As part of the project “The Power of Youth – Together for a Better Future”, the Youth Center “Vermont” organized a meeting between youth representatives and members of the Brčko District Assembly, with the aim of strengthening dialogue and increasing youth participation in decision‑making processes.
It was a great honor to host the President of the Assembly of the Brčko District of BiH, Mr. Damir Bulčević, Assembly members Bora Ristić, Azur Hadžić and Safet Imamović, as well as the Head of the Sub‑Department for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Ms. Negra Čardaklija. We extend our gratitude for their time, attention, openness to dialogue, and willingness to listen to the opinions and suggestions of young people.
Within the project, a survey was conducted among 400 high school students from four schools in the Brčko District of BiH. The questionnaire addressed issues such as the level of youth awareness, their participation in decision‑making, trust in institutions, and the obstacles they face. The results showed that young people want to participate actively, but often lack sufficient information, clear mechanisms, or opportunities to become involved.
During the meeting, students directly presented the key findings of the research and specific recommendations for improving youth participation. Particularly important was the open discussion, which enabled an exchange of views between young people and institutional representatives.
Government representatives expressed readiness to consider the students’ proposals, especially those related to improving the quality of teaching in certain vocational schools, and to include them in the budget planning for the coming year. It was also agreed that such meetings will continue to be held regularly, to ensure ongoing dialogue and direct communication between young people and decision‑makers.
These activities are carried out within the project “Connecting the Dots 2.0 – Advancing Child Participation in Decision Making for Enhanced Child Rights and Democracy in BiH”, implemented in more than 20 cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina in partnership with the Udruženje “Naša djeca” Sarajevo, World Vision Bosna i Hercegovina and the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees of BiH, with the support of the European Union.
We extend special gratitude to the Connecting the Dots project team for their continuous support and recognition of the importance of involving young people in decision‑making processes.
We believe this represents an important step toward sustained cooperation and the creation of a space where young people actively participate in shaping decisions that affect their lives.
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