Today, the Youth Council of the City of Mostar celebrated their 10th anniversary, marking one decade since this city got its umbrella youth body. The Institute for Youth Development KULT attended the celebratory session and commended the hard work of young people in Mostar.
The session was attended by 40 guests, eminent individuals from Mostar’s cultural, social and public life, neighboring municipalities, representatives of the FBiH umbrella youth body and partners of the Youth Council of the City of Mostar. Chief Advisor to the Mayor, Radmila Komadina, addressed the guests on behalf of the City Administration of Mostar, taking this opportunity to note the importance of the European Charter on the participation of young people in municipal and local life, which provided the foundation for establishing a common youth organization even before the Youth Council was formed. Komadina noted that umbrella youth bodies are a crucial part of decision making and ensure that youth voices are heard and their needs are met.
Youth Officer of the City of Mostar, Sabina Memić, also addressed the guests at this special session. She said that the City of Mostar has been supporting the Youth Council for 10 years, adding that the city administration is looking forward to seeing more people get involved and is happy to be the first point of contact for everything they need.
The General Secretary of the FBiH Youth Council, Jasmina Banjalučkić, expressed hope that the efforts everyone has been investing will result in the founding of the cantonal youth council of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. Although there is no cantonal youth council, Banjalučkić said that the FBiH Council maintains excellent cooperation with the Youth Council of the City of Mostar, adding that the Council’s 10 year anniversary coincides with 10 years since the adoption of the Youth Law of FBiH, which defines the process of founding and competencies of youth councils in FBiH.
The celebratory session was closed by the President of the Youth Council of the City of Mostar, Vedran Raguž, with a presentation of the Council’s work plan for the period of 2020-2022. Some of the key processes that the Council hopes to initiate in this period include: development of the City of Mostar’s Youth Strategy, cooperating with neighboring municipalities to establish a cantonal youth council, and continuing the implementation of projects that they’ve been implementing for years.
Today’s session is a perfect example of successful institutional cooperation between youth councils and local, cantonal and higher levels of government. This Youth Council decade of successful work proves that young people are capable and willing to work in the interest of their peers. The Institute for Youth Development KULT once again offers sincere congratulations to the Youth Council of the City of Mostar, all its members and the young people of Mostar.
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