On Thursday, the Institute for Youth Development, „KULT”, introduced the Youth Law of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The document was published within the project entitled Youth Participation in the Strategic Development of Local Communities. The  European Union  supported the project implementation, in the amount of 90,000 Euros.

Muamer Logo, a spokesperson for KULT, said the EU Delegation has been an exceptional strategic partner, helping young people and NGOs to deal with youth issues. He said the Guide would contribute to the effective implementation and understanding of the Youth Law. In addition to explaining the Youth Law, the Guide contains EU documents related to young people and it compares youth legislation in the Federation BiH and Republika Srpska.

According to Vladimir Pandurević, Project Manager for the EIDHR, Youth and Culture, in the Operations’ section at the EU Delegation to BiH, the Guide represents the key output of the Youth Participation project.

„I believe the Guide will find its application in everyday life and that young people will be interested in subjects that the laws deal with,“ said Pandurević.

Dženana Alađuz, Director of the Association Infohouse, said the greatest advantage of the Youth Law is that it does not see young people as an „issue”, but rather as a resource. It does not regard young people as an „obstacle”, but as a driving force on the road to the European Union.

For Mirjana Nikolić, President of the Commission for Coordination of Youth Issues in BiH, the most significant parts of the Guide are the European documents, because, she said, young people are by nature open to accepting a European identity, and the Guide assumes openness toward diversity, so youth is a force that will lead BiH to Europe.

Pandurević announced that three projects will be implemented in next year to help develop the youth sector in BiH.