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Youth Work in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Status Report and Recommendations
August 2005: Steffen Emrich
2
Status Report and Recommendations
A study commissioned by the German Foreign Office
Funded by the Stability Pact
Conducted by Steffen Emrich
August 2005
3
Author:
Steffen Emrich, holds a BSCE in Urban and Regional
Planning, currently a trainer and a selfemployed coach
for development service.
Between 9/2001 and 10/2004 a Project leader
(peace consultant) of the “Schüler Helfen Leben“ Sarajevo.
Contact:
Steffen Emrich
Brucknerstr. 7
63477 Maintal
Germany
[email protected]
www.procorde.net
Tel.: +49 (0)176-23542060
Illustration Credits:
Copyright for all photographs by Steffen Emrich.
Graphic presentation on page 24 by courtesy of the OSCE
Cover photo: Bridge in Goražde
This study was supported by funds of the Stability Pact for South
Eastern Europe. The author remains solely reposonsible for the
contents and recommendations provided in the study and the latter
do not reflect positions of the German Foreing Office, German
Embassy in Sarajevo or Stability pact for South Eastern Europe.
INTRODUCTION
7
1. Methodology
10
2. Framework Conditions in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
12
4.4 Application Lyrics and
local "Ownership"
50
4.5 Fluctuation of Employees
50
4.6 Coordination
51
4.7 Setting the Goals
52
2.1 Political Framework
12
4.8 Selection of Participants
52
2.2 Youth Work
14
4.9 Recommendations
53
3. Domain of Support
16
3.1 Youth Policy
3.1.1
Problem Analysis
3.1.2
Experiences
3.1.3
Recommendations
16
16
17
18
3.2 Formal Education
3.2.1
Status of the Schools
3.2.2
Education System
3.2.3
Instruction Language / Common
Core Curriculum
3.2.4
Training for Teachers
3.2.5
Participation of Students and
Teachers in Decision-Making
3.2.6
Preparation for Employment
3.2.7
Recommendations
19
20
21
25
26
26
3.3 Higher Education
3.3.1
Situation in Higher Education
3.3.1
Recommendations
27
27
30
3.4 Situation on the Labour Market
/ Vocational Training
3.4.1
Problem Analysis
3.4.2
Experiences
3.4.3
Recommendations
23
24
31
31
32
34
3.5 Civil Society/ Informal, Political
Education
3.5.1
Civil Society
3.5.2
Prevention Activities
3.5.3
Democracy
3.5.4
Recommendations
36
36
37
37
39
3.6 Leisure Time: Sport, Culture
3.6.1
Leisure Time Options in BiH
3.6.2
Recommendations
5. Final Observations
55
5.1 Knowledge Menagement – Coordination
55
5.2 Important Subject Fields
56
5.3 Interesting Research Topics
57
Abbreviations
58
Bibliography
59
Acknowledgement
61
Annex
1. Youth in Serbia and Montenegro
& Croatia
62
1.1 Youth Problems
62
1.2 Education Systems in Croatia and
Serbia and Montenegro
63
1.3 Youth and Political Education
64
1.4 First Employment
67
1.5 Brief End Remarks
68
2. List of Inerlocutors
/ Interviewed Persons
69
3. List of Activ Organisations
70
39
39
42
4. List of Responsible Ministries
of Education and Youth
70
3.7 Health: Nourishment, HIV/Aids, Drugs
3.7.1
Recommendations
42
44
5. Selected Youth Network and Lobby
Groups
72
3.8 International Meetings
3.8.1
Experiences
3.8.2
Recommendations
44
46
46
3.9 Work with Traumatized Persons
3.9.1
Experiences
3.9.2.
Recommendations
47
47
47
4. International Angagement
– Support Practice
48
4.1 Monitoring Best and Bad Practices
48
4.2 Funding and Material Standards
48
4.3 Exit Strategy
49
6. German Organisations
/ Projects carried out by German
Contractors
72
6. List of Training Materials
75
6
Introduction
After the Republic of Bosnia and
Herzegovina became independent, a new
state entered the political scene of the
South-East Europe.
Shortly after the state was established,
Bosnia and Herzegovina was faced with the
war which formally ended in late 1995 after
the ratification and signing of the Peace
Agreement in Dayton/Paris (hereinafter:
Dayton Peace Agreement – DPA). Even
today, the results of the conflict-borne and
belligerent history of the country’s rising
could be seen everywhere, which will also
hold back BiH development and affect
generations in the decades to come.
In parallel with a complicated post-war
development, BiH has also been facing the
challenges of a transition from the Yugoslav
socialism to a capitalistic society like any
other South-East Europe. This process is
additionally complicated by the fact that the
BiH state, along with its specific history and
its three constituent ethnic groups, has yet
to find its new identity regardless all the
historic references in the past.
This development mostly affects children,
youth and young adults. Shaped by a war
epoch and extreme social insecurity, they
live in a largely disoriented society. During
their vital adolescent period, they can barely
find security in anything they can stick to.
At the same time, the majority of them have
gone through deeply searing traumatic
experiences regardless whether they were
directly in the war affected areas, or were
refugees somewhere in the region or abroad.
Photo: Playing children in Goražde.
The supplementary bridge was built during
the war as a protection against shelling for the
people crossing the Drina River.
This generation, the one which cannot be
accountable for any events in Ex-Yugoslavia
or in the newly established BiH, but which is
of vital significance for the development of
the country, lies in the focus of this study.
Only if BiH succeeds to keep these young
people in the country, to offer them a job
perspective or to persuade them of a
7
democratic future of the country, there will
be hope that BiH, with its ethnic diversity,
its beautiful landscapes and its cultural
wealth, will get rid of its post-war troubles in
the long run and will become a prosperous
state in the centre of Europe.
The Chairman of the Council of Ministers
of BiH Adnan Terzic emphasized: “Bosnia
and Herzegovina has capable and competent
young people who will play a key role in the
EU integration process!”1 However, an
impression is that it is nothing but lipservice. Youth policy in BiH (if it exists at
all) exists as shadow presence.
An extremely complex and partially
incomprehensive set-up of political
institutions cannot be the only factor to
blame for the situation but also non-existing
awareness about significance of the youth
both in political sphere and the society. The
youth does not have its lobby and its issues
hardly ever emerge in a public discourse.
Nevertheless, young people under 30
represent almost 20 percent of the electorate
and almost one fourth of the entire BiH
population.2
A catastrophic economic status of the
country directly affects the education system
and culture. Over 60 percent of young
people stated they would leave the country
either temporarily or for good, while a
number of them have already made that
step. It is estimated that between 1996 and
2001, around 92,000 of young people left
the country and by 2004 the figure increased
roughly up to 120,0003. The country lost, at
least to a certain degree, its core resource
and a part of the society, which is of
essential value for the new democratic
structures and for the social future of the
country.
Adnan Terzić 9/2003 Newsletter of the EU
It is estimated that roughly 900.000 young people
(age between 14 and 29) lived in
Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2000. It accounts for 23%
of the population. However, more accurate data were
not available.
3OIA Country Brief 2005
1
2
8
In the past years, many millions of Euros
were invested in BiH, but still it is hard to
assess where this money ended up and what
would be mid-term or long-term effects of
these investments for the youth of this
country.
Ten years after the Dayton Peace
Agreement, and after numerous projects and
programs implemented in the youth sector,
it is high time to redefine the objects and to
develop a coordinated youth support
strategy. It appears even more useful now
when foreign aid programs are being
reduced and no stable national youth
support programs have been put in place.
This is the field of the study. It endeavours
to give impetus to the youth work in BiH,
both content-wise and structurally, but in
the first place to initiate a discussion and
exchange among respective stakeholders.
Structure of the Study
Following a short overview of the
methodical approach of this study, the
Chapter 3 closely analyses the most
significant fields of youth work. Developed
upon a short introduction, it gives examples
how international organisations approached
the subject. Subsequently, there are
recommendations provided respectively for
each sector.
The chapter 4 deals with specific
background situations and issues of the
international youth organisations and tries
both to create awareness about specific
conditions of the international youth work,
and to make proposals for a better
coordination and enhanced use of possible
synergy effects.
The final chapter 5 brings about general
ideas and proposals for the youth work in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The detailed attachment can be used as a
small manual and offers a tangible basis for
further work. The first chapter gives a short
overview of the youth situation in both
neighbouring
countries
Serbia
and
Montenegro and Croatia, whose history is
closely related to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At the end, there is a list of contacts,
websites, bibliography and other reference
materials.
Limitations
This study is based on insights and
experiences derived from the practical work.
It does not aim to evaluate or assess the
youth projects. The selected examples
should primarily demonstrate a wide range
of possible approaches. During the
interviews a clear emphasis was laid on
German organisations but also the local
ones, which were directly supported by the
German development funds, as well as the
most important international organisations,
which are active in the youth sector.
Germany, as a recipient country for refugees
from Bosnia and Herzegovina and as one of
the major donor countries, is represented by
a number of aid organisations and many
projects. Although dealing only with
organisations from just one country appears
to be insufficient to offer a mutually aligned
youth policy, it did prove to be helpful. The
majority of these organisations are already a
part of a network. It is easier for them to
establish a contact or start a discussion
process. Also, one can assume that indicated
projects, successful results or issues might be
found with organisations of other countries
in a similar form. Expanding to as many
organisations dealing with youth work as
possible was not doable due to capacity
reasons; however it would make sense for
any future research.
Many fields and topics remained uncovered
by this study4. This is not a valuation;
however it shows that these fields were not
in focus of the interviewed organisations. At
the same time, these fields certainly need
attention, i.e. treatment of young people
with limited abilities5, or treatment of the
young victims of violence.
Photo: Graffiti in Mostar
4
Compare with “interesting research questions”
Chapter 5.3
5 The notion “people with limited abilities” represents
a holistic view of a human being and its development.
It describes people whose development ability and
capabilities remained limited due to a certain reason.
The reasons may derive from somatic or psychic
nature. However, they can also be rooted in social
field, in the human being itself, or in its environment.
9
1. Methodology
Supported by the Stability Pact for South
Eastern Europe, this study was written
between May and August 2005. It is based
on a thorough research of reference
materials, the existing studies in the youth
field as well as 33 guided interviews with
experts.
Furthermore,
over
80
questionnaires6 were sent to organisations in
BiH, which deal with youth issues. In the
university cities, Sarajevo and Mostar East,
the interviews were conducted with students
of German language and literature. The
study was conducted by Steffen Emrich,
with no interference by the Commissioner
or the German Embassy in regard to either
content or methodology.
The overview of youth situation in both
neighbouring countries of BiH, Serbia and
Montenegro and Croatia, (Annex 1), is
mostly referred to the work of Bojana PajićRickerts accomplished for this study.
In addition to the relevant German and
international
organisations,
individual
national organisations, which for some years
have been active in the field of youth and
education, were also addressed to include
another regional perspective.
Besides research activities, which were
collected specifically for this study, the
author’s experiences during his service as a
Project Leader of “Schüler Helfen Leben” in
Sarajevo (Nov/2001 – Oct/2004), are also
included.
Data Collection
The data were acquired in five different
ways:
Semi-structured interviews with experts,
representatives of various organisations
These interviews were normally conducted
with organisation leaders and/or project
The questionnaires were sent in German, English
and local languages.
6
10
leaders of respective youth projects covering
the following fields:
⇒ What has the organisation done in the
sector of youth work in the past?
⇒ Where does the emphasis of your
activities lay?
⇒ Where are your most important working
areas?
⇒ What are the visions of your own work?
⇒ What are the perspectives for the youth
work in BiH?
⇒ What are the central issues for the youth
work in BiH?
⇒ Who are
stakeholders?
the
most
important
⇒ What are the most important tasks?
⇒ What are the major successful
achievements?
⇒ Are there any project reports,
evaluations,
follow-ups,
clearly
set
objectives?
The interviews were conducted with
organisations in the following cities:
Sarajevo, Mostar, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica,
Trebinje and Jajce. Additionally planned
visits to Livno and Bijeljina were cancelled
by the respective participating organisations
on short notice.
The majority of interviews took place in
Sarajevo because most of the international
organisations have their seats there. During a
lengthy service in this country, the author
became aware of the specific status of
Sarajevo, which would be repeatedly
mentioned in the study.
Anonymous questionnaires for
Organizations
people were partially conducted in their local
language.
On one hand, the questionnaires, in addition
to interviews, aimed at providing a
comprehensive and comparative picture of
various organisations dealing with youth
issues. On the other hand, it was the
opportunity for the organisations, which
were not visited, to get the floor.
In order to obtain uncomfortable i.e. selfcritical remarks as much as possible, the
questionnaires were sub-divided in a public
and a confidential part. The results of the
confidential part were included in the study,
but they were anonymous.7 Total of 80
questionnaires were sent, 15 of them were
returned filled-out.
Further sources of information
Questionnaires on organisational
structure, regions in focus and core
issues
Quality and Interpretation of Data
In order to obtain a most complete overview
of organisations dealing with youth, another
questionnaire was sent to 80 organisations
with the request for data about their target
groups, issues, regions and organisational
chart.8
Total of 12 questionnaires were returned.
Questionnaires and small working units
at the Departments of German language
in Sarajevo and East Mostar
By courtesy and support of the German
lecturers, a working unit of German
language students was established in order to
generate further impressions, ideas and
opinions.9
All interviews with representatives of the
organisations were conducted in German or
English language. The interviews with young
Advantage was taken of primary literature
and the Internet research, as a rule in
German and English. Only in exceptional
cases the materials were translated from a
regional language and included in the study.
A CD with relevant texts, which can be
downloaded from the Internet for free, is
attached to this study, i.e. can be ordered
from the author.
Also, extensive discussions were led with
young people and its results were included in
the study.
The answers received from semistandardized interviews mostly led to
comparatively normative statements, which
also comply with the usual discourse. The
statements in the study are based rather on
an interpretation of the said than on a
verifiable data basis.
The quantity of questionnaires, which were
directly distributed among young people, is
too low and too accidental to deliver
comparatively objective data. At the same
time, the assessment delivered important
suggestions, which were included in the
interviews of the experts and also
significantly extended the author’s horizons.
The statements from the questionnaires,
which were directly distributed among
organisations, can be considered as
comparatively sound facts and they are also
treated as such in the evaluation.
However, the sample of questionnaires,
which were returned filled out, is too low to
deliver any statistically valid statements.
The anonymous questionnaire is attached.
The questionnaire is attached.
9 Hereby I would like to extend my gratitude to the
DAAD-Lecturer Christan Koller as well as to the
Bosch-Lecturer Christian Wochele, but also to the
students of German language, who presented their
opinions in a very engaged manner.
7
8
11
2. Framework Conditions
in Bosnia and Herzegovina
2.1 Political Framework
Bosnia and Herzegovina is still far away
from being a “normal“ state.
As a result of the Dayton Peace Agreement,
which decided on the war outcome, Bosnia
and Herzegovina is divided in terms of its
political power, territory and society
according to ethnic principle, and the
collective rights of the “constituent peoples”
are superior to individual rights.
A self-definition along national, ethnic and
religious lines has become more relevant and
still radically influences the chances in the
politics or on the labour market. In case of
Bosnia and Herzegovina it is particularly
strongly perceptible, but in a similar form it
also exists in other successor countries of
the former Yugoslavia. The emphasis of
cultural self-definition in these countries is
on the respective peculiarities and not on the
unifying elements. Most of the Croat and
Serb population do not perceive BiH as their
home state. The ethnic affiliation defines
political and societal life.10
The religious differences in case of Bosnia
and Herzegovina were however not the
initial cause of the conflict, but they have
definitely become important for the course
of the conflicts.
The structure of the state administration,
embedded in the DPA, led to a globally
unique structure where the total of 13
governments and a special district (Brčko)
exist within a state with less than four
million people. Two constitutive state
elements (entities), the Bosniac-Croat
Federation (FBiH) and the Bosnian
Republika Srpska (RS), ten cantonal
governments within the Federation as well
as the central state government, construe a
hardly
comprehensive
governmental
apparatus, which frequently blocks itself and
10
Altmann, Franz-Lothar (2005) p. 28
12
hinders reforms. Non-existing state
institutions such as the Ministry of
Education or Culture preclude integrated
and accelerated development.
The international authority under the
leadership of the Office of the High
Representative (OHR), which is responsible
for civil implementation of the DPA, with
its multifaceted intervention rights has led to
a unique situation of a semi-protectorate.
Photo: Warning about mines near Mostar
Economic Framework
Around 20 percent of people in BiH live
under the poverty line.11 ”The Early
Warning Report“, commissioned by the
UNDP and published quarterly, speaks even
about 60 percent of population that has to
cope with a home budget less than 500 KM
(ca 260 EUR) and therefore can be
characterized as poor.12
11
World Bank (9/2004) Bosnia and Herzegovina
Country Brief 2004; www.worldbank.ba
12
UNDP 2005: Early Warning System, IV Quarterly
Report October-December 2004. This Report also
clearly indicates that the budget allocation varies
extremely between the ethnic groups.
While around 65 percent of Bosniacs and Bosnian
Serbs have to come up to terms with a house budget
under 500 KM, it only refers to close over 20 per cent
These statistical data, which can hardly be
verified individually, but which demonstrate
a clear trend, conceal a considerable
destitution, which mostly affects children
and youth, who are more vulnerable to
poverty than the adults.
Change of Values
After the disintegration of Yugoslavia and
the subsequent wars of the 90s as well as in
the course of political changes in the entire
East Europe, a system of values, which had
existed in the society of BiH prior to it, just
disappeared. “Clear political directives and
obligations were replaced by individual
freedoms which were not common up to
date. Suddenly, personal decisions, according
to which a personal life concept should be
shaped, are requested. However, the new
choice is in a flagrant contradiction to the
economic situation of an individual.“13
Urban - Rural
Increasing economic inequality strengthens
an already vast urban-rural gap in BiH as
well as in many other countries in transition.
The overall envelope of the lack of
education opportunities, insufficient access
to the already limited labour market14 along
with simultaneous disappearance of family
structures lead to a huge lack of perspectives
and frustration of the youth especially in
rural areas. This is particularly fruitful soil
for radical nationalistic groups to
instrumentalise the youth for their goals.
of the Bosnian Croats. It leads to the fact that the
overall satisfaction of the Croats is the highest and
the interest to leave the country the least.
13
Jochen Köhler (2002): GTZ Annual Report 2002,
p. 39
14 (Family) Contacts are very important in order to
get a chance, particularly on the labour market
Gender
Gender-related specific disadvantage is one
of the least considered aspects in BiH.15
Unfortunately, there are only very few
research studies made about this issue16 and
specific development support programs for
women are the exceptions.
Violence against women, family or sexual
violence are to a major extent a taboo in the
Bosnian society and there are almost no
drop-in centres for girls and young women
exposed to the violence.
Also, in economic terms women often have
less chance than men. Existing youth
institutions are made use of by male youth
rather than by female in many cases.
However, the situation extremely varies
between urban and rural area in this regard.
The patriarchal structure often pushes
women particularly in the rural areas (but
also in the urban ones) to a subordinated
role.
Hardly any of the questioned organisations
emphasized the gender aspect on their own.
Further researches in this field as well as
goal-oriented programs for young women
are necessary but also in the field of
professional support and health in broadest
sense.
For example, the UNDP Youth Study is
concentrated exclusively on ethnic and geographic
differences and neglect gender specific differences.
16
The research by Star Pilot Research is one of few
exceptions (Bakšić-Muftić, Jasna et all.)
15
13
2.2 Youth Work
Definition of the Target Group
Target Group Relevance
Young people are a very heterogeneous
group. Also, by international comparison,
there is no precise definition of the age
group, because the life conditions in different
regions could be hardly mutually comparable.
Derogating from the UN definition, which
considers young people between 14 and 2519,
this study deals with young people in a
transformation phase between childhood and
adulthood. This status is extremely dependant
on social and cultural environment. In case of
Bosnia, due to the war atrocities, a regular
transformation phase cannot be expected.
Following the UNDP Youth Study from
2003, the age range between 15 and 30 years
(and thereby almost 25% of the total Bosnian
population)20 is taken into consideration by
this study, although the target group is
differently classified depending on their life
style and family situation. This age group was
between 2 and 17 years old at the beginning
of the war and generally not actively involved
in the war activities. The exceptions
(particularly with those in their late 20s) also
confirm the rule here.
