The Councillors for Youth platform has arrived in Tuzla – a city long recognized as a model for good practices in local youth policy.
A meeting with city councillors and representatives of the City of Tuzla once again confirmed that Tuzla approaches youth work in a strategic and systematic way. The city has an adopted Youth Strategy for the period 2017–2026. What sets Tuzla apart is its regular monitoring and evaluation of the strategy implementation – the city develops action plans and publishes implementation reports, ensuring transparency and accountability. This approach enables an accurate assessment of youth needs and allows for the adjustment of measures to better serve them.
A particularly noteworthy example is the Youth Commission, which includes members under the age of 35, giving young people a direct voice in decision-making. Even more important is the active role of the representative of youth – the President of the Tuzla Youth Council – who participates as an equal member in the Commission’s work. This establishes a two-way communication channel between young people and local government, ensuring that youth voices are not only heard but genuinely considered in decisions that affect their lives.
Two city councillors, Jasmin Gavranović from the Social Democratic Party of BiH and Omer Berbić from Naša stranka, attended the meeting at Tuzla City Council. They spoke openly about the challenges and needs of young people, as well as concrete measures the city is taking to prevent youth brain drain and improve their quality of life. The Councillors for Youth platform was presented during the meeting. Its goal is to encourage young councillors from various political parties to collaborate and support one another on youth-related issues. Discussion included concrete proposals such as support for non-formal education, internships during formal education, the establishment of psychological counselling centres, promotion of healthy lifestyles, youth safety, and access to spaces and support for cultural and artistic expression.
Tuzla, with its long-standing tradition of involving young people in decision-making, demonstrates that it is possible to build a functional and sustainable system that gives youth the opportunity and space to take action. These kinds of examples are the foundation of the Councillors for Youth initiative, through which the Institute aims to further empower elected officials to work actively in the interest of young people.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT expresses sincere gratitude to the City of Tuzla, the City Council, and all meeting participants for the warm welcome, open dialogue, and willingness to share their good practice.
