As board member of High School Student Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ASUBiH) Zerina represented the Association on the Excellence Academy Alumni 2018 conference «Achievements of Youth as Precondition for Development of Bosnian Society». She is responsible for public relations and communications. We talked with Zerina about her experiences while she is actively involved in projects of youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2018, Association realized activity «Youth Zone» in which three cities Stolac, Trebinje and Posušje got their «Youth Zones». It was long planned project that was supposed to remind youth on their strength to pursue better tomorrow and to know better cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Zerina together with her colleagues from the High School Student Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina on one of the educational workshops
«We planned earlier to have this project as the most positive story in the summer of 2018. This is the story in which youth create space that is dedicated especially to us (youth) because we know our needs. If I would have to choose something specific from this experience than I would choose readiness of youth on struggle for better tomorrow.»
It is well known that Association actively rises its voice against youth segregation on ethnical identity and faith confession. Often we can read about Bosnian youth who speaks aloud and demonstrate in public with their teachers and parents against such tendencies. The Association has managed to stop foundation of new «two schools under one roof» which promotes the segregation. Activities and demonstrations of the Association resonated well among youth and as follow up activity they founded a project «Friends without border» that focuses on development of life competencies and skills through student exchange programs in ten local communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
«The main goal of the Project is to remove social barriers among students who attend different educational programs in the same school or community through together organized youth activities in their communities. It was realized in ten cities where the phenomena «two schools under one roof» exits: Bugojno, Žepče, Mostar, Busovača, Brčko, Gornji Vakuf, Travnik, Stolac, Kiseljak i Jajce. Personally, I am much honored what we, youth of Bosnia and Herzegovina, have managed to make together. Prejudices come to us from some older people but this type of projects help us to restrain such tendencies.»
To grow in knowledge Zerina seeks the ways through seminars and informal education. She enjoys travels and reading good books especially novels and she wants youth to dedicate more time for reading. Above all, experience and fails are that what brings her the biggest learning:
«I have recently read «The Stranger» from Albert Camus which surely leaves every body speechless. Beside the books I try to learn as much as possible from travels. However, I am of the opinion that my failures are the most important to embrace critical thinking. They have showed what I should not do if I want to attain achievement and they pushed me to new achievements too. As they say: ‘Any fall is a flight.’»
