“What the f*** are you doing? You're wasting your time! You’ll never change anything in this country—this here is hopeless!”
Sadly, this is advice often given to volunteers and activists trying to do something useful. More specifically, whenever they try to affect positive change. It’s fascinating how much society suffers in this state, all the while showing no enthusiasm for change, but rather silently baring it. Although I’ve often been frustrated by comments like this, I’ve told myself we can’t be disheartened.
It is frightening how much societies like to talk about things they know nothing of. It is horrifying that these are the words of unsatisfied youth in this country.
Sadly, there are many reasons for this. The 80 000 people, mostly youth, that have left this country serve as proof. That goes hand in hand with the corruption and nepotism, in which B&H is leading in Europe, as well as unemployment, which has reached 40 percent. But authors, volunteers and activists don’t want this to incite emigration, but be a challenge that can be overcome in following decades, although it may seem impossible.
In this article I will give logical facts and arguments that prove our work isn’t a lost cause. During seminars, meetings, congresses, organized by many foundations and NGOs, youth from all over our country connect. By “all over” I mean all administrative elements of our country’s complicated structure. During group work and study, just as psychological research has proven, the youth’s prejudices melted away while forming into a common goal. Therefore, the more young people engage in this, the more the possibility of a country without prejudices and nationalistic tensions becomes a reality, which would let us turn to bettering the economy and politics.
By organizing event like demolishing the wall of discrimination on March 17 2016, we create a better surrounding. To be honest, demolishing a wall of cardboard did not accomplish much, but young people in Mostar were brought together and the true face of Mostar and B&H was shown. People from four other towns did the same at 1:30. I do not want to write about how I felt, but about the expressions on the faces of my peers. I watched as they fervently bombarded that wall, their screams adding to the atmosphere.
When you do something useful, no words can describe the feeling you get. The other part of our project was painting a mural on a primary school in Mostar. Its message was clear—fight discrimination. I now know that children of all ages pass by it and see the work of activists. The mural showcased three children of different ages and colors, with large letters that read: SAY NO TO DISCRIMINATION! Our biggest success was when a young boy that had just enrolled in the school asked his mother what the mural meant. That boy, along with many other children, is the future of our educational system, our city, and our country.
By educating them, our chances of achieving our goals, a better educational system that does not segregate its students, safety in all parts of our country, job opportunity and financial security in the future, are heightened. Nelson Mandela once said: “He who does not give up on his dreams is a winner!”