The following numbers show why a systematic approach to the development of philanthropy and charity is important for the BiH society in general:
- Between 16.9 and 18.6% of the population in Bosnia and Herzegovina live below the poverty line
- Between 15,000 and 20,000 people use services of soup kitchens daily.
- In Bosnia and Herzegovina, about 500 tons of food products are destroyed annually, because of its expiration date.
Sarajevo | May 18, 2021 – At the First Philanthropic Conference held online, representatives of companies, public institutions and civil society organizations discussed problems in the legal and institutional framework for charity and philanthropy.
The conference began with a panel discussion attended by His Excellency Mr. Eric Nelson, Ambassador of the United States of America to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Hamdo Tinjak, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Muharem Mašinović, Assistant Director of the Indirect Taxation Department and Elvir Karalić, founder and president of the Pomozi.ba Association.
During the discussion led by Zoran Puljić, director of the Mozaik Foundation, the importance of establishing systemic solutions that will help companies to truly donate their resources and time was emphasized. The adoption of good European practices has been mentioned as an important method by which to create more favorable conditions for increasing philanthropic donations.
Building on good practices, His Excellency Mr. Eric Nelson, Ambassador of the United States of America to Bosnia and Herzegovina, pointed out:
“All aid coming from the United States aims to help Bosnia and Herzegovina be self-sufficient, on the path to progress towards stability where a solution to the problem does not require foreign aid, where solutions are sustainable precisely because of local action.” As an interesting fact, he stated that in 2019, American citizens donated 450 million dollars for charity.
In the further discussion, it was underlined that there is a long tradition of charity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, that Bosnians and Herzegovinians are good and want to do good, which is confirmed by the information from 2020, when there was a strong expression of solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. People donated more in the final amount of as much as 42.2 million BAM.
Muharem Mašinović, Assistant Director of the Tax Department of the Indirect Taxation Authority, explained a very good example of institutional support to charity:
“The Indirect Taxation Authority has proposed a Proposal of Decision on VAT exemption for donations related to COVID-19. In the implementation of that decision, a very good phenomenon was noticed, which should be mentioned, good will of citizens and business entities provided help to many people.”
Charity is a medicine for those who give, which the Pomozi.ba Association points out in its slogan “We only have what we give“. Elvir Karalić, founder and president of the Pomozi.ba Association, explained in his presentation that they have projects with short-term and long-term effects in their activities.
Through the project “Meal for Everyone” they help over 1000 people on a daily basis, while through others projects, they provide educational trainings, Karalić concluded:
“We teach people to fish, we don’t give them the fish!” Actions for medical treatment of people who ask for help are especially important for society. They successfully implement all projects thanks to the trust they have earned over the years of their work.
Also, the importance of establishing a Philanthropic Forum was emphasized, which will be a body that will formulate problems and propose solutions. Hamdo Tinjak, Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations of Bosnia and Herzegovina, provided a particularly important opinion on this topic:
“The system is something that will provide us with long-term effects. Given that we are on the European path, we are obliged to take over European regulations, the easiest way is to apply European practice. The establishment of the Philanthropic Forum is a very good initiative because it will show governments, ministries and the Council of Ministers what is necessary for philanthropic organizations to function.”
The conference concluded with a presentation “Analysis of laws and perceptions related to philanthropy” conducted jointly by the Catalyst Balkans Foundation, Trag Foundation and the Joint Law Office Mirna Milanović-Lalić, Jasmina Suljović and Belma Dervišević, whose representatives are Aleksandra Vesić, senior advisor and co-founder of Catalyst Balkans Foundation, Svetlana Radosavljević, Policy Advisor at the Trag Foundation and lawyer Jasmina Suljović from the Joint Law Office, gave an overview of the key issues identified in the field of charity and philanthropy, as well as recommendations on what needs to be changed.
The conclusion of the conference is that all actors will join forces in the capacities they have to start solving the specific problems and advocate for the adoption and implementation of legal changes that will enable more benefits for the common good.
The “Legal Framework for Philanthropy” program is implemented by the Mozaik Foundation together with partner organizations (Hastor Foundation, Pomozi.ba, Network for Building Peace, Trag Foundation and Catalyst Balkans) with financial support from the USAID.
