Bosnia and Herzegovina is a very specific country with specific culture, religion, nationality etc. There are three constituent nations and 17 ethnic minorities. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other countries are burdened with their identity and proving the difference between us (them). In my town Doboj, there are also three nations and around ten national minorities. After the war, my town was settled by refugees and returnees, i.e. people who were fighting among themselves. The good thing is that these same people who fought, now live together without conflict and they’re trying to build society suitable for all. On the other hand, that is often a barrier. It’s probably a national phenomenon because they have years of conflict, deletions and disappearance a series of moral and ethical values.
Growing in such community was a challenge for me. The desire to contribute to reconciliation in my community inspired me to start with active volunteering when I was 13. It’s always easiest to overcome all difficulties with nongovernmental organizations, trainers, mentors, people who can and want to help. So, I decided to join nongovernmental organization and try to fix our society and build society suitable for all. In Doboj I work with young people and through the educations and different events we’re trying to bring different group of people together.
I didn’t know so much about this topic, so I applied on “Youth Reconciliation Ambassadors” programme. The programme was held in Belgrade in September 2013. On this six – day seminar I got a lot of information about war crimes, relations in region after war, EU integration and situation in region now in present. I had opportunity to spoke and exchange opinions with more 25 young people from region and I got information from other sides. Knowledge witch I have now will help me when I work with young people in future on similar topic.
The European Community as one of the main value just have alleviating a consequence of different negative events that impoverish (economic and moral) nations and group of people who knows which reasons and they are changing their boundaries and neighborhood violently and my view is that the entry into the European Union all countries which in the past 20 years have mutual misunderstandings and problems to open dialogue and openness to the themes that were moving away in past. Reconciliation is impossible without honesty and dialogue – which will not solve the problem, but it will be the right way to his solution as it will highlighting the relationship between nations and existing differences will be respected and accepted as richness, not a deficiency.
The generation which I belong is, perhaps, the most suitable for contribute to regional reconciliation. We are not burdened of events before twenty years and / or older, we don’t feel and don’t remember the bad parts of the past (for individuals and nations) and we are open to making new friends and opportunities and we are not putting identity, in front of value of personality, in the foreground. For us / me, the past is important but not so much that determines my attitude to people and cultural values that adorn this area. What me and my generation needs is space to operate without boundaries and limits.