The political significance of the youth
support in the development aid and conflict
prevention is undisputable. They are often
central target group in the work of
international organisations. Young people
offer a potential for social innovations and
they carry on the hope for their country,
given that they did not actively participate in
the war. It is also assumed that the youth
can be more easily attained for an
(interethnic) dialogue and thereby collective
thinking patterns can be overcome.17 At the
same time, young people are particularly
open for the extreme nationalistic and racist
ideas and could be easily instrumentalised by
the respective groups.
In one or another way, the young people
belong to the group of population, which
will take over responsibility for the country
in the years-to-come. Therefore, their
significance can hardly be overvalued.
This study starts from the
premises that young people
play a crucial role for a social
transformation of a post-war
society. As Y. Kemper18 already
emphasized, the link between
legal basis (legal security),
economically oriented projects
and social and political
programs is necessary in youth
work. The youth should not be
primarily perceived as victims
here, exploited resource or an
obstacle, but its potential
should be primarily promoted
as a social and economic
power and peace support.
Photo: Traffic ban on Sundays: shopping street in
Zvornik
Comp. Fischer, Tummler 2001, s. 1
Yvonne Kemper 2005:Youth in War-to-Peace
Transitions – Approaches of International
Organisations, Berghof Forschungszentrum für
konstruktive Konfliktbearbeitung, Berghof Report
Nr. 10
17
18
14
19
UN General Assembly Resolution no. 40/14
and 50/81 of 1995
20 UNDP (2003), p. 7
Many young people and young adults in BiH
spent their vital socialisation phase in the
West European countries during and after
the war, where they were confronted with a
completely different social and consumeroriented behaviour. Following their return to
BiH they often lose orientation, become
trapped between two systems: frequently
glorifying the one and being frustrated by
the other. By means of television, Internet,
other media, but also through their own
experience, they became familiar with a
Western consumer-oriented culture and they
want it also here, but at the same time they
have no reality check regarding the situation
in the states which offered them hospitality.
It partially explains the frequently expressed
wish to move to West European countries
or the North America. However, the figure
of almost 65% young people who would like
to leave the country, published by the
UNDP and established by the Prism
Research Institute, should be cautiously
interpreted.
Figures speaking of between 60 and 70% of
young people who would like to leave BiH
have been a central argument in the
international community initiated youth
debate for years. This argumentation
however disregarded (and this is the case in
almost all present studies) that this high
percentage differs greatly in the respective
UNDP study.
In the 2003 poll, out of 1,000 interviewed
respondents (between 15 and 30 years old)
barely 25%21 of them responded that they
would like to leave the country forever, and
around 40%22 explained they would like to
work abroad temporarily. Another 12% of
them would like to go abroad temporarily
for education reasons.23 Out of those who
would like to leave the country for good,
roughly half of them (50.8 %) mentioned
general lack of perspectives, and over 42.2%
stated economic reasons. Only 3.3%
mentioned political and 2.5% security
reasons.
FBiH 24.8%; RS 23.7 %
FBiH 34.7%; RS 49.2 %
23 FBiH 14.7%; RS 9.5 %
Also, the study demonstrated that only a
small share of respondents (17.6 %) had
already taken any concrete steps to leave the
country.24
These figures quite clearly indicate that a
large group of young people, who would like
to leave the country, at least temporarily,
would do that out of economic reasons.
At the same time, “only” 25% considers
leaving the country for good. However, 25
percent is also a relevant and alarmingly high
figure, which has to be taken into
consideration very seriously. These data
primarily demonstrate importance of an
economic perspective for the youth and
hereby a very concrete basis for a support
policy.
The extremely high dissatisfaction of young
people and the perception that resolution of
their problems is in emigration is the reality.
This perspective vehemently prevents
investments in their own country and their
own social environment.
Almost all interviewed organisations
mentioned lack of energy, lethargy and lack
of personal initiative as a major issue in
activities with this target group. Although
attempts to explain it by the absence of
perspectives, traumas and massive social and
financial problems go in the right direction,
it is necessary to conduct a more detailed
research.
21
22
24
UNDP 2003: Annex p. 49
15
3. Domain of Support
Young people have to be taken seriously and
to be made responsible systematically. Many
organisations try to integrate young people
in their programs, i.e. develop specific youth
programs. However, these programs are
often based on the accidental ad hoc
decisions. Real strategies in dealing with
young people in the post-conflict countries
are however almost non-existent.
BiH needs a youth policy. For the moment
being, there are no cross-regional or even
nationally rooted political bodies, which feel
competent or advocate for the youth and
young adults. There are officially responsible
contact points on the entity level (Ministry
of Education in RS and the Ministry of
Education, Science, Culture and Sport in the
F BiH), but they hardly ever initiate actions
and are insufficiently staffed. On the state
level, there is the Ministry for Civil Affairs,
but initiatives seldom come from it.
The international organisations as well do
not have differentiated program for youth
activities.
In this chapter various fields of work
regarding youth in BiH will be briefly
presented and the projects of youth
organisations will be presented by examples.
For each field there will be provided
recommendations, predominantly based on
the interviews and discussions.
3.1 Youth Policy
3.1.1 Problem Analysis
There is still no state coordination and no
clearly formulated youth program in BiH.
The Commission for Coordination of Youth
Work (inter alia, supported by GTZ), which
was established in summer of 2005, should
work in that direction.
16
Minister Halilovic from the Ministry of Civil
Affairs commissioned the GTZ in March
2004 to make a proposal for a state
institution, which should draft a youth
policy. Following that, the GTZ made a
proposal, which inter alia recommended
establishment of a Youth Commission and
discussed that proposal with the UNDP,
World Bank and other relevant youth work
stakeholders. Based on this proposal, the
Ministry for Civil Affairs established the
Commission for Coordination of Youth
Affairs in the summer of 2005.
The Commission will tackle youth work and
youth support, i.e. all affairs concerning the
youth from unemployment, youth work to
mobility. The objective of the Commission
is to draft a youth policy and a youth
promotion program. The Commission is
made respectively of a representative of the
Presidency, the BiH Council of Ministers,
Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Foreign
Affairs,
Directorate
of
European
Integrations, Brcko District Government,
RS and F BiH Governments. Moreover, ten
more youth representatives joined the group
and they are selected and recommended by
youth organisations. How successful will be
this attempt is still to be observed. At the
same time, the first state project of this kind
shall underline the relevance of a mutually
aligned youth policy and demonstrate how
difficult is to reach this under current
political circumstances in BiH.
Youth policy represents the relationship
between the government(s) and the youth.
In order to have a sound youth concept and
a development strategy for youth policy in
the country, the government and
administration structures have to be created.
The Commission for Coordination of Youth
Affairs is a first step in that direction.
It is very difficult to change the values and
images from the socialistic past despite the
multifaceted democratisation processes. The
youth is more or less excluded from the
political structures and generally very little or
not interested in the politics at all, let alone
politically involved. The politics is almost an
embarrassing word and often equalled with
corruption and nationalism. The youth
initiates social, environmental or other
actions outside the political context. Politics
is in a rule equalled with the parliamentarian
politics.
There is no tradition of active participation
of youth in the BiH society, school
parliaments
or
youth
organisations
independent from the state do not have long
experience. For that reason it is very difficult
for the youth to develop their own new
projects i.e. to accept the instruments which
were brought to countries by the
international community (IC) and to use
them actively.
Youth Participation
Participation of young people and young
adults in the youth policy development
should become an implicit matter. Active
participation of young people in actions and
decision-making processes on the local and
regional level is of a crucial importance for
democratic society building. Furthermore,
the local and regional authorities must
actively lobby for the support of youth
issues.25
Youth policy in this context includes all
issues relevant to the development of young
people within a society as well as to the
establishment of a positive life environment.
It is precisely related to the issues of formal
and informal education, social policy, health
care (also the issues of family
planning/contraception),
employment,
culture, sport, leisure time and other.
The UNDP reports from 2000 and
200326 came to a result that young people
feel marginalized and excluded from the
decision-making processes. Although the
25
OSCE and CoE 2002: European Charter on Youth
Participation in Local and Regional life, 2002 and
UNDP 2004: JAZVAC Javno zagovaranje akcionog
plana mladih na lokalnom nivou, p. 5
26
UNDP 2000: Human Development Report Bosnia
and Herzegovina 2000, Youth, p. 5 und UNDP 2003:
Youth in BiH, p. 7
situation is slowly improving, there are still
reasons to be concerned. The low
participation in the political processes and
low attention given to this group are among
significant reasons for the apathy and
frustration (not seldom depression) the
young people suffer of.
Public Sphere
The youth issues hardly obtain attention in
the public. The youth topics are almost
absent from the media. Nevertheless,
individual projects based on their volume
and/or their good public relation activities
here and there gain a chance to be covered
by the media. However, even then the media
mostly speak about the activity concerned,
i.e. the project, while the problems behind it
remain unconsidered. The awareness about a
difficult status of young people in BiH is
therefore barely present. At the same time,
the young people feel as being represented
neither in the media nor in the politics.
3.1.2 Experiences
Programs of the
International Community
Many organisations try to take up these
complex issues.
A further example is a GTZ project to train
a network of youth officers and to establish
it in selected municipalities. Contrary to
other multiplier programs, the GTZ is the
first in BiH to train community
administration workers to become youth
officers. The course was developed and
implemented by the GTZ. Up to date, there
are 20 person trained in that. The course was
subsequently
taken
by
an
Italian
organisation, which is also active in the
youth sector, to be implemented in
additional 30 municipalities.
The UNDP represents a Youth Officer
Model and is currently running the so-called
Youth Info Resource Centres in five
municipalities. In the past, the UNDP
17
supported the Youth Parliaments with the
Omladinska informativna agencija (OIA),
which have no relevance today. The LOV
Youth Representative Program (Lokalno
omladinsko vijece)27, largely supported by
the OSCE, the purpose of which is the
coordination on the cantonal level, is
another project, which tries to establish local
coordination structures and to enhance the
youth policy.
Numerous trainings were conceived to make
youth workers familiar with these issues.
However, a coordination program is
necessary. Many training programs are
usually
individually
developed
and
sometimes implemented with no agreement
with other stakeholders within the same
region (sometimes they even do not know
about each other), while other regions
remain completely unconsidered. Although
these programs start very ambitiously, they
usually collapse as soon as the international
involvement ends. These projects try very
often to establish a new system, which takes
existing local structures into consideration
only to insufficient extent, and they break
down again after the international donors
withdraw.
So far German organisations have only few
experiences in the field of Youth Policy.
3.1.3 Recommendations
In order to raise awareness about the status
of young people in the public and to
improve their position in the political
system, the following proposals are made:
The interviewed respondents perceived the LOV
Program a well-conceived but failed project. The
attempt to establish coordination on the regional level
shall be generally commended, but often it fails due
to lack of funds (travel costs), missing network (no
telephone connection or internet access) or staff (no
permanent youth workers). The IC intention did not
sufficiently take information on the background of
country into consideration.
27
18
⇒ Support for development and
implementation of a single youth policy on
the state level carried by government
⇒ Exchange programs and partnerships
with German government agencies and
youth institutions.
Objective: Internship opportunities for
youth workers from BiH in German
organisations. Provide the Know-How
expertise to the authorities.
⇒ Development of a concept of Youth
Information Offices and Youth Centres in
agreement with the local authorities.
Objective: Premises, in which young people
can obtain information and which can serve
them as contact points. (aligned with the
GTZ, UNDP and other’s programs) A longterm funding and incorporation in local
structures has to be ensured.
⇒ Training of youth workers.
Objective: Qualified youth workers in the
entire country. To produce a training
concept drafted in cooperation with Bosnian
organisations and which they can implement
in a mid-term period. The universities
should have a crucial role in that.
⇒ Lobbying on the international level by
large organisations (UNDP, OSCE, CoE,
OHR, World Bank)
Objective: Establishment of youth ministries
i.e. clear competences in the existing
ministries. Unification of the youth
legislation and establishment of a single
youth support budget.
⇒ Specific training and support programs
for (young) journalists and politicians about
issues of youth and young adults.
Objective: To increase the visibility of youth
and their specific status and to raise their
issues in the public.
3.2 Formal Education
The right to education is a basic human
right.28 The formal education has therein an
extraordinary significance. Investments in
this sector are the country’s best and most
direct way for the development of its
economic and social profit and a vital
component of a democratic society.29 The
relationship between education and
economic situation of a country is directly
correlated. It is indisputable that the right to
education
represents
a
basis
for
development of civil, cultural, political,
social and economic values of a society.
Education and culture play a central role in
strengthening of mutual understanding and
trust between different ethnic groups. This is
particularly applicable to Bosnia and
Herzegovina. In that regard the education
for democratic citizenship is of a special
importance.30 An efficient democracy needs
well-informed, responsible, engaged and
critical citizens, who shall be aware that life
in a community also includes certain duties.
28
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26
(1)
Everyone has the right to education.
Education shall be free, at least in the elementary
and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall
be compulsory. Technical and professional
education shall be made generally available and
higher education shall be equally accessible to all
on the basis of merit.
(2)
Education shall be directed to the full
development of the human personality and to the
strengthening of respect for human rights and
fundamental freedoms. It shall promote
understanding, tolerance and friendship among all
nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further
the activities of the United Nations for the
maintenance of peace.
(3)
Parents have a prior right to choose the
kind of education that shall be given to their
children.
UNICEF 2000: The State of World’s Children
2000, UNICEF Report p. 47
30
Compare Council of Europe, Final Declaration of
the Heads of State and Government of the Member
States of the CoE. Straßburg, 11. October 1997 p. 1
ff www.coe.int
The “crucial task of all pedagogical and
andragogical activities therefore must be to
enable current and future citizens for their
active participation and contribution in/to
the community, structuring of their own
affairs and resolution of their problems“31
Education in Bosnia and
Herzegovina
The school and education system in BiH is
going through an intense transformation. A
change from an education system run by
directives toward a rather democratic,
participative one creates a lot of difficulties
both to teachers and students.
Necessary attention to the education sector
in BiH is paid far too late. The architects of
the DPA seem not to have considered the
crucial significance of the education,
although the importance of a modern and
just education system can hardly be
overestimated in the development of a
democratic statehood. In spring 2002, the
Principal Deputy of the High Representative
Donald Hays explained in a speech: “We are
addressing this subject very late, an issue
which should be considered crucial for the
post war recovery of BiH and which can
definitely affect success or failure of all
endeavours for a free democratic and stable
BiH“32
In 2002, the assignment to coordinate the
education reform was transferred to the
OSCE. Its task is to play an intermediary
and coordination role among 14 responsible
Ministries of Education (2 entities, 10
Cantons, Brcko District and the state level).
29
31
32
Dürr et all 2004: p. 11
Quotation by Perry 2003: 3.
19
3.2.1 Status of the Schools
Photo: Carnival in Mostar
Currently, the post-war education system is
set up in a very disorganized manner. The
legal responsibilities and those for
curriculum lays with 10 Cantonal Ministries
in the Federation of BiH. The Ministry of
Education, Science, Culture and Sport in the
BiH Federation has mainly a coordinative
role without any major influence. The
education sector in RS is regulated by the
Ministry of Education in Banja Luka.
Additionally, there is an Education
Authority in the independent Brcko District.
A state-level ministry still does not exist and
the task is vested with the Ministry of Civil
Affairs. As a result, the education system is
not only fragmented but it also lost on
quality: i.e. teaching methods and the
curriculum of the old Yugoslavia were taken
over in many parts33 and since 80s have not
been further improved.
The role of students is usually reduced to a
role of a listener, who swill learn by heart
what they were presented with. The learning
process is not structured interactively/as
peer teaching, thus the knowledge of
students is not actively involved. For a
democracy education it is however
absolutely important that schools teach
students to have their own visions, to
express their own thoughts and to enhance
their own judgement abilities.
33
Comp. UNDP2003: p. 8
20
The situation in 295 still existing schools and
their roughly 170,000 students in Bosnia and
Herzegovina can hardly be summarized in
few sentences. There are extremely well
equipped schools and motivated teachers,
especially in big cities. At the same time,
there are still many schools which fall
behind any European standard and can
barely offer adequate teaching and learning
opportunities. Generally, it is a matter of
both regional inequality (according to the
OSCE, the situation in the Canton 5 is
considerably worse than in other country
regions), and in the first place a large urbanrural discrepancy, with considerably worse
equipment of the rural schools. In addition
to it, a specific situation is observed in 5434
schools in the BiH Federation, in which
both Bosniac and Croat schools are situated,
but they are entirely independent in regard
to administration, teaching staff, and the
curriculum (2 schools under one roof). In
some cities, the schools are so overstuffed
that students can only attend classes in
different shifts. Furthermore, an extremely
complex issue of curriculum development
considering language differences and the socalled “vital national interest” comes on top
of that.
An OSCE survey from Autumn 2003
confirmed that a noticeably high number of
schools have barely sufficient working
conditions. This survey, which included all
schools in BiH and which contains the
comprehensive data about the material
status of schools, was unfortunately never
34
Status May/2005 The schools in the cantons:
Zenica-Doboj (Canton 4); Central Bosnia (Canton
6) and Herzegovina-Neretva (Canton 7). In these
schools the mostly Bosniac and Bosnian Croat
students and teachers do not have almost any direct
contact. In some schools students enter the school
through separated doors. In most cases both schools
are judicially completely separated legal entities
(exceptions are the schools in Vareš and Žepče as
well as the First Grammar School in Mostar).
Furthermore, there are many schools in the FBiH
which were initially one unit and now even have
separated premises.
adequately evaluated. Generally, the quality
of education system suffered immensely of
the war and war consequences in all
sectors.35
became very obvious in autumn of 2003,
when a legally foreseen administrative
unification of mixed primary and secondary
Bosniac-Croat schools was declined.
A deficient education and school policy has
led to frustration and reinforced a
regrettable apathy among both students and
teachers.
In the recent years, the International
Community, chaired by the OSCE, tried to
instigate a reform process of this sector.
Although the OSCE was working hard to
involve various stakeholders actively in that
process, it can hardly be regarded as a
success. To a certain degree, it even seems
that the OSCE took over the competencies
of the relevant Ministries, i.e. the
responsibility was transferred to the OSCE,
which – according to its mandate - cannot
implement it.
3.2.2 Education System
The administration levels compete with each
other i.e. obstruct each other mutually.36
Therefore, the education system in BiH
compared to other European countries is
extremely inefficient and expensive. (UNDP
2003:83)
Up to date, the implementation of education
reform has often failed due to lack of
political will. Regardless of how important
the political statements on a unique modern
Bosnian education system are, the practical
implementation makes it very difficult. In
the meantime, a framework law on the
school sector was enacted on the state level,
which will anticipate a single curriculum
framework for all schools in BiH and
expand participation opportunities of
parents, students and teachers37, however the
progress in terms of ratification and
implementation is fairly problematic. It
The complexity of the education system is
more clearly demonstrated on the next page:
35
Daily newspaper San of 17 August 2003/p. 3
It can only be assumed how many people in BiH are
illiterate, because no one has accurate data. However,
there are a few indicators that it could be up to
roughly 25% of the total BiH population. Another
estimate is even more alarming, i.e. that around 20%
of children in BiH cannot write and read.
36
In RS this responsibility was transferred to the
Ministry of Education on the entity level. In the F
BiH, ten Cantonal Ministries for Education were
responsible together with municipalities and the BiH
Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport.
Brcko District has its own education administration.
Together with the Ministry of Civil Affairs on the
state level there are total of 14 Ministries of
Education in BiH responsible for education without
having any valuable coordination among themselves.
37Framework Law on Primary and Secondary
Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003: Article
51.
21
Chart: Structure of the education system in BiH38
38
By courtesy of the OSCE. Source: OSCE 2005:
Raising Debate: Is BiH respecting its international
commitments in the field of education. Questions for
the Citizens of BiH”; p. 21
22
3.2.3 Instruction Language/
Common Core
Curriculum
According to the Dayton Peace Agreement,
the students in Bosnia and Herzegovina are
entitled to be taught in their own language.
This partially leads to major obstacles except
in cases when teachers, parents, students and
ministries
demonstrate
sufficient
cooperation.
Following admittance to the Council of
Europe in 2002, a so-called “Common Core
Curriculum“ was adopted in 2003, which
should serve as a framework law for the
unification and overcoming of ethnic
differences between diverse ethnic groups.
Still, one can hardly talk about a unified
countrywide education system without any
discrimination at all. Additionally, the OSCE
sources announced downsizing of its
involvement in this sector in the near future.
