Obstacles exist only in our heads
On the shores of Lake Sniježnica in Teočak, young people, with their activism, thoughts and plans for the future, rise above nationalist rhetoric and everyday life undermined by daily political agendas. In small, neglected rural communities, this is unfortunately a reality, and the only way to put an end to this is to support young people to articulate their problems and suggest ways to solve them.
This is exactly what the Youth Council of the Municipality of Teočak will continue to work on during the Youth Tolerance Camp. The Tula Community Foundation supported the organization of the Camp through the I Love My City Fund, which created the preconditions for gathering young people from Teočak, Sapna, Lopare and Ugljevik.
Friendship mural
“By our own example, we show that we must look for a solution and a perspective for a better life. The first step is to hear each other. Youth has the strength and vision that confirms that the promotion of peace, tolerance, environmental protection has no alternative. Through informal education, we want to create socially responsible individuals who will create more open communities and society in general”, says the project coordinator and teacher at the elementary school Teočak Enes Avdičević, who was named the best teacher in the former Yugoslavia in 2019 at the Regional Education Conference “The World of Education Erases Borders” in Belgrade.
Through interactive peace sessions, the Friendship mural, Discussion on reconciliation and youth activism, young people from the four local communities of Teočak, Ugljevik, Lopare and Sapna pointed out that through reconciliation, interreligious dialogue and inter-municipal/inter-entity cooperation, citizens can build new bridges of friendship and express their creativity and willingness to change.
Educating young people against nationalist rhetoric
Director of Elementary school “Aleksa Šantić” in Ugljevik, Sreten Lukić, gladly engaged in this project to present young people examples from personal experience, a piece of the past, in which people from these communities worked together, socialized and respected each other: “I have many beautiful stories because I worked at a school in Teočak for seven years and had many friends, not only at work, but also in the local community. Most people have already renewed old friendships, they visit each other, trade and are ready for all forms of cooperation and positive changes, but young people are still exposed to manipulation. It comes from irresponsible politicians and certain media, as well as from their families. Therefore, young people should be provided with opportunities for non-formal education and try to be out of their comfort zone. Only then they will have their own argument-based opinion.”
Youth peace activism
Lack of cultural content, adequate space for play and socializing, and the desire for a better quality of life are just some of the problems faced by young people in these small communities. Avdičević believes that the Youth tolerance camp will contribute to positive changes. The camp will be a place where young people will meet, develop their knowledge and skills, contribute to community development and strengthen reconciliation according to Youth work models used in EU countries, but adapted to the specific needs of young people from this part of BiH.
By positive example young people are building solid foundations for reconciliation
With these gatherings, young people will get to know each other better, get closer and make friends, Lukić hopes, emphasizing that live conversation, face to face, is much more useful than all forms of modern communication. “Maybe some of them find love, they are young people, that’s normal,” Lukić added with a smile.
The Youth tolerance camp of the Youth Council of the Municipality of Teočak is a confirmation that they are on the right and only right path. Emphasizing that the biggest obstacles are in our heads, and that they are difficult to define, our interviewees are determined to do their best to continue cooperation together with young people, building a stable foundation with positive stories.
