Within the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Campaign and on the occasion of the International Human Rights Day, at 12:00 pm on December 10, 2011 Sarajevo hosted a Peace Walk, followed by a musical program on the BBI Center Square. The Walk was organized by the TPO Foundation, Medica Zenica, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights BiH, Gender Center FBiH and UN Women.
The aim of the walk was to remind of the achievements and endeavors of women peacebuilders from around the world. The official part of the program was held on the BBI Center Square where attention was drawn to the important steps taken by women peacebuilders from around the world whose efforts were rewarded by Nobel Peace Prizes in the period from 1905 to 2011.
The participants were addressed by Zilka Spahić Šiljak on behalf of the TPO Foundation, Alija Behmen, Mayor of Sarajevo, Vera Jovanović on behalf of the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights BiH, and Ana Vuković, the Director of the Gender Center FBiH. The program was moderated by Una Bejtović. More...

Countering Violence with Dialogue Handbook is now available in English language and it can be dowloaded from our website. Taking this occasion, we would like to thank UN Women for their support and we do hope that the Handbook is going to be used for education on violence and dialogical methods that could be useful in overcomeing violence and misunderstanding.

Countering Violence with Dialogue

TPO Foundation's publication entitled Development of Measures for Active Labor Market with Specific Focus on Women Returnees by Besima Borić, chairperson of the Labor and Social Policy Board was promoted in the Federal Parliament at a special session of three parliamentary boards: Gender Equality, Return of Refugees and Displaced Persons, and Labor and Social Policy. Besima Borić presented the publication and Mrs. Velida Draško from the Federal Employment Bureau shared the most recent data on employment rates of women in the Federation. The chairpersons of the other two boards, Mrs. Slavica Josipović and Mrs. Katica Čerkez also stressed the importance of this issue and the necessity to work on the implementation of the proposed measures. Parliamentary representatives actively participated in the discussion and agreed on the importance of legislative amendments, lobbying in political parties, promoting the recommendations, and networking to accelerate their implementation. More ...

Representatives of TPO Foundation, along with representatives of other NGO's, participated at the round table discussion with US Ambassador for the Women Issues Ms Melanne Verveer. The discussion was held on Sunday, 23 October, 2011 in the premises of the Embassy of United States in BiH.

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TPO Foundation is conducting a baseline study as part of Women, Peace-building and Reconciliation in BiH Project. The purpose of the study is to detect women peace-builders and find out the attitudes of citizens in BiH on peace and peace-building activities, with particular emphasis on the role of women. The citizen survey has been completed and results are being analyzed. We plan to conduct a survey among NGO activists using a web-based questionnaire that is available on TPO Foundation's website, but you can also access it via: http:/ /anketa.tpo.ba/

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The Agreement on Cooperation between TPO Foundation and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies (CIPS) of University of Sarajevo was signed yesterday in Sarajevo for purpose of action of donation of books for the library of the Human Rights Centre of the University of Sarajevo. That way, TPO Foundation officialy started with action of donation of the books. The books from the fund of the Library will be intended for all students, primarily master and doctoral students of the University of Sarajevo. Potential donors are individuals and scientific, education and other institutions around the world. The action will last until December 31, 2011.

Transcultural Psychosocial Educational Foundation (TPO) implemented the project „Test on Dialogue!“ in schools in Municipality Centar. As a part of the project 5 workshops and 10 tests on dialogue were held with an aim of introducing the role of dialogue in prevention of violence focusing on gender based violence. The project was realized in period from March to June 2011 with consent of the Ministry of Education and Science of Canton Sarajevo and financial support of Municipality Centar. 10 pedagogues and 217 students have participated in the project.

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TPO Foundation organized the first part of the Life Stories and Dialogues Training Course that was held in Sarajevo this May. The course is part of the project Women, Peace Building and Reconciliation in BiH and was attended by 16 participants, 11 of whom represented 9 partner organizations in the project Women, Peace Building and Reconciliation in BiH. The course was led by Nejra Nuna Čengić, doctoral candidate at Institorum Studiorum Humanitatis, author and lecturer at the postgraduate course: Life Stories and Dialogues.

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Transcultural Psycho-Educational Foundation (TPO) organized a workshop I and II "Test on dialogue" of the scheduled five workshops in the framework of the project is implemented with the consent of the Ministry of Education and Science, Canton Sarajevo and the financial support of the Municipality Center. The workshop covered topics of gender-based violence and the role of dialogue in violence prevention with emphasis on multi-religious dialogue.

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TPO Foundation organized in Sarajevo the two day training in monitoring and evaluation for 14 representatives of 6 partner NGOs in project "Social Inclusion of Women Returnees". For purposes of this training and for development of the manual, TPO Foundation hired Zoltan Milić, M&E expert.

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Transcultural Psychosocial Educational (TPO) Foundation has implemented the project “Test on Dialogue!“ in period March – July 2011

with approval of the Canton Sarajevo Ministry of Education and Science and the financial support of Municipality Center in Sarajevo. As a part of the project, the educational workshops for pedagogues and pupils of high schools and primary schools in municipality Center will be organized about dialogue and gender-based violence focusing on multi-religious dialogue. As a follow up, the participants of the project will work in team to organize 10 meetings "Test on dialogue" and design the promotional material for the campaign "Test on Dialogue!" intended for teachers, parents and pedagogues. Taking into account increasing of violence among youth and consequences BiH society is affected by, it is of grate importance to include these topics into school activities and to help young people in understanding and overcoming frustrations and problems they face on daily basis.