The
framework
curriculum,
which
anticipated broad participation opportunities
of parents, students and teachers, is still not
ratified by all the ministries.39 Although
subjects such as Geography, History,
Language/Literature, Sociology, Politics,
Music and Arts were partially harmonized in
the core curriculum, major parts, however,
have still remained the responsibility of the
respective pedagogical institutes.40 Officially,
school subscription regions are clearly
regulated, but it is not uncommon that
parents prefer to send their children to
schools in which their own ethnic group
forms the majority even if it means a long
distance travel to the school.
The classes in the F BiH are instructed –
depending on the ethnic majority of students
– in Bosnian or Croatian language, which is
regulated by the curriculum of the
competent ministry. In Republika Srpska,
39
Framework Law on Primary and Secondary
Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina 2003
40 Children and Youth are often acquainted only with
“their own“ side of reality, i.e. Croat children the
Croat side, Bosniacs the Bosniac side, etc. They are
not familiar with the culture of their neighbours.
the classes are instructed exclusively in
Serbian language according to its curriculum.
As demonstrated in above graphic, the
schools refer to different pedagogical
institutes depending on the region,
sometimes even within the Canton.
Theoretically, there is a possibility to
establish separate classes within one school,
if there are 20 or more students of one
ethnic minority of the same age, in which
they can be taught in their own mother
tongue.
This problem goes far beyond the practical
issues of an appropriate teaching language.
For example, the questions like: What script
will my child learn to write/use? What is the
right way to write and what can be
considered a wrong one? How will my child
learn a new language/new words in case
he/she changes the school? What kind of
history would be taught to my child? Will my
child get an unbiased education? How will
the religious holidays be celebrated, i.e. how
are they taken into consideration? (i.e. meal
time during the Ramadan), etc.
Specific case: Culture of Religions
According to the specific relevance of
religions in BiH, there were attempts to
introduce a subject “Culture of Religions” as
an additional subject to the existing religious
classes and significant effort under the
coordination of the OSCE and the Goethe
Institute was put into that. In 2003 began
the training, based on a very detailed
curriculum, for 20 teachers selected from the
entire BiH, who should subsequently teach
this subject in the 2nd grade of their
respective secondary schools for an hour
weekly. The offer was optional for all
interested schools. The integration of Croat
teachers into this project failed due to an
obstruction by the Catholic Church. After
many initial complications, the classes
resumed in five schools in the school year
2004/2005, three of them in Sarajevo
according to their own curriculum. Another
education course is planned for the next
23
year, but the future of the project is still not
entirely clear.
are insufficient education opportunities for
students in need for some special support.
Textbooks
Further development, particularly in the
pedagogical field, virtually did not happen.
Ex catedra classes, the education focused on
teachers rather than on students, frequently
obsolete teaching contents, and nonmotivated or even frustrated teachers
contributed to decreasing the quality
standards of classes. The education of
teachers is focused primarily on theoretic,
fact-oriented knowledge and includes very
few pedagogical and didactic components.42
The Pedagogical Institutes (there are 7 in the
F BiH and 1 in the RS) are competent only
for one respective ethnic group. A result of a
study by the OSCE is that none of
pedagogical
institutes
endorsed
all
regulations pertinent to the framework law.43
The textbooks also have an immense
importance in this regard. “Textbooks and
other teaching materials remain effective
also beyond the class-rooms. They do not
only transfer the factual knowledge, but also
dominant historic images, space and time
concepts. They include images of historic
figures and political and social values, which
should be transferred to the next generation
in a society. They contribute to constructing
the national self and the picture of the other.
In the course of history, the textbooks were
repeatedly instrumentalized for warfare“41.
To a certain degree it was also intentionally
misused after the war in Bosnia and
Herzegovina for nationalistic propaganda as
well as for forging one-sided presentation of
history.
Unrelated to these issues, using different
textbooks make changes difficult for the
students.
3.2.4 Training for Teachers
It was not possible to keep up with the high
level standards of training in schools and
vocational schools from the time before the
war. Many teachers, including university
teachers, left the country, are working for
international organisations, or are employed
on the free market, while salaries in the state
institutions, i.e. in schools still remain very
low. The changes in the education system
and other pedagogical requirements brought
a considerably different teaching style, which
could not be followed by many, particularly
older teachers. However, the education
institutions for pedagogues are also not
sufficiently familiar with the new
participative teaching style. Moreover, there
41
Georg Eckert Institut, Braunschweig:
http://www.gei.de/deutsch/index1.shtml (access on
18 August 2005)
24
The existing education system bolsters
differences among ethnic groups and
produces rather than deconstructs further
prejudice.
The education system is particularly
problematic for children born in mixed
marriages. The ethnic composition of
teaching staff is, particularly in the rural
areas, extremely misbalanced with a
tendency to a nationally homogenised team
of teachers. On top of that comes
nationalistic/racist textbooks and teaching
contents.
Various organisations (Step by Step, Civitas,
Council of Europe, European Commission,
KulturKontakt) provide further trainings for
teachers. However, like in many other fields,
there
are
no
regular
agreements/consultations
among
the
respective organisations in regard to both
regional responsibility and subject matters.
Also, organisations that provide training
42Additional problem is that a large part of former
teachers is not available to schools due to economic
reasons (change of the employment) or emigration.
43
OSCE 19 April 2005: “Raising Debate: Is BiH
Respecting its International Commitments in the
Fields of Education: Questions for the Citizens of
BiH.“ Appendix 2
programs for teachers cooperate only in
exceptional cases with the Pedagogical
Institutes in the country. That approach has
consequences to both sustainability of
further training programs (in case the
organisations downsize or close their
programs, the appropriate structures also
disappear) and the contents. This kind of
volatility is certainly a matter of donor
logics, but it is not necessarily agreed with
competent authorities.
Moreover, the curricula do not often meet
requirements of the job market. The IT field
comes particularly short here. Not all
schools by far have an Internet connection,
let alone a computer room.
.
The correlation between vocational schools
and general education schools (grammar
schools) is misbalanced. The current
approximate ratio of 80:20 considerably
deviates from the situation in the EU
countries (50:50).44
3.2.5 Participation
of Students and Teachers
in Decision-Making
According to the international steering
group EISSG45, the democratisation of
schools is considered an important
component of the education reform.46 Given
this background, the new framework law on
education
anticipated
new
school
committees, i.e. competencies. Decisionmaking by all stakeholders in the school
processes and more significant school
autonomy shall be a component of the daily
44
World Bank Report 2004: World Bank Report for
Bosnia and Herzegovina, p. 183
45
Education Issues Set Steering Group. Established
by the OHR und OSCE for coordination of
education reform
46
Comp. UNDP 2003: 81: “As a result of the
fragmented and ideologised education system in BiH,
some of the principles that have become sine qua
non of education in most European countries have
been pushed aside. It also refers to the
democratisation of education.”
routine. Ministers of education at all levels
mentioned active participation in a
democratic society (ECTAER 2003:9) as one
of the primary education objectives. For that
reason, the new framework law anticipates
Student Council (Vijeće učenika) and
Parents Council (Vijeće roditelja) as well as
an elected school conference as the highest
school committee.47
Even though parents and students councils
formally exist in the meantime, the
knowledge about these committees is usually
minimal and it appears to a certain extent
that these bodies were only established out
of courtesy for the International
Community, i.e. as a result of the outside
pressure, but do not make sense at all.
Schüler Helfen Leben have been working
in the field of student councils since 1999
and in the meanwhile the organisation has
become one of the key interlocutors for this
issue. Through a focused promotion and
further training of active students,
international workshops with student
representatives from other countries, a
handbook for student councils and network
between active students representatives,
many young people were supported in
establishment of student councils in their
respective schools but also the awareness
was generally raised in that regard.
Competent Ministries and respective school
heads approved all measures. In the
meanwhile, the teachers and school heads
actively address the SHL and asked for
information. However, there are also many
school principals, who are critical of these
efforts.
The Peer-project led by the SHL could also
be usefully integrated in this sector.
Nevertheless, it must also be mentioned that
a countrywide networking was not fully
achieved despite very intensive efforts, while
many student councils disappeared after a
while. Through regular contacts with active
students they have been trying to work
against such a development.
47
Comp. Emrich, Rickerts: 2005
25
3.2.6 Preparation for Employment
Preparation for the after school period,
assistance with application procedures or
with career decisions are almost entirely
absent in BiH. Teachers are not sufficiently
qualified to prepare students for the life after
school. (see: chapter on universities and
vocational
training).
Internship
opportunities practically do not exist.
Students of the vocation schools have no or
insufficient opportunities to accomplish a
practical component of their education. The
curricula are barely oriented to the real
demands. Modern IT or economic
occupations are not provided at all. This
decreases job opportunities on both domestic
and foreign market, therefore, due to this lack
of perspectives, many students have no
motivation to accomplish any higher
education. Nevertheless, the secondary
school and university graduates, i.e. young
people on the quest for their first regular
employment, represent currently over 50% of
the unemployed population. The internship
principle, which was not known in the old
Yugoslavia, has not managed to make a
breakthrough. Young employees have almost
no possibility to attain professional
experience without a proper job.
Practical training in vocational schools was
often not evaluated as useful or practiceoriented. It is not unusual that practical
training becomes reduced to making a coffee
or cleaning. Here, always, the exception
confirms the rule.
⇒ Train the trainers (multipliers)/teachers
in the field of democracy education, human
rights (EDC)
⇒ Support for further trainings of teachers
(in addition to their regular work) in
interactive/peer teaching and participative
teaching methods, also with regard to the
26
requirements of the modern information
society.
Establishment of trainings and further
trainings for teachers with regard to modern
teaching methods and new curricula
⇒ Support with establishment of student
and parents councils
⇒ Equipment aid to be given schools in
coordinated actions (particularly in the rural
regions) involving the local competent
authorities.
⇒ Support in the field of textbooks drafting
⇒ Assistance in drafting of curricula, class
units and seminar programs aimed at
political education.
Objective: Young people have to be
prepared for the role of active citizens.
⇒ Program development for human rights
training (comp. Human Rights School,
Helsinki Committee Belgrade)
Objective: Youth must develop and
internalise awareness of human rights and
basic freedoms and their values.
⇒ Developing workshop programs for
intercultural issues, antiracism, peace
pedagogy, tolerance.
Objective: the youth in BiH have to
redevelop a mutual respect for the cultural
diversity of their country. One must fought
against segregation in schools or during
leisure time and the knowledge about the
cultural differences and common issues
must be promoted.
⇒ Implementation of the International
Community objectives: free selection of
schools, mixed schools, sensibility for
specific minority issues (i.e. Roma) etc.
⇒ Support in drafting and implementation
of a countrywide framework law.
⇒ Measures for depoliticising of the
education system
Objective: to prevent the nationalistic
instrumentalization of schools.
Photo: Youth in Križevići
3.3 Higher Education
3.3.1 Situation in
the Higher Education
Following the secondary school graduation,
there is an opportunity to study at one of
seven universities in BiH. The higher
education training usually takes four years
(Medicine study takes six years) and its
degree can be compared with a German
diploma, state examination or MA. This
degree however cannot be directly followed
by a PhD study. Before pursuing a PhD, one
have first to take a course of post-graduate
study, which completion brings a Master’s
degree. The PhD title is rather comparable
with our habilitation, since the persons with
PhD degree becomes entitled to examine at
higher education institutions.
67,000 regular students are enrolled in seven
universities in BiH. The situation at
universities is in many regards influenced by
the recent war and the political
circumstances of the post-war period. Many
faculties continued their activities under very
poor conditions during the war although
many colleagues fled abroad, numerous
buildings were destroyed and the equipment
was often completely lost. The primary task
of the post war period was their physical
reconstruction. The next step was
acquisition of technical equipment, research
laboratories, etc. Significant aid was
provided within “Academic Reconstruction
of the South-East Europe“ program in the
framework of the Stability Pact, inter alia,
under the leadership of the German
27
Academy Exchange Service (DAAD).
Reconstruction projects are supported
through the Tempus program by the EC,
however the necessary grant volume is too
high and the application procedure too
complicated.
The academicians, who have remained
abroad, try to build up networks of material
and intellectual support, thus significant
cooperation was established not only with
Germans but also, for example, with
Swedish universities.
The most aggravated problem today does
not necessarily seem to be the equipment
but the lack of university teachers on one
side and independence of the higher
education institutions from the political
circumstances on the other. They mutually
condition each other. A third important
issue is the reform relating to the Bologna
Process. The obsolete education system
could definitely be modified into a BachelorStudy but many bureaucratic obstacles have
to be removed.
The number of students has been
continuously increasing. On the one hand,
more and more part-time students, who are
obliged to pay high tuition fees to
universities, are enrolled. On the other hand,
the secondary school graduates see hardly a
third alternative to further education and
unemployment. The situation of teaching
staff is diametrically opposite thereto. There
are few professors and often very talented
junior staff, which is still not entitled to
examining students. The middle generation
is almost completely missing in many
departments due to the war and emigration.
The older professors with decades of
teaching experience are often not very open
to innovations at the higher education
institutions, but they are irreplaceable in
terms of further continuation of a
department. Ex catedra classes and transfer
of the knowledge are the rule, guidance to a
critical thinking rather an exception. The
students are accustomed to podium-teaching
28
classes and have difficulties to cope with the
freedom of studying at university.
In many cases, the professors can hardly be
retired, since no one can take over their job.
There is a high pressure on the junior
academic staff (assistant lecturers) to take
over many tasks and in the meantime to
accomplish their PhD studies at a fast pace
to be able to replace the older generation.
Even when they have an opportunity to
pursue a PhD course abroad, the problem
often arises whether this title would be
recognized in the country. There are no
transparent regulations here. Student
fellowships, which are aimed at advancing
junior academic staff, partially fail because
there are only funds available for a
postgraduate study program abroad, but not
necessarily for the recognition of the degree
obtained in the aftermath.
The lack of university teachers has become
even worse by increasing the number of
faculties and departments after the war.
Here, the demand or the implementation
possibilities (teaching staff, equipment,
libraries, etc.) were less important than the
political will. The choice of university is
often determined by one’s own ethnic
membership. This issue is especially obvious
in Mostar with two universities in the
eastern and western parts of the city. There
are many departments at both universities,
although the equipment and teachers would
be even insufficient for one.
Usually, deficiency of teaching staff is made
up by guest teachers. On the one side, guest
professors come from other countries who
deliver one-term or even annual curriculum
in a comprised way within only several days.
In order to cope with that, modifications of
the curriculum are required. On the other
side, supplementary assistance is sought with
travelling professors from BiH or elsewhere
in the region. It may be considered
encouraging to a certain extent that
universities-in-need disregard ethnic borders,
i.e. professors from Serbia and Croatia travel
to the University of Tuzla. Nevertheless, it is
often connected with lack of responsibility
towards students while professors usually
appreciate their “peripatetic” teaching only
as a good side-income.
The cross-border cooperation often
functions better than the one within the
country. A steering role by donors would be
urgently needed here. In case of equipment
grants, it is necessary to discuss how and
who would use it in a most efficient way. It
cannot make sense, for example, that all
faculties of agriculture would like to function
autonomously and that they all have to
procure the same tools – by means of the
international aid. A project application
would make much more sense in case new
laboratories or alike could be shared at least
by two universities in Mostar, or between
the University of Sarajevo and East Sarajevo.
The module of “part-time students”
clearly demonstrates how much the
education system is obsolete and purely
knowledge-oriented: Through a sort of
distance learning, students can (against
relatively high tuitions) accomplish their
studies without participating at lectures. The
course comprises of a proposed reading list,
which has to be worked through and the
book knowledge should be presented as
exact as possible. Individually written papers
are not expected during the course of study
except for the graduation paper.
Students usually complain about the lack of
motivation of associate professors, even
bribery during the appraisal was mentioned
as a frequent problem. Many students also
have a very low initial motivation to study.
The higher education is often an
opportunity to delay the threatening
unemployment for another couple of years.
As the higher education counselling is not
present, the selection of the study course is
often accidental, while the lack of
perspectives on the labour market
afterwards diminishes their motivation
additionally. Due to shortage of more
comprehensive scholarship programs, lots of
students work in addition to studying while
trying to accomplish their study with least
possible efforts.
It practically never happens that students
protest despite generally very poor education
conditions, a strict hierarchy between
teachers and students, and intense
frustrations.
Strikes, autonomous seminars – as in some
other countries – practically never happen.
A lot of support was provided to students’
representative bodies, particularly by the
OSCE and by WUS Austria (World
University Service), but also by the political
foundations and by the SHL through
student newspapers. These activities often
fail due to low student awareness about
possibilities to articulate the critics and
demand their rights.
A successful example of a self-organized
cross-regional platform is “prvi studentski
portal za slobodnu i besplatnu razmjenu
informacija na podrucju ex-yu“ (the first
student portal for a free information
exchange in the region of Ex-Yugoslavia“.
(www.4study.info)
A major issue is the absence of a single
legislative framework on the higher
education. A countrywide legislation was
foreseen for mid 2004, however it has not
been adopted due to an “extreme
politicising” up to date. In June 2004, the
Croat politicians prevented adoption of the
new framework law on the higher education
by the argument that it would “threat the
vital national interest”. Following that, the
World Bank deterred an already approved
loan of over 12 mill US Dollars. In that
vacuum, some ministries of education began
to harmonize the proposed laws to their
own concepts and also to partially ratify
them. (i.e. West Herzegovina Canton). The
regional implementation of the laws also
aggravates planned harmonisation at the
state level, which is urgently required. A
single legislation and appropriate monitoring
are also urgently needed in order to comply
with the Bologna Process requirements
(mutual recognition of the university
29
degrees). However, BiH has joined the
Bologna Process in September 2003, but
efforts have been taken only at few
universities and faculties to meet the BP
requirements. Up to date, only the
University of Tuzla has become a unified
autonomous institution. In the rest of the
country, single faculties are independent
legal entities and follow their own interests
that, inter alia, lead partially to a very nontransparent financial policy.
continuous emigration of the highly
qualified young people and supplemented by
relevant seminars on social and political
topics. The KAF concentrates on potential
leaders, predominantly from political, legal
and economic fields and support their
involvement in contribution to the public
good. For graduate students there are
scholarships for advanced degree courses in
Germany and the possibility to obtain a
three-month-long research grant.
The DAAD and the Bosch Foundation have
the lecturers at the German language and
literature department in Banja Luka, Mostar
and Sarajevo. In the framework of the
Stability Pact for South-East Europe, the
DAAD maintains trilateral university
cooperation between a German, a Bosnian
and at least one additional university partner
from the region. Furthermore, over 400
fellowships for students of the final year,
PhD students and university teachers are
implemented through the DAAD. There are
various special programs such as material
support and alumni programs. The “Go
East“ program attempts to work against
one-way emigration movement from South
East Europe to Germany. There is a high
interest of students from South-East Europe
for the university exchange programs, while
on the other side the German students have
relatively low interest therein.
The regional office of the Heinrich Boell
Foundation in Sarajevo offered a
scholarship program for students from the
entire BiH since 2001, which were meant for
students of humanistic and natural sciences.
The 100 fellows obtained a basic scholarship
grant and regular interdisciplinary seminars,
which should encourage them to get
engaged in building of a democratic country.
A further objective of the program is to
work against the emigration trend of young
people from the country.
The Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the
Heinrich Boell Foundation granted further
scholarship programs. Contrary to the
DAAD programs, the latter aim at
supporting of young elites through
scholarships in the countries. The program
is implemented through individual grants
and regular seminars on various subjects.
Since 1997, the Konrad Adenauer
Foundation has been implementing
programs for support of postgraduate
students from Bosnia and Herzegovina,
which was expanded by a general
scholarship program for students in 2002.
These so-called Sur-Place-Scholarships were
perceived as important measures against
30
⇒ Promotion of cooperation projects of
different universities within BiH and the
South-East Europe region. For example, it
would make sense to establish a better
network among individual departments in
the country (i.e. all faculties of mechanical
engineering);
⇒ Exchange programs also included in
material
and
equipment
donations.
Objective: Common use of certain
infrastructure, i.e. laboratories.
⇒ More Sur-Place Scholarships, primarily
for the promotion of junior academic staff
(following the Foundation model: Linking of
junior academic staff with the social
engagement)
⇒
Promotion
of
representative bodies
active
student
Objective: Support to building of
democratic universities. Ensuring the active
support.
⇒ Establishment of Alumni activities,
networks among the former
fellows of different German organisations
and their support as an innovative network
⇒ Exchange programs for university
teachers
Objective: Networking in the international
context. Confrontation with international
standards, support in development of
curricula and modules.
