Children from Srebrenik visit Velika Obarska

“I can’t wait to get together again,” said little Nejra, who travelled to Velika Obarska with her friends from Srebrenik to meet their peers from this local community through sports and social activities.

Due to poor weather, the sports workshop was held in the small hall of this charming school, but this certainly did not dampen the children’s joy or their eagerness to meet one another and show off their sporting skills and abilities. The participants were divided into two groups, the “Lightning Bolts” and the “Lions”, and enthusiastically cheered on their teammates as they tackled the obstacle course set up especially for them by their coach for the day and his assistants, educators and volunteers. After each team member had a chance to complete the course, they moved on to tug-of-war. The final activity was a karaoke show, where the boys and girls had the chance to sing their favourite songs in front of their friends. Throughout the sporting competitions, the aim was to help reduce prejudice, give children the opportunity to meet their peers from this municipality, and encourage cooperation among them—all in a positive and healthy way through sport.

The workshop participants expressed great satisfaction with the quality of the organization, as well as with the hospitality of their peers from Velika Obarska.

So, today’s gloomy, gray sky and rain failed to take the smiles off our little ones’ faces; they went home happy and delighted.

As is well known, the sports workshop is organized by CER and the SOS Citizens’ Association as part of the project “Give Me a Hand for the Next Step”. Its ultimate goal is to contribute to democratic stabilization in Bosnia and Herzegovina through education, culture and interethnic interaction. The project is implemented as part of the “Dialogue for the Future” project, which aims to create a space for dialogue that enables the process of building understanding throughout the country and promotes coexistence and respect for diversity; increases young people’s participation, awareness and influence in policy dialogue on issues affecting the development and reform agenda in BiH; and ensures that education fosters greater social cohesion and that citizens and communities pursue shared goals in building coexistence through culture.

Seeking through their work to improve the position of young people by promoting and advocating reconciliation and tolerance, and creating a healthy space for coexistence in the community, CER and the “SOS” Association have been implementing this project since 21 April and will continue until December this year.