The agenda of the Together for Sound and Sustainable Youth Policies conference revolved around youth participation in the work of youth commissions at all levels (municipal, city, cantonal, and entity) and on creating youth budgets.
The panelists were politicians from different levels of government. The first panel topic was “Participation of Young People in Decision-Making: Opportunities and Positive Practices.” The panel featured Nedima Alibegović, former General Secretary of the FBiH Youth Council; Eldar Čomora, President of the Commission for Youth Issues of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH; and Dijana Gašić, President of the Board of Directors of the Youth Council of Republika Srpska.
Mr. Eldar Čomor, explained how the commissions function and what youth issues they are focused on. He also shared positive experiences from the thematic session, which can serve as a model of youth participation in decision-making processes. He emphasized the commission’s commitment to collaborate with the umbrella body for youth in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to improve the position of youth and highlight the importance of including youth representatives in commissions.
During the second panel, we had a discussion with Merima Serdarević, a representative from the Department for Education, Culture and Sports at the Municipality of Novo Sarajevo, on the municipal budget allocation for youth initiatives. Following this, attendees were divided into groups to identify challenges in creating a youth budget and think about innovative solutions to overcome these obstacles.
“Through my work, I communicate with young people daily, and I design activities for them, so this event was a change of pace for me because I was surrounded by government representatives. It meant a lot to me to have the opportunity to speak directly with representatives from different levels of government, hear their perspectives, and, in some way, represent the voices of the young people I work with. I believe that through joint dialogue and collaboration, we can create better policies for young people and, most importantly, improve conditions for every young person to achieve their dreams and make the most of their free time,” said Amila Čengić, representative of the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The event ‘Together for Sound and Sustainable Youth Policies’ truly lived up to its name. Young people and decision-makers from various levels shared experiences and best practices from commissions focused on children, youth, and sports. They also provided specific examples of areas that need to be improved and helped outline the way forward,” said Dijana Gašić, President of the Youth Council of Republika Srpska.
The participants agreed that this conference was very useful for everyone involved and that sharing knowledge and experiences is always a step forward towards creating better opportunities for young people in the community.
Through this conference, the Institute for Youth Development KULT continues to develop and advocate for legal and strategic solutions while also building and strengthening the capacities of associations and authorities in BiH and the region. The aim is to achieve successful and sustainable policies for young people, which can only happen through the joint efforts of government representatives at various levels in BiH and non-governmental organizations working with youth.
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