When the residents of Fojnica, a settlement near Maglaj, founded the Association „Fojnicani“ after the catastrophic flood in 2014, they never dreamed that their work would outgrow their local community. Originally, the goal was to help the locals affected by floods, Croats and Bosniaks, in the reconstruction of around 30 flooded houses. Reconstruction of the infrastructure followed, as well as numerous volunteer eco-actions. Today, residents of Fojnica are leaders in advocating for protection of nature areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as branding Maglaj, Zepce and Zavidovici municipalities as a unique tourist destination, “3 cities, 3 nature parks”.
Association “Fojnicani” part of a network of 20 associations dealing with nature protection
“We never dreamed that we would grow into a professional association that has three employees and gathers many volunteers. This year alone, we hired more than 50 experts with whom we collaborated through various projects. This is a strength that is recognized not only in Maglaj, Zepce and Zavidovici municipalities, but also throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we have just applied for a regional project. We are part of a nature protection network made up of 20 associations from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we are financed exclusively from projects of international and domestic donors”, the president of the association, Goran Antunovic said for Local Works. The Association employs Davor Supukovic as secretary, Besim Gurda, forestry engineer and Sanja Krizanovic, MA of public administration. Although she lived and studied abroad for five years, Sanja returned to her homeland. Sanja had difficulties in finding employment, but she never dreamed that she would find a job in the non-governmental sector. She is employed in the Association, among other things, in the position of project manager and financial officer. “As for projects, I get excited when we receive an approval for our project proposal. It is especially important that the results of the work are not only visible now. We insist and invest additional effort to make the results visible as soon as possible. Our focus is on the preservation and protection of nature, which benefits not only us, but also future generations. Although these are small steps and small changes, these small changes can bring significant results in the future,” Sanja emphasized.
Nature protection is not a priority in Bosnia and Herzegovina
According to official data, only 1.5% of protected areas are in Zenica-Doboj Canton, and only 3% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. By 2020, our country has committed to protecting 17% of its territory through international agreements. Association “Fojnicani” and 20 other NGOs dealing with nature protection are currently working to protect the areas of Mokra Megara, Ozren, Matinski Vis, Babino Tvrtkovac, Zvijezda, Trstionica-Bukovica, Orlja … “The key is advocacy at all levels, from local to national levels”, secretary Davor Supukovic points out. “Maglaj Municipality recognized our initiatives and made a decision to protect the cave of Mokra Megara and Matinski Vis, which partly belongs to this Municipality. Kakanj Municipality also provided consent for the protection of the Trstionica-Bukovica area. We are advocating the protection of areas that the local authorities themselves have recognized through their strategic documents, but have never fully implemented the necessary procedures”. Goran Antunovic says that authorities at all levels must understand the value of nature on the basis of which many things can be developed, especially sustainable tourism and all related activities. “Our goal is to establish a public institution for protected areas modeled on Sarajevo Canton. There is interest, but we are witnessing constant political turmoil, so we are still waiting for such an initiative to be presented to the cantonal deputies,” added Antunovic.
Four research camps were organized
In the last two years, Association “Fojnicani” organized six research camps in the area of Mokra Megara, Matinsko Vis, Ozren and Radunice, which brought together students and their mentors, experts from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the research camps, flora and fauna of specific areas were researched. “Our greatest efforts are aimed at establishing the protected area of Matinski Vis (Zepce) and Mokra Megara cave (Maglaj). The research activities resulted in the drafting of a Feasibility Study proposal for the establishment of the Matinski Vis protected area, thanks to which we received the consent of the Maglaj Municipal Council for the protection of Matinski Vis and Mokra Megara. In addition to research results, the camps served as a networking event for participants, but also contributed to promotion of nature protection, raise public awareness of the need and importance of protected areas, and ultimately initiate protection procedures. From the scientific aspect, significant results are very numerous. With the multitude of endemic and endangered species that have been recorded, there is a high probability that some of the species sent for further analysis will represent new species for science. Additionally, some species were discovered for the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region, and for some species the largest populations were established in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and in the world. We believe that such research and results are key arguments for advocating the establishment of protected nature areas,” explained Besim Gurda, engineer of forestry.
The Fojnica hiking and cycling trail attracts the attention of numerous nature enthusiasts
When you look at the pictures of the Fojnica hiking and cycling trail, you can’t help but wonder if such beauty is really there, so close to us? “It is almost untouched nature. There is the river Fojnica, and the environment is excellent for walking, hiking, cycling in a length of 4 kilometers. So far, close to 50,000 BAM have been invested in the track, and the project was supported by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the EU, the Ministry of Economy of Zenica Doboj Canton and the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sports. “Our wish is to connect it with the Ozren area via the “Peace Bridge” (a bridge that should be built in the future), but also connect it with Matinski Vis. With this track, we also encourage private investors who are interested in investing their own funds in additional tourist facilities. Our rural areas are really attractive tourist destinations”, explained Goran Antunovic.
Volunteers work to strengthen the local community
Student Sara Medjic has been a volunteer for three years. For her, working in the Association is, above all, a perfect example of strengthening the local community. She recently volunteered with Sejla Musaefendic within advocacy activities – signing a petition for the adoption of the Law on Citizens’ Initiative and Protection of Citizens and Activists in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Just by signing the petition, citizens make their contribution to strengthening democracy and protecting activists, especially those who deal with nature protection, associations and informal groups of citizens are supported to safely implement civic initiatives, but also to be protected,” said Sara.
Proud of numerous projects
Thanks to the involvement of residents of Fojnica, the 1,500-meter long road from Lijesnica to Fojnica was completely reconstructed, with an investment of nearly 350,000 BAM. The Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Government of Zenica-Doboj Canton and the municipalities of Maglaj and Zepce were the most significant donors. The Volunteer Center for Social Inclusion was also built, where “Peace Women”, women from Fojnica, Bosniaks and Croats, implement their activities. The “Peace Classroom” was built on the former demarcation lines, and the plan is to build the “Peace Bridge” over the Bosna River, also on the site of the former war lines. The project documentation has been secured, and the collection of funds will follow. The bridge would connect the tourist potentials of this and the Ozren area, all the way to Teslić.
Author: Nejra Bradaric
This article was written thanks to the generous support of the American people through the “Local Works” program of the United States Agency for International Development in Bosnia and Herzegovina (USAID). The contents of the article are under the exclusive liability of its author and “Network for Building Peace”. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of the USAID or the US Government.
