A wakeup call from the youth, Local NGO
Supporting and working through local NGO’s have been a cornerstone of DRC post-war activities in Bosnia. A well-functioning civil society, together with a committed and dedicated population, is the foundation of a positive democratic development. At the same time NGO’s own the capacity to help returning refugees to reintegrate and contribute to local society.
Azra Kujundzic
We meet Azra in a local restaurant in Kljuc and our lack of table manners is immediately noticed. She is short and plum and a force to be reckoned with, honest to the bone and without false modesty. She speaks to us in flawless Danish and begins her story.
- Everything changed very rapidly in Bosnia – I remember how my best friend in school suddenly asked me if I was a Muslim. When the massacres started in the villages surrounding Kljuc my uncle was among the victims. When they came to arrest my father we had to leave. Via Zagreb and Poland we finally made it to Esbjerg – the Danish fishing capitol and a place I learned to love with a passion.
When Kljuc was liberated, I knew immediately that I had to come back and the repatriation of me and my family was organized by DRC. I feel obligated to invest my personal resources in the future of Bosnia even though I loved the life in Denmark. I have always been very active and involved in student papers, organizations and basically anything that allowed me to make a difference, and when I came back I was able to assist Danish politicians and even royalty as a translator when they came to visit Kljuc. One thing led to another and I am now the chairman of “Kosmos”, an NGO organizing young people and engaging them in all kinds of political and social work. Kosmos is one of the many NGO’s in Bosnia that has worked closely with and received support from DRC.
The political establishment in Bosnia lacks understanding of the importance of civil democratic involvement and some of the young people lack basic political interest and knowledge. “kosmos” is dealing with these problems and it seems to be working. During the last 6-9 month, the local politicians have come to realise the potential benefits of the work we do – we can make things happen, we can organize the community and when we travel everybody now knows about Kljuc – you might say that we are an essential part of the brand: Kljuc.
I have learned a lot about democracy living in Denmark and if I should ever become the president of Bosnia, I will definitely have a lot of ideas – in the mean time I will do what I can to engage the youth in the future of this country.