⇒ Support of university partnerships
⇒ Infrastructure support to universities
⇒ Support to complying with the Bologna
requirements.
3.4 Situation on the Labour
Market /Vocational Training
A job and one’s own income are the crucial
issues of the young Bosnians after they leave
the school. These factors determine adult
status, influence the self-esteem and prove
the independence.
The youth, which are cut off the labour
market, often loose the opportunity to
develop new perspectives and to become
positively integrated in the entire society.
For these reasons, the promotion of
vocational perspectives of young people
should be given particularly high
importance.
3.4.1 Problem Analysis
Compared to the West European countries,
the preparation phases for the labour market
and its processes in BiH have been scarcely
explored so far. Both the governmental and
non-governmental organisations emphasize
that the problem of first employment is
generally related to the acute unemployment.
The situation on the labour market is at the
same time affected by an economic
transformation to the capitalisms and market
economy.
Furthermore, it is believed that schools and
universities suffice as preparation for
working years. Therefore, the first
employment should be a logical continuation
of the school or university education, which
is in reality the exception.
The number of young unemployed people
oscillates between 45 and 60 percent.48
Job Search
The Bosnian society is for the time being
barely
capable
to
offer
concrete
opportunities to its youth on the labour
market. On the contrary, the generally high
rate of unemployment in BiH strikes
especially hard on the beginners in the
market. There is a danger for them to end
up in a vicious circle of unemployment,
marginalization and social rift.49 Insufficient
job perspectives, a very low salary level and
unsatisfactory working conditions are
important reasons for the high discontent
and lethargy of young people. This issue is
even reinforced by a relatively low mobility
within the country (among other for family
and ethnic reasons) and by the employment
policy, which is still based on connections
and family duties. Besides qualification and
place of residence, the ethnicity and family
background are often reasons which decide
on employment or non-employment.
Furthermore, there are family duties i.e.
connections and status or position in the
society (party, religious group, etc.) The
reasons, which are often given priority to
professional competence like: “Without B
Vitamin (stela) I will not get the job anyway“
48
Comp. OIA 2005, on account of the UN WPAY
Youth Unit data
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/documents/
wpaysubmissions/bosnia.pdf status of 20 September
2005
49
Comp. European Commission (2002) White Book,
p. 49
31
are a frequently used argument for the lack
of motivation in the application process.
First employment
Young people are let into the labour world
almost without any orientation. Support
with the career choice, job search,
development of own profession-wise
relevant ideas or for starting of a company is
practically not existent.
Old-fashioned teaching methods, bad
internship places and unrealistic drill
examples during the school time as well as
hardly existing career centres additionally
aggravate the entrance to the labour world
for the young people. Even though the
school offers them a certain protection
space, after the school they are entirely left
to themselves. In the transition period they
obtain almost no support. As they are not
entitled to state support, many young people
remain living at home and try to keep
themselves over the water by occasional
jobs. The longer this stage takes, the more
difficult it becomes for them to get along
with a regular job. The fact that public
employers expect at least two years of
professional experience, makes to a certain
degree the first employment contract
impossible. Thus, all there is left for young
people looking for their first job is the grey
economy and jobs way under their
qualification level.
Self-Employment
Self-employment as a first employment is an
opportunity that represents an option only
for very few young people. Still, maybe just
for that reason, it would make sense to
promote the entrepreneur spirit among the
young people and assist them to develop
their self-esteem, to implement their
business ideas and possibly to create new
jobs.50 Also, freelance activities are extremely
difficult for young graduated people. The
problems they face are: lack of knowledge in
50
Comp. UN 2003: Youth in BiH 2003: Are you part
of the problem or part of the solution? p. 15 ff
32
fundamental entrepreneur skills, high
interest rates on loans as well as high taxes,
and a bureaucracy which is sometimes nontransparent even for experts
Vocational Training
Little or no attention is paid to the field of
vocational training in BiH. The vocational
schools cooperate rarely with companies.
There are virtually no authentic company
training centres. Single firms employ
regularly or irregularly (on daily or hour
basis) the students of vocational schools.
Due to the economic transition, the former
state structures for state organised
vocational training do not exist any more.
The quality of the company internship for
students of vocational schools varies
immensely, and given the weak economy it
is often not existent.
Accordingly, the transferred knowledge in
the vocational schools is barely practice
oriented. There is no sufficient connection
between the theory and practice of the
subject. The theoretical knowledge is often
very good, however not applicable.
Creativity, independent thinking or working
are often not promoted.
Institutions and clear concepts, like in the
entire education sector, are missing here. It
is not necessarily a matter of creating new
structures, but rather to expand and use the
existent ones. It would be ideal to harmonize
the national structures. Also, the mutually
agreed and recognized concepts for a further
methodical, professional or pedagogical
training of teachers are missing.
3.4.2 Experiences
Few German organisations are involved in
the promotion of vocational training: the
German Caritas/AGEF, IPAK in the East
Bosnian municipality Križevići, the GTZ, to
mention just a few of them. If internet
courses, trainings in project management or
facilitation are taken into consideration,
almost all youth organisations are more or
less active in this sector.
The German Caritas and the AGEF trained
over 400 young people in the framework of
the project “Chance to the Youth” in
vocational pedagogical centres in youth
centres Banja Luka, Presnace, Prijedor and
Kotor Varoš, to provide working and
vocational
pedagogical
activities.
Furthermore, workshops for the labour
administration were organized in Tuzla,
Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Mostar.
Jobs for returnees from Germany were
assisted through an applicant database as
well as though investments and salary
compensation. Job generating training
courses, mostly for returnees, supported this
target group in loan application, business
plans or setting up their own business.
The further training opportunities were
offered to the youth in duration of six or
seven months. Internships were provided in
selected fields ranging from agriculture,
agricultural machines and techniques,
general and specific construction skills,
technical drawing up to office administration
and communication.
Internships were implemented in fields of
wood processing, carpentry, print, textile
processing, cooking and old people and
patient care. After the internship period, a
major part of the young people was
supported by focused measures in their job
search or through special promotion
programs.
By providing infrastructure for schools and
other education institutions, an opportunity
was also created for the youth outside these
programs.
The careful selection of the internship
places, the permanent supervision by youth
social workers, motivation and self-esteem
attained by the course selection, passed
examinations, and German certificates were,
among other things, crucial for the success
of the implemented projects.
It was also stated that a significant role in it
had the “German ownership” of the
courses.
The GTZ has also been active in the
education sector since 2004. Based on the
sector analyses, the GTZ put the emphasis
on the fields like wood processing, metal
and electrical technology. The GTZ
economy promotion program includes
sectors of furniture, wood and metal
processing, car parts, textile and shoes
industry as well as tourism. In the
framework of this program job generation
seminars were implemented and one
independent association was developed.
The GTZ Vocational Training Project
supports the Ministries of Education in
BiH in the implementation of the vocational
training reform. The project objective is to
increase the employability of the graduated
students of the state-run vocational
secondary schools. The emphasis of that
approach was the economy-orientation and
participation of economy. Multiple project
implementers, along with the responsible
Ministries of Education, selected vocational
secondary schools, as well as companies and
entrepreneur associations, worked together
to realize the project. These project
measures include, among others, the
following:
• New development or modernisation of
curricula, - oriented towards
workingprocesses and competences
• Training for teachers in modern class
methods, but also in professional
know-how, interlinking theory and
practice – activity-oriented
• Implementation of concepts and methods
for vocational training improvement
– quality management.
Establishment of vocational training
dialogue, in which the representatives of
state and economy work together on
conceptions of the enterprise and economy
oriented vocational training, should
influence the results and ideas on many
levels.
33
So far, the selected vocational secondary
schools from Banja Luka, Gradiška,
Bijeljina, Živinice, Stolac and Livno took
part in the project. Attention is given to the
cross-entity approach of all project
measures.
The concepts of various trainings, further
education and internship programs have
been only weakly coordinated.
Agreements with local education authorities
or with pedagogical institutes are far from
present in all projects, although a certain
improvement is already perceptible here.
Generally, a countrywide recognized
certification of internships or further
trainings does not exist.
Lots of organisations issue participation
certificates easily. Since this is true for all
international organisations in this field, these
confirmations, certificates and receipts, etc.
lose very much value and relevance. A
certification by a quality verified provider
would be helpful.
The further training courses of the IIZZ
DVV51 are certified by a Further Training
System Test (Weiterbildung Test Systeme
Frankfurt (WBT)) in the field of language
and by Xpert Business Skills resp. Telc in
the field of management and computer.
These recognized certificates guarantee a
uniquely high level of the courses and
thereby meet a high acceptance both by
participants and employers.
⇒ Development of job generation modules.
Objective: this crucial sector has to link
efforts of all the stakeholders in order to
give perspectives to the youth.
⇒ Counselling for young employees and
assistance in job search, possibly linking of
Job Centres with Employment Agencies.
Objective: The youth should not be
abandoned immediately after completing
their school period, but be offered further
support according to their own preferences.
⇒
Support
for
potential
young
entrepreneurs. Promotion of entrepreneur
spirit and transfer of basic knowledge of
business management. Objective: promotion
of individual initiatives and creation of
positive examples.
⇒ Transfer of fundamental knowledge of
business management and entrepreneur
initiatives, among others, in schools and
universities.52
⇒ Development and expansion of job
generation ideas. Analysis of needs and
assistance in project selection.
⇒ Linking of vocational promotion with
political education
⇒ Concepts for further methodical,
professional and pedagogical trainings for
teachers at the vocational schools.
⇒ Foundation loans, Micro Credit Lines
especially for the target group of fresh
employees aimed at promotion and
counselling as well as monitoring (similar
approach exist for some specific sectors –
i.e. special promotion in the field of
agriculture or office and administration
activities)
⇒ Small project support for projects under
2,500 € through loans and grants (Most
support lines commence with 2,500 € ,
which is often a big risk for beginners)
⇒ Targeted support of vocational training
for girls and young women.
⇒ Promotion of cooperative business
approaches (common use of machines,
common sale, etc.)
51
Institute for International Cooperation of German
Public School Association
34
52
Comp. European Commission (2002) White Book
p. 88
⇒ Promotion of basic infrastructure
equipment (second-hand machines, possibly
partnerships with German organisations). In
the meantime, the infrastructure is created to
receive the assistance.
⇒ Provision of training materials and
collection of the existing material
(HBS, Caritas, GTZ, UNDP, etc.)
⇒ Development of training standards
Objective: Creation of recognized training
standards for the entire BiH or even better
to lean on the EU Standards.
⇒ Electrics
⇒ Wood processing
⇒ Metal processing
⇒ Certification of trainings and further
education. Recognition by the Bosnian
structures would be ideal. (Ministries,
Pedagogical
Institutes,
Chamber
of
Commerce, Employment Agencies, or
emerging Education Institute – formerly the
Centre for Standards and Assessments -etc.).
Photo: Youth Centre Dom Mladih in Trebinje
35
Preferred Sectors
The majority of organisations emphasize the
following sectors for the vocational training:
⇒ Agriculture
⇒ Textile
⇒ Office and administration activities (i.e.
specifically developed for women).
⇒ Tourism (although limited due to mined
areas, just partially existing infrastructure and
large competition of the neighbouring
countries)
3.5 Civil Society / Informal,
Political Education
Since young people are traditionally not
considered active participants of society and
at the same time are immensely affected by
the social and political results of the
transformation processes in the region, they
have to obtain a new active role in politics
and society and should be supported in the
development of their own potentials.
Political education is an important
instrument in order to prepare young people
for the necessary social changes, to transfer
the values of democracy and to strengthen
their own role in the society.
3.5.1 Civil Society
Initially conceived by the Italian theoretician
Antonio Gramsci, the notion civil society
stands for the entirety of non-governmental
organisations, which have impact on the
“common understanding and the public
opinion”. Nowadays, this notion mostly
characterizes the entirety of engagement of
citizens beyond the national decision-making
processes. This includes all activities, which
are not profit-oriented and independent of
interests of party politics.
36
Institutions of the civil society are structured
democratically. Various political academics
describe the civil society as a component,
which is - apart from state and market
powers – necessary for creation of an ideal
pluralistic society of actively involved
citizens.
In the history of Yugoslavia, like in most
other East and South East European
countries, the civil society involvement was
not promoted outside the influence of the
state, and to a certain degree it was even
vastly suffocated. In the post-war period, the
International Community, to a certain extent
contractually obliged, promoted the
cooperation with local organisations, and
massively supported building of civil society
organisations.
As a result thereof, over 10,000 local nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have
been registered in BiH in the meantime.
Many of them primarily saw the possibility
to obtain a paid job or at least to receive a
project. The subject itself was often a side
issue and willingly changed according to the
Funding Line. The money was embezzled or
spent on private needs to a significant
extent. The International Community
equally bears responsibility for that
development, by promoting it, however
unwillingly, due to the lack of agreements,
knowledge of local situation and monitoring.
Nevertheless, many organisations do
excellent work, while the fact that one can
ensure his/her existence by a job in an
NGO is neither negative nor implies any
conclusions about the work quality.
Besides, it should be explicitly emphasized
that cooperation with local organisations and
support to the local projects and structures
could be observed as one of the keys for an
efficient civil society. Nevertheless, it took a
few years after the war to establish an
infrastructure while at the beginning the IC
allocated its funds to non-experienced
NGOs too quickly and often without
control.
3.5.2 Prevention Activities
The focus on issues arising from education
and economic sector should not entirely
disregard
cultural
crisis
prevention
mechanisms. “A cultural crisis prevention
itself appears unrealistic, but it has to be
developed in order to bring economic,
social, military but also cultural factors
together at the international level.“53
Eventually, alarming voices coming from the
various regions must be listened to very
carefully as to establish efficient crisis
prevention in the long run, based on various
realization mechanisms.
Ethnic categories develop very early. As
soon as positive or negative prejudice is
constructed, it has a tendency to become
stronger over time. Experiences in early
socialization are for that reason crucial for
construction of an ethnic attitude. Even if
the higher education or the vocational
training would comply with modern and
liberal requirements, it would not be
sufficient. When students change from a
dogmatic and politicised education system to
a liberal one, the foundations of their
political development have already been laid
and sometimes consolidated.54
3.5.3 Democracy
Democracy is more than a form of
government or a political system, which is
based on the fact that citizens cast their
votes. It should be understood as a life style,
which only makes sense if one exercises
certain political freedom rights and if
citizens actively and consciously cooperate
on the development of these rights and
duties. “Readiness of citizens to get involved
voluntarily for the common good is directly
linked to the democratic stability“55.
Nevertheless, without a minimum of
Koschnik 2001: p. 86.
Comp. Kenneth D. Bush; Diana Saltarelli “The
Two Faces of Education in Ethnic Conflict“
UNICEF 2000. taken from Valery Perry 2003: p. 5
55
Dürr u.a. 2004. p. 11
53
54
political education, democracy cannot be
imagined.56 Democracy must be learnt and
cannot be self-realized, particularly not in a
complicated state structure like in BiH.
The young people should be given
knowledge, skills and competencies for an
active participation, which are necessary in
Bosnian society. A democratic education
must provide opportunities for dialogue,
discourse, conflict resolution and consensus
communication and interaction and must
create perception of rights and duties but
also of codes of conduct and values for ethic
and moral issues within a society. In addition
to it, the cognitive dimension (acquisition of
knowledge of ideas, concepts, system), the
social dimension (ability to recognize and
exercise democracy in various forms and life
sectors, i.e. in the school) and the affective
dimension (to comprehend and internalise
the values) should be taken into
consideration.57
For many young people in BiH, politics is a
dirty word: A great part of young adults,
who were interviewed for this research
stated that they did not vote in the last
elections. The major reason for the election
boycott was the lack of trust in the existent
parties. Unclear political concepts, partially
questionable candidates and the forced
ethnic divisions were the reasons for many
of them to stay away from the elections.
Also, the unclear political situation with the
OHR on the top of the political system
renders the elections uninteresting for many
interviewed people. However,the OHR is
usually perceived as important, but also as
non-transparent and not encouraging
political involvement.58
Breit, Schiele 2004, p. 3
Dürr u.a. (2004) p. 12
58
For example, (in August 2005) is still unclear how
and in which form the OHR will be present in BiH
next year. Frank Hofmann reports in the taz of 22
August 2005 p. 9:
According to data from diplomatic circles in BiH
capital Sarajevo, many international and national
officials swill be informed this week that their
expiring contracts will not be extended at the end
2005. An Ashdown's spokesman did not want to
56
57Comp.
37
Bosnia and Herzegovina also, like Serbia and
Montenegro and Croatia, participates in
„Education for Democratic Citizenship“.
This program was developed by the Council
of Europe in 1997.59 It aims at strengthening
the democratic development in the countries
by enhancing the democratic values in the
education. Education for Democratic
Citizenship (EDC) is a project aimed at
transferring knowledge and competencies to
students, youth and adults “which can
enable them to take part in active and
responsible decision-making processes in
their communities, both for their own
benefits and for their society in general”.60
The education activities – among others in
human rights, democracy, development and
peace – will prepare people for an informed
and responsible participation in a democracy
which is embedded in respect of the
universal human rights, equality, rule of law
and pluralism.
It is not a matter of bringing young people
up as loyal citizens, but of helping them to
grow up and teaching them an open view for
social marginalisation and injustice.
The organisation D@dalos has been
working in South East Europe since mid of
1997. Apart from other activities, Dadalos
made available an enormous offer of
information on democracy education,
human rights and civil society in relevant
regional languages through a database
supported by the Internet to teachers and
other multipliers in South-East Europe.
Materials can be downloaded both online (ca
150,000 visitors/month) and offline via a
CD ROM and further used free of charge.
More than 2,000 teachers were introduced to
this database and a regional network was
established. Moreover, in cooperation with a
confirm this step: "We do not comment questions
about our structure", says Mario Brkic. (….) On the
international stage, the continuation of the
engagement in Bosnia is negotiated.
59
more
on:
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Cooperation/
education/E.D.C/
60 Dürr u.a. (2004) p. 13
38
German partner organisation AGORA they
offered train-the-trainers programs in
political education. Trainers from the entire
South-East European region were trained in
many modules both in didactics and
substantially in activities of political
education.
Most programs in BiH are more or less
aware of this dimension. They aim at the
education of trainers, building and work of
students’ representative councils, support to
the youth media, work with young
politicians, etc.
Generally, the cognitive dimension is
preferred by all efforts, a systematic
approach does not take place, and the
mutual
exchange
among
respective
stakeholders does not exist.
Schüler Helfen Leben (Students help to
live) has strongly concentrated on the
student representation issues and youth
media since 1999. One of the major motives
for the student councils was the idea that it
would offer an important learning platform
to deal with democracy in an active way,
even in such an early stage in school. It does
not suffice to choose only a class
spokesperson, but student councils should
advocate for certain topics, bring them
actively into the school policy and represent
them. Consequently, the units on human
rights and democracy are integral parts of
the SHL activities in the field of student
councils.
The programs of different organisations are
usually not mutually coordinated, thus in
many situations it would make sense to offer
complementary programs, to pass on
interested participants, etc.
In addition to others, the political
foundations took over a specific task to
support young multipliers. Particularly
intensive trainings are implemented with
new generations of politicians.
A special case EUFOR
Almost unrecognisable, far away from youth
organisations and barely networked in the
youth work in BiH, the German EUFOR,
the former SFOR, produced the major
youth magazine on the Balkans in the
Butmir military barracks.
In full colour print and with a print run of
over 150,000 copies, the magazine Mirko
was published ten times a year. Mirko
reported about big youth events in the
country,
however
primarily
about
international youth topics ranging from
Britney Spears over Formula 1 to the newest
mobile phones.
The magazine was published in local
language in Cyrillic and Latin script but also
in a small print run in German and English
language and mostly distributed in schools.
In addition to the civil aspect, topics like
mine
awareness,
tolerance
and
reconciliation, the magazine also aimed at
better positioning of the foreign troops in
BiH. At the end of 2005, the publication was
stopped.
⇒ Promotion of programs of the political
education
⇒ Support to the structures of selforganization
⇒ Support and promotion of youth centres
⇒ Support to youth media
⇒ Promotion of young politicians and
multipliers
⇒ Further trainings for teachers and the
youth education multipliers
3.6 Leisure Time: Sport,
Culture
3.6.1 Leisure Time Options in BiH
Leisure time is a crucial aspect of youth life.
