Here you can find voices from the field - directly from participants, partners and beneficiaries, those whose lives are most directly touched by our work. While we support authorities in aligning domestic frameworks with European standards of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, we never lose sight of the human dimension behind these reforms: the individuals and communities for whom they are designed, and who ultimately matter most.
Women candidates in Bosnia and Herzegovina build confidence and solidarity through Council of Europe Academy
The atmosphere is lively and warm in Neum. With the sea stretching beyond the conference hall windows, participants exchange inside jokes, pose for selfies and greet one another like old friends. Yet only months ago, many of them had never met. Over four modules of the Council of Europe's Academy...
Future lawyers in the Western Balkans take on digital violence against women
“Violence knows no borders, but neither does our empathy.” The words of one participant capture the spirit of this year's Regional Summer School in Trebinje better than any programme agenda ever could. Inside a simulated courtroom, 30 law students from across the Western Balkans sit before a...
Zavidovići youth stands against hate
“Young people will inherit the world and we are here to deliver change.” These are the words of Hana Marušić, a young person from Zavidovići who took part in a street action on 21 May 2026 promoting inclusion, solidarity and social cohesion. Organised under the slogan Zavidovići youth stands...
Bihać residents and people on the move join forces for community clean-up ahead of Earth Day
In the run-up to Earth Day, residents and people on the move came together in Bihać to clean public spaces, turning a simple environmental action into a message of solidarity and inclusion. Organised on 19 April across several locations in the city, the clean-up brought together communities that...
A new step forward for democratic education in Zenica
The arrival of spring in Zenica has brought new energy and momentum to educational initiatives. For the students and teachers of the Second Gymnasium Zenica, this period marks the beginning of a new chapter, as the school has become part of the network of Resource Centres for Democratic School...
Academy for Women Candidates strengthens public communication skills in Tarčin
Clear, confident, and compelling communication can determine whether a political message resonates with voters. From 13 to 15 February in Tarčin, participants of the Council of Europe’s Academy for Women Candidates strengthened exactly those skills, turning public appearance into a strategic...
From citizens’ voices to city policy: How Mostar turns dialogue into action
When the Mostar City Council adopted an Action Plan to implement the recommendations of the 2024 Citizens’ Assembly on 27 January 2026, it sent a clear message: citizens’ voices matter and they lead to real change. Like many other cities, Mostar has long faced the challenge of short tourist stays...
Secondary school students in Bosnia and Herzegovina tackle harmful narratives and hate speech
What happens when young people are given space to talk openly about understanding and empathy? In Zavidovići, 23 secondary school students spent two days doing exactly that - questioning harmful narratives, challenging hate speech, and exploring how their voices can help shape a more inclusive...
Fostering interreligious dialogue in Sarajevo: Young theology students meet across faiths
Nemanja sits in the crowded hall of Hotel Europe in Sarajevo, surrounded by 47 other young people. Most of them he has never met, yet they all share the same path: studying theology - Catholic, Islamic, and Orthodox - at three different faculties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students are attending...
“How the ECtHR lives and breathes behind its decisions”: Transferring knowledge from Strasbourg to BiH
“I will make sure to show my students this session so they can see that legal arguments can and should be presented in an engaging, not dry, way,” said Igor Popović from the Faculty of Law in Banja Luka, reflecting on a Grand Chamber session he attended during his study visit to the European...
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