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TPO Foundation designed the project proposal in cooperation with the Center for Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Studies - University of Sarajevo aiming at shedding light on local heroines of BiH who have been working on peace-building and reconciliation in the last 20 years, but their efforts and achievements were not properly valued and recognized by authorities and wider public. Women's engagements and activities in bringing peace and security significant part of BiH history, but there was no publication and relevant researchers on BiH peace-makers who stood for justice and peace and exercised active citizenship. Women usually do not record their own history and narratives. They used to act and communicate and build horizontal networks and relations between people and not thinking so much of their own promotion. Women are more concerned with results and improvement of human relations and than for their promotion and visibility.

As a result of the project, narratives of women peace-makers will be analysed, and published and will serve for empowerment of future generation in BiH in pursing peace and security for all marginalized and underprivileged groups of people.

The narratives of world peace-makers who have been awarded by Noble Prize for peace will be analyzed and published in the Handbook which will be used as a positive example and model of peace activism all around the world. Based on that material six workshops will be carried out in six cities for school teachers and NGO activists.
Throughout history there were examples of good practices in avoiding conflicts and diplomatically resolving conflicts as well as inclination towards peaceful solutions at the level of family and society. Many women became worldly recognized peace-makers and their methodologies, strategies, and ideas can serve as a positive paradigm for other women and men in peace-building.
The Project will contribute to the increased community awareness on active citizenship, dialogue and women's human rights and the participation of women in public life in general.

TPO Foundation continue working on the implementation of  UN Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security that emphasises the importance of including women, and the special needs of women and girls, when negotiation and implementing peace agreements.

Within the Project ''Social Inclusion of Women Returnees in BiH''TPO Foundation designed the analysis of active labor measure for employment of women returnee which was published with the following title: ''Active Labor Measures Development focusing on Women Returnees.''
The author, Besima Borić offered a short overview of the returnee population status and possibilities for employment demonstrating the following: that BiH authorities at all levels launched projects and provided funding for returnee population relatively late  that there were no gender sensitive returnee employment policies and that education, additional trainings, vocational education and re-training for vocations that are needed in labor market in BiH.

In cooperation with partner organizations (Lara Bijeljina, Forum žena Bratunac, Medica Zenica, Žena BiH Mostar, Krajiška suza, UG B. Grahovo) first presentations of ''Active Labor Measures Development focusing on Women Returnees'' were held in six local communties: Bijeljina, Bratunac, Zenica, Mostar, Sanski Most, B. Grahovo.

By the end of the year 2010, TPO Foundation in cooperation with local partner organisations implemented the trainings in communication skills, psychosocial support and peace-building and organized the presentations of "Gender sensitive situation analysis" and "Gender sensitive analysis of laws and regulations affecting returnees". These activities were implemented as a part of the project "Social Inclusion of Women Returnees" aiming to enable social inclusion and sustainable minority return of women in the areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina with high return rate. The project is supported by Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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As part of the project "Increasing Awareness on Gender Based Violence and the Role of Women in Multireligious Dialogue" TPO Foundation organised 16 education workshops for women from 48 rural areas. The workshops were held in period from November 26 to December 10, 2010 in the folllowing places:  Bijeljina, Sanski Most, Bosanski Petrovac, Dokanj, Maglaj, Mostar, Goražde, Zenica, Milići, Travnik, Bihać, Vareš, Kakanj, Ilijaš, Modrinje and Vogošća. The workshops were realized by certified trainers who passed the training provide by TPO Foundation in cooperation with Medica Zenica. The workshops were realized in cooperation with the partner NGOs: Fondacija Cure Sarajevo, Vive žene Tuzla, Lara Bijeljina, Perpetuum Mobile Banja Luka, Krajiška suza Sanski Most, Forma F Mostar and Nahla Sarajevo. The project is supported by UNIFEM.

TPO Foundation and Medica Zenica organized the public campaign "Test on Dialogue" to be part of the larger "16 Days of Activism" campaign that seeks to raise the awareness and activism against violence under women. The "Test on Dialogue" campaign is part of the larger project, "Increasing the Awareness on Issues of Gender Based Violence and the Role of Women in Multi-Religious Dialogue."  The project was supported by UNIFEM.

The campaign initially began in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, and campaign presentations followed in Zenica, Travnik, Maglaj, Bugojno, Kakanj, Goražde, Mostar and Tuzla held at the American Corners and local partner NGOs. The activities were based on a strong partnership between TPO, Medica Zenica and local NGO partner organizations: Perpetuum Mobile, Lara Bijeljina, Forma F, Vive Zene Tuzla, Fondacija CURE, Nahla Sarajevo, Kolo srpskih sestara and Krajiška suza Sanski Most.

The American Embassy in BiH and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) supported the "Test for Dialogue" campaign.