The youth express its interests mostly in
their free time.61 Therefore, the quality
structuring of one’s own free time is
essential for a good and healthy
development of a young man/woman. On
the contrary, a dissatisfying free time
organisation can also lead young people to
face destructive forms of leisure time.
In addition to school, the leisure time offers
a possibility for sports or culture and to
acquire social skills.
Possibilities to a guided positive organisation
of leisure time are extremely poor in BiH.
Additionally, many young people do not act
proactively as to take their leisure time in
their own hands, i.e. to develop their own
ideas. Window-shopping, shopping, meeting
friends, drinking coffee are usually listed as
leisure time activities of young people, who
live in the cities. In the rural regions, the free
time is often reduced to TV watching and if
possible Café-visits.
Leisure premises such as sport associations,
cultural institutions (theatre, cinema), youth
centres etc. exist almost exclusively in big
cities and, even there, usually not in a
sufficient number. Middle-sized cities like
Zvornik, Foča, Livno or Goražde have
practically no youth institutions worth
mentioning. Even if there are individual
institutions such as i.e. Dom mladih in
Trebinje or the COD in Jajce, they are
usually not equipped with sufficient material
or infrastructure. The youth houses (Dom
mladih) and houses of culture (Dom
kulture), which were widely spread before
the war, regained their old function only in
few cases and are generally used only
sporadically, if at all.
61 Deutsche
Shell (Hrsg.) 2002: Jugend 2002, p. 76
39
Above all internet-cafés or normal Cafés
have become central meeting points for
young people. Many of them spend their
free time in front of their parents’ TVs.
There are lots of complaints about the lack
of enthusiasm of young people (which can
certainly be psychologically explained), but
there are hardly any counteractions. The
present frustration and latent depression or
even apathy is rather strengthened by the
absence of leisure time suggestions.
The municipalities do not take this issue
seriously. The local authorities themselves
take up this issue only rarely. With sufficient
pressure coming from initiatives and youth
groups it sometimes happens that, as a first
step, at least premises are provided free of
charge or at a reasonable price (i.e. Dom
mladih Fojnica, COD Jajce). Many youth
centres or meeting rooms, which were
initiated by the International Community
after the war, had to be closed again or
massively cut down due to the lack of funds.
The projects, which were established with a
high initial capital or hired premises for a
high rent, did not manage to become selfsustainable and to continue developing. On
the other hand, the other projects initiated
by the internationally paid staff, had to be
radically limited following the reduction of
the foreign funds. Only very few projects
had a link with local community from the
very beginning. To a certain extent, it
depends on the non-cooperative authorities,
but partially it is a clear failure of the
International
Community.
Kindled
expectations of the youth could not be met
in that way.
A lack of youth institutions can make the
youth an easy target for extreme groups
(religious and political), which in some cities
are the only ones offering a drop-in centre
for young people.
Sport
The offer of sport activities is also very weak
in BiH. Although major interest for top
40
sports (in the first place for basketball and
football) prevails, the sport associations live
in the shadow, as well. Insufficient sport
facilities, particularly non-existent sport halls
or poorly equipped swimming pools and
school sport halls create that image. As in all
other fields this affects to a high degree the
rural areas, in which there is practically no
sport offer at all.
Culture
The complaint that cities acquire provincial
traits is frequently heard. By emigration of a
significant part of the population to foreign
countries as well as by internal migration, the
cultural scene in the big cities suffered
strongly. An authentic cultural life takes
place only seldom and is merely a shadow of
the previous times. The culture houses
(Dom kulture), if existent at all, are only
poorly used. Theatre programs and
accordingly the theatre groups, dance etc.
are regularly only provided in Banja Luka,
Sarajevo, Mostar and sometimes in Tuzla to
a very modest degree.
Photo: Film Festival Sarajevo – Entrance of National
Theatre
The
few
cinemas
mostly
screen
blockbusters. More demanding international
films can hardly be seen except during the
Sarajevo Film Festival, Short Film Festival in
Mostar and rare IC special events in Banja
Luka, Mostar or Sarajevo. Nevertheless, it
should not been underestimated that
occasional festivals like Jazzfest, Theaterfest,
Filmfest and others, particularly in Sarajevo,
set high standards. However, the spotlight
on the capital city, provided for and used by
the IC, does barely suffice.
There are only few music schools while
private music classes are not affordable for a
large portion of the population. The
situation looks particularly bad in the rural
areas in which hardly any cultural offer is
existent.
Projects such as the Mobile Culture
Container, which is now permanently
situated in Mostar, are the exceptions and
just temporary.
The project mobile.culture.container,
initiated by Freimut Duve (OSCE Expert
for Freedom of Media) travelled with a total
of 16 containers to different cities in BiH,
Croatia and Yugoslavia at that time in 2001
and 2002. The Containers stayed for five
weeks respectively in each city and offered a
rich variety of program to the youth on the
spot. Unfortunately, this project was not
sustainable enough to become a permanent
institution, although the approach to offer
high quality cultural and leisure time
program outside the big cities is definitely
worth supporting.
The Goethe Institute, located in Sarajevo
specifically addresses young people in the
cultural sector. The offer ranges from youth
project support, specific promotion of high
quality local music to offset nationalistic
turbo folk music up to the image campaigns
for BiH. The Goethe Institute complaints, as
many other researched organisation
representatives, about the lack of
involvement of young people and difficulties
to obtain appropriate target audience for the
events. Therefore, the focus in the cultural
sector aims at social elites and in that way
they want to reach potential multipliers and
to initiate certain subject matters. Through
media campaigns they try to reach wide
public.
Big Cultural Events
In the recent years, the big events have been
increasingly organized independent of the
International Community, which usually
echoed in the whole country. The role of the
big music events in Bosnia particularly
concerts by Dino Merlin (Burek concert in
Sarajevo 2004) with more than 50,000
visitors or Bijelo Dugme (Revival Tour 2005
in Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade) with total
of more than 300,000 visitors attracted fans
from all ethnic groups and from the entire
region who celebrated together regardless of
their cultural and regional origin. This
demonstrates how an appropriate cultural
event can be instrumentalized for a
reconciliation process. Also, the sport events
may take over this role as well. Contrary to
the sport events such as, for example,
football games between Bosnia and
Herzegovina and Serbia & Montenegro,
which
repeatedly
lead
to
violent
confrontations, the football qualification
game against Denmark and closely missed
chance to participate at the European
Championship was an enormously cohesive
moment. In addition to the arrival of fans
from the entire country and from abroad to
watch the game in Sarajevo, the originally
composed song “Haj'mo Bosno i
Hercegovino” 62 has also become an
unofficial national anthem of the whole
country. The same is applicable to the Danis
Tanović’s Oscar Academy Award for “Ničija
zemlja” (No man’s land), the film that
bonded the country in a very specific way.
These examples demonstrate what kind of
potential is hidden behind cultural and sport
events. This potential can certainly be used
in a smaller framework.
The Kid´s Festival, organized by the
Viacult, is the biggest single event in BiH,
which explicitly addresses children and
youth. The second 2005 festival attracted
around 30,000 young people (mostly
children) within a week. Clearly aimed at
62
MP3 Version of the song under:
http://www.sarajevo-x.com/mp3/hajdebosno.mp3
41
reconciliation and trust building of the post
war generations, children and their
companions from all parts of the country
were invited to Sarajevo. Through a
common experience the concrete contact
points and common remembrance should be
established and prejudice deconstructed.
(Through children as the main target group,
the companions, teachers, pedagogues,
police officers can also be reached). By a
gratuitous transport in children trains and
buses, the children from the outlying places
are also given the possibility to come to
Sarajevo. The Kid’s Festival offers a variety
of activities, workshops, and framework
events. By means of cooperation with
governmental
and
non-governmental
organisations, the substantial emphases such
as, for example, human rights education,
were brought closer to the young audience
in an appropriate way.
⇒ Promotion and maintenance of existing
youth institutions but also the establishment
of new youth institutions
(with local ownership and in close
cooperation with local authorities)
⇒ Education and trainings of youth workers
(in agreement with local education
institutions, if existing)
Objective: Creation of a nationally
recognized vocational education
⇒ Support to the long-term decentralized
offers (mobile projects). Play-Mobiles,
transportable libraries, etc.
Objective: decentralized cultural choice for
the youth and possibilities to address young
people in rural areas and to support them.
⇒ Support to young trainers (peer
training) and to youth programs
⇒ Exchange with international youth
groups
⇒ Promotion of cultural exchange
programs
Possible establishment of organisations as
analogy to the German-French Youth
Network.
⇒ Exchange with youth groups and
common projects with the youth from the
neighbouring countries.
⇒ Promotion and establishment of sport
and leisure time facilities in the rural areas
(long-term solution).
3.7 Health
Nourishment, HIV/Aids,
Drugs
The subject health comprises a wide scale of
topics ranging from nourishment and
hygiene, contraception and sex diseases
(particularly HIV/Aids), dealing with
addiction drugs up to mental disorders.
The competence for the health sector is,
similarly to the education sector, divided
among 14 Ministries.
In the first place, there is the Ministry in
Banja Luka for RS and the Ministries on the
cantonal level in the F BiH.
Consequently, it is not possible to talk about
a unique quality level of this sector in the
whole country. Health care varies very much
in rural and urban areas, the well-qualified
doctors can be hardly found in the rural
regions.63 Additionally, the basic hygienic
standards such as access to clean potable
water and clean hygienic facilities (baths,
toilettes) are far away from being ensured in
the whole country. Even in 2003, around
50% of households were not connected to
the sewage system.64
Lack of prospects for many young people,
their discontent with their life situation,
problems in school and in family, the life in
63
64
42
UNDP 2003: Millenium Goals, p. 61ff
Ebda. p. 65 f
suppressive constrained environment and
absence of youth institutions providing
support and assistance, leads to mental
problems (depression) of a considerable
number of young people and/or to escapist
attempts out of the vicious circle.
Addiction Behaviour
Apart from the afore described exodus to
foreign countries, which is related to the
hope to improve general life situation, the
escape into addiction has been barely shed
light on up to date. Official numbers do not
exist, i.e. are based on the insufficient
investigations. There is a whole range of
addictions in which the youth elope: coffee
and nicotine consumption are rather socially
accepted here, i.e. the share of smokers lays
far over the average of other European
countries.
Game addiction/computer games and an
extreme high rate of watching TV should
not be underestimated as well: although the
consumers are not so conspicuous in the
public, the withdrawal of many young
people from the public into the private
sphere of their four walls and consequently
their successive withdrawal from the society
will have long-term consequences. The
alcohol intake is extremely high and many
young people mention it even as an issue,
however there are no verified data about it.
This also includes eating disorders such as
anorexia and bulimia65, which are barely
examined, however it affects young women
in a particularly vehement way.
In addition to “legal” drugs, consumption of
illegal smoking drugs has been increasing
more and more according to the statements
of young people. Hallucinogens (especially
marijuana) can be easily acquired, they are in
65 Difference between anorexia and bulimia is often
very difficult. If anorexia stands for rapid loss of
weight, bulimia is characterized by an alternate eating
attacks and measures for weight reduction (i.e.
puking). Switching between both disorders are very
common. If they appear together then we talk about
Bulimo-anorexia.
the widest distribution but also least
stigmatised.66 Opiates, especially heroine,
represent an issue to many young people.
Furthermore, the access to artificial designer
drugs67 (ecstasy, happy pills, speed) is
relatively easy. There is no investigation
about sniffing drugs68, but the relatively high
consumption rate is realistically assumed.
Despite of this alarming status, there are
scarcely any institutions tackling this topic
offensively. The consumers of illegal drugs
are perceptible only through police statistics
i.e. in the context of theft.
As this subject is still a taboo to a large
extent, there is no qualified counselling for
the affected persons and their families. Antidrug campaigns led by the International
Community usually aim at banning the
drugs, i.e. try to warn against dangers of
drugs. It is usually a package deal and can
help consumers very little.
The organisation Narko Ne, established on
the initiative of the nun Madeleine
Schildknecht (Sister Magdalene), is one of
the few organisations dealing explicitly with
this subject. Through youth and sponsorship
programs the Narko Ne tries to develop
awareness about negative consequences of
drug abusee and addiction as well as about
active youth work in order to open up other
perspectives to young people. The program
is regionally embedded and unfortunately
accessible only to a small target group. By
means of a good regional organisation,
cooperation with authorities and the
intensive inclusion of Bosnian volunteers, it
can be assumed that the program may be
66
Data are based on many conversations with the
youth and young adults; however eventually it reflects
a subjective impression of the author.
67
Designer drugs characterize substances, which are
produced artificially and have similar characteristics as
natural or half-synthetic drugs.
68The sniffing substance stand for vapours which by
inhaling cause the mentally “high” condition. The
effects range from internal restlessness up to
excitement, and a continuous feeling of being high
changes into a pleasant, relaxed mood. The inhalable
solvent materials can be found, among others, in
adhesives, varnishes, colour dissolvent, cleaning
solutions, hair sprays, etc.
43
implemented in the future as well. Narko Ne
aims at prevention very strongly here. For
active consumers the Narko Ne is only
partially
qualified
contact
point.
Nevertheless, there is possibility for an
anonymous contact by a hot telephone line.
HIV/AIDS
The number of people infected by HIV has
been increasing in BiH. A research conduced
by the World Bank and IBHI69
demonstrated frightening results that over
90 percent of young women70 had heard
about HIV/AIDS, but only about 27% of
young people between 15-19 year old and
roughly about 36% percent between 20 and
29 years sufficiently know how they can
protect themselves against it.71 Exact data
about the number of the HIV infected
persons are not available.
It should be also mentioned here that there
is practically no possibility of information
for young people of homosexual orientation.
Homosexuality is socially extremely
ostracised and officially does not exist.
A research by the UNDP72 came to a result
that 63 percent of the interviewed young
people considered necessary to be
additionally educated in the field of
addiction and contraception. Also, the polls
conducted for this study could confirm that
interest, but there is a lack of educated youth
workers, teachers or other multipliers, who
can resume this task.
69
World Bank/IBHI 2003: Youth Initiative
Assessment, Sarajevo, Annex 2, S. 8ff
70 Unfortunately, the poll was limited only to women
in this case.
71 The access to condoms is relatively easy in the big
cities. In small cities the access to condoms is often
more difficult on the one hand, and on the other it is
hardly possible there to get in possession of condoms
anonymously.
72UNDP 2004, Jazavac, S. 19
44
⇒ Support for health campaigns
⇒ Advisory role in the field of
contraception and prevention of sexual
diseases
⇒ Counselling possibilities for traumatized
youth
⇒ Low-scale drug counselling offer.
Possible offers of the acceptable drug
counselling work in cooperation with state
authorities and the police.
⇒ Elaboration of concepts for drug
prevention
⇒ Information opportunities for drug
consumers and their next of kin (web sites,
info brochures, counselling telephone)
⇒ Education of psychologists, but also of
youth workers and teachers in dealing with
traumatized people.
3.8 International Meetings
The exchange with young people from other
countries significantly contributes to a
world-open youth. Youth encounters
promote friendly relationships between
young people; support a tolerant
cohabitation and curiosity about new
cultures and life styles. They make possible
to discover the world from the perspective
of another man. Therefore, the international
cooperation repeatedly emphasizes the
interdependence between reconciliation and
solidarity among ethnic groups, but also
importance related to the European
development.73
73
Comp. i.e. Preamble to the Agreement between the
Federal Republic of Germany and the French
Republic about German-French Cooperation of 22
January 1963
http://www.dfjw.org/page.php?nav=commun/script
s/pages_dyn.php?page=accord.htm&lng=de
Both the exchange with successor countries
of the former Yugoslavia and exchange with
the EU states are immensely important for
the young people.
Photo: Traffic signs in Bratunac
Partnerships,
cooperation,
exchange
programs, international conferences and
seminars within BiH and beyond its borders
with European countries represent a
possibility to look beyond one’s own nose.
One-sided information about foreign
countries often leads to a one-sided
attribution of other countries’ problems like
those of Germany. Especially, as long as the
visa regime for Bosnians exists, it is
important to promote exchange to offer
young people a possibility to establish
contacts in/with other countries. This
promotes both the we-feeling within the
Bosnian group and interest and curiosity
about other nations.
Many young people have already attained
various, mostly positive, experiences in other
European countries either because of their
personal history as war refugees, or because
they have relatives living and working
abroad. Nevertheless, thanks to the satellite
TV, the images from Germany are present in
many households. Especially in regard to the
European Union, which will embrace BiH
sooner or later, it would be irresponsible not
to promote this positive relation.
Confrontation with other cultural values and
specific features in other European countries
is an important incentive for young
Bosnians. In the opposite case, it is often a
unique experience for young people from
the EU to face the culturally so
heterogeneous BiH and to discover issues
but also the beauties of this often unfamiliar
European neighbour.
The words of the former German Minister
for Foreign Affairs also apply to BiH at least
to the same degree: “Without the exchange,
without curiosity, without cross-border
networking we will become crooked in
science and economy and will become
culturally poor.”74 Spiritual isolation is an
important trigger for overwhelming
nationalism, racism and animosity to others
in BiH, as well as in many other countries.
Partnerships and exchange between
organisations and thereby involving them in
international circles, but also mutual learning
from each other and active integration are
significant aspects for integration of BiH in
the democratic Europe. In an already
difficult transition phase, it has vital
importance for multipliers, youth workers,
trainers and teachers among others.
A big impediment in the international
exchange programs, particularly related to
the Bosniac and Serb youth, is to obtain a
visa for Schengen states.75
The handicap to travel frustrates many (not
only) young people and gives them a feeling
of isolation. A journey to Turkey or Tunisia
is possible without problems, but travelling
to Schengen states to visit relatives or even
to the youth programs is only possible with a
relatively lot of efforts. Long hours waiting
in front of the embassies, somewhat
extremely long travel and costs related to the
acquisition of a visa and visa itself, often
represent a big barrier. In many cases, the
German Embassy assists in providing a visa
74
Fischer, Joschka 2001: Sensibel in der Form, fest in
der Sache In: KulturAustausch 2/01; ifa, p. 25
75
Many Bosnians Croat also possess the Croatian
citizenship and they can travel with both passports.
As the Croats do not need visa for Shengen states,
this problem is irrelevant for them.
45
free of charge for active youth groups and
youth exchange programs. Unfortunately,
not all embassies make use of this wellintended advantage. Many organisations are
not aware of this theoretical opportunity at
all, and consequently do not require it. A
general exemption of visa fees for the youth,
who participate at youth events, i.e. for all
youth workers, would be a small step
forward and a signal in direction of solidarity
in Europe.
3.8.1 Experiences
In the course of the last 10 years, numerous
international seminars, workshops, work
camps and exchange programs were
implemented. Partly they took place owing
to personal initiatives (schools, church
circles, partner municipalities) and partly
they were and still are the integral part of
programs of youth organisations. Schüler
Helfen Leben, IPAK, the Youth Center
Jajce/Friedenskreis Halle, Wings of Hope,
Mladi most but also the Foundations
implemented youth exchange programs. In
addition to several big events with more
than 100 participants the small events of
capacity up to 20 participants prevailed.
Common to all programs is to make lots of
room for experience exchange and
opportunity to get acquainted with each
other.
Generally the programs between youth from
BiH and EU countries are different than the
programs in which the youth from the
different parts of former Yugoslavia come
together.
For youth from the Western countries, it is
usually the first contact with BiH and the
situation in a post-war country and gives
different impetus to deal with both one’s
own and a foreign culture/religion as well as
to develop understanding for the situation in
BiH.
46
For youth from BiH it is often a possibility
to link to the experiences from their own
time abroad. They are also given an
opportunity to show their homeland and at
the same time to have a feeling of not being
forgotten.
For seminars with youth from many exYugoslavian countries, the aspect of
reconciliation and tolerance applies in most
cases. Often it is the first time after the war
that youth from i.e. Serbia communicate
with the youth from BiH or have an
opportunity to get to know each other and
to respect them. The presence of youth
from other countries, as curious and neutral
persons, makes that process often much
more easier.
⇒ Promotion and support of youth camps
and youth leisure time
Objective: the young people should feel as
Bosnians and as a part of European
community.
⇒ Promotion and support of school
partnerships
⇒ Particular promotion of leisure time with
the youth coming from different countries
of the former Yugoslavia.
⇒ Establishment of a German-Bosnian
Youth Network according to the model of
the
German-French,
German-Czech
networks, etc.
