"On youth, the world rests," is a well-known saying, which, in the Bosnian reality, or rather the government's disregard for this population, turns into a cliché.
In a formal sense... At the state level, there is no law that regulates the position of young people and their participation in youth bodies or their mobility. Institutional care for youth in Republika Srpska, their association, and participation in decision-making at all levels of government are regulated by the Law on Youth Organization of Republika Srpska, which was adopted in 2004. The Law on Youth in the Federation of BiH was passed in 2010, and in Brčko District, the Youth Law was adopted in 2017. It regulates youth participation in decision-making processes and establishes a system of youth organization from the local to the entity level. Municipal/city and entity government bodies are required to independently ensure a minimum of measures and mechanisms, which include providing space for young people and covering the costs of maintaining it. The youth policy and the action plan for the implementation of the youth policy for local self-government units are adopted by the local assembly on the proposal of the competent body of the local self-government unit and the youth commission. Youth policy at the local level must align with the youth policy of higher levels of government. The law mandates ensuring a budget line related to youth issues as part of the overall budget of municipalities, cities, or entities. Youth are guaranteed an annual public call for youth projects with criteria in line with European principles in the operation of public administrations. The local self-government unit is obliged to establish a professional working body to create, update, and monitor the implementation of local youth strategies, in whose work representatives of youth or youth organizations will participate.
Experiences in establishing youth councils, adopting strategies, and financing and supporting other forms of youth activities in local communities are varied.
Let’s take the examples of the municipalities of Srbac and Odžak.
In the municipality of Srbac, they do not have a Youth Policy Strategy. In the municipality of Odžak, there is a Youth Council as the umbrella organization for youth; however, they do not have a designated amount for youth in the budget, they lack facilities for youth, and they have not developed a strategy for youth.
The youth policy of the municipality of Srbac was adopted in the Srbac Municipal Assembly for the period 2012-2016. Representatives of the then-active Youth Council, Millennium, CEZAR, and schools from the municipality participated in its development. After the expiration of the mentioned period, the document was never revised, nor was a new one adopted. The lack of this document is considered by youth activists from this municipality to be a key systemic barrier to improving the position of young people in this local community and creating conditions to provide at least part of the answers to the key causes of youth emigration, which is a trend that, in their opinion, needs serious attention.
In Srbac, two associations – CEZAR and Millennium – are registered and actively working with young people. They believe that the adoption of the Youth Policy document in the Municipal Assembly would initiate activities and open up increased opportunities to advocate for the inclusion of youth in decision-making processes, such as participation in commissions whose formation is foreseen by the municipality’s statute.
CEZAR NGO activists expect to achieve the inclusion of paid internships for high school students by local authorities at legal entities (banks, craft businesses, hospitality establishments, etc.). They also emphasize the need for the establishment of a Youth Cooperative.
"The campaign that we will carry out in the municipality of Srbac is of great importance, primarily because our municipality has not had an active Youth Policy since 2016. Since our association is one of the most active organizations in the region and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, we will intensively work on implementing the campaign so that the Youth Policy document of the municipality of Srbac is adopted as soon as possible. By adopting this document, young people will benefit greatly, and the municipality of Srbac will be recognized as a serious partner in their life and development," says Tanja Šnjegota, president of CEZAR NGO from Srbac.
In Odžak, the Youth Council consists of three non-governmental organizations, and this council is recognized as a full member of the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina as the umbrella body.
One of the key problems faced by the Youth Council and other formal and informal citizen groups in the municipality of Odžak is the lack of adequate workspace, which not only makes it difficult to organize various social activities but also significantly negatively impacts youth civic engagement, reducing their involvement in social processes. Solving this problem would certainly create a safe and creative working environment for education, networking, and a functional space that would contribute to strengthening civil society and active citizenship.
In addition to securing space for youth, activists from the Youth Council of the Municipality of Odžak consider the adoption of a Youth Policy Strategy for the Municipality of Odžak and securing budget funds for the Youth Council as a priority. They remind that the Municipality of Odžak has never had a framework document for youth, which would, through its implementation, offer young people the opportunity to improve their prospects in this local community.
"Our initiative comes as a response to the long-standing problem of the lack of adequate space and institutional support for youth in Odžak. Through public forums, meetings with citizens and local authorities, media campaigns, and petitions, the Youth Council aims to raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth. Special emphasis is placed on securing institutional support through the adoption of a Youth Strategy, which would enable the systematic development of youth policy in Odžak. The campaign will also include extensive media promotion and activism on social networks to further raise public awareness and encourage local authorities to take action," says Iva Bilušić, president of the Youth Council of the Municipality of Odžak.
