Mission Statement

To embolden, educate, and motivate women and youth (including those affected by war) to achieve personal goals in the pursuit of financial stability, and to build community in an effort to create systemic, positive change for themselves, community, government and country; ultimately leading to a unified Bosnian and Herzegovinian identity.

Description of Target Population

The groups particularly affected by the war and its post-war effects in Bosnia and Herzegovina are children and youth of all ethnic backgrounds. Having experienced the atrocities, violence and pain, along with extremely difficult living conditions, young people have been severely traumatized.

A critical step in the process of healing and post-war recovery yet remains: to appropriately address the psycho-social needs of young people, to assist them to regain self-confidence and confidence in the future of their country, and to support them in envisioning their own contribution to the development of their country.

 

On a community level, the lack of structured opportunities is a dominant theme, so it is very important to create space for youth development programs and tap on the skills, potentials and assets that those young people do possess. Youth have also psycho-social needs related to care, support, understanding, compassion and guidance which are particularly relevant as they move from childhood to adulthood.

 

On an individual level, the youth often lack positive role models, especially young men in conflict- affected countries (La Clava, Clert, Lytle, 2004), which is very much obvious in Bosnia as well. 

 

Since the youth policy development in Bosnia and Herzegovina is in its beginning stage, simultaneously with its development, the focus of youth programs should be put on community-based approaches, where youth should be regarded as legitimate change agents and key assets for community development and social change

Youth

• Learning problems/low school performance
• At risk for continuing the cycle of poverty, criminal activity (including drugs and alcohol), and contracting and spreading sexually transmitted diseases
• Socialization issues
• Alienation from peers
• Rejection by society
• Low self esteem

Women

• Few work skills (menial jobs) or hold work skills and are educated but unable to find employment and face both sexual and age discrimination
• Obtaining jobs require personal connections, which they don’t have.
• At risk of prostitution and sex trafficking
• Experience sexual harassment and domestic violence

Advisors to the Center for Women and Youth Development

Dr. James Toole

Program Consultants

Anne M. Parish

• Education: M.A. Education, B.A. Social Studies, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN USA; TEFL Certification, Hamline University, St. Paul, MN USA.
• Selected Experience: AmeriCorps Promise Fellow; 
Associate Director of an American Non-Profit youthrive; Minneapolis Public Schools Middle School (6,7,8th grade) instructor.
  anne@cwyd.ba
  

Michaelina Jakala

• Education: PhD candidate, Peace Studies University of Bradford, UK; M.A. Central and Eastern European Studies, Jagiellonian University, Poland; B.A. Justice and Peace Studies, College of St. Catherine, MN USA.
• Selected Experience: Research assistant Department of Peace Studies, UK—Peace Practitioners Project; Intern Auschwitz Jewish Center, Oswiecim, Poland.
michaelina@cwyd.ba

Larisa Kasumagić

• Education: Master of Professional Studies Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA; Fulbright Scholar: Hubert Humphrey Fellowship; B.A. University of Sarajevo, BiH Faculty of Philosophy.
• Selected Experience: Teaching Assistant at Teacher’s Training School in Zenica; Project Coordinator of the XIII World Congress of Comparative Education Societies, Sarajevo; Coordinator of the Project “Growing Up in Bosnia” UNESCO network of international youth development projects in collaboration with Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Methods and methodologies of Non-violent Communication and Facing History and Ourselves)High School English Teacher; Teachers’ Training High School, Zenica; Assistant Director in NGO SEZAM.
larisa@cwyd.ba