in BiH.

This activity is all the more important if we consider the fact that youth in BiH are not satisfied with their options, especially in terms of ways to spend their free time, which is particularly noticeable in smaller communities and rural areas.

This space provides youth with the content they need for progress and development. They will have access to free internet, a space where they can study, and they can use the gym free-of-charge.

The incredible energy of these young people and their perseverance show that hard work and drive do pay off, and are recognized by the locals, the local administration and donors who helped them of their own accord.

The Institute supported this initiative as a part of the implementation of Local Civil Initiatives across BiH.

A local civil initiative (LGI) is an activity undertaken by citizens and intended to improve the quality of life in their community and society. Citizens can take part in civic activities individually or as a group, with the goal of drawing attention to and solving concrete problems in their community.

Two schools under one roof is a concept that entails two ethnic groups in the same building, physically separated from each other, and often with separate entrances into the building.

This phenomenon is troubling the youth of Stolac, who decided to express their opposition to these divisions by painting a mural on one such high school.

The initiative was launched by volunteers of the association “Orchid” who painted over nationalist graffiti and created a mural that sends a much better message.

The initiative of this association, which has been active for more than 10 years, was supported by the Institute for Youth Development KULT, who has spent the last 15 years working hard on improving the position of youth in BiH by advocating for better legislation and youth policies.

By painting the mural, youth sent a clear message – enough with the divisions, because Stolac is a town that deserves to project a much better image.

The implementation of this activity was supported by the Institute for Youth Development KULT, as one of the local civil initiatives implemented across BiH.

A local civil initiative (LGI) is an activity undertaken by citizens and intended to improve the quality of life in their community and society. Citizens can take part in civic activities individually or as a group, with the goal of drawing attention to and solving concrete problems in their community.