Dedicated members of the Coordination Body and working groups tasked with drafting Kalesija Municipality’s Youth Strategy held their third meeting, to present strategic goals and discuss the key challenges facing young people in Kalesija.
These challenges were identified through the Analysis of the Position and Needs of Young People in Kalesija Municipality, conducted by the Institute for Youth Development KULT, and using information and data provided by members of the working groups, including young people themselves.
As in many other communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, young people in Kalesija face limited educational opportunities. Lack of alignment between education and the labor market mean that young people often enter employment without the necessary skills, while local employment programs, internships, and entrepreneurship support remain insufficient.
In youth healthcare and social protection, there is a clear lack of continuous counseling services, mental health support, and programs aimed at vulnerable groups. Young people frequently have limited trust in institutions and inadequate access to preventive services.
Opportunities for leisure, culture, and sports are constrained by a lack of space, infrastructure, and funding, resulting in lower levels of youth activism and an underdeveloped culture of volunteerism.
Future steps for the members of the working groups include defining priorities, measures, and activities to address these challenges, with the aim of achieving the set strategic objectives and improving the overall position of young people in society.
Through the new Youth Strategy, Kalesija Municipality plans to strengthen skills development and practical learning to enhance youth employability, while also reinforcing human security through better access to healthcare, social support, and a safe community. In addition, the Municipality will invest in the development of sports, culture, youth activism, and innovative approaches to youth engagement.
Members of the working groups noted that their intention is to produce a document that will be recognized within the community as a practical tool to help decision-makers systematically improve the lives of young people in Kalesija. They also highlighted the importance of promoting of the Strategy following its adoption, to ensure full and meaningful implementation.
The enthusiasm and commitment shown by the working group members inspire confidence that Kalesija Municipality’s Youth Strategy will not be merely a formal document, but a clear roadmap for a community determined to offer more opportunities to its young people.
The youth strategy of the Kalesija municipality is being developed as part of the project “Designing, Developing and Adopting Youth Policies”, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by the Institute for Youth Development KULT in partnership with the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Network of youth centers for animation, development and training of Republika Srpska (M.O.C.A.R.T.) and the Association of Secondary School Students in BiH.
