For several years, the Center for Peacebuilding from Sanski Most has organized the Peace Caravan. Thanks to the Peace Caravan, many young people have the opportunity to visit several cities in BiH, observe, learn, socialize, and experience the unique customs of different regions in our country.
The Peace Caravan is traditionally preceded by Peace Week, which this year also hosted around 20 international participants. We spent time with them on September 19th in Sanski Most, sharing the experiences of our team and their ongoing activism journey. Now, let’s return to the Peace Caravan and the young people who are making the most of the opportunities on their journey.
The first destination visited by this year’s Peace Caravan participants was the city on the Vrbas River – Banja Luka. They toured the city, explored key cultural sights, and discussed various topics important to young people, with a particular focus on the opportunities available to youth in our country. After Banja Luka, the participants visited Tuzla, where they learned about the meaning and origin of the city’s name, toured its sights, and were impressed by the unique fact that Tuzla is the only city where six different places of worship can be seen from the same spot. After Tuzla, they headed to Mostar! The participants had a great time touring the city, exploring the similarities and differences across our country, and engaging in meaningful conversations and socializing.
After these tours, the team arrived in Sarajevo and visited the Institute for Youth Development KULT.
The employees of the Institute talked to the young participants, sharing insights about the Institute’s work and highlighting the strong bond it has with young people, who are at the heart of its vision and mission. The young participants had the chance to learn about the various trainings offered by the Institute, which are often life-changing. They also explored support programs for civil society organizations, youth rights, youth strategies, and many other topics important to young people. The young participants could ask any questions they had about the Institute’s work with and for young people, gaining insights into the experiences, challenges, and rewards of our work, while learning more about the civil sector in general.
“I applied to take part in the Peace Caravan because I saw it as a great opportunity to meet new people and explore cities in BiH, while sharing ideas and perspectives with my peers. Today’s visit was my first time at the Institute, though I had heard of it before as a leading NGO in youth work. I really like how everything sounds, and maybe in the near future, I’ll have another reason to visit the Institute,” said Imran Šupuk, a participant from Sanski Most.
“My journey with the Center for Peacebuilding began several years ago and I have been a participant in their activities ever since. This is my first time in the Peace Caravan. I signed up to meet new people and explore different cities. Typically, when you attend a seminar in a city, you focus on the event itself and don’t have the chance to visit multiple cities in our country at this pace and in such a lively atmosphere. This way, we get to know the customs of the cities we visit. Although these cities are all in one country, each one has its own unique charm. Banja Luka, Tuzla, Mostar, and Sarajevo each offer something special. Many young people visited some of these cities for the first time in their lives. For me, it was Tuzla, and I experienced it for the first time thanks to the Peace Caravan. I’m also glad we had the chance to explore different cultural landmarks and, at the same time, develop critical thinking and challenge our prejudices,” says Amina Bećirević, a Peace Caravan participant from Ključ.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT thanks this cheerful and motivated team for their visit. They brought renewed energy to the Institute’s premises, demonstrating once again that young people are a driving force for change. They motivate us continue growing stronger and better, supporting all young people who want to be active and create change in their communities.
The Center for Peacebuilding is a partner organization that participates in the organizational capacity building program through Localworks.
Until the next visit – keep up with us at mladi.org!
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