Yesterday, the City of Visoko held the first thematic session on issues and the position of young people in the city. The thematic session of the Commission for Human Rights, Youth and Gender Equality of the City of Visoko was supported through UMiD’s program of local civil initiatives, and it was an opportunity for local actors to talk with young people about their position in Visoko, taking into account the position and needs of young people before and after the adoption of the Youth Strategy of the City of Visoko (2020-2024).
Emina Jusić, the president of the Commission, opened the session by emphasizing that it is the first in a series of thematic discussions about young people. She encouraged everyone, particularly young people, to share their thoughts and propose conclusions.
Šeherzada Halimić, Executive Director of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, highlighted that Visoko exemplifies how close cooperation with various local stakeholders can establish effective youth care mechanisms, leading to a better position for young people. The results of the survey on the position and needs of young people in the City of Visoko were presented. The survey was conducted in 2019 by the Institute for Youth Development KULT as part of the process of developing the Youth Strategy. These data provide insight into the position of young people before adopting the strategic document.
Amra Omerbegović, Social Affairs Advisor in the Mayor’s office, discussed the current position and needs of young people in the City of Visoko and the support mechanisms that were established or improved following the adoption of the City of Visoko Youth Strategy for 2020-2024. In 2019, Amra completed the Basic training for Youth Officers and says the training empowered her to advocate and initiate the development of this strategic document.
In addition to discussing the general position of young people, the thematic session specifically focused on youth employment and mental health. It also included a presentation of data from the Employment Service, the Employment Bureau, and the Center for Mental Health. The Youth Banks program, implemented by the MOZAIK Foundation, was presented as an effective mechanism for supporting youth projects and entrepreneurship.
“I’m proud of how the special session unfolded. There were very constructive proposals, which, I hope, will be adopted in the decision of the Commission for Human Rights, Youth, and Gender Equality and will then be forwarded to the City Council and the relevant departments in the City Administration. I feel the need to thank once again the City of Visoko, the members of the Commission, the Chairperson of the Commission Emina Jusić, and all the presenters at the special session. I also can’t leave out the Institute for Youth Development KULT, which recognized this initiative as something good and decided to support it. I look forward to future activities and keeping track of developments after the special session because I anticipate some positive change in the community,” said Adi Zahirović, a UMiD participant who initiated the special session through his local civil initiative.
During the thematic session, guests, particularly youth, were invited to propose measures and conclusions to drive change alongside the presenters and Commission members. High school student Ajla Alijagić seized this opportunity and shared her own conclusions:
“The thematic session of the commission for youth was very important to me as a high school student. Representatives of the government and the non-governmental sector shared information about the current position of young people in the city, some opportunities, ways of getting involved and a lot more information related to young people. The greatest benefit of this session is that it gave young people the opportunity and encouragement to share our thoughts so our voice can be heard, and the lives of young people in the city of Visoko would improve. An additional benefit of this session is that the Commission will discuss the conclusions that I had the opportunity to put forward myself.”
The Institute will continue our cooperation with the City of Visoko while also supporting proactive and hard-working young people like Adi, who use the acquired knowledge and skills to improve their local community and the quality of life for their peers.
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