The Institute for Youth Development KULT today organized an event titled “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence!” awarding prizes to elementary and high school students from across Bosnia and Herzegovina who participated in the Institute’s art competition.
This event was an opportunity to publicly recognize the creativity, courage, and activism of young people who, through visual, literary, and other artistic forms, delivered a powerful message against violence towards women and girls.
The “Break the Silence, Stop the Violence!” competition provided a valuable platform for students to express their views on this important social issue and to demonstrate how art can be a tool for change. Through their works, the participants highlighted the issue of violence and offered visions of a more just and safer society.
“The call for artwork and writing on the topic ‘Break the Silence, Stop the Violence!’ was also a call to stand up against injustice and take another step toward building a better society. Today, we did more than reward effort – we celebrated the courage to speak up and create. The Institute is proud to be part of this story and to give young people the opportunity to be the voice of change,” said Ajka Rovčanin, Executive Director of the Institute for Youth Development KULT.
“This is an extremely important topic, and I believe it should be discussed openly, bravely, and often, because as long as violence exists, we mustn’t be quiet. At school, I had the chance to speak on this topic, and I made my contribution through a literary piece that received an award,” said prize winner Muhamed Pašalić, a student at the Technical High School in Zenica.
A special contribution to the event came from students of the Center for Hearing and Speech Rehabilitation Sarajevo, who performed a play called “Don’t Touch the Roses.” Their performance reminded everyone of the importance of involving the entire community in social processes and the fight against violence.
Prizes for the competition participants were provided by the company Bingo d.o.o.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT has been raising awareness of gender-based violence for years, and celebrating Orange Day – Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls, every 25th day of the month. Through campaigns, education, and collaboration with youth, the Institute continuously works to prevent violence and build a society based on equality and respect for human rights.
Today’s event marked another step toward creating a safer community—one where violence is not met with silence, but with a clear and courageous stand against it.
The Institute for Youth Development KULT thanks all the competition participants who submitted their work and, in doing so, became part of this important story.
