Youth participation in decision-making processes is essential for building a society that reflects the needs of all its members. However, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, young people continue to face numerous obstacles that limit their participation, despite their potential to be agents of change. By analyzing the institutional framework, good practices and the roles of different actors, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the importance of young people as future leaders can be recognized.
Why are young people not involved?
Although Bosnia and Herzegovina is a signatory to the European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Life at Regional and Local Level, it is not fully implemented. One of the key principles of the Charter is to ensure equal opportunities for all young people, regardless of their social, economic or cultural background. However, when we talk about any challenge in BiH, we always come back to its political organization and decentralization, due to which even those existing mechanisms are not equally represented, especially when it comes to rural areas. Also, years after their entry into force, laws concerning youth in BiH are not fully implemented.
Due to inadequate education policies that would promote their participation, young people still remain insufficiently informed about their rights and obligations, and the difficult socio-economic situation, corruption, unemployment and distrust of institutions further contribute to their marginalization in society. This also entails the consequence that young people are not included in the work of institutions that deal with issues important to their quality of life. Young people are most interested in politics at the local level, but still believe that they have little influence on decisions that affect them, and their views on how strong their influence is in society are quite negative. This is confirmed by the data that 51.4% of young people exercised their right to vote in the 2020 elections. The reasons include distrust in the possibility of change through elections, but also the lack of young and politically educated candidates on electoral lists.
On the path to change
In this sense, we should first work on promoting and informing young people about their rights and obligations in society, political literacy, but also on institutionalized action such as establishing a functional Commission for the Coordination of Youth Issues in BiH so that activities related to the development and implementation of youth policies at different levels of government can be coordinated, monitored and evaluated.
Despite the challenges, there are examples of successful initiatives that promote youth participation, which are reflected in educational programs that provide young people with basic knowledge about the decision-making process and research work, such as those implemented by the Association of High School Students in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Then, trainings for young politicians, professional associates, youth workers of the Institute for Youth Development KULT, and other programs and initiatives of the non-governmental sector are significant.
In order to create opportunities for young people to be more involved in decision-making, numerous youth-government dialogues have been conducted in cooperation with the Youth Council of the Federation of BiH, the Youth Council of Republika Srpska, the Youth Council/Council of the Brčko District of BiH, ministries, government representatives and others. Opportunities have been opened for young people to participate in the development of strategies, research and the like, which is particularly important in the context of restoring young people’s trust in institutions, which can ultimately motivate them to become more informed about ways to be involved in decision-making processes, and to feel that their voice is heard.
Empowering young people to participate has long-term benefits for society. Young people bring new perspectives, innovative ideas and the energy needed to solve the complex problems facing BiH. Their inclusion in decision-making is crucial for strengthening democratic processes and creating a society that responds to the needs of all its members. Through the synergy of government, the non-governmental sector and young people themselves, it is possible to build a society in which every individual has the opportunity to actively contribute to the community and ensure a sustainable future.
On this occasion, we invite you to participate in this synergy by submitting your local government unit to the Public Call for Applications for the Assessment of Local Government Units and the Acquisition of Youth-Friendly Community Certification, so that together we can create more opportunities for youth inclusion.
Source: mladi.org
