Empowering youth voices means driving real societal change. The Academy of Local Activism in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, gave young people the chance to learn directly from those already shaping it.

The first module of the Academy, organised by the Tuzla Open Centre, took place on 18-21 September 2025, bringing together 35 passionate young participants for four days of learning, dialogue, and inspiration.

Designed as a space where ideas turn into action, the event gathered a diverse and experienced team of human rights activists, journalists, university professors, and experts to share firsthand insights on topics ranging from youth and political participation to democracy, media literacy, and advocacy. Importantly, every discussion and exercise was grounded in a human rights perspective, emphasising equality, inclusion, and participation as the foundations of active citizenship.

“Our main goal is to awaken the activist spirit in young people and create a new generation of activists who will act in their communities,” said Admir Adilović, Executive Director of the Tuzla Open Centre, adding how proud he is of the team that brought the Academy to life. “Watching them exchange experiences, expressing their opinions, learning from each other, taking part in debates and activist initiatives, this is what drives us and inspires us to go on.”

The participants - all under 30 - reflected a diversity of backgrounds, interests, and motivations. What united them was curiosity and a desire to understand how civic participation can make a difference.

For Amer, a first-time participant in such a programme, the Academy opened up new horizons. He particularly praised the presentations on the history of the human rights movement in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in particular LGBTI advocacy, and practical sessions on media literacy:

“I very much appreciated learning about various types of reporting, and how to spot fake news or sensationalist headlines that serve no other purpose than to garner clicks. It was particularly useful to have a chance to act out media appearances, learn how to set up a camera, set the scene. We also switched roles as journalists and interviewees.”

Another participant, Ema, found the programme both empowering and energising:

“Honestly, this was really useful, really fun and really productive! You get 100/10 from me for the organisation.”

She says that the topics covered at the Academy, especially when it comes to human rights activism, political awareness, and media literacy, would also be very useful to high school students across Bosnia and Herzegovina:

“This type of education is important. When we have more knowledge, we also possess more understanding and solidarity, whereas ignorance is the thing that leads to rifts and misunderstandings.”

The organisers are confident that this initiative is planting seeds of long-term change.

“With this programme, we’ve begun creating a new generation of young people who clearly, bravely, and loudly advocate for equality, solidarity and human rights, in line with European standards,” concluded Adilović. “That’s the vision guiding us toward a more just society.”

The Academy of Local Activism was supported by the Council of Europe as part of the project “Combating discrimination, hatred and racism in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” which is implemented under the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2022-2025.