The Institute for Youth Development KULT developed a special training program for young politicians in Bosnia and Herzegovina to empower them to engage in politics and solve problems in their communities, focusing especially on problems faced by their peers.
This training has already been completed by three generations of young politicians – a total of 64 members of 15 different political parties, from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. UMiDp participants achieved impressive results during the recently held local elections.
According to confirmed results, 12 UMiDp participants were elected into local councils and one participant was elected mayor. This is a clear indicator of how important non-formal education is for politicians in BiH, especially for young people who are still searching for their place under the political sun.
“Thinking that they can’t change anything and that their input can’t sway political processes hold young people back. They need opportunities to learn about politics and how to engage with political processes so they realize how impactful their participation can be. UMiD for political leaders is a training that lets young people leave these negative mindsets behind. I think non-formal education is an important building block in everyone’s success, regardless of age, and it also has a positive impact on developing different skills and competencies”, said Haris Topalović, participant of the first UMiDp generation and a new councilman for Ilidža Municipality.
Another UMiDp participant and newly elected councilwoman for Kostajnica Municipality, Maja Nikolić, said that UMiDp helped her improve her skills and gain a deeper understanding of the political and legal structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This proved to be useful in her election campaign and outreach, and she believes her new skills will continue serving her well in her future political career. Maja took part in the third UMiDp training.
These are other UMiDp participants who were elected to their local councils: Nemanja Davidović from Bosanski Petrovac, Ekrem Sarajlić from Vitez, Tarik Halilović and Belmin Zukan from Visoko, Alma Tulek from Sanski Most, Kenan Biserović from Jablanica, Antonija Bažonić from Široki Brijeg, Slavko Tešić, new Mayor of Municipality Pelagićevo, Elma Masnopita from Ilijaš, Edis Kavgić from Srebrenik and Miloš Novaković from Rogatica.
In the three five-day modules, the training participants learn how to navigate the BiH political system, build their image, and negotiate and advocate for addressing the problems and needs of youth. The goal is to empower young people to bring positive change by acting as accountable and responsible politicians. The Embassy of Sweden supported the implementation of these three UMiDp trainings, and the Institute intends to continue offering UMiDp trainings to young politicians.
Learn more about the UMiDp training in this video.
Leave a comment