Summer School for Youth from Diaspora 2024 Successfully Organized
The second Summer School for Youth from Diaspora and the Region 2024 was successfully organized by the Alija Izetbegović Foundation in Sarajevo and „IN SANA“ Association from Germany, from July 29 to August 4, 2024. This project was supported by the Riyasat of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the company BH Telecom.
The aim of the Summer School was for our diaspora youth to learn more about the history and culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the life and intellectual legacy of Alija Izetbegović, while the specific goals were the identity strengthening, youth networking and their future cooperation and work for the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
During their first day in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 24 participants of the Summer School 2024 who came from Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, visited the Alija Izetbegović Foundation and met the representatives of the Foundation who told them more about its mission and work, as well as the Summer School program. They then visited the Riyasat (Headquarters) of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, walked through the old part of Sarajevo with a guide, and listened to a lecture about the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Admir Lisica, MA.
During the second day of the Summer School 2024, the participants went to the south of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where they visited the Tito’s bunker in Konjic and then spent their day rafting on the beautiful Neretva river.
After their rafting adventure, they had the opportunity to spend a night in Mostar and explore the city.
On the third day of the Summer School 2024, the youth visited the Dervish Tekke in Blagaj on the bank of the green Buna river, visited with a guide the “Radimlja” stećak necropolis and the town of Stolac. After a day-long trip and a relaxing lunch near the river, they travelled back to Sarajevo.
During the forth day of the Summer School they watched a presentation about the life and legacy of President Alija Izetbegović, and visited the Alija Izetbegović Museum and the Museum of the Heroes of the Liberation War which is a part of the Sarajevo Memorial Center.
Following the visit to the Kovači graveyard, where the grave of Alija Izetbegović is also located, they went towards Baščaršija where they saw, with a help of a guide, the rich collections of the Gazi Husrev-bey Library. They also had an opportunity to have lunch at a famous restaurant in the old part of the City.
After the lunch, the participants where welcomed at the Bosniak Cultural Community “Preporod” where they listened to the lecture about the Bosnian language by Professor Alen Kalajdžija.
Following a very active and educational day, there was even some time left for the youth to socialize and go for an evening stroll in the city.
A visit to Srebrenica and Potočari was reserved for the fifth day of the Summer School for Youth from Diaspora 2024. Before travelling to Srebrenica, they toured the Tunnel of Hope, which was the only connection with the world during the siege of Sarajevo in the course of the Aggression on Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995.
In Srebrenica, they visited the Srebrenica Memorial Center and uttered a prayer at the Cemetery for the Victims of Genocide against the Bosniaks.
Following these visits, a lunch and meeting with the survivors of the Genocide and the Srebrenica mothers was held at the Potočari Han, where the youth had the opportunity to hear their harrowing life stories and experiences. After a very emotional day, the participants of the Summer School travelled back to Sarajevo.
On the sixth day of the Summer School 2024, a day trip to Jajce, Travnik and Ahmiće was organized, and the participants were accompanied by the history professor, Hajrudin Mešić.
At the very beginning of the day, the participants visited the Memorial in Ahmići, where they were welcomed by Mr. Adnan Zec, a survivor of the massacre of Bosniaks in Ahmići which was perpetrated by HVO forces.
The youth then headed towards Mlinčići near Jajce, where they rested and took a walk, and after that they visited Jajce and its sights, and had lunch at the Vlašić House restaurant. After lunch, they toured the city of Travnik and the beautifully decorated Sulejmanija Mosque, and then travelled back to Sarajevo.
On the seventh, last day of the Summer School for Diaspora Youth 2024, organized by the Alija Izetbegović Foundation and the “IN SANA” Association, the participants visited the Sarajevo City Hall and the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then had lunch and some free time in the Sarajevo City Center.
In the evening, in the modern Student Center of the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which provided the accommodation for the youth during the Summer School, we organized a final gathering with the dessert baklava, when we summed up our impressions and talked about the Summer School program itself and the experiences of the participants.
It was a special pleasure to meet our young people who came from different European countries, and we hope that they learned a lot of new interesting things and will take with them lasting and beautiful memories from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ALIJA IZETBEGOVIĆ FOUNDATION