June 2017

ACTIVISM AND YOUTH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL BOSNIA CANTON
TPO IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN BUSOVAČA, FOJNICA AND JAJCE


How youth questions their own responsibilities and those of their community with the aim to improve democratic civil society we live in? Why is critical thinking important, as well as activism and voluntarism, and what those teach us? Those were some of questions youth of Central Bosnia Canton questioned with TPO Foundation. From May 16 to June 13 TPO Foundation made visits and realized educative workshops in primary schools "Busovača" in Busovača, "Ivan Goran Kovačić" in Fojnica and "Berta Kučera" in Jajce. This was an opportunity for students of final grades to share opinions and experiences about various forms of violence, as well as mechanisms of prevention and protection from violence. The goal of those creative workshops was to encourage young people to question, study and work, but also to intercede for their own initiatives which are caring positive changes in society.
By signing new cooperation with the Ministry of education, science, culture and sport of Central Bosnia Canton, TPO started realization of new educative workshops created for students of primary schools of this canton aiming to raise awareness about civil activism, nonviolence and critical thinking. TPO Team hanged out with fifty students from three primary schools and they had the opportunity to be introduced with publications "Nira", "Nira's challenge" and "Everything we (do not) want to know", TPO Foundation published previously. By getting to know these publications, they were learning about engaging art as one of the forms of civil activism because it works on pointing problems in order to induce positive changes. Seeing problems, from personal ones to those connected with society, is the primary step towards solution.



There was also a discussion about abuse and inadequate using of the internet, and dangers of publishing private stuff on social networks, as well as internet violence. The students gave their opinions on ways of opposing various forms of violence and concluded that there must be no silence about violence and that everyone should react if they see it. TPO Foundation will continue to associate with young people across Bosnia and Herzegovina in future period.