OSCE organizes for Bosnia and Herzegovina's 'next generation' to visit Strasbourg
SARAJEVO, 2 April 2004 - A group of 24 young people from Bosnia and Herzegovina, participating in the OSCE's Successor Generation Initiative (SGI) Programme, will pay a study visit to Strasbourg from 3 to 10 April to learn more about the European institutions and concepts of youth participation and human rights.
"The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina lies in the hands of its young people," said Ambassador Robert M. Beecroft, Head of the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We have designed this project to help build up a cadre of young leaders that have the will and skills to take on political, economic and societal challenges and work together for a better future."
"Working together, the participants in the initiatives have shown that they are eager to expand their knowledge about youth activism and youth politics throughout Europe and to establish links between Europe and Bosnia and Herzegovina," he added.
A recent OSCE Mission-sponsored poll indicates that young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are ambivalent about political participation, but are very willing to volunteer for activities that benefit their community. The population as a whole believes that the country needs a new generation of committed and accomplished leaders.
The Successor Generation Initiative is a year-long youth leadership training programme that works with promising and energetic individuals who have been selected for their leadership potential and ability to make a committed, positive change within the community. Throughout the year, each participant is involved in developing an 'Idea for Change', an initiative that will stimulate interest in and awareness of not only youth issues, but overall community life throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The initiative has brought together promising young people between the ages of 20 and 30 from all ethnic groups and religious backgrounds and across Bosnia and Herzegovina to exchange expertise and experiences. They represent a variety of different disciplines, such as civil society development, politics, education, business, media and the environment.
"This programme is unique because it puts us in direct contact with decision-makers, and focuses on our own individual responsibility to take action in order to create a better future," said Dzenita Bosto, one of the programme's participants.