For young politicians, the process of developing and perfecting the skills and acquiring the knowledge necessary for a better and more professional personal presentation to the public, the promotion of political ideas and topics that they advocate to the public is the basis of a successful election campaign, but also of activities in the BiH political system.
Through 2024, the Institute cooperates with 18 young politicians so that they become active in advocating youth issues in the communities where they operate. After the successful completion of the first module, the second training module was held: Learn, think and act! for political leaders, this time the focus of the education was on preparation for local elections in 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the topics that the young people dealt with were public advocacy, getting to know the basics of the political system in BiH in more detail, and relations with the media and media politics.
“UMiDp is an extremely valuable experience for me. During the current part of the academy, I had the opportunity to meet many exceptional people and make friends who share similar values and ambitions. The academy’s program is thoroughly designed and very useful for my further political involvement. Through various simulations, lectures and discussions, I gained significant knowledge and skills that will help me in my future political career. I would recommend this academy to anyone who wants to develop politically and contribute to positive changes in society.” says Aleksa Bobar, a member of the People’s Front in Banja Luka.
The second module stood out because the participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their advocacy and presentation skills to the public through exercises in statements to the media, and through topics that will help them gain insight into how processes take place on the ground, including cooperation with different actors in to the public. The training exercises proved to be important in the context of recognizing the key moments of the campaign, how it is important to act, identifying the topics by which the politician will be recognizable in the local community or, more broadly, in the public.
Through training, the Institute wants to support young politicians to build a recognizable and positive image that will enable them to stand out in local elections. Through various workshops and lectures, participants focused on personal communication skills, self-confidence in dialogue, debating and argumentation. At the same time, through the training, they had the opportunity to talk with Jasmin Bešić, the general director of the Institute, and Darjan Babić, a journalist who has been involved in politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina for over 20 years. In the following period, the participants of the training will continue to deal with the advocacy of youth issues and the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the field of political image, participants will continue to explore branding and strategies for a good election campaign, and how to adequately communicate with the electorate.
“Young political leaders in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thanks to the Institute for Youth Development KULT, get a strong mechanism for working on themselves within their political activity. The lecturers devoted themselves as much as possible to each participant, with concrete examples that can be used. This training gave me the opportunity to refresh my knowledge in the field of the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, political advocacy and communication. The training gives me the confidence and ambition to deal with youth issues as part of my political activities. Great ideas and collaborations will surely be born among us participants,” says Lamija Ibraković from NiP.
UMiD for Youth Political Leaders (UMiDp) is the Institute’s program for youth political leaders aged 18 to 30, who come from different political parties and different local communities. Through 15 days of training, young politicians acquire knowledge and skills that help them improve their activities, especially in the field of youth rights. During the training, they have the opportunity to theoretically and practically learn about the political system of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to improve their knowledge for active advocacy for a better position of young people. Through training, they build their political image which is different, more innovative and more acceptable to their peers.
Source: mladi.org
