3. “LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND THE YOUTH IN BIH“ CONFERENCE (29.11.-1.12.2007.)
 In the period between 29th November and 1st December 2007, Youth information agency BiH organised 3rd conference “Local authorities and the youth in BiH” in Sarajevo. Conference hosted 94 persons from 64 municipalities in BiH, as well as guests from neighbouring countries, Croatia and Serbia. The Conference was organised in partnership with the Union of municipalities and cities in FBiH, Union of municipalities and cities in RS, Ministry of culture and sport in FBiH, City of Sarajevo, Centar Municipality, Novo Sarajevo Municipality, Novi Grad Municipality, Kakanj Municipality and Vogošća Municipality.
The purpose of the conference was to promote the development of policy towards youth in BiH, i.e. the relationship between the state and the youth through exchange of experiences of certain local communities, promoting of good practice, and additional expert analysis regarding new challenges and questions that emerged over the last year through working on policy towards youth.
This conference represents an addition to previous development of policy towards youth, i.e. it follows the results of:
1) Conference organised by OSCE and Council of Europe in fall 2003, which promoted the concept of policy towards youth in BiH and provided support for working on the Law on youth organisation in RS, as well as on establishing institutional framework on the level of BiH,
2) Conference “Local authorities and the youth“ held in November 2006, organised by YIA and supported by partners: SDC/IBHI/OSF/Care Int./Mott, which promoted the first guide on the Balkans dealing with development of local policy towards youth, and featured exchange of practice experiences in certain areas.
The conference began with the organiser’s speech and presentation of results of mapping of municipalities in BiH in order to determine actual state of local policy towards youth in BiH that was implemented by YIA during the period September – November 2007. The mapping was followed by the first panel discussion on topic: “Between two conferences – development of local policies towards youth in BiH, trends and challenges“ that enabled participants to identify current situation in BiH regarding local youth policy.
Second day of the conference started with the panel discussion named “Development of local policies towards youth in neighbourhood“ with guest speakers from European house Slavonski Brod, Forum Syd from Serbia, Citizens’ initiatives form Belgrade and Youth Council from City of Zagreb. After regional panel discussion, four task groups were held in two sets, dealing with topics: “Strategies and documents of youth policy“, “Budgets for the youth“, “Youth bodies in local authorities“ and “Models for participation of youth in decision making“. Task groups gathered representatives of certain municipalities in BiH who presented the good practice of their municipalities and in this way initiated the discussion that involved all present participants. Once the task groups were finished, joint session was held where moderators of task groups, together with reporters, presented basic elements of each task group. Second day of the conference ended with session in which participants from different groups dwelled on ideas regarding tools/methods that may be used for informing actors in the area of local youth policy.
Final day of the conference began with presentation of European programme “Youth in action“ and a discussion on the way for Bosnia and Herzegovina, as a partner country, to become involved in certain segments of this programme. Before the very evaluation of the conference by the participants, all present guests had the opportunity to announce some important events in the near future that are related to the issues dealt with of the conference. At the very end of the conference, participants had the opportunity to visit newly opened youth centre “Spajalica”, which stands as an example of good practice and fair relationship between the local authorities and youth in Ilidža Municipality.
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