⇒ Promotion and support of contentoriented exchange programs
⇒ Use of the city partnerships for
international exchange programs
3.9 Work with Traumatized
Persons
In context of this study, the work with
traumatized persons was given only a
marginal consideration. Currently, none of
the German organisations is explicitly
working in this field. A more accurate study
would be very relevant here, particularly
because significant engagement and lots of
funds were diverted into the work with
traumatized in the passed years. An
evaluation of results and assessment of
experiences do not exist.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than
100,000 children and youth are heavily
traumatized. After many projects that were
directly or indirectly dedicated to this topic
in the beginning phase, the interest for these
problems has been decreasing ever since.
Many projects were limited on few days or
up to a couple of years. However, there are
barely any projects, which have built any
sustainable infrastructure. Therefore, for
traumatized people there are only scattered
contact points, i.e. assistance points. Every
now and then, there are individuals or small
short-term projects dedicated to this subject
with narrative café or short trainings.
Coordination and experience exchange
would have here crucial importance here.
3.9.1 Experiences
Since the German organisations barely deal
explicitly with traumatized persons, this field
was not taken into consideration by this
study. Conclusions about the importance of
this field should not be implied therein.
For many years, the GTZ was active in the
sector trauma and reconciliation, but it
ended up its activities in 2002.
The Duch/German organisation
Wings of Hope is still active in the sector.
The Foundation Wings of Hope, Germany
helps to war traumatized children. The help
is rendered through therapy in different
therapy centres and through psychosocial
assistance for returnees. Moreover, the
Wings of Hope offers group therapy in
schools as well as youth projects, multiethnic and inter-religious peace camps and
recovery leisure time.
3.9.2. Recommendations
⇒ Needs assessment in the field of work
with traumatized
⇒ Evaluation of the implemented projects
and collection of results and experiences.
⇒ Development of a mutually agreed
program for the work with traumatized
persons in BiH
47
4. International Engagement – Support Practice
The work of governmental and nongovernmental organisations takes place
unnoticeably in ideal case. Quite work is not
particularly interesting for media and is
therefore difficult to be presented. “Bad
news are good news“, this cynical sentence
from the media field clearly demonstrate
how difficult it is to present small working
steps, which have been made in the recent
years.
This especially applies to activities in the
conflict prevention field. In the best case,
when the conflict is absent this work cannot
be even perceived. Consequently, it would
be a fatal error to consider activities in crisis
prevention, reconciliation or trauma
unnecessary. It obviously lays in the nature
of these activities, to be mostly required
shortly after violent conflicts, but practically
only seldom instrumentalized in the
prevention.
The
cooperation
of
development aid is still far away from the
“culture of prevention” as the UN General
Secretary requested it on several occasions.
one-sided support, not mutually agreed
reconstruction and accidental humanitarian
aid partially strengthen inequalities and
destroy the existing infrastructure, and that
thus also brings some persons, due to their
language skills, to the power position, were
not considered by this study nor they
emerge in project reports. The knowledge
and the possible negative consequences of
the development aid is not only famous
phenomenon since the “Do No Harm
Debate.“76. Only in rare exceptions there are
preliminary analysis, which include possible
negative repercussions and project reports
informing
about
alleged
negative
consequences of a project, are not made
available to the public. The pressure for
positive self-presentation results that no
lessons has been learnt from the negative
experiences and constructive critics. While
“best practices“ are everybody’s subject,
there
is
no
talk
about
“bad
experiences/practices“.
Regardless of that, the Bosnians also have to
strengthen other fields, which used to live
only as a shadow presence in the support
practice so far. First of all, these are fields
like education, job creation, and political
education.
There is deficiency – following Hazel
Rosenstrauch77, and freely according to the
pattern of technology development effect
assessment – in “development aid effect
assessment”, i.e. the critical observation of
the development cooperation activities,
obstacles but not last the unintended sideeffects of the well meant initiatives.
4.1 Monitoring Best and Bad
Practices
4.2 Funding and Material
Standards
After the war, BiH was flooded with aid
actions and aid organisations. As in the
slogan “much helps much“, organisation of
reconstruction aid delivery was partially
entirely uncoordinated. Also, there are still
many aid actions today, which are based on
personal relations, i.e. personal engagements
of individuals. From the perspective of the
organizers, the project logic appears almost
exclusively in the first row (this exactly
applies to big organisations). The facts that
A high deployment of financial funds
particularly in the youth work set very high
standards. Printed T-Shirts and four-colour
invitations belong to the standard of a youth
48
76
Comp. Mary B. Anderson: 1999: Do No Harm –
How Aid Can Support Peace – Or War, Boulder
London
77
Rosenstrauch, Hazel 2001: Die Restposten einer
Illusion S. 45; In: ifa, Zeitschrift für KulturAustausch
p. 44 ff 02/2001
organisation supported by international
funds, including above average salaries. A
significant share of highly qualified
employees were enticed especially by the IC
salary scale into unfamiliar working fields.
By withdrawal of the IC, these positions also
become redundant.
Later on, the youth have very hard time to
trim down their high standards again. Since
they are not able to become sustainable by
raising necessary funds, many programs
initiated by means of high engagement and
financial input, become shut down.
Voluntary engagement is promoted only
occasionally
and
accordingly
the
infrastructure that can fill in the emerged
vacuum is missing. Highly paid youth
workers got used to a certain material
standard and are not ready to continue
working for a half salary, but they rather
search for a new job in the economy sector.
It is with no doubt important that an
organisation appear as an international
organisation to the outside in many cases
making available an ethnic and cultural
neutral space. It was of the crucial
importance immediately after the war and in
many regions it still represents a significant
aspect today. At the same time, the
responsibility has to be increasingly
transferred to the well-educated Bosnian
employees. Only in that way, “local
ownership“ can be ensured in the mid-term
run and infrastructure necessary for an
efficient civil society built.
Also, the equipment standards should be on
a representative level, so that state and
locally run positions can be at least closely
equal. Glossy brochures, T-shirt free-ofcharge and expensive hotels are not a
standard even in the highly industrialized
countries.
In fewest cases it was directed with a clear
objective towards nationalization from the
very beginning. Local authorities were not
taken into consideration in terms of
responsibility for these essential activities
and they also gave up that responsibility
eagerly. Now, one actually should not be
surprised that awareness was not broached
and possible funds were already allocated to
other interest groups.
Support funds of large international donors
EU/Cards etc. range, in the rule, from
10,000 € up to
100,000 €. This amount is usually too high,
especially for small organisations and cannot
be substantially implemented by their
infrastructure.
In the past, it usually led to excessive
demand of organisations or to an artificial
inflation of programs in order to be eligible
for application.
Photo: Multi-Function Room Youth Centre Jajce
4.3 Exit Strategy
A clear exit strategy of the international
organisations was formulated in a very few
cases. It applied to the big international
organisations such as OSCE, UNDP, etc.
but also to the many big and small
organisations and support programs related
to youth activities. Many organisations
usually plan from one project application to
another and the employment insecurity
makes difficult to have a clear identification
with a project.
Program sustainability can usually be found
only in the application form. Practically,
there are no projects whose impacts were
evaluated
from
a
time
distance.
49
Nevertheless, evaluation following the
project end belongs to a standard. When
they are conducted, they are usually not
made public and only seldom they are
implemented by an external auditor.
Although the most funds come from the
public sources, the activity results are only
rarely made public and other organisations
cannot learn from that.
time. Adjusted to the local salary scale and
conceptually carried by activist engagement,
the association achieved both enormous
credibility but also managed to bind many
active volunteers. (Support funds were
predominantly provided by the HBS)
4.4 Application Lyrics and
local “Ownership“
The application forms of the large donors
insist that adjustments to grant requirement
are made even in the application stage. In
the most unfavourable case, the application
becomes adjusted according to the funding
line and not to the local needs.
This applies both to international and many
thousands of local NGOs, which
endeavour, partially extremely successfully,
to obtain something from the big cake of
development funds.
The profile of these organisations has in part
become extremely adjusted to the respective
donors’ key phrases. Notions like
reconciliation, gender, environment and
education exchange easily when it is a matter
to keep one’s own job. It leads to the few
existing organisations nowadays, which have
a clear objective and can be perceived as a
local interlocutor for a certain subject
matter. Experte knowledge can be built up
only very slowly and it accordingly requires
certain continuity even when the subject is
not exactly very fashionable.
In 2001, assisted by the Schüler Helfen
Leben and the Heinrich Böll Foundation the
NGO Prigovor savjesti (Consciousness
Objection) was founded – from the very
beginning it is content-wise local ownership.
The association, committed to the freedom
of decision for or against military service, i.e.
for the civil service right embedded in the
Constitution,
became
an
important
interlocutor for the IC within the shortest
50
Photo: Action of Consciousness
(Prigovor savjesti) in Sarajevo
Objections
4.5 Fluctuation of Employees
The high turnover of youth organisations,
but also generally with the international
organisations is an additional immense
problem. The institutional memory of an
organisation looses a lot when its employees
change. And if the lack of expressive reports
and evaluations is added to it, learning
process from accomplished experiences can
hardly happen. This is especially dramatic, if
the permanent local staff is not fully
involved into the subject matter. As the
exchange between institutions is usually a
privilege of the international staff, neither
the knowledge is built up nor there is
genuine learning process out of the
experience. In a rule, the staff (especially the
international) is employed on the project
basis, and many leave the country even
before they get sufficiently acquainted with
the culture and circumstances, let alone the
local language. Many project applications
and projects would certainly enhance their
quality if there would exist better knowledge
management and a stronger and honest
exchange.
4.6 Coordination
Activities of intermediary organisations
abroad have to be consulted with different
organisations in order to avoid activity
duplication, as internationally as possible.
Among youth organisations within BiH,
there is no experience exchange in an
organized
manner.
Researches
are
conducted by each organisation individually
(if a thorough status report is ever
conducted), regions are individually
addressed,
and
multipliers,
seminar
participants, contact persons, etc. are
respectively individually sought. Further
trainings and courses are respectively selfdeveloped and they are accordingly not
compatible. Local authorities are individually
contacted and agreements are achieved
partially with the same stakeholders. In
many regions there are many projects, and in
others there are none. Who cooperates with
whom, depends vehemently on whether you
talk
to
national
or
international
representatives. It definitely looks as if
parallel structures exist here. From purely
formal
aspect
there
is
mutual
communication, but the exchange among
international
organisations
seems
considerably more intensive than the
exchange with local/national stakeholders.
The local organisations are on the one side
very well interconnected in some regions,
but this is mostly strongly dependent on the
ethnic/religious factors.
Conferences, which serve to the experience
exchange, take place mostly (if at all) abroad,
i.e. they are set on a relatively higher level.
There is relatively less cooperation among
the middle level/top level and the grassroute level. All of them work on their
subject matters in a rather horizontal level,
(institutionalised) network exist barely.
In the field of German language promotion
(StaDaF) there is an approach to bring
together various German stakeholders
(Goethe Institute, DAAD lecturers and the
Robert Bosch Foundation, the Federal
Institute for Foreign Education System and
the Embassy). These meetings are a seldom
attempt to coordinate activities in a contentoriented fields. A problem of such
encounters is usually an issue of the
competence distribution and the invitation
list: there is no clear goal setting for this
working group. At the same time, it is worth
mentioning as a seldom approach.
Apparently, the institution-organizer of a
direct exchange in the country is missing,
but also the will. Perhaps it is also the fear to
let somebody look into one’s own cards, and
to have to confess possible failures. The
exchange of experience and the coordination
here would be of an invaluable importance.
Existing network opportunities such as Jour
Fixe of the German Embassy or the NGO
Forum ICVA are only visited sporadically or
not at all. Nevertheless, these existing
forums often do not reach the critical mass
to work effectively. This vicious circle - the
meeting is not interesting, because only few
groups come anyway, thus I do not go either
– cannot continue without stronger efforts if
anything is to change. Various stakeholders
take part at the meeting sporadically, and
conclude that nothing has changed and stay
away again.
51
4.7 Setting the Goals
4.8 Selection of Participants
Where does the youth work head to? There
is no youth concept for Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Usually a valuable and
involved work in the youth sector is not
integrated in a countrywide concept. Each
project follows its own logics. In order to
ensure a better coordination and to make the
work more transparent, the following
questions must be answered:
A large and least treated issue represents the
selection of participants in the youth
projects. In the least number of cases, it is a
matter of targeted and meaningful selection
of participants. On the contrary, the
composition of seminars, support programs
and projects are usually relatively accidental.
⇒ What are the ways to measure the longterm successes in the youth activities?
Objective: to draft clear criteria in order to
assess success in a clear manner
⇒ When did the IC successfully work in the
youth sector and can, at least to a certain
degree, leave the country?
Objective: Transparency for people in the
country, possibility of success assessment,
planning
opportunities
for
other
stakeholders.
⇒ Which goals should be achieved and
why? Do these goals comply with
requirements of young people?
Objective: Better monitoring. Orientation
towards a target group and not funding line
oriented work.
⇒ Which long-term objectives does the IC
pursue in the youth sector?
Objective: To create clarity for other
stakeholders. To send signals to the
communal, regional and national political
forums.
What are the exact goals and how, with
whom and until when should they be
implemented? According to any project
planning workshop organized by the IC the
questions about goals, criteria, and end are
absolutely necessary in the project planning,
therefore international organisations in the
youth sector should urgently take them into
consideration.
52
Besides the most frequent exclusion
criterion - language, (many seminars take
place in English or German), the Internet
access as a widest disseminated information
source, i.e. email as the most important
means of communication is almost a must.
A person once listed in the relevant
distribution lists receives relatively reliable
information on interesting events. On the
other hand, a person who lives in the rural
areas without an Internet connection, has
hardly a chance to find out about the
seminar offer. Also, it often happens that
interesting seminars face difficulties to bring
together their participants and then also
reach for partially unqualified applicants in
order to fill in their participant lists.
A low acceptance threshold (it often suffice
to send a formless letter) and in a rule no
participation fees or penalties for nonparticipation lead to a situation in which
applied participants do not come or apply
for several seminars at the same time and at
the end they pick the most appealing one.
In this context, real conference tourism
developed. Young people, who managed to
get on the distribution list and possibly
speak English or German, visit a number of
conferences independent of subject matter,
out of interest and eagerness for the youth
group, conference venues or other reasons.
Furthermore, it should not be forgotten that
in many cases young people need a parental
approval to participate at a conference. Due
to the phrasing of announcements, the
nationalistically-oriented parents are often
the ones who do not send their children to
the inter-ethnic events. These children, who
actually represent an important target group,
have to be addressed by other topics, but
also the parental attitude should be taken
into consideration.
The youth in rural areas should be
particularly aimed at. New “marketing”
strategies should be developed.
4.9 Recommendations
⇒ Exit strategy
⇒ Goal setting
⇒ External evaluations
According to the prevailing selection
procedure for search of participants, the
share of youth, who lived abroad during the
war, is disproportionably high, while the
other groups are structurally disadvantaged.
⇒ Sustainable personnel policy
The ethnic group criterion seems to be a
vital criterion of many conferences.
Although it emphasizes differences among
participants rather than their commonalities
(i.e. the interest for the subject matter), it
systematically pushes the young people into
ethnic categorization.
Especially for people who define themselves
by their ethnic groups, originate from mixed
marriages or belong to a minority, etc. it is
always an issue.
⇒ Support of the network structures
(OIA, OKC, etc.)
In a rule, events in youth sector take place
free of charge. Travel, accommodation and
board are available for young people. The
desire to keep all events for the youth open
and to exclude material status as a criterion,
stands behind that. Nevertheless, it often
happens that the young people do not
appreciate the events. Young people do not
show up, do not cooperate, or they are just
interested in the leisure time activities.
Besides, a standard is established here which
cannot be maintained and it makes difficult
for local organisations to compete with
international counterpart. Also, it often
applies in BiH if you get something for free
it is worth not a penny.
⇒ Internal networking
⇒ Regular meetings
⇒ Harmonisation of programs
⇒ Development of common standards in
the youth work and education
⇒ Clear regional concepts
⇒ Mutually coordinated strategies and
procedures in dealing with local authorities
(a mayor is not eager to have a new person
every three months to bring up youth
concepts)
⇒ Regular exchange of experience.
⇒ Exchange of the drafted working
documents, common development and
dissemination of materials for youth
activities.
⇒ Strategy development for the selection of
participants
⇒ Drafting of new application forms for
selection of participants
⇒ Charge of participation fee
53
Remarks
The recommendations aim rather to
coordination than to bringing organisations
into the line. It is matter of interconnecting
scarce sources and the hope to avoid
duplication, as well as to learn more from
one another.
These are important assumptions to carry on
the subject youth/young adults per se, but
also their significance for BiH in the society
and to raise awareness for youth issues and
eventually for necessity of the support
measures.
At the same time, the exchange with local
organisations and authorities should be
strengthened and the public relations should
be supported to a large extent.
Photo: Qualification Game BiH – Denmark for the
participation at the European Championship
54
5. Final Observations
Young people are considered in the projects
of the development aid often as “peace
promotion potential“, but very rarely as
future adults. The lip service “the young is
the future of the country“ should not
suffice.
Of course it is important to lay down ethic,
moral and political foundations in the early
age and to deal more intensively with
tolerance, democracy and human rights in
the youth work, but only once the young
people are also given perspectives for their
future and can become independent, they
will be able to take over the responsibility
for themselves and for the society.
Strategic proposals of the international
organisations from UNDP to the World
Bank attach great value to further
improvements of school systems, support to
the
foundation
of
new
students
organisations and general strengthening of
the political and social role of the youth.
Furthermore, they support adoption of new
laws for protection of first employment
contracts,
support
of
entrepreneur
initiatives, assistance with the employment
independence and the development of
strategies against youth poverty.78 The most
important premises of these strategies
should be primarily the political will to
observe the youth as a significant part of the
society and to create them more free space,
implementation of the needs’ assessments
which should be regionally harmonized, as
well as a comprehensive approach to the
cooperation between national, governmental
and non-governmental and international
organisations.
78
“Izvješce o društvenom razvoju – Mladi
uHrvatskoj 2004”, UNDP Hrvatska i CMS, Zagreb,
2005, Ministry of Education and Sports, Republic of
Serbia, Youth Section: “Priorities and Proposals for
Constructing National Youth Strategy and Policy”,
Report and Agenda for 2002 – 2003, Belgrade, 2002
Concretely
Few concrete proposals are presented in the
following text. In order to make the start
easy, the principal attention is laid on the
possibilities offered by the German
organisations. An expansion is desirable.
5.1 Knowledge Management –
Coordination
The changes in knowledge management are
absolutely necessary. Here, the attention
should be paid to better coordination of
various programs in the youth sector in
Bosnia and Herzegovina. Regular experience
exchange should take place, projects should
be evaluated and the practice related results
should be discussed as publicly as possible.
Even if the coordination work costs time
and money, it would be irresponsible not to
have a better coordination in the future.
Time and costs, which are invested in
uncoordinated actions as well as in projects,
which cannot be sustainable due to lack of
network, are/will be considerably higher on
the long run.
Proposals
⇒ Experience exchange in the youth sector
should take place at least twice a year. The
invitations can be sent i.e. by the German
Embassy.
Objective: to collect and to discuss
experience reports from the practice. Mutual
acquaintance.
⇒ A short activity report including target
group, target region and activity fields of any
organisation in the sector should be
produced annually. Development of a
regular updated database, which would
provide an overview of current and
implemented activities for both new projects
and new staff of the organisations.
Additionally, it would lead to more
transparency among each other and in the
55
long term it would be a significant overview
for both evaluations of the implemented and
for planning of the future activities.
framework. (comp. with papers, inter alia, of
the World Bank, EU, UNESCO,
UNDP,OSZE)
⇒ Conferences dedicated to the youth with
representatives of the youth work from the
neighbouring countries and other key
stakeholders. (i. e. biannually) At least
common objectives should be defined,
strategies and modes discussed.
5.2 Important Subject Fields
⇒ Harmonization of databanks and
production of a central site (Website) about
active groups in that sector. The basis can be
the data bank of the OIA.
⇒ Drafting of an overview about all
published brochures and working materials
in the youth sector, in order to avoid
overlapping and to be able to better use
synergy effects.
⇒ Verification of sustainability of projects
(i.e. 3 years after the project end: What has
remained?)
Linking of Theory and Practice
In the youth work the analysis, political
updates, etc are missing in cooperation with
other organisations, scientists, etc. Many
projects conclude their theoretical part with
finalization of the project proposal.
