„Being Friends“ – Youth Encounter Trip to Bosnien-Herzegowina
As part of our project, which was originally planned for 2021 but had to be postponed to 2022 due to the coronavirus pandemic, young people from Germany and Bosnia-Herzegovina took part together in a unique youth exchange trip from 28 August to 2 September 2022. During the trip they not only had the opportunity to get to know the culture and history of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but also to reflect on their own prejudices and to cultivate an intercultural exchange that was intended to lead to long-term connections.
Together the young people undertook a wide range of activities, including museum visits, sports and leisure activities, as well as city tours in Mostar and Sarajevo. Particularly impressive was the visit to the headquarters of the Fondacia Ecudos in Travnik, where they gained insights into the foundation's youth and educational work. In Sarajevo, the historic assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, regarded as the trigger of the First World War, was addressed – an important moment for experiencing history from a local perspective.
In addition to the planned tours, evening discussion rounds were also on the programme, in which the young people exchanged their experiences and impressions of the day. These conversations fostered not only mutual understanding, but also a conscious engagement with their own prejudices and their own behaviour.
The project aimed to strengthen intercultural dialogue, to convey democratic values and to create a platform for a sustainable exchange between the young people. Through the positive impressions of the encounters and the exchange about the youth work of the Fondacia Ecudos, the participants were meant to act as multipliers in their home countries and to pass on their experiences. The long-term goal was to establish a continuous, enriching connection between the young people from both countries. We would like to sincerely thank the Landschaftsverband Westfalen Lippe (LWL), whose funding made the realisation of this valuable project possible.
