The strategy towards young people makes efforts to increase the understanding of the importance of quality of life through the contribution made by art, culture, sports and quality spending of free time in a healthy environment and how these aspects contribute to the development of the human capital of the wider community. A healthy environment and sports habits greatly contribute to the health of young people, but the influence of culture and art is significant for their well-being and development. Culture and sports provide young people with the opportunity to express their skills and talents and to develop social skills that, due to the application of modern technologies, have been significantly neglected in recent times. A healthy and preserved environment is a prerequisite for the quality of life of young people in all other areas.
One of the key areas for the development and satisfaction of young people in society is the area of culture and sports, and in addition, the strategy for young people includes the sub-area of environmental protection and tourism. Among the recognized problems within the field, which are hindering progress in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is the absence of legal and strategic documents that would regulate issues related to culture and sports, while some progress has been made in environmental protection in recent years, as evidenced by the adoption of the Federal Environmental Protection Strategy 2022- 2032 and the application of legal regulations that regulate environmental protection.
Recognized problems in the areas of culture, sports, environment and tourism, on the basis of which the priorities within the area were developed and the indicators that will be used to monitor the achievement of the goals, were inadequate monitoring of the performance of the allocation of funds for young people in those areas, as well as the lack of information on efficiency when creating the budget for culture and sports. In addition, the inadequate distribution of funds in relation to the needs of young people was highlighted. The working team composed of representatives from federal institutions and representatives of the Youth Council also recognized the problem of lack of financial support for young people in the field of culture and sports, i.e. the absence of criteria that would give this population an advantage when allocating funds. The lack of systematic care for the development of athletes and artists who achieve significant results, given that they are at the beginning of their careers and need help and support from government institutions, stands out as a problem. Among the most significant challenges is the absence of a legal framework that would regulate the field of culture and sports in more detail. In order to provide young people with better conditions and more opportunities related to culture and sports, and in order to participate more equally in the creation of environmentally acceptable policies and solutions, it is necessary to enable young people to participate in decision-making processes at different levels. Participation in decision-making is one of the key provisions of the FBiH Youth Law , the implementation of which is necessary to improve the position of young people, and which is significantly neglected at all levels of government, which causes inequality among young people in society. Therefore, young people must be given the opportunity to participate and be consulted when creating programs, strategic documents and legal solutions that directly concern their interests, especially in culture, sports, and environmental protection. Participation also means the involvement of young people in the work of various commissions and other decision-making bodies, participation in public debates and other types of involvement in issues and problems related to the wider social community.
Due to the aforementioned challenges and problems, not only in this area but also in others, the youth strategy sets a vision of young people actively involved in social and political life, who will be supported with equal opportunities in realizing their rights and potential.
In order to improve the position of young people, recommendations were made for programs that will try to solve the problems of young people and provide them with new opportunities. The strategic goal that will be pursued through the strategy for the area of culture, sports, environment and tourism is that the legal and institutional framework ensures additional development of these areas in the territory of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by applying the measures that will be included in the strategy for young people.
By establishing a performance measurement system, which includes the monitoring and evaluation of programs intended for young people, it is intended to regulate the monitoring of the performance of the allocation of funds for young people in the fields of culture, sports and ecology. The current system does not allow for monitoring the efficiency and effectiveness of funds allocated to young people, and does not provide data and information that could be used to develop new programs for young people in the coming years. The performance measurement system would monitor the activities and results achieved during the implementation of project or other activities.
Within the priority of creating new and improving existing opportunities for young people in the fields of culture, sports, environment and tourism, the aim is to increase financial support for young people and create criteria that would give young people advantages when applying for public invitations and competitions. We want to provide young athletes and artists with systemic care and support that will enable them to develop and achieve successful results. What would contribute to the creation of new opportunities and chances for the development of young people in the field of culture and sports is the arrangement of the legal and strategic framework, because there is still no adopted law on sports or culture in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina . In addition, by arranging the legal framework and adopting new legal regulations, the goal is to recognize marginalized groups, because currently these groups of young people are excluded and are not provided with adequate institutional support. Within the strategic platform, the priority of establishing and implementing a system for involving young people in decision-making processes in the fields of culture, sports, the environment and tourism has been prioritized. This is precisely one of the key priorities, taking into account the existence of the FBiH Youth Law, which defines that young people must be involved in decision-making processes at all levels . It is worth highlighting a positive example of the participation of representatives of the Youth Council of the Federation in the work of the Commission for Youth Affairs of the FBiH Parliament, which should be followed by other institutions and bodies. The goal is to encourage all levels of government in the Federation to include young people in decision-making processes and thus be able to participate equally in the creation of opportunities and programs that will improve the living conditions of young people. A key priority for improving the opportunities and participation of young people is the formation of the Youth Council , which is the responsibility of the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Council is a working body of the FBiH Government whose main task is the coordination and harmonization of youth policy and the supervision of the implementation of the Law on Youth. The youth council would consist of equal numbers of youth representatives and representatives of institutions.
The proposed priorities do not only envisage the improvement of the position of young people, but also progress in the actions of government institutions towards young people. Building communication and trust between young people and representatives of government institutions is crucial in the implementation of all proposals and measures that will be included in the strategy towards young people. By focusing on fulfilling priorities within the area, the institutions will achieve systemic care for young people. The long-term usefulness and success of the entire process is the linking of representatives of various government institutions and institutions with the representatives of the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the establishment of communication between actors, as well as joint work on thinking about the problems and needs of young people and how to solve them during the period of the strategy. One of the positive outcomes that was recognized through the process of meetings and work in the field of culture, sports, environment and tourism is the need for cross-sectoral connection in thinking about how to create measures and programs that will create better opportunities for growth and development for young people.
The bearer of the initiative to create a strategy for the youth of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports in partnership with the Institute for Youth Development KULT and the Youth Council of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Source: mladi.org