⇒ Targeted academic fellowship researches
with BA, MA students, and academics from
the region, but also from Germany.
Objective: To improve the work by offering
a fellowship research founded and possibly
fruitful for all participants, but also to make
profit of internationally made experiences.
⇒ Mutual cooperation on country papers
with clear goal settings, evaluation criteria,
exit strategies. Just one paper mutually
drafted should be carried out by all
stakeholders in the mid-term period. There
are already lots of good proposals, but they
are rarely read, let alone considered, i.e. they
are circulated only in relatively small
56
To mention subject fields in an isolated
manner would not suit the situation
complexity and would also question the
value of individual subject matters. It is also
not a matter of making single fields compete
among themselves. The practice from the
past demonstrated how subject emphasis
varied in accordance with political will or
respective funding line. Especially in the
early stage, reconciliation and activities with
traumatized persons were quite a high
priority on the agenda. In the meantime, this
subject matter is hardly in focus and
vocational trainings but also educational
policy have gained a considerable weight
now. Environment or IT trainings would be
further key words, which linked to the
wording interethnic activities, almost
automatically led to project approvals.
Based on the interviews and questionnaires
it was made clear that measures for career
orientation and vocational promotion were
the central issues of the most stakeholders
(both of the target groups/beneficiaries and
also of the other stakeholders). Currently,
this sector should be upgraded and linked
with projects that include political
education/IT.
⇒ Support to career orientation programs
and first employment counselling
⇒ Creation and support to the youth and
youth organisation facilities.
⇒ Drafting and implementation of trainings
measures for multipliers in coordination
with local organisations, pedagogical
institutes, etc. and with recognized
certification. A training network could be
created here, i.e. for the field of further
training for teachers, youth leader trainings,
drug counselling, etc.
⇒ Job creation/first employment: i.e.
through
founding
of
cooperatives,
professional business management trainings,
promotion of entrepreneurship by means of
micro credits, further trainings in marketing,
business plan, etc. – in a form of a mutually
agreed strategies.
⇒ Promotion of model initiatives in the
field of first employment (cooperative
models, pilot projects in the field of self
employment)
⇒ Establishment/linking of activities with
political education programs aimed at
building of civil society and strengthening of
youth in general.
⇒ Establishment of regional info-centres,
which offer support in certain subject
matters like labour and economy,
environment, health, etc (in agreement with
local authorities).
Problems are well known. Now, the clear
objectives must be set, coordinated and
implemented. Networking, local ownership
and sustainability should not remain only
key words, which are appreciated by projects
partners, and which we do not stick to
ourselves, but the future projects should be
measured according to these indicators in
the public.
5.3 Interesting Research
Topics
⇒ Possible criteria to monitor success of
the youth activities
⇒ Experience in
traumatized persons
the
activities
with
⇒ Differences in the nationalistic thinking
with different youth groups (urban-rural;
returnees, internally displaced persons,
young people with direct war experiences)
⇒ Reasons for the frequently mentioned
lethargy among the young people,
⇒ Young victims of domestic violence
⇒ Dealing with young victims of violence
⇒ Problems of children born during the war
and support opportunities
⇒ Gender sensitive youth activities – gender
specific youth activities
⇒ Situation of young people with different
sexual orientations
(homosexuality, trans-sexuality etc.)
⇒ Support opportunities of young people
with development disorder
⇒ Youth work in rural areas – in regions
with underdeveloped infrastructure
⇒ Large-scale events and their effect to the
development cooperation.
Many posed questions could not be touched
upon in the framework of this study and lots
of issues emerged only through intensive
dealing therewith. The research questions
arise which could be of major significance
for youth activities in Bosnia and
Herzegovina. The following topic, inter alia,
fit in to that:
⇒ Long-term success of the development
cooperation in the youth sector
57
Abbreviations
A
AA
Auswärtiges Amt
AGDF Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienst für
den Frieden
B
BMZ Bundesministerium für
wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit
und Entwicklung
BuH Bosnien und Herzegowina
C
Caritas Deutscher Caritasverband e.V.
CBO Community Based Organisation
CAN Centre for non Violent Action
CoE Council of Europe
CoM Council of Ministers
D
DED Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst
DSE Deutsche Stiftung für internationale
Entwicklung
E
EDC Education for democratic
Citizenship
EIRENE Internationaler Christlicher
Friedensdienst
EU
Europäische Union
EUFOR European Forces (Troops of the
EU since Dec/2004) former SFOR
EUPM European Union Police Mission
F
FES Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
FRIENT Gruppe FriedensEntwicklung
G
GTZ Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit GmbH
H
HBS Heinrich Böll Stiftung
HR
High Representative
HSS Hans Seidel Stiftung
I
InWEnt Internationale Weiterbildung und
Entwicklung
K
KAS Konrad Adenauer Stiftung
KfW Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau
58
M
MoCA Ministry of Civil Affairs
N
NATO North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation
O
OHR Office of the High Representative
(see HR)
OSCE Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe
P
PCIA Peace and Conflict Impact
Assessment
PCM Project Cycle Management
S
SHL Schüler Helfen Leben
SFOR Security Forces – Security troops of
the UN (to Dec/2004) see EUFOR
U
UNDP United Nations Development
Program
UNHCR United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees
UNICEF United Nations Children’s Fund
USAID United States Agency for
International Development
Z
ZIF Zentrum für internationale
Friedenseinsätze
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60
Acknowledgement
Hereby I would like to extend my gratitude
to all people who provided me support in
conducting this study. I was positively
astonished
and
pleased
by
their
demonstrated
readiness
to
extend
cooperation and support. During the work
on this study, the persuasion had grown that
a better coordination and learning from one
another were not only necessary but also
desirable by many. Furthermore, my wish
was that - despite high fluctuation within the
International Community - the field of youth
activities becomes a central field of the
development cooperation. The significance
of this target group for the future of a
country cannot be overestimated. Regardless
of that, the responsibility of mankind is to
provide the future full of love and hope to
the young people in the whole world.
Specifically, I would like to thank to all
representatives of the German Embassy in
Sarajevo, Margit Häberle and Verena Frick,
who were committed to this study. Without
Hans Jügen Möller who always was ready to
assist me with a friendly piece of advice or
to make a status report, this study could not
be done. Katja Hunning motivated and
advised me in different stages of this study,
but she also supported me in many ways: at
last she corrected and edited many parts of
the paper.
During my activities I was able to use the
office of D@dalos in Sarajevo, therefore I
am particularly thankful to my friends Ingrid
Halbritter and Nihad Mesic, who always
supported me with a friendly piece of advice.
Without many interviews and interlocutors
who are partially my friends as well, this
study would not be possible. My gratitude
belongs to the following persons:
Adnan Huskić, Alida Čović, Azra Džjajić, ,
Blair Blackwell, Caroline Hornstein,
Christian Koller, Christian Wochele,
Christian Rickerts, Dagmar Troglauer, Edin
Durmo, Elana Hviv, Emir Avdagić, Georg
Schiel, Goran Tinjić, Hans Jürgen Möller,
Marcus Becker, Markus Heintzer, Ingrid
Halbritter, Massimo Morati, Nihad Mesić,
Jan Zlatan Kulenović, Jeanette Burmester,
Katharina Koprić, Lahira Sefija, Maria Prsa,
Marija Kolobaric, Melissa Bajić, Meša Begić,
Michael Schroen, Milan Mirić, Miriam
Schroer, Nicola Tiezzi, Omar Filipović,
Pedrag Puić, Renato Linkeš, Rubeena Ismael
Arndt, Samir Agić, Schwester Madeleine
Schildknecht, Ševala Hasanović, Susanne
Prahl, Wam Kat, Yaelle Link, Zoran Jakšić,
Zoran Kulundžić, students of German
language and literature from Sarajevo and
East Mostar Aida Babić and Arletta
Muminović for translations, Bojana PajićRickerts for the part of the study Youth in
Serbia and Monte Negro and Croatia,
Angelika Wagener for corrections and all
these many people I have not mentioned
here.
First of all, I would like to thank to all these
people from Bosnia and Herzegovina who I
met in this beautiful but washed-out country
and those who helped me to understand
different views and issues better, at the same
time explaining me the complexity of reform
process and thereby always had time for a
cup of coffee.
61
ANNEX
1. Youth in Serbia and
Montenegro & Croatia79
1.1
Youth Problems
In transition countries, which usually80 suffer
from poverty, insufficient social security
systems, organized crime, high quota of drug
addicts, the youth is the most vulnerable and
the poorest part of the society. Especially in
the countries of the South East Europe, the
social policy and economic events since 90s
prevented the youth significantly in their
development and contributed to their
marginalisation. What applies to BiH is also
applicable to its both neighbouring
countries, Serbia and Montenegro and
Croatia.
Since the politics and recent past are closely
connected to the both neighbouring
countries, so the development in these
countries exercise direct influence to the
development in BiH, making sense to have a
closer look at the situation in both countries,
issues, resolution approaches as well as
parallels in the development.
Framework Conditions
In Serbia and Montenegro the 10 years long
regime of Slobodan Milosević created very
specific life conditions for new generations.
However in 2000, the changes to the regime
took place though, but stable political and
economic structures, which are the most
important
preconditions
for
stable
democracy, still do not exist and the political
79 This chapter is entirely based on the preparatory
work of Bojana Pajić Rickerts, who conducted
research specifically for this study. The author of the
study takes responsibility for its content and
selection.
80
UNDP-Croatia and CMS: “Izviješce o
društvenom razvoju – Mladi u Hrvatskoj 2004”,
Bericht, Zagreb, 2005, p.10
62
circumstances are characterized by power
struggles among right parties, particularly in
Serbia. The youth has not won much by
political changes and transformation process
up to date. In Croatia, the war, which led to
the independence of the state, caused a
strong economic crisis, which can still be felt
despite the regime change in 2000. The
instability affects the youth.
Although in three countries, i.e. three
country parts, the new national plans for
youth policy emerged as a part of the
strategy to accession to the EU and although
significantly more organisations and
initiatives are found in this field on the state
part than in 90s, the youth sector, like in
BiH, has still not been given enough priority
on the political agenda.
Despite circumstances that the countries in
question are on the different level regarding
their EU accession phase, few common
problem fields can be defined, which could
be roughly categorized in psychosocial,
political and economic fields.
Political, Psychological and Social
Problems
In Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia,
likewise in Bosnia, there is no tradition of
active participation of youth in the society,
no long-standing experience of school
parliaments,
or
youth
organisations
independent of the state.
The lack of perspectives additionally led to
increasing drug problems and strengthened
emigration of the youth. The Serbian
Ministry of Education and Sport published
in 200281, that out of approximately 400,000
people, who left the country in the last
decade, 30,000 of them were young people
and that still many people want to leave
Serbia, if the opportunity for that presents
itself.
81
Ministry of Education and Sports, Youth Section:
Report and Agenda for 2002 – 2003., “Priorities and
Proposals for Constructing National Youth Strategy
and Policy” Belgrade, 2002
Economic Problems
Unemployment is, similarly like in BiH, one
of the major problems of the region
(Croatia:
18.6%82,
Serbia:
32%83,
Montenegro: 21.2%84), of which young
people make the most vulnerable group here
as well.85 Both the unqualified young
workers,
who
have
only
limited
opportunities to obtain a job legally on the
job market and who have to direct their own
perspective towards grey markets, as well as
the young academics share the same
problem. Lack of informal and state
recognized qualification trainings and still a
very deep discrepancy between needs of the
job market and vocational training policies
of the respective countries worsen the
situation.
The youth is also the poorest part of the
society and youth poverty reduction
programs hardly exist. Due to a generally
difficult economic situation, young people
both in Croatia and in Serbia and
Montenegro keep longer their role of young
people than somewhere else. Due to
obstacles to start their own careers, they live
longer with their parents, found their
families later than the previous generation
and they are ready to take responsibility for
their own life only very late.
82
“Izviješce o društvenom razvoju – Mladi u
Hrvatskoj 2004”, UNDP Hrvatska i CMS, Zagreb,
2005 p. 19.
83
Business Information on Central and Eastern
Europe, Number 2-2004,
http://www.hvb.ro/pdf/CEE204.pdf, p. 26.
84
Djurovic, G; Radovic, M.; Boskovic, P.:
Unemployment and Labour Market in Montenegro,
http://facta.junis.ni.ac.yu/facta/eao/eao2002/e
ao2002-10.pdf, p. 4.
85
In all countries more than 1/3 of unemployed are
young people, in Montenegro even more than 70%
(compare:
http://www.helpev.cg.yu/projekte.php?subaction=s
howfull&id=1115657214&archive=&start_from=&u
cat=&)
1.2 Education Systems in
Croatia and Serbia and
Montenegro
The education systems of Croatia, Serbia
and Montenegro are mostly state-owned and
centrally organized and still characterized by
the political events of 90s in Ex-Yugoslavia.
They stretch between post-conflict problems
(in Croatia), i.e. very difficult economic and
political transformation crisis (in Serbia and
Montenegro) on the one hand and reforms
aimed at EU membership on the other.
Administration, Funding and
Reconstruction
In these countries, the respective Ministries
of Education are responsible for putting
together curricula and administrative and
professional pedagogical supervision. In
Serbia, however, these competencies reach
deeper into the school organisation than in
Croatia. Thus, for example the so-called
school administration, made of a school
head, school board (five representatives,
who are appointed by the government),
parents council and a part of teaching staff,
has only organisational competencies.
Teachers and parents councils do not take
part in decision-making and do not have any
rights. In Croatia, the curricula are
developed unlike in Serbia by committees
and working groups of the Ministry of
Culture, often brought up in discussions and
only then implemented. In Croatia, the
administrative bodies in each school,
comprised of representatives of teachers and
parents, but also of government level
responsible for education, have their own
competencies and rights. In that way, they
can for example, inter alia, control the
adoption of annual curricula and school
programs.
The competence of most schools in both
countries is carried by the municipalities. In
average, the state invests between 3.2 and
5.6 % of GDP in the education systems. In
both countries there are legal possibilities for
63
foundation and running of private education
institutions. In both countries, the education
systems are divided into the primary,
secondary and post-secondary education.
Primary schools include mandatory 8 years
of general elementary education.
The curricula are classified in mandatory and
optional curricula and extra-curricular
activities (i.e. mandatory and alternative
subjects as well as various optional
programs, supplementary classes for less
capable students, etc.).
Secondary education lasts in a rule 3 to 4
years and can be roughly classified in
grammar school, vocational schools with
very diverse practice-oriented programs and
art schools. In Croatia there are additionally
trainings programs for trained workers,
which last up to two years. Additionally all
countries have special schools for children
with limited capabilities. (up to three years).
Problems and Reforms
A centralized education system and the
overloaded curricula were mentioned as a
problem in all countries. Different reform
needs were described in the following fields:
In Croatia, among the most important
problem, the absence of legally regulated
pedagogical standards on the state level, lack
of school buildings – particularly sport halls,
missing teaching and media equipment, lack
of trained teaching staff, and division of the
school system were mentioned.86
In addition to the above mentioned issues,
the hierarchical administration structure and
a large bureaucratic system are perceived as
the most urgent problems in Serbia and
Montenegro,
which
prevent
direct
participation in the decision-making in the
schools.
There are too many guidelines, out of which
some are rather opposite to the other, since
the legal reforms have still not be completed
in this country. The judicial situation even
deteriorated in 2000, as there have been
some government changes in Serbia ever
since, which always resulted in new
education ministers and new legal initiatives.
The instability between the Republic of
Serbia and Republic of Montenegro plays
additional role in the political continuity. It
was also a reason that resolution of
problems in the education sector has not
even started.87
In all countries many individual projects
were initiated and implemented by the local
NGOs, such as: organization of teaching aid,
improvement of school libraries and school
facilities, further training of teachers,
regional cooperation, support of national
minorities (mostly Roma) and gender
specific work. These initiatives were
primarily funded by the Stability Pact,
Council of Europe, Open Society Fund,
UNICEF, UNESCO, OSCE, Education
Sector Support Program (ESSP) and CIDA.
1.3 Youth and Political
Education
The current offers of the political education
in Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro can
be sub-divided into two principal levels:
The state, formal political education
Mandatory and optional formal offers were
introduced as new, i.e. expanded subjects as
a part of the school curricula.
Civil society, informal political education
Programs offered outside the school, which
are primarily implemented by the NGOs
87
86
Palekcic, M., Zekanovic, N.: „Kroatien“ im Hrsg.
Döbert H., Hörner, W., von Kopp B., Mitter W.: Die
Schulsysteme Europas, Schneider Verlag
Hohengehren GmbH, Blatsmannweiler, 2004, p. 242
64
Petrovic, A, Hebib, E., Spasenovic V.: „Serbien“
im Hrsg. Döbert H., Hörner, W., von Kopp B.,
Mitter W.: Die Schulsysteme Europas, Schneider
Verlag Hohengehren GmbH, Blatsmannweiler, 2004,
p. 503
Formal Political Education
The situation with political education in
primary and secondary schools in Serbia,
Montenegro and Croatia is very different
and reflects the degree of EU accession
process and the degree of democratisation
process pertinent to it. In all countries, the
CoE initiative Education for Democratic
Citizenship (EDC) was overtaken and
implemented in the form of cooperation
projects among local NGOs88, the state and
international organisations (mostly the
Council of Europe, UNESCO, UNICEF,
OSCE and Open Society Fund) in various
ways.
Serbia and Montenegro
Although there is no mandatory subject in
the primary schools in Serbia called political
education, there are certain elements thereof.
The history classes in the South East Europe
contain by definition politically coloured
points of view. The subject Nature and
Society (Priroda i društvo) contains
politically coloured chapters, since this
subject is connected with issues of statehood
as well as national values and symbols. In
Montenegro, the subject Civic Education
(Gradjansko vaspitanje) is mandatory in the
sixth and seventh grade, which is closely
connected with the EDC Program and
implemented as a cooperation project
between the state and NGOs in schools.
In all secondary schools in Serbia and
Montenegro, there is a one-year mandatory
subject, which is called “Constitution and
Civil Rights” (Ustav i prava gradjana) and
which deal with constitutional and legal
framework and civil rights. This subject
refers to the national framework, at the same
88
In Croatia, u.a.: Centre for Peace Studies, Small
Step, Forum for the Freedom of Education, Amnesty
International - Croatia, European House, European
Movement - Croatia, Europe Youth Club, Step by
Step, Croatian Helsinki Committee, Croatian Debate
Society; in Serbia and Montenegro: Jugoslovenski
centar za prava deteta beside the UNICEF (Serbia),
Open Society Fund (Serbia)
time, however, it provides only a little bit of
knowledge about practical politics of the
country, party politics or an overview over
the most important political issues. This
subject will be discontinued in Montenegro
in the course of education reform in 2006.
Instead of that, an optional subject
“Education of Citizens” will be offered.
Gradjansko vaspitanje was taught in Serbia
for the first time in school year 2001/02.89
Similar initiatives, which aimed at enhanced
teaching of the values of democracy, have
already been provided by various NGOs
since 1992. As an optional subject and a part
of the curriculum, there is democracy
education in the first, second, and third
grade of primary and secondary schools
nowadays as well as side activities in form of
various projects (i.e. “Project Citizen“),
which were brought to the schools by the
NGOs. The teachers are specially trained
and prepared for these projects.
As most significant problems in the
implementation of these subjects, the lack of
a single education strategy, necessity to
improve these programs, training for
teachers and accessibility for all students
were mentioned.90
A considerable difficulty here is that civic
education is often offered as an alternative
to religious classes, so that many children do
not have the opportunity to attend both
classes. The religious classes in Serbia do not
only imply one sort of classes in national
Serbian-orthodox religion, which represents
traditional and conservative values in the
89
More on the:
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Cooperation
/education/E.D.C/Country_profiles/
country_profile_SERBIA.asp#TopOfPage,
Concil of Europe
Smith, A., Fountain, Mclean H: “Civic Education in
Primary and Secondary Schools in the Republic of
Serbia, An Evaluation of the First Year 2001-2002,
and Recommendations, UNESCO, UNICEF, OSI,
90
Belgrade 2002 or under http://www.seeeducoop.net/education_in/pdf/civic-eduseryug-srb-t05.pdf
65
society, but at the same time a democracyrelated education, for example, through
presenting a role of women in the society,
the role of family and multicultural values in
the society. The competition between these
two subjects has led majority of students to
opt for religious classes so far. Democracy
education was rather developed as a subject
for the national minorities and children of
the intellectuals, who mostly attend grammar
schools. In Montenegro there are no
religious classes in schools.
