Bosnia-Herzegovina
| mladi
most |
Mostar,
Bosnia-Herzegovina |
Youth
in Mostar - on the road to the future
Background and current situation in Mostar
Only
now, five years after the war, are the former political adversaries slowly beginning
to co-operate with each other on the local level. Nevertheless,
destruction as well as a lack of political and economic reforms are still preventing
any considerable progress. Social groups within Mostar are still divided, especially
between Mostar's so-called Eastern and Western parts. Although
the physical borders in Mostar were removed five years ago, the separation is
still felt in all spheres of everyday social life -- down to the family-level.
This situation is especially
affecting the young people who grow up in an atmosphere of tension and division.
Young people play a major role in influencing the future of Mostar. It is still unclear whether they will continue the confrontations of the past or will strive to change the current political and social divisions. If Mostar is to have a better future, its major problems like unemployment, the widespread apathy and lack of motivation here have to be overcome. The current massive "brain drain" -- i.e. young people leaving Mostar for foreign countries -- has to be prevented by creating opportunities in Mostar. This is where "Mladi Most" comes in...
Projects
Under
the slogan "Youth -- Mostar's most important resource" Mladi
Most is trying to tackle these problems of cultural isolation, unemployment and
the exodus of youth . One of our long term goals is to work towards the reconciliation
of youth from different ethnic backgrounds. With every step of our work Mladi
Most is showing that youth in Bosnia-Herzegovina need to act for themselves --
and that they are able to!
The Mladi Most women's network connects more than 150 young women from our nine outreach groups in Mostar and its surrounding area. Through our creative workshops and seminars they have the opportunity to explore and develop their own individual identity. Participants learn organisation and leadership skills as well as how to become active within their community. Today, many of the issues dealt with are becoming increasingly politically motivated: environmental issues are being discussed, petitions are made addressing both communities and politicians, public actions are being organised.
Professional training in photography is non-existent in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the support for amateur photography groups here is also weak. Through a giant programme, the Mladi Most photography network is trying to close the gap between beginners' training and professional education. Within a year's time, leaders with their members from six photography groups -- from all over Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as from Croatia and Serbia -- will be trained by an internationally reknowned photographer. The MM network also provides the material and equipment for the continuous work of these six photography groups.
Schools
in Bosnia-Herzegovina are overcrowded, teachers are overwhelmed and social tensions
greatly disturb the learning atmosphere. That is why the Mladi
Most pupils' action programme gives more than 900 pupils the opportunity
to learn how to tackle their every-day conflicts constructively. With the help
of our "school teams" pupils can participate in 'moulding' their idea
and reality of school life, the place where they spend years of their life.
(Inter)cultural co-operation is an important way to overcome borders within Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina and internationally. Every year Mladi Most gives many young people the chance to participate in international exchanges. The annual "Mostar Intercultural Festival" brings together young creative artists from both sides of the town, from the surrounding region and from other European countries. During the last few years, more and more people are crossing the "border" within the town in order to enjoy our concerts and DJ events, exhibitions, theatre, cinema, dance, and street actions. The Mladi Most cinema project pursues the same goal -- providing reason and incentive for people to explore the often unknown parts of their town. Through cultural and social activities at the former front line, the destroyed town centre is now being reclaimed and filled with life.
Finally,
Mladi Most is organising actions, in
which political and ecological topics are explored through creative means.
During the six years of its existence Mladi Most has evolved into a well-structured organization. In the beginning open youth work was the basis for its programs, today our long-term visions have enabled intensive, issue-oriented youth work.
At the same time, Mladi Most has successfully made the important step from being a project of the German carrier "Aktion Suehnezeichen/ Friedensdienste e.V." (ASF) to becoming a local organisation. It is the young people - mainly from Mostar - who now implement their own ideas, run the organisation and its projects. Our international volunteer placements still remain an important part of Mladi Most's intercultural approach.
volunteers
Interculturalism is not only a word - it is daily reality of the Mladi Most team. Volunteers from Mostar are working together with young people from the US and Western Europe. There is a mutual exchange of backgrounds and philosophies, creating a better understanding from all sides. We plan in the future to increase these cultural exchanges by sending our local volunteers to similar organisations abroad.
more
about volunteers...
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of page
Example: Learning
through volunteer services is essential not only for inter-cultural experience,
but also to advance and improve the work Mladi Most is doing. Whereas for most
Western European young people there is financial support for volunteer services,
Bosnian young people do not have this possibility. This is why Mladi Most is
raising funds in order to support volunteering of Bosnian youth abroad,
a project similar to Mladi Most. If funds are provided, the programme will start
in September 2001.
Your contribution: Support the volunteer service of one young person
from Mostar. In return you will get quarter-yearly reports about this volunteers'
activities and experiences abroad. (see here
for further details).
contact
Mladi
Most
ul.Lacina 69a
88 000 Mostar
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Tel/Fax.: 00387-36-552 185
internet: www.mladi-most.org
e-mail: general@mladi-most.org
Do you want to support
MM through donations?
Mladi Most has tax exempt status through our supporters in Germany and the US
. Here you can find detailed information.