Croatia
Croatia is the only country, which developed
a broad national program for human rights
education since mid 90s. (Nacionalni
program odgoja i obrazovanja za ljudska
prava). This program comprises a complex
education concept for education of
democratic citizens, which is implemented at
the all education levels (from the pre-school
to the adult education)91. In 1999, under the
name Education for Human Rights and
Democratic Citizenship a comprehensive
program was conceived as a part of the
primary school curriculum, which enlightens
about human right and basic principles of
democracy
and
promote
individual
participation. This approach is considered
interdisciplinary and is implemented as an
optional subject also embracing activities
outside the school. In secondary schools, a
mandatory subject Politics and Economy
(Politika i gospodarstvo) is introduced,
which similarly as in Serbia, should deal with
the constitution and civil rights, political
systems and civil rights. As a cooperation
between NGOs (i.e.
GONG NGO Network, www.gong.hr ) and
the state, there is a possibility for students,
who are close to the maturity and
entitlement to vote (18 years old) in the last
grade of secondary school, to learn more
91
More
at:
//www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Cooperation/
education/E.D.C/Country_profiles/count
ry_profile_CROATIA.asp#TopOfPage, Council of
Europe
66
about their own political rights and their
own participation opportunities.(i.e. the
project “I vote for the first time“92).
Analogue to the Serbian system, there are
also religious classes in Croatia, which are
not competitive to the civic education,
however it can be selected as an optional
subject in primary schools and in secondary
schools as an alternative to the ethics classes
as an optional subject (i.e. one of the both
classes is mandatory).
Interesting Organisations in
the Sector
Serbia
„Gradjanske inicijative“, Belgrad:
www.gradjanske.org;
Studentska unija Srbije“, Belgrad:
www.sus.org.yu
Fond Centar za demokratiju“, Belgrad:
http:www.centaronline.org
Politeia, skola za civilno drustvo“, Belgrade:
www.centaronline.org/politeia
„Centar za antiratnu akciju“, Belgrade:
www.caa.org.yu
Beogradski centar za ljudska prava“,
Belgrad: www.bgcentar.org.yu
Beogradska otvorena skola“, Belgrade:
www.bos.org.yu
Croatia
Demokratska incijativa mladih“, Zagreb:
www.dimonline.hr
Centar za mirovne studije“, Zagreb:
www.cms.hr
Gong“, Zagreb: www.gong.hr
“ZUM- Udruga za poticanje zapošljavanja i
strucno usavršavanje mladih“ , Pula :
www.zum.hr
„Mreza mladih Hrvatske“, Zagreb:
www.mmh.hr
Montengro
„Centar za gradjansko obrazovanje“,
Podgorica: www.cgo.cg.yu
92
More at: http://www.gong.hr/
Informal Political Education
The programs of local non-governmental
organisations provide the most important
informal offers of political education for
youth in both countries. In Croatia and
Serbia and Montenegro, the education
programs for democracy and strengthening
of their own role in the society can be
generally divided into: The offers comprising
learning of civic rights, active participation in
political and social life, multi-culture, human
and minority rights, gender subjects and
education of the young political elites.
Methodically, these programs are mostly run
by means of various seminars, schools and
regional exchange programs. The range of
organisations is very broad and can be only
exemplary presented here according to
potential partners in this field.
1.4 First Employment
State Initiatives and Initiatives
of Private Enterprises
After finishing the school or the university, a
one-year internship (pripravnicki staz) was
prescribed by the state in the former
Yugoslavia, which was legally regulated
roughly through labour laws in all
countries93.
The working conditions
(minimal salary, working hours, etc.) were
regulated in the agreement with the trade
unions by framework contracts also for the
first contract employees. This phase can be
compared to voluntarism and in a rule it is
paid (if not, there is a possibility to require
the payment from the state employment
agencies (Zavod za zaposljavanje).
In rare occasions there is the internship in
Western terms, which is not considered as a
precondition for obtaining a job. Vacant
93
http://www.jpm.co.yu/documents/1/laws/Zak
on_o_radu.pdf, Labor Law, Serbia
http://www.hus.hr/DesktopModules/MonoX/i
mages/Hrvatska+udruga+sindikata/Repository
/docs/zor2004.doc, Labor Law, Croatia
positions in the state companies have to be
announced publicly, but unfortunately they
are usually already allocated before.
The “Zavodi za zaposljavanje“ in these
countries, apart from working as an
employment agency, offer different training
and further training opportunities at least
theoretically, in order to make easier both to
the young unemployed people and
volunteers. In addition to the offers of
career orientation, different online- Job
pools, which serve as a platform between
the employers and employees but also as a
financial support during the voluntarism.94
Due to a high number of people, who search
for a job, the companies are not pressured to
develop recruitment strategies for employees
– in the best case vacant positions are
announced. Since the respective states still
have no protection mechanisms for the first
contract employees, which at the same time
should be complied with by private
companies, the young people face a range of
problems exactly in jobs with non-state
companies.
In Serbia and Montenegro, it means for
example that employees on mid term
positions (longer than a year) often have to
count with great insecurity, many private
companies do not meet their requirements
to pay social and other insurance
contributions for their employers, they
neither register them nor sign an
employment contract with them. On top of
that, is a phenomenon of the so-called
“probation period” which lasts up to six
months (in practice it is usually only three),
which are in many cases considerably
underpaid. Since this kind of employment
turns out to be most profitable, many young
people are dismissed following the
expiration of the probation period and
replaced by a fresh underpaid employee. Of
course, the employees who are laid off for
various reasons (i.e. often because of “bad
94
more at: http://www.rztr.co.yu, Nacionalna
sluzba za zaposljavanje, Serbia
http://www.zzzcg.org, Zavod za zaposljavanje,
Montenegro
www.hzz.hr, Zavod za zaposljavanje, Croatia
67
work performance“) after the probation
period, have no chance for an appropriately
paid long-term contract in the same
company. With or without a provisional
employment contract and without a state
protection against this kind of fashionable
exploitation, many young people are stuck in
the situation to wander from one “probation
period” to another.
Non-Governmental Organisations
The non-governmental organisations offer
various programs and seminars, i.e. further
trainings, preparation for an application
process as well as interviews, job search,
self-employment. In order to assist with the
first employment the student organisations
also offer further trainings, i.e. regarding job
application strategies. Special online job
pools, which are established in cooperation
with the regional student trade unions, make
contacts with potential employers and offer
practice related mentor programs and
seminars.
68
In a nutshell, a significant need for first
employment is still necessary, which, in
addition to state institutions, also enterprises
and civil society initiatives should participate.
1.5 Brief End Remarks
In principle, it is not surprising to observe
that problems in Serbia and Montenegro and
Croatia resemble those in Bosnia and
Herzegovina very much. Exactly for that
reason, it is important to enter into a more
intensive exchange. Based on the common
history and comparable political and
economic situation, the contact among
stakeholders has to be urgently improved.
Just as during many youth encounters, the
participation of the young people from the
neighbouring countries is evaluated as a
success, the exchange of concepts,
experience
and
contacts
between
stakeholders, particularly the multipliers,
should be an important goal for the future
of the entire region.
2.
List of Interlocutors/Interviewed Persons
Organisation
Caritas/Arbeitsgruppe Entwicklung und Fachkräfte,
AGEF
Centar za Obrazovanje i Druženje, COD Jajce
cooperazione e sviluppo, CESVI
Council of Europe
Dadalos
Name
Hans Jürgen Möller
Samir Agić
Dagmar Troglauer
Melissa Bajić
Ingrid Halbritter,
Nihad Mesić
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD
Christian Koller
Dom Mladih / Trebinje
Pedrag Puić
European Union Forces, EUFOR
Hauptmann Becker
Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES
Zoran Kulundžić
Gesellschaft für technische Zusammenarbeit, Rubeena Ismael Arndt,
GmbH; GTZ
Jeanette Burmester
Goethe Institut
Michael Schroen
Goethe/OSCE
Katharina Koprić
Heinrich Böll Stiftung, HBS
Azra Dzajić,
Alida Čović
Institut für Internationale Zusammenarbeit des Emir Avdagić
Deutschen Volkshochschulverbandes, IIZDVV
International Council of Voluntary Agencies, ICVA Milan Mirić
IPAK
Lahira Sefija
Kids Festival/Viakult
Susanne Prahl
Kolaps
Meša Begić
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung; KAS
Caroline Hornstein
Narko Ne
Schwester
Madeleine
Schildknecht
Omladinski Informativna Agencija OIA
Jan Zlatan Kulenović
Omladinski Kulturni Centar Abrašević, OKC
Marija Kolobaric
Mostar interculture Festival, Mifoc
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Blair Blackwell
Europe OSCE – Education – Headquarter
Pax Christi/Flüchtlingshilfe Langen
Georg Schiel
Robert Bosch Stiftung
Christian Wochele
Schüler Helfen Leben
Omar Filipović
Ševala Hasanović
Scorpio Extremsport
Edin Durmo
United Nations Development Program, UNDP, Nicola Tiezzi
Unitied Nations Volunteers, UNV
World Bank
Goran Tinjić
Youth Forum/Trebinje
Zoran Jakšić
Place
Banja Luka
Jajce
Banja Luka
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Trebinje
Butmir
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Tuzla
Sarajevo
Travnik
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Mostar
Sarajevo
Zenica
Mostar
Sarajevo
Ilidža
Zenica
Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Trebinje
69
Youth Work in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Annex: Contact Addresses
3.
List of Active Organisations
For a better overview, the lists are attached only in the digital version for project networking in
the youth sector.
The Omladinska Informativna Agencija compiled a database under http://oiabih.info/org/
containing addresses of youth organisations from the entire BiH, which can be classified both by
cities and topics.
The Helsinki Citizen Assembly – Omladina BiH Net also compiled and posted an online list. The
http://www.omladina-bih.net/eng/englishFrameset.htm comprises contacts of more than 150
organisations – members of the Youth Network, classified by cities.
4.
List of Responsible Ministries of Education and Youth
State level
Ministry of Civil Affairs
State level
Chairman of BiH Council of
Ministers
Republika Srpska
Secretary of Sport and youth
of Republika Srpska
Vuka Karadžića 4
78000 Banja Luka
Tel: +387 51 331 769)
Tel: +387 (0)51-331422
Fax: +387 (0)51-331423
Pedagogical Institute of
Republika Srpska
Miloša Obilića 39,
78000 Banja Luka
Tel/Fax: +387 (0) 51 430100
Ministry of Culture and Sport
Sarajevo Office
Obala Maka Dizdara 2
71000 Sarajevo
Tel: +387 (0)33 254189
Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina
Canton 1:
Una-Sana Canton
Tel: +387 (0)33 221074
www.mcp.gov.ba
Tel: +387 (0)33 663519,
www.vijeceministara.gov.ba
Mostar Office
Adema Buće 34
Tel/Fax: +387 (0)36 580012
88000 Mostar
Alije Đerzeleza 2; 37000 Bihać Tel/Fax: +387 (0)37 331 077
Canton 2:
Posavina Canton
Canton 3
Tuzla Canton
III Ulica 27
76270 Orašje
Slatina 2
75000 Tuzla
Tel/Fax: +387 (0)31 713356
Canton 4
Kučuković 2, 72000 Zenica
Tel: +387 (0)32 415202
70
Tel: +387 (0)35-281293
Fax: +387 (0)35 283340
Zenica-Doboj Canton
Fax: +387 (0)32 413202
Canton 5
Bosnia-Podrinje Canton
Pedagogical Institute
Sarajevska 77, 72000 Zenica
Kulina Bana 3
73000 Goražde
Tel: +387 (0)32 414477
Fax: +387 (0)32 401627
Tel/Fax: +387 (0)38 224259
Tel/Fax: +387 (0)38 224259
Canton 6:
Central Bosnia Canton
Kulina Bana 3
73000 Goražde
Stanicna 43
72270 Travnik
Canton 7
Hercegovina-Neretva Canton
Stjepana Radića 3
88000 Mostar
Tel: +387 (0)36 310194
Tel: +387 (0)36 316655
Canton 8
West-Hezegovinian
Mostar
Kralja Zvonimira 14
88000 Mostar
Stjepana Radića 3, 88220
Široki Brijeg
Canton 9
Sarajevo Canton
Reisa Džemaludina Čauševića
1, 71000 Sarajevo
Tel: +387 (0)33 443634
Fax: +387 (0)33 211487
Tel: +387 (0)33 233827
Fax: +387 (0)33 214890
Canton 10
Herzeg-Bosnian Canton
Maršala Tita 54/II
71000 Sarajevo
Stjepana II Kotromanića bb,
80101 Livno
Tel: +387 (0)30 518675
Fax: +387 (0)30 510452
Tel: +387 (0)39 705801
Fax: +387 (0)39 703235
Tel/Fax:+387 (0)34 200900
71
5.
Selected Youth Networks and Lobby Groups
Omladinska Informativna
Agencija (OIA)
Omladinski Komunikativni
Centar Banja Luka (OKC)
Helsinki Citizen Assembly
(HCA)
hCa Banja Luka
World University Service
6.
Branilaca grada 19b
71000 Sarajevo
Tel: +387 (0)33 209753
Fax: +387 (0)33 209753
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.oiabih.info
Youth Communication Center Tel: +387 (0)51 347431
(YCC-OKC)
Fax: +387 (0)51 347 432
Kralja Petra I Karađorđevića
e-mail: [email protected]
113-115
web: http://www.okcbl.org
78000 Banja Luka
Youth resource Centre (ORC) Tel/Fax: +387 (0)35 258077
TUZLA
e-mail: [email protected],
hCa Tuzla
[email protected]
Hadzi Bakirbega Tuzlica 1,
75000 Tuzla
Krfska 84
Tel: +387 (0)51 432 751
78000 Banja Luka
Fax: +387 (0)51 432 752
e-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
web: http://www.omladinabih.net
Zmaja od Bosne bb
71000 Sarajevo
Tel: +387 33 266 441
Fax: +387 33 200 070
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://www.sus.ba
German Organisations/Projects carried out by German
Contractors
The following list comprises addresses and contact points of German organisations, i.e. locally
registered organisations which are predominantly funded by the German funds or were
established by them.
A more detailed presentation of some organisations is attached in the digital form.
Organisation
German Embassy in Sarajevo
Contacts
Buka 11-13, 71000 Sarajevo
00387 (0)33 275 000
[email protected] www.sarajewo.diplo.de
Foundations
Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Michael Weichert
FES
00387-(0)33-264050
[email protected]
Friedrich Naumann
Bulevar Mira 13/A8, 11000 Belgrad, Serbia and Montenegro
Foundation for SEE
Tel./Fax: 00 381.(0)11.3066824
72
FNS
Heinrich
HBS
[email protected]
Böll
Foundation, Regional Office Sarajevo
Čekalusa 42
71000 Sarajevo
00387 (0)33 260-450
[email protected] , www.boell.de
Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Dijana Prljic
KAS
Cobanija 6, 71000 Sarajevo
00387 (0)33 215 240
[email protected], [email protected]
www.kas-sarajevo.com
Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
Fritz Balke
Franz-Mehring-Platz 1, 10243 Berlin
Tel. 0049 (0)30 - 44310-153
Fax 0049 (0)30 - 44310-180
[email protected], www.rosalux.de
NGOs
Robert Bosch Foundation
Christian Wochele
Hadomerovića 16, 88 000 Mostar
00387-(0)61-499143
[email protected], www.boschlektoren.de
Caritas
Hans Juergen Moeller
Mladena Stojanovica 6, 78000 Banja Luka
00387-(0)51-318 211
[email protected]
[email protected],
www.wiso-bosnien.com
Dadalos
Udruženje Građana D@dalos – Udruženje za mirovnopedagogski rad
Ingrid Halbritter
Mravovac 1, 71000 Sarajevo
00387-(0)33-441 268
[email protected], www.dadalos.org
German Academic Exchange Christian Koller
Service, DAAD
Filozofski Fakultet Sarajevo
Franje Račkog 1, 71000 Sarajevo
00387-(0)33- 253259
[email protected]
www.daad.de
Friedenskreis Halle
German Technical
Cooperation, GTZ
Filosofski Fakultet Banja Luka
Heiko Nauth, [email protected]
U.G. «OMLADINSKI CENTAR – JAJCE»
SAMIR AGIĆ
A.B. BUSIĆA B.B., 70101 JAJCE
00387 (0)30 654-027
[email protected] oder [email protected]
http://oc.jajce.info
Project for Promotion of Vocational Training in BiH
Jeanette Burmester
73
Splitska 14, 71000 Sarajevo
00387-(0)33- 216 162
[email protected]; www.gtz.de
German Technical
Youth Program
Cooperation, GTZ
Rubeena Esmail-Arndt
Splitska 6, 71000 Sarajevo
00387 (0)33 443 992
[email protected]
www.gtz-mladi.org
Goethe Institut
Michael Schroen
Bentbasa 1a, 71 000 Sarajevo
00387 (0)33 570 000
[email protected]
www.goethe.de/sarajevo
Institute for International
Emir Avdagić
Cooperation of the German
Branilaca Sarajeva 24/2, 71 000 SARAJEVO
Adult Education Association
+387 33 215 252
IIZ DVV
www.inebis.org, www.iiz-dvv.de
IPAK Tuzla
Lahira Sejfija
Patriotske lige 10, 75 000 Tuzla
00387-(0)35- 257 474
[email protected]
www.ipak.de, www.krizevici.com
Pax Christi - Flüchtlingshilfe Georg Schiel
Langen
ZAVNOBIH-a 113 Zenica
00387-(0)32-418-935
[email protected]
www.paxchristi.de , www.fhl-langen.de
PONS Bijelina
Udruženje građana “ Pons” Bijeljina
Kokoruš Slavica, Ilić Dragana
Beogradska 38, 76 300 Bijeljina
00387-(0)55 – 220 - 251
[email protected], www.ponsbih.org
Schüler Helfen Leben, SHL
Omar Filipović/Ševala Hasanović
Lepenička 89
BuH - 71210 Sarajevo / Ilidža
00387-(0)33-773000 (kuća) 00387-33-550660 (ured)
[email protected]; [email protected]
www.shl.ba www.schueler-helfen-leben.de
Südost Europa Kultur
Suedost Europa Kultur e.V. Bijeljina Centre
Danijela Čolaković
Beogradska 38, 76 300 Bijeljina
00387 (0)55 220 [email protected]
Viakult – Kids Festival
Susanne Prahl
Halilbasica 52 - 71000 Sarajevo
00387-(0)33-232644
[email protected]
www.kidsfest.ba
Foreing Education System Rainer Strobelt
Centre (ZfA)
00387- (0)33 665289
[email protected], www.zfa-sarajewo.dasan.de
74
6.
List of Training Materials
In recent years many organisations compiled and issued trainings materials. Planty of publications
were made only for a specific training, other can be useful for a larger target group though. The
following list represents a small selection of published materials.
Organisation
Caritas/AGEF
Caritas/AGEF
Centra za
nenasilnu Akciju
(CNA)
Omladinski
Kulturni Centar
(OKC)
Schüler Helfen
Leben
(SHL)
Schüler Helfen
Leben (SHL)
Material
Businessplan
Handout
Job Database
www.wiso-bosnien.com
Training Manual
Non-Violent Action
http://www.nenasilje.or
g/publikacije/pdf/CNA
-prirucnik.pdf
Brochure for
Volunteers
Student Council
Manual
http://www.shl.ba/dow
nloads/file_14.pdf
Media Manual
Schüler Helfen
Leben (SHL)
Manual for Trainers
http://www.shl.ba/dow
nloads/file_19.pdf
UNDP
Dadalos
Broshure Business
Plan
Democracy – Human
Rights
CD – ROM
OHR/Care
International
Broshure for SelfEmployed
Contents
Language
Local
Online database for employment
search and vacancies for
German-speaking people
Training excerisizes
Manual for trainers
German/
local
5 regional
languages
Local
What is a Student Council?
What does the Student Council
do?
Planing of actions and projects
Short Introduction
Yournalism
Research
Funding
Print
Press Yournalism
Leading groups and seminars,
organisation of events
Project Management
Team Management
How do I create a business plan
(handout)
Information and working
materials in the field of
democracy, human rights and
civil society
Business Plan
Market Analysis
Registration, costs, taxes etc.
Local
Local
Local
Local
8 regional
languages,
English,
German
English
75

English - ProCorde.net

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